'The Railway Children' by E. Nesbit

In this much-loved children's classic first published in 1906, the comfortable lives of three well-mannered siblings are greatly altered when, one evening, two men arrive at the house and take their father away. With the family's fortunes considerably reduced in his absence, the children and their mother are forced to live in a simple country cottage near a railway station. There the young trio—Roberta, Peter, and young Phyllis—befriend the porter and station master.

The youngsters' days are filled with adventure and excitement, including their successful attempt to avert a horrible train disaster; but the mysterious disappearance of their father continues to haunt them.

The solution to that painful puzzle and many other details and events of the children's lives come to vivid life in this perennial favorite, a story that has captivated generations of readers.

MY THOUGHTS:

This was published in 1906, so belongs to the charming kid lit of the short Edwardian era. Three young siblings live a comfy life with their parents in a London townhouse until their father, a government worker, is roughly hauled out of the house one night. The reader gets enough hints early on to surmise that he's been unjustly imprisoned, although this fact is concealed from Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis for a very long time. 

Their mother is forced to remove the family to Three Chimneys, a rough country dwelling, and drastically cuts costs while she tries to support them by writing stories. She's one of those beloved, hero-mums with the weight of the world on her shoulders, and the poems she writes for family and friends during her more leisurely moments are a great embellishment of the book.

Rather than growing miserable because of their new spartan lifestyle, the three kids channel their energy into getting familiar with the local railway and canal systems. The railway is their favourite, because it's the first interest they discover, plus the people who work and commute along it are the most friendly. There were several railway workers back in my own family line, so I really appreciate that. 

On several occasions, at least three of huge significance, the trio happens to be on hand at crucial moments to prevent serious accidents. Yes, it's very convenient plot wise, but also most entertaining to read. Other themes include being bold enough to ask for what they need, since others can't be expected to guess. Their mother and other adults are often horrified when boundaries of pride and privacy are accidentally crossed, but Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis definitely get things done, making us question whether those boundaries should even be there. 

Bobbie, or Roberta, the eldest sister, is a stand-out character to me. For those of us familiar with 21st century terms, it's clear she's an empath, our modern label for a person with a sixth sense when it comes to perceiving the mental or emotional turmoil of others. This is quite fascinating, because Nesbit would never have heard of such a term, writing as far back as 1906, but Bobbie clearly has all the typical traits, including internalising others' emotions, willingness to help out, love of nature, and a certain delicacy of holding back her intuitive knowledge when she thinks it's most tactful. 

The book explains her character as one of 'silent sympathy, which is not as dull as it sounds and not always easy.' In other words, Bobbie won't reveal to people that she's even aware of their suffering, but just makes an extra effort to be nice and lighten the load. It's a rare and excellent talent to have but since it's so internalised it tends to go unnoticed, with no accolades. Because of this, Bobbie never comes across as a goody-two-shoes who's performing to earn brownie points, but rather as the treasure that she is. 

Besides, she gets into too many heated arguments with her brother and sister to be a goody-two-shoes.

Phyllis, or Phil, is just the sort of feisty youngest sister who stands up for herself that I like. And Peter is a great lad, hanging out with his sisters because his options are so limited, while the restless machismo and testosterone drive him to get a bit dissatisfied and impatient. In one cringe-worthy scene, Dr Forrest gives him a totally old-fashioned, condescending and utterly sexist lecture. 'You know, men have to do the work of the world and not be afraid of anything, so they have to be hardy and brave. But women have to take care of their babies and cuddle them and nurse them, and be very patient and gentle... Girls have to be so much softer and weaker than we are, because if they weren't, it wouldn't be nice for the babies.' 

I had to laugh when Peter paraphrases later to Bobbie and Phyllis,' Dr Forrest has been talking scientifically with me. It all comes to you girls being poor, soft, weak frightened things like rabbits, so us men have just got to put up with them.' Haha, we've come a long way. 

Overall, it's a heartwarming blast from the past about kindness, simple pleasures, straightforward honesty and things ending well simply because a few people dare to show a bit of initiative. And I'm sure I won't forget Bobbie's delayed reaction in the wake of a sudden landslide on the tracks.  

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