Eight Cousins (Barnes & Noble Digital Library): Or the Aunt Hill [NOOK Book]

pleasant, delightful story

Thirteen-year-old Rose Campbell is a lonely and sickly orphaned girl. Her mother, also named Rose, died when she was young, and her father, George Campbell, has recently died from a long illness during which time Rose nursed him. Left alone, she goes to live with her maiden great-aunts, Plenty and Peace Campbell, in Boston, MA, with other aunts, the wives of her father's brothers, and their families living nearby. Of most interest, however, are her seven male cousins-Archie (16), Charlie (16), Mac (15), Steve (14), Will (12), Geordie (11), and little Jamie (6). Aunt Jane, mother of Mac and Steve, is a stern and humorless yet reliable disciplinarian whose husband Mac Campbell runs the family business trading in goods from the Far East. Aunt Clara, wife of Stephen Campbell who is in India and mother of Charlie, is a social butterfly who is completely absorbed in Boston's high society. Aunt Jessie, mother of Archie, Will, Geordie, and Jamie, and wife of sea captain James (Jem) Campbell, is steady, wise, and loving. Widowed Aunt Myra is a gloomy, self-absorbed hypochondriac and the mother of Caroline, the only other girl in the family, who unfortunately died young.
As the book opens, Rose is mourning the death of her father and awaiting with apprehension the arrival of her unknown guardian, her father's bachelor brother Alec Campbell, a sea-faring physician who is returning from abroad to take over her care. Through his unorthodox but advanced theories about child-rearing, she becomes happier and healthier while finding her place in her family. She also makes friends with Phebe Moore, her aunts' young housemaid, whose cheerful attitude in the face of poverty helps Rose to understand and value her own good fortune. Each chapter describes an adventure in Rose's life over the next year as she learns to help herself and others make good choices.
There is a sequel to Eight Cousins entitled Rose in Bloom (1876), which continues the story into Rose's young adulthood, depicting courtship and marriage, poverty and charity, transcendental poetry and prose, illness and death among her family and friends. Just as soon as I began reading this book, I had a good feeling that it was going to be a pleasant, delightful story, and I was not disappointed at all. Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) is not remembered as one of America's best authors, let alone one of America's best women authors, for no reason. The only other book that I had read by her was Little Men, and that was a long time ago. Early in life she wrote passionate, fiery novels and sensational stories to make money, but she became most famous for producing wholesome books for children, and after their positive reception, she did not generally return to creating works for adults. She is best known for the novel Little Women (originally published in two parts, 1868 and 1869), loosely based on her childhood experiences with her three sisters, and its sequels Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). There are some books that I have had to force myself to read, but not Eight Cousins; I always looked forward to those times when I would sit down to read it so that I could find out what would happen next in this wonderful story.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

BETH

Ya im so sorry i have been at the spring fair and have been SUPER tired at nights!! Plus ive been getting home super late!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is my favorite book!

This book, about a child named Rose Campbell, is my all-time favorite. While some of the stories might seem childish and abrupt at first, the more that you read them, the more they grow on you. I was eleven when I first read this; I heartily recommend that a child read this as young as nine. While they may not understand the book, they will still think of it as humorous. Have them write down what they think the book is about and then make them re-read it at age twelve. There will be a HUGE difference! READ IT! In my opinion this book is much better than Little Women. SO READ IT!!!!!

Happy reading!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

If you are among the very young at heart......

Congratulations, you have found a wonderful girly book. I get lost in the wonderful world of Eight Cousins every time I pick it up. It has such an amazing innocence that takes you to another place and time. In spite of the fact that this book begins rather sad, you will find plenty of humor in the life of one girl trapped with her seven boy cousins on "Aunt Hill". These rambunctious boys, though overwhelming to her at first, show Rose the true joy that can be found in life if you just go with it.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

BETH

Minis dont take up much space(; haha ttyt((:

Rose is so loveable!

I fell in love with darling little rose from the begining!!
She is very relatable and love this little story!!!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Beth

Hey! You here?

Loved it!!!

I loved this book SO much! It was absolutely divine!! I love Louissa May Alcott! She writes SO lovely! I highly recomend this book! You won't be disapointed!! Once again, this was a great book!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great

this was such a good book highly recomended

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Pleasant Little Story

I read Eight Cousins after reading its sequel Rose in Bloom, not quite knowing what to expect. Although I did not find it quite as engaging as the sequel, I still ejoyed its sweet simplicity. I think it an excellent book for a rainy day, or quiet evening.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing

This book is one of the best books I have ever read. It gives you a whole different view on family life and the rights of children. The characters are really vivid and you feel for Rose after her Papa died. My favorite character is Uncle Alec, and the boy cousins are hilarious. I am almost afraid to read Rose in Bloom (the sequel) in case it might ruin Eight Cousins.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What a nice book!

Eight Cousins is such a worth-while book!! I especially like Mac, one of the boy cousins. I also like Uncle Alec, and of course, Rose. Definitely a good read.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An irreplacable and wonderful 5th grade memory

I had a great teacher in 5th grade who read a chapter of this wonderful, enteraining book to us in class every day if we behaved and stayed quiet Everyone was so entranced, we wouldn't have dared to miss our story time. What a writer Miss Alcott was. I still enjoy rereading her.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Truth

Again, like all of Alcott's books, this is Amazing! I have already read it twice, and enjoyed it just as much each time. This is a great book. I love all the characters, They all have a different personality, but are still best of friends. I like that in a book. It makes you feel like these people can really exist somewhere.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Better than Little Women!

While I loved Little Women, I have to say, Eight Cousins had me clinging to the very last page. I am one of eight cousins myself, not all boys, but still, i can totally relate. I loved all the boys and how visible she made all their individual traits leap out of the pages right at you. I gurantee anyone who reads it will love it as much as I did.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Really great Book!

This is one of Louisa's best book ever! It's about a 13 year ols girl named Rose who has to live with her six aunts because her parents died. Life at the Aunt Hill, the nickname for the dwelling of the aunts, seems dull to Rose. Rose is also frail and weak. When Rose's unlce, Dr. Alec, returns from Calcutta and sees how unhappy she is he begs the aunts for a chance to raise the girl under his direction. Everything turns out grand and Rose meets her seven boy cousins. This is a very touching story. Showing that even if your weak ,if you have help from someone and try to do what's best for you, you can become strong. This is a great book.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

BEST BOOK EVER! ONE IN A MILLION (1/1,000,000)

Eight Cousins has been one of the best books I've ever read. Rose Campbell is one of the best classical heroines of all time. The seven boy cousins-Archie, Charlie, Mac, Jamie, Will, Geordie, and Steve-are all lovable in each of their own unique ways-I love them all!!! Definitely a book to read for any reason at all.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great book

this book shows just how great family life is! i loved the way Rose was treated like a princess by everyone. she was like a second mother to the boys.i also loved the way she treated Mac! he seems like a boy i'd love to know. Read this book! Now!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This Was A Wonderful Story

Hi! I read this one a very long time ago. Basically I loved almost everything about it. There is however one flaw with this book. And frankly every Allcot book has the same one. The heorines are so caught up in how imperfect they are that they end up as snobbish, uppity, twits. Other than that I liked it a lot.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I loved it!

I liked this book very much. It helped me to be a better person sometimes, and taught me a lot. It also was excellent reading!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.