This is set towards the end of the 19th century, in the US. Orphaned Candace, who is 16 and a countrified innocent, goes to stay with her mother's cousin for the summer, and gets to know her three second cousins, girls of similar ages. Unsurprisingly they are all shocked at her dowdy clothes and lack of society manners, but Candace has a sweet, teachable nature and provides something of a breath of fresh air in her new surroundings.

It's remarkably similar in outline to Louisa M Alcott's novel 'An Old-fashioned girl'; presumably this was a popular theme in that era.

There's perhaps a tad too much moralising, although this was not unusual for writer of this period writing for older children, and I did like the way that the word 'discipline' was used in its correct sense of giving a gentle explanation to help someone learn.

I can see why this book has never had the kind of popularity that the better-known 'Katy' series has, but it was free for my Kindle, and made pleasant breakfast-time reading.
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