For a family with four kids, two dogs, assorted cats, and a constant stream of family and friends dropping by, life in the Austin family home has always been remarkably steady and contented. When a family friend suddenly dies in a plane crash, the Austins open their home to an orphaned girl, Maggy Hamilton. The Austin children--Vicky, John, Suzy, and Rob--do their best to be generous and welcoming to Maggy.

Vicky knows she should feel sorry for Maggy, but having sympathy for Maggy is no easy thing. Maggy is moody and spoiled; she breaks toys, wakes people in the middle of the night screaming, discourages homework, and generally causes chaos in the Austin household. How can one small child disrupt a family of six? Will life ever return to normal?

Im not sure how I feel about this book. Ive read some of the others in this series previously (totally out of order) and I have a kind of nostalgic affection for Vicky Austin, but this book itself was meh. The story isnt anything particularly interesting and had more religion that I cared to read about. I liked some of the characters but found others obnoxious. ( )

Vicky is in fact my favorite L'Engle heroine and this book gives you the beginnings of her story. Although no matter how hard she tries there is no way to make her younger sister anything but annoying. ( )

A warm, sincere tale of grief and family love that should appeal to readers of all ages. Vicky is a compelling narrator, in the same vein as other L'Engle protagonists. ( )

I thought this book would be about Jane Austen and her family, didn't notice the spelling difference. I listened to this in audio book and absolutely loved it. A simple family story that some say have a correlation with L'Engle's own upbringing. It is set in an earlier, simpler time but the characters are endearing and having such a wonderful mother and father make all the difference in the world for the children. Sweet story. ( )