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A review by rebelbelle13
Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright
4.0
This was a delightful, cozy, atmospheric, nostalgic little middle grade, and a worthy follow up to the original story. Most of the novel does focus on fixing up the Villa Caprice and finding things around the old mansion, and shifts gears a bit from the first installment. It still has the same feeling as the first, with the children slowly making discoveries and truly enjoying everything about the houses of Gone-Away Lake. It does seem that fortune is literally on their side with all of the things they find, including jewelry, furniture, and a host of other valuable collectables, but if you go along for the ride, you'll find the Blake family is worthy of these treasures, and rather humble.
Some of the choices the children make seem rash and irresponsible, but these were different times, parents didn't hover, and not everyone had a TV.
I really wish that Enright had made a prequel novel series with Minnie-Ha-Ha and Baby Belle and the other Gone Away children, back in the hay-day of the lake, with the parties and summers and friendships of the 'gay 90's'. As it stands, Minnie and Pin do tell stories and have flashbacks, but it's not the same.
I would have loved this series as a child, and I'm sorry I missed out on reading it when I was the same age as Portia. I think it truly would have been a favorite.
Some of the choices the children make seem rash and irresponsible, but these were different times, parents didn't hover, and not everyone had a TV.
I really wish that Enright had made a prequel novel series with Minnie-Ha-Ha and Baby Belle and the other Gone Away children, back in the hay-day of the lake, with the parties and summers and friendships of the 'gay 90's'. As it stands, Minnie and Pin do tell stories and have flashbacks, but it's not the same.
I would have loved this series as a child, and I'm sorry I missed out on reading it when I was the same age as Portia. I think it truly would have been a favorite.