There is a focus on Asian culture, customs and values in the story. I also love the fact that the story is about two Japanese dolls. You can see in this book, the young 12-year-old Rumer, as she arrived in England from India, reliving the sense of loss and grief, the loneliness of leaving her home and family back in India. It’s a perfect book for third culture kids, adjusting to a new place and new culture, learning to have courage beyond their years, conquering fears, reaching out to ask for help, and making friends along the way. The second book, Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, I happened upon recently in a thrift store, started reading it and couldn’t put it down. The Story of Holly and Ivy is one of the books featured on my list of favorite Christmas books (for more on Christmas stories see my blog post “ Christmas in July? 25 days of Christmas books“) I try to keep this one in stock for families living overseas. A heartwarming-feel-good-happy-ending story that is sure to warm little hearts on cold winter nights at Christmas time. It’s a classic tale of a lonely, orphaned girl searching for home, and a doll, longing to be held and loved – the two are drawn to one another on Christmas Eve, in a small town in England. It was written in 1958 and is illustrated by Barbara Cooney. The first one, The Story of Holly and Ivy, is an old favorite Christmas storybook, that my girls loved when they were young.
Although many of her books feature girls or dolls as main characters, Impunity Jane: The Story of a Pocket Doll, is about a boy who keeps a doll in his pocket and takes her on his many adventures, a dream come true for Jane, who loves nothing better than to sail down a river or climb trees. Her children’s books are filled with lively dialogues, so they would make great read-aloud stories. In this post, I would like to highlight two of Rumer Godden’s books that I recommend (although I have read many others, including The Fairy Doll, The Doll’s House, Impunity Jane and The Woman Who lived in a Vinegar Bottle (picture book). 1996 Premlata and the Festival of Lights.1972 The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle.1972 The Diddakoi (also published as Gypsy Girl) winner of the Whitbread Award.1963 Little Plum, the sequel to Miss Happiness and Miss Flower.1961 Saint Jerome and the Lion (retelling of the legend in verse).1954 Impunity Jane: The Story of a Pocket Doll.
Her children’s books reflect many of the struggles and emotions that third culture kids face, often through the lens of a doll. Nine of her works have been made into films. She is the author of over 60 books, both fiction and non-fiction, 30 of those books were written for children. Rumer Godden (1907-1998) is a British author, who grew up in India. Third Culture Kids children’s authors series – part 2
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