Portrait of a Family

A unique sort of autobiography of childhood years -- by the granddaughter of the actor, Joseph Jefferson, and the daughter of the novelist, Benjamin Farjeon. She projects herself back into her parents' lives and personalities, bringing them more alive than she does herself and her brother and sister. But she manages to weave the whole family into a vivid, poignant, vital and humorous picture of family life, of the older brother who laid down rigid nursery laws, and enforced them, of their governesses, their outside contacts their plan of self-government, their touching at various points the artistic life of their parents. Glimpses of all sorts of interesting people. The method is unusual -- a sort of kaleidoscope of bits of diaries and letters, of threads of creative writing, commentary run in and out, connecting the whole. There is tremendous charm both in the material and its handling. I loved it. The sort of book that those who enjoyed A London Child in the '70's would love.