Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the
Somerset Sisters
By Lesley M. M. Blume
Recommended for Grades 4-8. But adults should not hesitate to read this endearing novel!
Eleven-year-old Cornelia Street Englehart lives with her single mother in a very posh apartment in Greenwich Village. Most of Cornelia’s time is spent alone in her room with the housekeeper playing the role of her guardian. Lucy, Cornelia’s mother, is constantly traveling around the world giving concerts as she is a famous pianist. Lonely and feeling out of sorts - Cornelia keeps people at bay with her extensive vocabulary. She feels big words can shelter her from the world. She is very successful at keeping people at bay until a sign on her new neighbors’ door reading “Attention! Chien Bizarre” peaks her curiosity. Cornelia finds the courage to introduce herself to Miss Virginia Somerset, an elderly woman with very captivating stories of her sisters and herself.
Cornelia is enchanted by Virginia’s outrageous tales of her travels as a young woman in the 1950’s to Morocco, Paris, England, and India. Mister Kinyatta, Virginia’s bizarre French bulldog, also makes Cornelia’s visits next door more lively. Virginia’s special attention gives Cornelia the strength to make friends and eventually mend the gap between Cornelia and her mother. Virginia’s stories alone make this book a wonderful adventure for children as well as adults.
One copy of Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. M. Blume are located in the Juvenile Fiction section of the KPL Youth Department.
Submitted by Youth Services Dept. Head, Sara Darding
