Collection
Status
Available
Series
Publication
Halstead Press Limited, 335 pages
Description
There's no place like home Do fairies really come for the dish of milk we leave them? Is Mrs. McClenahan really a witch? How is it possible to find a new baby in a bed of parsley? These are all questions Pat Gardiner wants to know. And it seems her Irish housekeeper, the incomparable Judy Plum, always has an answer... For Pat, there is no place more magical on earth than her home of Silver Bush, with its majestic birch trees and enchanting gardens. If it were up to her, nothing there would ever change. But of course if nothing changed, she'd never get a new baby sister, see her Aunt Hazel's wedding, or meet the only boy who truly understands her. Yes, there is change coming for Pat-some of it joyous and some of it heartbreaking. But no matter what, he favorite house in the world will always be waiting for her...… (more)
Original publication date
1932
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Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery (Paper Book)
User reviews
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Originally published in 1933, Pat of Silver Bush was one of L.M. Montgomery's later titles, and although not the equal of the classic Anne of Green Gables, or the romantic The Blue Castle, it nevertheless has a charm all its own. The story of Patricia Gardiner, whose attachment to her family home
"If I went to heaven I'd want to get back to Silver Bush," declares Pat at one point, and no statement better exemplifies the theme of the book. Devoted to her family, her home, and the domestic rituals of her childhood, Pat is resistant to any change. She mourns the loss of every tree on the property, secretly wonders why her mother would want another child (although she is soon reconciled to the existence of her new baby sister, Cuddles), and wishes passionately that she and her siblings could live together indefinitely at Silver Bush, rather than growing up, getting married, and moving apart.
This leitmotif serves to unify a book that is far more episodic in structure than many of Montgomery's other novels, and seems a reflection of the author's own conflicted feelings on the subject. It is, unfortunately, rather overdone during the first half of the book, with Pat almost a caricature, but the wonderful prose, and the humorous characterization of Judy Plum, are enough to carry the reader through to the second half, by which time Pat is somewhat matured.
Read for the first time as an adult, Pat of Silver Bush will probably never rank among my favorite Montgomery titles, and I cannot help but wonder whether it is just one of those books that needs to be read during youth, in order to achieve the full effect. However that may be, I did enjoy it, am glad to have filled in this hole in my Montgomery knowledge, and look forward to reading the sequel, Mistress Pat!
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at Silver Bush runs deep, it is at heart an exploration of the nature of change - both good and bad."If I went to heaven I'd want to get back to Silver Bush," declares Pat at one point, and no statement better exemplifies the theme of the book. Devoted to her family, her home, and the domestic rituals of her childhood, Pat is resistant to any change. She mourns the loss of every tree on the property, secretly wonders why her mother would want another child (although she is soon reconciled to the existence of her new baby sister, Cuddles), and wishes passionately that she and her siblings could live together indefinitely at Silver Bush, rather than growing up, getting married, and moving apart.
This leitmotif serves to unify a book that is far more episodic in structure than many of Montgomery's other novels, and seems a reflection of the author's own conflicted feelings on the subject. It is, unfortunately, rather overdone during the first half of the book, with Pat almost a caricature, but the wonderful prose, and the humorous characterization of Judy Plum, are enough to carry the reader through to the second half, by which time Pat is somewhat matured.
Read for the first time as an adult, Pat of Silver Bush will probably never rank among my favorite Montgomery titles, and I cannot help but wonder whether it is just one of those books that needs to be read during youth, in order to achieve the full effect. However that may be, I did enjoy it, am glad to have filled in this hole in my Montgomery knowledge, and look forward to reading the sequel, Mistress Pat!
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LibraryThing member keristars
This was my favorite of all the L. M. Montgomery novels when I was a kid. Though none of my copies were in particularly good condition (I'd managed to get most of them as remainders from a family friend who ran an independent children's bookstore, and thus they were missing the front covers), I had
I was always crazy for Montgomery's heroines, with their imaginations and pretty words and old-fashionedness, but Pat was the one I was best able to relate to. I knew exactly how she felt about change, since I loathed any kind of change myself, and her adoration for Silver Bush was matched in my love for semi-rural Florida. Her clannishness reminded me of my family, I even thought we looked sort of alike. I used to read Pat of Silver Bush and want so much to either be Pat or be her best friend in the whole world - I daresay I was rather jealous of Bets and Jingle.
As Treeseed said in that review, this book has a lot in it that appealed to me at different ages, which is probably why it was one of my best-loved books. But I have grown and changed, just as Pat does, and I can't read the novel anymore without crying and feeling that I've lost a dear friend. Where once the highly evocative imagery delighted me, I now find it cloying and tedious. Where I used to love all the little details about Pat's life and her friend and family and everything, I've started to grow weary of the pace and fiddly bits where all that happens is imagination. I notice more how old Judy Plum grows and how obvious it is that Silver Bush is no longer the haven it used to be, and I know that the end is coming, and I can't bear to follow through with the book anymore.
In my identifying with Pat, I always knew exactly what she meant when she said she never wanted to get married and leave home. I always thought that the romance between her and Bets was the most beautiful thing in the world, and it broke my heart every time Bets died, and then my heart broke again when Pat and Jingle ended up promising to each other. I suppose that's the one thing that never worked for me with this book - even at nine years old, I knew that I wanted Pat and Bets to get married and for Jingle to be their best friend forever. Or maybe for all three to live together in a happy polyamorous trio. Now, when I read, I find myself skipping any passage that might suggest romance between Pat and Jingle, and I skip huge chunks of the end, because I prefer to imagine that Pat and Bets are together forever in Silver Bush with Judy Plum.
Maybe I still identify too strongly with Pat. Even if I've grown out of the period when L. M. Montgomery's writing style charms me and captures my attention completely, I still love the story and the characters, and Pat is the best of them all.
(But let's not talk about Mistress Pat. We'll pretend that one never happens, okay?)
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actually bought this one brand new and ended up reading it so much the cover fell off. The book is now held together with several bits of yellowing tape, and the cover is more of a suggestion than something actually attached in any way. I mean, I loved this book so much.I was always crazy for Montgomery's heroines, with their imaginations and pretty words and old-fashionedness, but Pat was the one I was best able to relate to. I knew exactly how she felt about change, since I loathed any kind of change myself, and her adoration for Silver Bush was matched in my love for semi-rural Florida. Her clannishness reminded me of my family, I even thought we looked sort of alike. I used to read Pat of Silver Bush and want so much to either be Pat or be her best friend in the whole world - I daresay I was rather jealous of Bets and Jingle.
As Treeseed said in that review, this book has a lot in it that appealed to me at different ages, which is probably why it was one of my best-loved books. But I have grown and changed, just as Pat does, and I can't read the novel anymore without crying and feeling that I've lost a dear friend. Where once the highly evocative imagery delighted me, I now find it cloying and tedious. Where I used to love all the little details about Pat's life and her friend and family and everything, I've started to grow weary of the pace and fiddly bits where all that happens is imagination. I notice more how old Judy Plum grows and how obvious it is that Silver Bush is no longer the haven it used to be, and I know that the end is coming, and I can't bear to follow through with the book anymore.
In my identifying with Pat, I always knew exactly what she meant when she said she never wanted to get married and leave home. I always thought that the romance between her and Bets was the most beautiful thing in the world, and it broke my heart every time Bets died, and then my heart broke again when Pat and Jingle ended up promising to each other. I suppose that's the one thing that never worked for me with this book - even at nine years old, I knew that I wanted Pat and Bets to get married and for Jingle to be their best friend forever. Or maybe for all three to live together in a happy polyamorous trio. Now, when I read, I find myself skipping any passage that might suggest romance between Pat and Jingle, and I skip huge chunks of the end, because I prefer to imagine that Pat and Bets are together forever in Silver Bush with Judy Plum.
Maybe I still identify too strongly with Pat. Even if I've grown out of the period when L. M. Montgomery's writing style charms me and captures my attention completely, I still love the story and the characters, and Pat is the best of them all.
(But let's not talk about Mistress Pat. We'll pretend that one never happens, okay?)
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LibraryThing member lauranav
The book is about a 7 year old girl living on Prince Edward Island. I have a friend with a 6 year old so I can easily see the thoughts and actions as described. Pat loves widely and deeply. Which means that change is dreaded, but must be faced as a fact of life. This book shows 11 years of Pat’s
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loves and growth through changes. I enjoyed the descriptions of her emotions, her surroundings, and how she faced each change. Show Less
LibraryThing member jphilbrick
Book club for June. So far: Pat hates change. Got it.***The second half grew on me quite a bit, maybe around when Jingle's mother shows up. Pat is still a little too obsessed with Silver Bush, but she became a little more complex as life started happening to her. It got me interested enough to go
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straight on to Mistress Pat! Show Less
LibraryThing member fuzzi
Pat is a child with a homely face, some imagination, and plenty of compassion. She delights in her home and family, resisting change with all her strength. But life is full of changes as Pat grows towards adulthood, some tragic, some joyous.
I liked Pat, especially the more I got to know her. She's
I liked Pat, especially the more I got to know her. She's
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not Anne, but can hold her own in L.M. Montgomery's realm. I'll be looking for a copy of the sequel. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
A pleasant book by the author of the 'Anne' books, about a child who does not want anything ever to change. A pleasant read, appropriate for teenagers or children of about 8 - would probably appeal more to girls than boys.
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
An L. M. Montgomery book that is not so well known as her Anne and Emily books but charming nonetheless. Pat Gardiner is growing up in Prince Edward Island with her extended family around her. A neighbour boy, 'Jingle' Gordon, and his dog are constant companions with Pat. The maid/cook, Judy Plum,
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is a treasure. A wonderful book about family and friendship and love. Show Less
LibraryThing member NadineC.Keels
Nothing means more to Pat than being at home with the people she loves. And nothing frightens Pat more than change. But growing up will mean that not everything can stay the same in Pat of Silver Bush, a novel by author L.M. Montgomery.
Some of the best reading of my life has come from this author,
But after I moved on to some of this author's more "mature" work over the past few years and ran into stories with unequivocally racist undertones and overtones, I wasn't sure if I'd seek out any more of her writing. In this case, I read this novel chiefly because I'm interested in reading the one after it, and I already own copies of both. I believe that after these two, I'll simply keep the good L.M.M. books I've read, continue to appreciate them for what they are, and leave the rest of the would-be-new-to-me stories where they are, wherever they may be.
As for this novel, I think I might have enjoyed it more if I weren't already so familiar with Emily, Anne, and the ways of their books. Pat's story felt too similar but somehow not as interesting, and this fairly lengthy novel might've been half as long without all of Judy's ramblings. (Yes, I enjoyed Sarah's [were they Sarah's?] ramblings in Rilla of Ingleside, but I guess it wasn't something I needed to see done over again with a "too similar" character.)
Still, as I expected it would, this novel vividly paints the beauty of Prince Edward Island and the sparkle, pain, poignancy, and wonder of childhood and growing up. All things considered, I'm glad I read it.
Some of the best reading of my life has come from this author,
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including classics like Anne of Green Gables and more of the Anne novels, but even more so than those, for me: Emily of New Moon and the following two novels about Emily Byrd Starr, three of my all-time favorite books.But after I moved on to some of this author's more "mature" work over the past few years and ran into stories with unequivocally racist undertones and overtones, I wasn't sure if I'd seek out any more of her writing. In this case, I read this novel chiefly because I'm interested in reading the one after it, and I already own copies of both. I believe that after these two, I'll simply keep the good L.M.M. books I've read, continue to appreciate them for what they are, and leave the rest of the would-be-new-to-me stories where they are, wherever they may be.
As for this novel, I think I might have enjoyed it more if I weren't already so familiar with Emily, Anne, and the ways of their books. Pat's story felt too similar but somehow not as interesting, and this fairly lengthy novel might've been half as long without all of Judy's ramblings. (Yes, I enjoyed Sarah's [were they Sarah's?] ramblings in Rilla of Ingleside, but I guess it wasn't something I needed to see done over again with a "too similar" character.)
Still, as I expected it would, this novel vividly paints the beauty of Prince Edward Island and the sparkle, pain, poignancy, and wonder of childhood and growing up. All things considered, I'm glad I read it.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Not bad, but not exciting. Another highly imaginative girl on PEI; Pat, unlike Anne, has a very happy and settled home life and therefore, along with naming every tree and field on her family's farm, has an abhorrence of change. There are an awful lot of scenes with Pat worrying that something
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might change (new baby born, sibling married, etc) - she never seems to notice that once the change happens, she's quite happy with it after a brief time. There are also a great many comments about relative ranks of families on the Island - "Well, she's a Binnie, after all - not up to our standards" and the like. Not racism, particularly (though that may be simply because there's only one race in the book), but classism. The major secondary character - far more than Pat's parents - is Judy the Irish cook (and household manager). Her dialect gets a bit annoying after a while - nearly every comment starts with "Oh, oh...". The story starts with Pat very young - six or seven - and goes on until she's a young teen. I'm glad I read it, but I doubt I'll ever bother to reread. Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Patricia Gardiner loves everything about her family home, Silver Bush, and longs to just stay there forever with her family, unchanging. But changes do come, some good, some bad.
I've read this book more times than I can count (as is true of most of Montgomery's oeuvre) -- it's not my very favorite,
I've read this book more times than I can count (as is true of most of Montgomery's oeuvre) -- it's not my very favorite,
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but it's toward the top of the list. Silver Bush is practically a character in its own right, and I can picture every dear, delightful corner of it. Plus, I have a bit of a literary crush on Pat's friend Jingle. Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
How strange to read this book again, after so many years. I do still love it, but it has become part of a strange country — one so far before tech and so mired in marriages. Still. Judy’s stories are hilarious, Gentleman Tom and Bold and Bad and Squedunk the cats — what excellent names for
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cats! And beautiful Silver Bush are still magical. Show Less