A story about bettering oneself, both in terms of physical health and in spirit, and involving virtue, self-sacrifice, and being considerate.

I had read Rose in Bloom many years back and thought it high-time I read its predecessor. Now done, I can say that I enjoyed the wholesome quality of most of the characters, their interactions, and their closeness as a large family. This is definitely a cozy read.

However, I would have enjoyed this study of bettering one's character more had it been folded into another topic rather than it being the sole subject. Because of this, some might find the story to be a bit preachy. While some scrapes that Rose gets into remain relevant today, some of the sentiments expressed in the novel might come off as old-fashioned. Personally, I don't mind as it is to be expected, and I simply take it as an opportunity to study the times in which the story takes place. Speaking of which, I was pleasantly surprised to see an admonition of smoking in a novel originally published in 1875.