Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Overview

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a classic and delightful children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her two stern aunts in the village of Riverboro, Maine.

Rebecca's family has fallen upon hard times, and the story opens with her leaving her childhood home to live with her two aunts Miranda and Jane Sawyer. Despite her early hardships, Rebecca has an infectious joy for life that inspires her aunts as she faces the trials and tribulations of growing up. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a staple of the Young Reader's Library.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940016540276
Publisher:	Romeo Publications
Publication date:	06/27/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	415 KB

About the Author

Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856-1923), American author and educator, wrote Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm (1903). Though not the perfect child and driven by strong independence, the gregarious Rebecca Rowena Randall eventually softens the heart of her severe Aunt Miranda with her innocence and sensibility. She goes on to win the hearts of all those who meet her and read about her life from poverty to a richness of spirit and hope in a tale generous in humour that is acclaimed for its authentic portrayal of rural Maine, its people and culture. Mark Twain said it was "beautiful and moving and satisfying." The enduring classic was translated to many languages and adapted for the stage and screen. A proponent of early childhood education, Wiggin is also now noted for establishing the first free kindergarten in San Francisco, California.

Kate Douglas Wiggin was born on 28 September 1865 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother was Helen Elizabeth Dryer Smith and her father Robert Noah Smith. In 1877 she started her career of teaching kindergarten in Santa Barbara, California. A firm believer in the merits of starting education at a young age and making it accessible for all children, she was involved with the founding of the San Francisco Silver Street Kindergarten.
Wiggin was involved with teaching for most of her life and lecturing and writing articles and essays on education. Many were published in newspapers and magazines including The Atlantic Monthly. In an effort to raise funds for her Kindergarten efforts, Story of Patsy (1883) and The Birds' Christmas Carol (1887) were her first books published. With the assistance of her sister Nora she produced The Republic of Childhood (1895-1896), based on her lectures.

In 1881 Wiggin married Samuel Bradley Wiggin and they moved to New York.