From Publishers Weekly
Turtle Point has unearthed a luminous literary and historical treasure that was first published in 1921 to rave reviews. Soskice (nee Hueffer) was Ford Madox Ford's younger sister; Christina, William Michael and Dante Gabriel Rossetti's niece; and the granddaughter of another famed pre-Raphaelite painter, Ford Madox Brown. This intimate, simply told memoir captures the vital pre-adolescent years of a spirited girl on a universal quest. She searches for something to believe in because ``believing in nothing at all is like walking up a long staircase with no bannisters to hold on to.'' Delightfully willful and curious, the young narrator questions everything that she doesn't understand as she tries to make sense of the world and find her place in it. Her naivete only widens her perspective and gives her the wherewithal to see through the stifling institutions trying to mold her. Her beloved relationship with her grandfather is the focal point of her strength even after his death. As Juliet moves from one home to another, she also unknowingly opens our eyes to the politics, religion and position of women in her time. Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Though she is perhaps not a household name, Soskice comes from one of the great artistic families: her brother was Ford Madox Ford, her uncle and aunt were Dante Gabriel and Christina Rossetti, and her grandfather was painter Ford Madox Brown. She herself garnered some fame as a composer and for her translations of Russian poet Nikolai Nekrasov. This 1921 volume combines childhood memories with touches of social, political, and literary history.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Turtle Point has unearthed a luminous literary and historical treasure that was first published in 1921 to rave reviews. Soskice (nee Hueffer) was Ford Madox Ford's younger sister; Christina, William Michael and Dante Gabriel Rossetti's niece; and the granddaughter of another famed pre-Raphaelite painter, Ford Madox Brown. This intimate, simply told memoir captures the vital pre-adolescent years of a spirited girl on a universal quest. She searches for something to believe in because ``believing in nothing at all is like walking up a long staircase with no bannisters to hold on to.'' Delightfully willful and curious, the young narrator questions everything that she doesn't understand as she tries to make sense of the world and find her place in it. Her naivete only widens her perspective and gives her the wherewithal to see through the stifling institutions trying to mold her. Her beloved relationship with her grandfather is the focal point of her strength even after his death. As Juliet moves from one home to another, she also unknowingly opens our eyes to the politics, religion and position of women in her time. (June)

Library Journal