“The scene of the book is village life amongst the upper class, with village episodes, which seem to have been sketched from the life—there is a primitive simplicity and greatness of heart about some of the characters which keep up the sympathy and interest to the end.”—London Globe.
“The reader cannot fail of being both charmed and instructed by the book, and of hoping that a pen so able will not lie idle.”—Pennsylvanian.
“We fearlessly recommend it as a work of more than ordinary merit.”—Binghampton Daily Republic.
“The great moral lesson indicated by the title-page of this book runs, as a golden thread, through every part of it, while the reader is constantly kept in contact with the workings of an inventive and brilliant mind.”—Albany Argus.
“We have read this fascinating story with a good deal of interest. Human nature is well and faithfully portrayed, and we see the counterpart of our story in character and disposition, in every village and district. The book cannot fail of popular reception.”—Albany and Rochester Courier.
“A work of deep and powerful influence.”—Herald.
“Mrs. Cowden Clarke, with the delicacy and artistic taste of refine womanhood, has in this work shown great versatility of talent.”
“The story is too deeply interesting to allow the reader to lay it down till he has read it to the end.”
“The work is skilful in plan, graphic in style, diversified in incident and true to nature.”
“The tale is charmingly imagined. The incidents never exceed probability but seem perfectly natural. In the style there is much quaintness, in the sentiment much tenderness.”