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alidottie's review
4.0
It is always a joy to spend time with the Moffats. I just adore the stories of Cranberry, Ct in the 1910's by Eleanor Estes. I love that she shares these stories about 4 fatherless children who basically live in poverty and yet they are not poor--they are so rich with love and care and living life like children do--day to day glorying in simple things.
rymoffatt's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
triscuit807's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars. This is the Moffat family's curtain call although at the book's outset they don't know it, but it's the last summer that the primary 3 children will be together. Jane as always is a primary instigator and its her idea to open a museum containing objects of Moffaty importance. Just like the casual mention in the "The Middle Moffat" of the horses & ponies being off at war, the author tosses in another historical zinger when one of the townsfolk wonders if she can collect funds at the museum to send to the Armenians (Armenian Genocide 1915-1923). The event hinted at in "Rufus M" comes to pass as eldest child Sylvie (never a major player in the books) gets married (the part of Jane as flower girl is lovely) and moves away. Jane's journey to visit her is quite funny and is offset by Rufus' disappointment over an adult's joke. Then there is Joe's decision to leave high school at 16 and go to work; this is jarring for modern me, but it wouldn't be uncommon in the time period in which it was set, nor in the time period when the first 3 Moffat books were written and published. This sequel to "The Moffats", "The Middle Moffat", and "Rufus M" was published (written?) 40 years after its predecessor. While it does close the series, in some ways it seems like the author is looking back at her books. That doesn't make it a bad book, but perhaps it does diminish it somewhat. These books are set during WWI up through its end and maybe into 1919-20. The first three were published during WWII and even then hearken to simpler times. It's really no wonder that this latecomer from 1983 feels nostalgic. And I'm reading them as an adult in 2019 a century after they're set. I still think they're a lovely set of family literature. I read this to complete the set and for my 2019 Reading Challenge.
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