Scan barcode
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
5.0
Dear Enemy is the follow up to the successful Daddy Long Legs. It follows the adventures of Judy Abbott's flighty socialite college friend, Sallie MacBride, as she works to renovate and reform the grim orphanage Judy had grown up in. Sallie doesn't look like the kind of person who would be able to be an orphanage superintendent. She is, by her own admission, silly and too much in love with having fun. But she's goaded into taking the job by the laughter of her boyfriend and now that she's installed in the superintendent's ghastly living quarters, she's going to give it her all to improve the lives of the 113 orphans in her care.
This is a childhood favorite of mine, that I reread every few years. Written as the collected letters and notes of Sallie as she gets settled and learns how very much needs to be done, it's amusing in the best possible way. What's interesting as an adult is the picture of how things like genetics were viewed a hundred years ago. There are references to the cutting edge work of that time, including the fantastic The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness, which is both laughable and frightening to modern eyes, but was seriously considered in the eugenics movement of that time. So that in between the silly capers and misadventures of Sallie and her orphans and the light romance between Sallie and the dour Scottish doctor is a heap of information on how people back then thought orphanages ought to be run and the role of a child's background in his or her future chances.
This is a childhood favorite of mine, that I reread every few years. Written as the collected letters and notes of Sallie as she gets settled and learns how very much needs to be done, it's amusing in the best possible way. What's interesting as an adult is the picture of how things like genetics were viewed a hundred years ago. There are references to the cutting edge work of that time, including the fantastic The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness, which is both laughable and frightening to modern eyes, but was seriously considered in the eugenics movement of that time. So that in between the silly capers and misadventures of Sallie and her orphans and the light romance between Sallie and the dour Scottish doctor is a heap of information on how people back then thought orphanages ought to be run and the role of a child's background in his or her future chances.
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
I had read Jean Webster's Daddy Long-Legs a few years ago, learning about it after I read Dear Mr. Knightley, a modern adaptation of it. Only recently did I learn that there was a sequel to the original work, and as it's in the public domain and a quick read, I picked it up.
It's also in an epistolary style and follows a friend from the first book who is charged with taking over the orphanage and ushering in updates and improvements. It's a pleasant, simple read, but I admit bristling at times as some of the language and beliefs haven't aged well (some of it might have been meant for humorous effect, but the talk of "idiots" that she places elsewhere and her flippant comment about the child of a lyncing victim sobered me up).
It's also in an epistolary style and follows a friend from the first book who is charged with taking over the orphanage and ushering in updates and improvements. It's a pleasant, simple read, but I admit bristling at times as some of the language and beliefs haven't aged well (some of it might have been meant for humorous effect, but the talk of "idiots" that she places elsewhere and her flippant comment about the child of a lyncing victim sobered me up).
eliza_reads_a_little's review against another edition
4.0
knocked a star off - although I enjoyed the story and the style of writing, do be aware there are some pretty offensive eugenics views in the book! Take with a pinch of salt and bear in mind the times...
19paws's review against another edition
5.0
This sequel--sort of--to the more popular Daddy Long Legs is simply delightful! Told through stick-figure-illustrated letters, it describes the joys and trials of running an "orphan asylum" at the turn of the century, from the viewpoint of a tender-hearted, though reluctant asylum superintendent. Although there are some disturbing and outdated references to the relationship of heredity to character, the book is still amazingly fresh and progressive for one written nearly 100 years ago. And it is very funny!
rachelhelps's review against another edition
4.0
This is a public domain book about a young lady who becomes the director of an orphanage in the United States against her wishes. Told in a series of letters, the protagonist's chipper yet witty narrative is amusing, though becomes a bit tiresome by the end. There is a romantic subplot between our heroine and the brooding Scottish tsundere doctor, whom she playfully calls her enemy in letters to him.
About halfway through I got a little bored. Four stars for the first half, 2.5 for the second half. I loved how the protagonist realized that she didn't want to marry for the wrong reasons, although I thought it would have ended perfectly with her unmarried. It's just a shame that Jean Webster died before writing more, in childbirth nonetheless, because she was such a witty and promising author.
About halfway through I got a little bored. Four stars for the first half, 2.5 for the second half. I loved how the protagonist realized that she didn't want to marry for the wrong reasons, although I thought it would have ended perfectly with her unmarried. It's just a shame that Jean Webster died before writing more, in childbirth nonetheless, because she was such a witty and promising author.
khuloud_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
thecorioliseffect's review against another edition
5.0
What a sweet book! I loved it! I actually think I liked it better than Daddy Long Legs. I thought Sallie's voice was adorable and sweet. I loved all her stories about the orphans, and it was so lovely to see how she changed from beginning to end, saying she was going to leave the asylum and then she couldn't bear to be separated from her orphans! I loved seeing her writing letters to Judy, and the way her relationship developed with her "Enemy" was just so engaging. Lovely read.