Historial House Cecily's Portrait
Summary
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Historial House Cecily's Portrait by Geras Adele
Cecily longs to learn the new art of photography and is determined that her widowed father will come to love it too, especially when she realises that her new friend and photographer, Rosalind, would be a perfect match for him. Will her dreams of uniting them ever come true?
Adele Geras kicks off the story in 1857 with Lizzie visiting her cousins in London, the elder of whom has been inspired by Florence NightingaleBy 1914 the house is divided into flats and Linda Newbery takes up the story with Polly befriending a couple of suffragettes who move in. The final story is set in 1941, when Ann Turnbull’s heroine Josie is staying with her cousins to escape being ostracised when her brother Ted becomes a conscientious objector. All three books stand alone, but girls of eight to 11 will want to read them all and will enjoy the historical detail in each. * Times Educational Supplement *
The Historical House series provides the opportunity for three highly acclaimed writers to explore the life of a London house and its inhabitants from 1857 to 1941. There are three main focal points in the texts: the house’s physical changes through the years, meticulous and informative details about domestic life, ethos and culture and, finally, the developing roles and expectations of women at critical periods in history. Crucially, the writers have maintained authorial independence, giving them a clarity of voice and diversity of style, but the books are linked by the motif of the walnut tree and by the challenges which their female protagonists have to face. * Books for Keeps *
Geras catches the social mores of the age as well and offers her readers a glimpse into the restrictions expected of females. Cecily cannot visit Rosalind without her father's permission, and he sees the Templetons as only just respectable. Mr Bright is something of a mid-Victorian pater familiaris, and Miss Braithwaite expects Cecily to conform to the 'angel in the house' view of feminine behaviour. Rosalind, however, is a nascent New Woman: she has her own career and she's prepared to argue with her father about the validity of photography as an artist's medium. Modern Girls might find this story a touch quiet, but it certainly illuminates the 1890's zeigeist. * Historical Novels Review - Issue 46, November 2008 *
Highly recommended read. A touching and authentic historical tale with plenty of girl appeal. * Red House Children's Book Award Magazine 2008 *
The Historical House is a new series that cleverly sets three stories by well-established writers in the same London house, but at different periods of history. The lead character in each is a girl around 12 years old. Lizzie's Wish by Adele Geras is set during the Crimean War. In Polly's March, by Linda Newbery, Polly is fascinated by the suffragettes who move into the flat upstairs, and Ann Turnbull's Josie Under Fire takes place in 1941 during the Blitz. The writers have collaborated over their work and although each story stand alone, characters from earlier periods occasionally put in an appearance in the later novels. * Kathryn Ross’s Pick of the Year, The Scotsman *
The Historical House series provides the opportunity for three highly acclaimed writers to explore the life of a London house and its inhabitants from 1857 to 1941. There are three main focal points in the texts: the house’s physical changes through the years, meticulous and informative details about domestic life, ethos and culture and, finally, the developing roles and expectations of women at critical periods in history. Crucially, the writers have maintained authorial independence, giving them a clarity of voice and diversity of style, but the books are linked by the motif of the walnut tree and by the challenges which their female protagonists have to face. * Books for Keeps *
Geras catches the social mores of the age as well and offers her readers a glimpse into the restrictions expected of females. Cecily cannot visit Rosalind without her father's permission, and he sees the Templetons as only just respectable. Mr Bright is something of a mid-Victorian pater familiaris, and Miss Braithwaite expects Cecily to conform to the 'angel in the house' view of feminine behaviour. Rosalind, however, is a nascent New Woman: she has her own career and she's prepared to argue with her father about the validity of photography as an artist's medium. Modern Girls might find this story a touch quiet, but it certainly illuminates the 1890's zeigeist. * Historical Novels Review - Issue 46, November 2008 *
Highly recommended read. A touching and authentic historical tale with plenty of girl appeal. * Red House Children's Book Award Magazine 2008 *
The Historical House is a new series that cleverly sets three stories by well-established writers in the same London house, but at different periods of history. The lead character in each is a girl around 12 years old. Lizzie's Wish by Adele Geras is set during the Crimean War. In Polly's March, by Linda Newbery, Polly is fascinated by the suffragettes who move into the flat upstairs, and Ann Turnbull's Josie Under Fire takes place in 1941 during the Blitz. The writers have collaborated over their work and although each story stand alone, characters from earlier periods occasionally put in an appearance in the later novels. * Kathryn Ross’s Pick of the Year, The Scotsman *
Adèle Geras studied languages and taught French before becoming an author. She has written over eighty titles for children and young adults, including Troy, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book Award and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal. Adèle is married with two grown-up children and two grandchildren, and she lives in Manchester.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780746073124 |
| ISBN 10 | 0746073127 |
| Title | Historial House Cecily's Portrait |
| Author | Adèle Geras |
| Series | Historical House |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Usborne Publishing Ltd |
| Year published | 2007-04-27 |
| Number of pages | 176 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |