A great read, by the author who also wrote the incredible ''Little Women''.

''Eight Cousins'' is about young orphan Rose who has come to live at the ''Aunt Hill'' with her uncle Dr Alec as her new guardian, seven rowdy boys as cousins and several aunts. She is introduced to a busy yet simple new life full of new adventures with her new family and enjoys simple delights and fun. Through ups and down, we get to see her change from a miserable young orphan girl to a merry teenager.

There is no direct plot in the novel, as each chapter tells an 'episode' from Rose's new life on the Aunt Hill. I found some chapters to be more interesting than others. I also absolutely loved the character of Uncle Alec, with such great 'remedies' for Rose! It is a very beautifully written novel, with much vivid description yet dialogue to keep readers engaged, which I particularly enjoyed.

If you are someone who enjoyed classics like ''A Little Princess'', ''Little Women'', ''Pollyanna'' and ''Anne of Green Gables'', then I would highly recommend Eight Cousins.