LAUGHTER FROM DOWNSTAIRS

by Czenzi Ormonde ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 1948

The very sad, very gay episodes in the life of 9 year old Lida, whose relatives-Bohemian descended- confront her with a variety of problems which she takes in a matter of fact way. From her father, who speaks eight languages, and her mother, who speaks four but who quarrel in sixteen, through her uncles, aunts, and wily grandmother, to Father Sebastian whose problems belong to her family, Lida makes her way through adult incomprehensibles in a childishly logical fashion. These include selling chances to a shady lady, having a surprise for an aunt's wedding turn out better than she expected, taking banking lessons seriously and putting her father's restaurant on its feet, combining cooking lessons with grandmother's property problems, seeing grandmother get the traveling present she really wants, making restitution to Father Sebastian (who had to bury grandfather with a deck of cards instead of a Bible) by competing in a Presbyterian picnic's Scottish dances... The grownups are as commendable as little Lida in their comprehension of the thought behind the action and present a Puget Sound variation on Mama's Bank Account that has a definite appeal to sentiment. New Yorker appearance for some of these.

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 1948

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Farrar, Straus

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1948

Categories: FICTION