Two sisters with their eccentric father, high school age brother and a stepmother living in a castle in England in the 1930's.
This book was first published in 1949 by Ms. Smith who later would become famous for writing 101 Dalmatians.
Cassandra and her sister Rose are tired of being poor. Years ago their father had written a brilliant novel, but after time in jail and the death of his first wife, he has refused to write. Thankfully the owner of the castle does not demand rent, so they have been scraping by. When the castle's owner dies, other family members take over and may not be as gracious.
Maybe two American brothers can save the sisters from poverty?
Cassandra records one year in three different journals. She shares her tumultuous feelings of a seventeen year old and falling in love for the first time.
I liked Cassandra as a character. She is smart, humorous and likable.
This book is a "young adult" book yet I am not sure if I would recommend it to a high school student (see points to discuss).
Points to discuss/cautions: language, passionate kissing-one time, hints of love making between a few different characters, Topaz, the stepmother communes with nature in the nude and she hints of divorcing Cassandra's father, drowning sorrows in alcohol (Cassandra)
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