Wintle's Wonders

This book was so much fun for my daughter and I to read together. One thing to be aware of with Streatfeild though - she's very formulaic. The US versions make sure to point this out by renaming every book Something Shoes. Originally this book was called Wintle's Wonders, apparently. I love the slice-of-life, old fashioned, downtrodden-yet-still-genteel feel. My daughter just likes a good story that involves little girls, I think. And the stage. But back to my original point - if you've seen the movie Ballet Shoes, either the newish version with Emma Watson of Hermione fame, or the older version that takes place in Jean and Lionel's house from As Time Goes By, the basic plot structure will be very familiar to you. But that won't make it show more any less enjoyable. If you haven't seen/read Ballet Shoes, you should, though I may love it best because I read it first. show less

This is my favourite of Noel Streatfeild's 'Shoes' books, and has been ever since I read it years ago.

Partly it's because of the story of the plain, talentless Rachel, who eventually finds her own talent and happiness (being the plain sister can be pretty awful). However, it's not just about Rachel finding her own place, but also about her realising that not only can she not run her sister's life, but also she can't expect Hilary to live her life according to what her dead parents 'would have wanted'.

I also liked Hilary as a character, not because she's the pretty, lively one, but because she quite obviously knows what she wants - and it's not what everyone else thinks she ought to want. Hilary is quite cleverly written as one of the show more those people who are quite happy to go with flow - just until something comes up that is sufficiently important to them. We don't get to find out what Hilary really wants until the end, and that's something else that I liked. Hilary states that she wants to "get married and have lots of babies" instead of having a great career on the stage, and I like that Streatfeild puts that in. Streatfeild's heroines are usually career girls (women), and I think it's valuable that just this once, being a wife and mother is regarded as a worthy role for a woman. Girls today get bombarded with how they should "have it all". What's wrong with picking either home and family or career, and doing it to the full? Women's rights should be the right to choose for yourself, not the right to have your career path chosen for you by feminists instead of men. OK, rant over.

Even the loud, pushing Mrs Wintle isn't totally bad - she's a working woman running a business, and taking on the lion's share of the household expenses. She can't afford to add two children who do nothing to contribute, so of course Hilary and Rachel must join her dance troupe. There is also a real feeling that Mrs Wintle honestly can't understand why Rachel doesn't want to be a Little Wonder, or why anyone wouldn't want to. And besides, when you're running a business, 'want to' is a bit of a luxury anyway...

This is one of those books that has survived on my bookshelves, and it's as readable and and enjoyable for me now as it was when I first read it. What more can you say about a book? show less

When Cora Wintle goes to pick up her orphaned niece, Rachel, she discovers that Rachel's adopted sister, Hilary, would be perfect for her dancing troupe. The only problem is that Hilary might be as good as her own precious daughter, Dulcie. Still, she's determined to take sulky Rachel and sprightly Hilary and make them into Little Wonders.
But Rachel doesn't want to be a Little Wonder. She can't dance, and she'd rather die than wear the ruffly costume. Not only that, she doesn't want Hilary to be a Little Wonder either. She had promised her mother that she would make sure Hilary danced with the Royal Ballet.
Nothing seems to be going as planned, until Rachel discovers her talent for acting. . . .

After losing their mother, Rachel and her adopted sister Hilary move in with their aunt, Cora Wintle. Cora runs a dancing school in London, and she thinks that Hilary would be perfect for her dancing troupe, Wintle's Little Wonders! The only problem is that Hilary might be as good as Cora's own precious daughter, Dulcie. Still, Cora is determined to make sulky Rachel and sprightly Hilary members of her dance troupe.

But Rachel doesn't want to be a Little Wonder! She can't dance and feels silly in her the ruffly costume. Nothing seems to be going as planned, until Rachel discovers her talent for acting. . . .

This classic children's book is perfect for kids who dream of being on stage, whether it be dancing or acting.

After losing their mother, Rachel and her adopted sister Hilary move in with their aunt, Cora Wintle. Cora runs a dancing school in London, and she thinks that Hilary would be perfect for her dancing troupe, Wintle's Little Wonders! The only problem is that Hilary might be as good as Cora's own precious daughter, Dulcie. Still, Cora is determined to make sulky Rachel and sprightly Hilary members of her dance troupe.

But Rachel doesn't want to be a Little Wonder! She can't dance and feels silly in her the ruffly costume. Nothing seems to be going as planned, until Rachel discovers her talent for acting. . . .

This classic children's book is perfect for kids who dream of being on stage, whether it be dancing or acting.

More children's fiction from one of my favourite juvenile authors. Hilary and Rachel are orphaned, and go to live with Aunt Cora and Uncle Tom. Cora runs a stage school, teaching all kinds of dance and drama, and has a daughter - Dulcie - who is very conceited. Hilary was training to be a ballet dancer, but finds herself enjoying other kinds of dancing more, much to Rachel's dismay. Rachel is not a dancer at all, and doesn't in the least want to train in her aunt's stage school...

Great characterisation, as ever with Streatfeild, and a good story. It used to be known as 'Wintle's Wonders'.

Full review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2019/03/dancing-shoes-by-noel-streatfeild.h...

It took a while to get into this, because the characters are more complex than one would expect from a genre book like this, and at first they aren't particularly likable.  But after a while they grew on me, and I checked the GR community reviews, and decided to finish the book.  I'm glad I did.  I agree, pretty much, with the reviews over there.  The only thing I want to add is that I liked that the book had a variety of adult characters and something interesting to share about most of them... in fact, it reminded me of a typical Eva Ibbotson work that way.