A review by vinpauld
Loretta Mason Potts by Mary Chase

3.0

This funny and odd book, written by Mary Chase who is most famous for having written "Harvey," has a memorable concept but I didn't find myself really engaging with it on an emotional level. The book starts out promising enough with Colin, the oldest of 4 children in the Mason family, learning that he is actually not the oldest, that in fact he has an older sister named Loretta who years before decided she would rather live with the local dairy farmers, Mr. and Mrs. Potts. The reason given for Loretta living with another family is not all that convincing, especially when it comes to light that even after she moves back home with her real family, she still has access to the fairyland (?) that supposedly she could only get to from the Potts' farm. There are a lot of inconsistencies of logic in the story and it doesn't help that none of the characters are particularly well developed. I think this could have been a great book if the characters and the plot had been better developed. The idea of a mysterious older sibling who is unknown to the other children in her family and her dramatic reappearance is certainly a great starting point for a story but sadly the emotional element behind this idea is barely touched upon. Instead the author resorts to schemes and complications that left me wishing the story had gone in a different direction. The book is humorous in parts and it's a fast read so I did enjoy it while reading it but I doubt it is one I will revisit.