A vicarage family

by Noel Streatfeild

The first book in famous children's writer (Ballet Shoes, Theatre Shoes) Noel Streatfeild's thinly-disguised four-volume book of memoirs. This volume covers her childhood as the second daughter of a gentle, learned, and genuinely good Church of England vicar, and her utter inability to fit into a well-bred, well-connected Edwardian background. Vicky/Noel is a square peg who digs in her heels and refuses to be hammered into a round hole, but while the reader admires her spirit, Streatfeild is honest about the pain and trouble this brought to her family and herself. Vicky was clever, talented, and independent, but she must have been a very difficult person to live with. #2, Away From the Vicarage, is not yet available on Open Library as an ebook. #3, On Tour and #4, Beyond the Vicarage, both are.

More by Noel Streatfeild

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?