Finally I got to do some BEACH READING at the beach. Saco Bay in Maine is a delightful vacation spot.
I don’t think any modern author can really match Jane Austen, but this book by Joan Aiken stands well on its own. The heroine, an illegitimate child from an upper class family, thrives against the odds in a community that specializes in fostering unwanted children until their families (maybe) decide to help them out. Eliza is bright, and takes advantage of every opportunity to learn. Travel and adventure are her rewards. When all else fails, Eliza bursts into song! Silly as it sounds, the plot works and I enjoyed the book.
AMG Reading Journal 