The Tale of Applebeck Orchard

Some really nice characters flanked by some rather mediocre storytelling... the moments with Beatrix and her thoughts are lovely, but the narrator is constantly stepping out of the story to say things like, "I know we view things differently in the 21st century but this is how the Victorians felt." She even throws in words like "Freudian," and then explains how she personally would behave in a similar situation. It's very jarring and, to my mind, messes with the very nature of fiction. And sometimes things get overly cute, like when the narrator/author says, oh, I wish that character had let me in on their secret, I'm so surprised by this turn of events. Other reviewers seem to have noticed this, and, yes, it's a real issue. I will be show more continuing with the last couple books in the series, which is a testament to how nicely Beatrix Potter is drawn, but, oh if only the rest of the experience was as good!

For what it's worth, the first couple books in the series did not have these problems... but the author seems to have made a conscious decision to change the voice. :( show less

This one isn't as strong as the rest of the series -- the narrator becomes too present and there is more and more repetition to keep us caught up on all the things that happened in previous books. I still enjoyed the story, but it did feel a little like having to weed through the commentary in order to get to the book.

I was surprised by how charming this book was. I love the narrator's English accent. At first I wasn't sure about the mixing of human viewpoints with talking animals, but it worked. Both storylines were interesting. The authors asides were charming and interesting. I would love to read more of the series.

This series is like a lovely piece of chocolate cake - it not nutritional substantive but a delightful sweet treat. I read these books as a break from reality. There light, quirky, and just plain fun. Like chocolate cake, too much of them would be, well, too much. But as a quick fun read once a year or so, they can't be beat. (I'm also sure I love these because I am an avid Beatrix Potter fan. If you do not her original little books, you may like Wittig's novel.)

I'm a fan of this series and will continue to read them. However, this one was very slow starting and there was more author intrusion than was needed. There was too much extraneous plot and not as much mystery as in previous books in the series. Still worth reading, especially for fans of the series, because it's pleasant to visit with Ms. Potter and the other characters of the books.

Susan Wittig Albert has written another delightful tale in her Beatrix Potter series. The story takes place in the Land Between the lakes in 1910. Miss Potter has come for a very short visit to the village of Sawney, and there is quite a bit of action that occurs during the few days she is there. A walking path is blocked by a land owner, causing great consternation to the villagers, and the same land owner suffers a series of mysterious fires. There is also romance aplenty in this novel. Plus, the badgers play a role along with a few other animals, as usual. I do not always enjoy the animal sections of the books as much as the human ones, but given that the subject is Beatrix Potter, they are tolerable. Overall, I think this is one of show more the stronger books in the series. Read it an enjoy! show less

This is an entry in a very charming little series based on Beatrix Potter's life. The sense of time and place makes these books particularly special. Although the mystery in each is not generally true to history (neither are the talking animals...probably), the spirit of Beatrix's life is there, and this entry is a very satisfying one.