Pepper’s known aversion to accepting anything that looks like charity. Phronsie, however, steals his heart and soon he manages to have the entire Pepper family living in his house and off his money, despite Mrs. He is a crotchety elderly man who delights in nothing by the sensual pleasures of life left to him.

Laurence, initially wants nothing to do with the Peppers. Fortunately, after a few setbacks, they befriend a boy with a rich father. The impoverished Peppers lament the lack of good things to eat and struggle to think of creative ways to celebrate birthdays and holidays without any money.

The plot, too, follows a standard trajectory. Phronsie is in danger of becoming a spoiled little thing due to the way everyone dotes on her. The younger boys are rambunctious little things who nevertheless adore Polly and even baby the youngest of the family, Phronsie. Ben works outside the home to bring in money. Polly performs all the domestic tasks such as sewing and baking and she naturally possesses a maternal air. Polly and Ben, the two eldest Peppers, live to support their mother (their father is dead) and to bring happiness to the younger children. When I reread this book, however, I discovered I must have somewhat outgrown my sweet tooth.įive Little Peppers and How They Grew is pretty much the nineteenth-century children’s book about impoverished children you would expect. Even the most syrupy-sweet of sentimental fiction was not a problem. After all, I loved books like Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and enjoyed reading other children’s classics like Pollyanna. I remember reading this as a child and though I did recall many particulars, I assumed I must have liked it. Things really start to look up, however, when Phronsie runs away and meets young Jasper King, a young rich boy who knows all too well that money cannot buy happiness and longs to join the good time at the Little Brown House.

Still, the five continue to have good times, what with Ben and Polly conspiring to come up with clever ways to entertain the little ones or to give them a memorable Christmas. Polly, Ben, Joel, Davie, and Phronsie Pepper live with their mother, who can barely make ends meet. Goodreads: Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

Five little peppers book series