By: E.L. Konigsburg Publisher: Aladdin Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Aladdin Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 144 Publication Date: March 04, 2008 Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Winston Carmichael has it all: a big house, servants, vacations in Palm Beach, and a fancy private school. But with overprotective parents and a sense of responsibility for his younger sister, Heidi, Winston sometimes feels more as if he's living in a prison than a dream.
Then one day a woman appears at the front door claiming to be Caroline -- Winston's half sister, who was kidnapped and presumed dead long before he and Heidi were born. Is she really Caroline? Is she an imposter? Or is she something far more complicated than either? And does she hold the key that could unlock the door to Winston's prison?
Father's Arcane Daughter back in print! I am delighted that this book is back in print. E.L. Konigsburg is most well-known for her book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, assigned to elementary school students nationwide, and generally enjoyed by all, despite being assigned reading. That's a good book, but this one, originally titled Father's Arcane Daughter, is my favorite Konigsburg creation. (You may notice that her publishers have chosen to bland down her weird titles, which is too bad.) If you once enjoyed her books, or have a kid who enjoyed her other books, it's worth reading. The wit, characterization and the keen social observations within are as fun (and relevant) now as they were when I was 12 years old.
The story concerns the members of a wealthy society family, the Carmichaels. The eldest daughter, Caroline, from the father's first marriage, was the victim of a kidnapping many years ago, and then disappeared. The mother died. After a time, the father remarried, and had two children (Winston and Heidi) by his second wife, Grace. Caroline was to have been a wealthy heiress, since her mother came from a rich family as well as her father. Mere months before the deadline to claim her inheritance, a woman shows up on the Carmichaels' front door and claims to be Caroline. Winston, the elder child, immediately decides that he will investigate her and discover the truth. He does, but not in a way that either he or the reader will be able to predict.
The central mystery of the story -- is Caroline an impostor? -- is compelling enough, but what makes this book outstanding is the voice of its narrator, 12-year old Winston. He is similar in character to Sport of Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy series, though Winston is less practical than Sport and more verbally clever.
The book covers serious themes such as social shame, disabilities, and the strength to face life's harsh truths. Yet the book is a funny, light confection of a read, and it is Winston's voice that is central to that effect.
Great read Picked this book up for my kids and I couldn't put it down. Facinating, funny, sad and a good mystery all at once. The writing is clever, the kid characters are well-established, though the adults are a bit fuzzy. Great for 11-12-year-olds and up, though there are some serious topics covered here.
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