The Chimneys Of Green Knowe by L.M. BostonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book centers around a series of stories exploring the history of Green Knowe. Tolly has returned but meets different characters from the house's past this time, his Grandmother is stitching together a quilt from remaining clothes of the house's past inhabitants (she's obviously a keen upcycler - although one hopes she isn't terrorizing people to buy her stuff with some naff etsy account) - as she works on the quilt every evening, more secrets and stories from the past are divulged.
The use of the 'n' word really jarred with me and I'm not sure if this would have been used historically at this time - if so it still feels uncomfortable in a children's book which doesn't explicitly chronicle black history per say (where for example in a historical novel it's usage might be seen as permissible to document language and terms people used at the time?) Maybe this educates children about how white people viewed black people but I just felt it was unnecessary. A lot of the characters are unpleasant and out for themselves, but I did like that whilst all and sundry are judging the sole black character for the colour of his skin, and the blind girl - they themselves are very happy in each other's company and simply do not see each other's differences - it simply isn't an issue as they are more caught up in sharing their imaginations.
There's a bit of adventure, a bit of mystery and a bit of nostalgia - and wonderful black and white illustrations. Recommended to anyone who likes classic children's literature.
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