Summary: Nine years, five older siblings, a few beloved dogs, and an endless array of adventures--these are the things that have shaped Lydia's journey since readers first met her in The Penderwicks in Spring. Bursting with heart and brimming with charm, this is a joyful, hilarious ode to the family we love best. And oh my MOPS - Meeting of Penderwick Siblings - does Jeanne Birdsall's The Penderwicks at Last crescendo to one perfect Penderwick finale.
MY THOUGHTS:
To me this finale is the strongest and finest of all. The wonder of classic kids' series is how they transform simple and ordinary pleasures and events into something fun and magical. I found the first two books in the series lacked that elusive quality and relied more on unlikely sensationalism. But this one gets it right. I was smiling almost all the way through.
Sadly, however, several other reviewers claim that in their opinion, the Penderwick series grows weaker and this was the worst. It makes me wonder whether our era of being constantly switched-on erodes people's tolerance for gentle, meandering tales. It's a slippery slope I always aim to avoid.
The remainder of my review will be a defence of this book. Then under the red line of plot spoilers, I'll add my two cents worth about how the elder sisters' romances pan out, for that seems to be what pressed several angry reviewers' buttons.
In a nutshell, Rosalind is finally going to tie the knot with Tommy Geiger. The wedding venue of her choice is Arundel, now under complete management of their honorary bro, Jeffrey Tifton, who gives the green light. So the Penderwicks converge on the majestic place where their adventures all started. Jeffrey promises that his formidable mother usually stays away in New York City these days... but uh-oh, this is one time she doesn't. And Skye seems immune to pressure to make it a double wedding with her boyfriend, Duŝek, but will she hold out?
Lydia, the youngest Penderwick of the blended family, takes centre stage. The only offspring of both their father and mother, she's a joyful spirit who loves impromptu dance. She also likes everyone she meets, except for rare occasions. It doesn't surprise me that Mrs Tifton considers Lydia to be the least abrasive of all the Penderwick kids, since Lydia demonstrates more tact and diplomacy than her sisters did at the same age. Her sensitivity to the feelings of others (including Mrs Tifton!) makes her my favorite Penderwick.
Cagney Pelletier (remember Rosalind's crush from Book 1) is now a family man with a wife and two kids. Lydia strikes up a firm friendship with the ebullient Alice who is forever trying to best her older brother, Jack. These two turn everything into sibling rivalry. Even though he's away visiting other relatives for most of the story, Jack's input is still significant, thanks to modern technology. The humorous plot thread with the competitive Pelletier kids makes me understand, what other readers mean when they call this series modern YA classics.
The same point applies to members of Lydia's own family. Ben, now aged 16, is a budding arthouse movie director, and Jane, now 25, is waitressing to enable her to devote the best of her energy to writing her time travel novel. 19-year-old Batty is a singer studying music, and as random as it seems, her ex-boyfriend Wesley, along with his three-legged Great Dane, Hitch, shows up and makes friends wherever they go.
So we readers get caught up in the rush of wedding preparations which we don't need to lift a finger for; my favorite type. I love the incidents, including one in which Mrs Tifton comes sailing in with a stern warning for Jane. I'll leave you to discover the subject of their altercation for yourself.
I really applaud the final scene. It not only concludes this book itself, but is an extremely clever wrap-up of the entire series. Jeanne Birdsall bring us full circle to the very starting point, but there's even more to it than that. I'll bet it's a subtle prophetic hint. I believe that, after pondering the theme several times prior to this point, Lydia collides with her destiny!
So although the Penderwicks took a while to grow on me, the alchemy finally set in.
Note: Before you arrive at this point, check out The Penderwicks, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, and The Penderwicks in Spring.
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Extra: My thoughts regarding the older sisters' romances!
Whoa, Jeanne Birdsall has singlehandedly recreated an inflammatory scenario from the nineteenth century. She echoes Louisa May Alcott's Little Women series plot progression back in 1869, and the resulting uproar is equally raucous.
Here is how the two situations converge. We have a strong-minded and outspoken heroine who is the second of four sisters (Jo March/Skye Penderwick). She gains the romantic attention of a lovable, 'boy-next-door' style character (Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence/Jeffrey Tifton). Unfortunately for him, our powerful girl simply can't force herself to muster the same feelings for him. She ends up marrying a total newcomer with a foreign name and background (Professor Friedrich Bhaer/Duŝek). This poor guy gets thoroughly hissed down by irate fans. And to add insult to injury, everyone's favorite boy, after suffering the sting of unrequited love, quite happily settles for the strong heroine's little sister (Amy/Batty).
There we have it. After the flak that Alcott received from a huge contingent of former fans, I wonder that Birdsall had the nerve to make the very same move. But she did! And the repercussions are just as resounding. I spent some time reading Goodreads reviews of this book which prove that nineteenth century and twenty-first century fans throw equally big tantrums.
Thankyou to all the aggressive 'Skyeffrey' shippers who may stumble upon this, for giving me a good laugh and proving that history repeats itself. I have to say that in both cases, I didn't really mind. I was quite happy with Batty for Jeffrey, just as I was with Amy for Laurie. Come on dudes, if Jeffrey himself ends up chill with the idea of Skye marrying Duŝek, why should we not be?
Poor Duŝek is the most unpopular guy in the Penderwick series, hated by fans who find his very inoffensiveness totally offensive. I tend to think these irate readers might have been more pacified if Skye, in the style of Nan Harding from Jo's Boys, decided not to get married at all. Duŝek is booed for even existing.
I guess if you're an author who considers writing a triangle of this nature, you ought to think very carefully, unless getting readers' knickers in a knot is your aim. In which case, this appears to be a very sound formula, so go right ahead.
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