SuitabookFamily Sabbatical
Carol Ryrie Brink
- Reading
- Read together at a comfortable pace, pausing when the children encounter a new routine or tradition. Invite each reader to notice which sibling’s response they understand best.
- Themes
- Adjusting to life away from home: The Ridgeway children spend a year in France; Dumpling is homesick, while Susan and George are initially happy in Cannes. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Learning and communication: The children attend a French school, while their governess learns more American slang than they learn French. These details suggest language and schooling are part of the family’s experience, but do not establish how the book evaluates either.
- Worth knowing
- Dumpling is homesick, and her cherished doll falls into an oubliette. These moments may be worth noting if separation from home or losing a treasured possession is a sensitive subject.