Susan Coolidge - The Barberry Bush and Eight Other Stories for Girls

Susan Coolidge - The Barberry Bush and Eight Other Stories for Girls book summary

Eight heartwarming stories.

Most of the stories are about girls, and their adventures. Susan Coolidge is also author of "What Katy Did."

The Barberry Bush is about a girl named "Barbara Allen called Barberry for short, and Berry, for shorter." Barberry is busily studying in school when she hears that her grandpa is very ill and has to return home. When she returns home, her grandpa dies and then grandma becomes sick with grief. Barbara is left with the old run down Bed and Breakfast that the family owned. It's up to her to decide what to do with it. After a few days of assessing the property she comes up with a plan to save the place. She remodels the place and makes it into a beautiful head-turning cottage and runs it quite successfully. The Bed and Breakfast is perfectly named the Barberry Bush.

Angels Unawares is about thee elderly millionaire gentlemen who are on their way back from some place when suddenly a snow storm comes. They horses get caught up in drift and the carriage is over turned. The men are all stuck in the snow and one calls for help. A girl named Berenice Salvary comes from a nearby house and takes the horses to the barn and helps the men into the house. She's a perfect hostess and cares for them like they were her father. When train comes and they go to leave, they try to pay her, but she says it was just kindness. Later they send a letter to her offering her a job in catering for a lunch-club of gentlemen in New York. She accepts the job offer and lives there contentedly with her brother, enjoying the friendship of the old gentlemen.

The Cathedral - Ellice French often took the short cut through the cathedral's walls, to get to the other side. One day she hurried as she knew what time they would close. But sure enough it did close, only she was IN it! What does she do all night locked in a Cathedral?

The Engineer's Story tells of a time when the train broke down because of a huge snow fall. There was one young lady among the passengers who was very exceptionally helpful. She had a level head on and knew how to help everyone. They were stuck there for several days, but the young lady was bright as a button. She served everyone and was very good with the children. Her quick thinking and unending service saved the day.

(Summary by Kimberly Krause)

The Barberry Bush and Eight Other Stories for Girls listen online for free