Take a photo of a barcode or cover
spectacledbear 's review for:
Dear Enemy
by Jean Webster
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs, which I've loved for a long time, but for some reason I didn't even know this book existed. It's longer than DLL, and is made up of letters written by Sallie McBride, mostly to her friend Judy Pendleton (nee Abbott, the main character/narrator of DLL), who has persuaded Sallie to take on the temporary leadership of the orphanage where Judy grew up. Unlike DLL, Dear Enemy includes letters to more than one person - Sallie also writes to her boyfriend and to the orphanage's doctor (the 'enemy' of the title).
That's about as spoilery as I'm going to get. It's a lovely book - Sallie's voice is honest and amusing, and her development throughout the book is subtle and enjoyable. I wouldn't describe it as funny, but it did make me laugh a few times, and it is very affecting in places.
That's about as spoilery as I'm going to get. It's a lovely book - Sallie's voice is honest and amusing, and her development throughout the book is subtle and enjoyable. I wouldn't describe it as funny, but it did make me laugh a few times, and it is very affecting in places.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
I've ticked a lot of minor warnings for this book, but mostly because a) it was written in 1915 so, you know, different times, and b) it's set in an orphanage where children have been sent for a variety of reasons. The doctor, who is a main character, is very interested in mental illness and heredity and there is a brief discussion of eugenics. I don't think it's triggering or particularly offensive, but everyone's mileage varies.