Rating: 
Summary: Classic Role for Shirley Temple
Review: This story is admittedly sentimental and even syrupy, but admirers of Frances Hodgeson Burnett won't care! If you've enjoyed The Little Princess and The Secret Garden, you surely will want to read her third famous children's classic. The seven-year-old American protagonist is simply too sweet and good-natured to be true; his widowed mother is a study in patient suffering. Suddenly informed that her son is the heir to an Earldom in England, the mother gives up her homeland to restore her son to his rightful legacy. But his crusty old grandfather
(who cast out his youngest son when he married a mere American) proves mean and selfish-universally hated by his tenants. Now this unexpected grandson may be his last chance--not only to continue the family name and honor, but more importantly, for the old man's personal growth. It's a challenge for American readers to understand the dialogue which Burnett often presents in dialect, while ignoring the distinction between New Yorkese and British peasant slang. Neverthless, this book is a gently told tale which will touch those unjaded readers who remain. The underlying theme may be that of the restorative power of innocence.
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