Review Detail

THE PENDERWICKS AT LAST is the last in the series of Jeanne Birdsall's books about the Penderwick family. In this book, they return to Arundel, the setting for the first book, and it features Lydia, the youngest of the Penderwicks. Lydia wasn't born when the first Arundel adventure took place, but she's grown up hearing about the wonders of the estate, and she's determined to make some memories of her own during her time there.

Lydia is at Arundel to prepare for the wedding of her oldest sister, Rosalind, and she's finds friends and adventures as she waits for the rest of the Penderwick clan to arrive.

THE PENDERWICKS AT LAST is amazing. This most recent story is full of memories from past books, but it doesn't rely on the reader having knowledge of them to make the book completely enthralling. The adventures of Lydia and her new-found friend, Alice, are full of innocence, laughter, and fun, and the interactions of family and friends-who-are family are wholesome and sweet.

Although some readers may wonder at the naiveté of Lydia, Alice, and the Penderwicks as a whole, I found the book to be calming and enchanting. THE PENDERWICKS AT LAST reminded me of the books I read when I was young like Little Women and Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. I loved spending time with Lydia, Alice, and their families, and I'm sad to leave them. I'm also sad that this is the last book in the series, although I haven't read the first four, so I can meet the Penderwicks in reverse order--and I think I will!

As an extra bonus, this is a book that is suitable for readers of all ages--or a book to be read to those who aren't quite ready for chapter books.

My thanks to YA Books Central and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.