A review by rosannelortz
The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall

5.0

In The Penderwicks in Spring, five more years have elapsed. Rosalind is away in college, having abandoned Tommy Geiger, the neighbor boy, for a black-leather-clad poser named Oliver. Teenagers Skye and Jane attract a coterie of male admirers to the house every evening, but the one admirer Skye has no patience for is her best friend Jeffrey. Tommy’s older brother Nick is home from war, and he’s determined to keep all the Penderwick girls out of trouble. Meanwhile, Batty is the ten-year-old heroine of this story, trying to overcome her shyness enough to earn money to pay for music lessons. But how will she spend time with her music mentor, Jeffrey, if Skye keeps forbidding him to visit? This book was a real tear-jerker, exploring the psychological effects a family member’s death can have on a child. The Little Women-esque threads established in the first book blaze into full glory here, leaving one to wonder just which sister will end up with Jeffrey/Laurie in the final book of the series?