The Gibson Girl Review

Ahoy, old book lovers! This week's all new episode plumbs the depths of Jerome K. Jerome's 1889 comic tale, THREE MEN IN A BOAT (TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG). While such a quirky title definitely caught our eye and made us want to read it, the story within this beautiful old book definitely goes far, far beyond the overarching premise of three men and dog taking a boat trip up the Thames to escape the pressures of everyday life. This story gets into mental health, medieval history, the Victorian equivalent of Yelp reviews, agrarian philosophy, and so much more. Tune in to hear our thoughts on all the many side-trails this antique novel explores!

Oh no! What have Amy, Jacinta, and Monique gotten themselves into this week? In honor of our namesake Charles Dana Gibson's 159th birthday this week, the Gibson Girls dive into the very first novel he ever illustrated—Mrs. Burton (Constance Cary) Harrison's THE ANGLOMANIACS (1891). Part romance, part comedy, part tragedy, this tale of a social-climbing New York mother chasing an aristocratic husband for her only daughter kept us desperately turning the pages... and not always in a good way! But with the modern-day pop-culture infatuation with the famous "Dollar Princesses" of the late 19th century, how could we pass up this opportunity to learn what 19th century Americans themselves had to say on the subject? It's a fascinating, challenging, and frustrating episode you will not want to miss!

Welcome back to the all new Gibson Girl Review! After an unexpected (and unexpectedly long) hiatus, Amy, Jacinta, and Monique are back—and on camera! After catching up on each other's hectic lives over this past year, the Gibson Girls dive into the famous Lucy Maud Montgomery novel, THE BLUE CASTLE, first published in 1926. But will they all love it? Tune in to find out!

As part of the Gibson Girl Review Reading Challenge theme for the month, to read a "Coming of Age Story," we once again return to the podcast archives to revisit one of the most famous coming-of-age stories of all time. In this conclusion of our review of Kate Douglas Wiggin's 1903 classic, REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM, our hosts finally address the issues of plagiarism surrounding this story and its surprising similarities to an even more famous coming-of-age novel from this time period, L.M. Montgomery's ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.

Are you following along with the Gibson Girl Review Reading Challenge? For this month's theme, "A Coming of Age Story," we're diving into the podcast archives to take another look at one of the most famous coming-of-age stories of all time, REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM. This 1903 classic by Kate Douglas Wiggin is perfectly charming in its own right, but today it is perhaps best known for its controversial similarities to another classic coming-of-age tale. Is it a case of plagiarism? Which one is better? Tune in to this special "Re-Read" episode to join the discussion!

For the first time on this podcast, we are talking about a book that was written in direct response to a book we previously reviewed! Whether or not you're a fans of Henry James' 1878 short story "Daisy Miller," you'll want to tune in to Amy and Jacinta's review of A FAIR BARBARIAN, written in 1880 by Frances Hodgson Burnett as a direct response to Daisy. Plus this month's book has connections to another story from the Gibson Girl archives, so we're making all kinds of historic connections in this all-new episode!

*To avoid any possible spoilers in this episode, CLICK HERE to download a free copy of this public domain book, so you can read it before you listen!*

If you love THE SECRET GARDEN and A LITTLE PRINCESS... then this month's all new rediscovery may come as a pleasant surprise! Amy and Jacinta take a first look at A FAIR BARBARIAN by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published serially in 1880. But will this obscure piece of historic fiction live up to this famous author's reputation? Tune in for a quick introduction and sample reading from this Gilded Age story, then click the link below to read along with us this month!

CLICK HERE for complete show notes, including a link to download today's public domain book for FREE!

After introducing all of you to THE INCUBATOR BABY in our last episode, Amy and Jacinta return to share their thoughts on this little story first published in 1906!

*To avoid any possible spoilers in this episode, please CLICK HERE to download a free copy of this public domain book, so you can read it before you listen!*

Amy and Jacinta return to the dusty, forgotten bookshelves to bring you our 50th episode! It's a whole new format this season, with multiple short episodes per book, allowing all of you to read along with us BEFORE you hear what we think of each book! And with Jacinta's very special announcement, it is an absolute no-brainer why we're kicking off Season Five with Ellis Parker Butler's 1906 novel, THE INCUBATOR BABY. (Yes, you read that right!) What's it about? We honestly have no idea... but that title sure piques our interest. Tune in for a quick introduction and sample of this antique novel, then click the link below to read along with us!

CLICK HERE for complete show notes, including a link to download today's public domain book for FREE!

Merry Christmas, old book lovers! Season Four of The Gibson Girl Review comes to a close with this charming holiday novel, THIS WAY TO CHRISTMAS by Ruth Sawyer (1916), which brings a surprising amount of international zest to the festive season. Plus Amy and Jacinta have a big announcement about an exciting new venture for the podcast, and the season-long history segment celebrating the Golden Age of Illustration concludes with a look at the most famous American illustrator of all time, Norman Rockwell.

GET YOUR COPY of our brand new book, A GIBSON GIRL CHRISTMAS, right here!

CLICK HERE for complete show notes, including a link to download today's public domain book for FREE!