The House of Arden (1908) by E. Nesbit - Paperback

Edith Nesbit (1858 - 1924), was a mischievous, tomboyish child who grew up to be an unconventional adult. She and her husband were founding members of the socialist Fabian Society and their home became a center for socialist and literary discussion. Their friends included some of the greatest writers and thinkers of the time, including George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells. Edith broke the mould demanded of women by English society at the time - she expressed her individuality through her self-presentation and her habit of speaking forcefully on almost any subject.E. Nesbit - she always used the plain initial for her writing and was sometimes thought to be a man - started to write for children after years of successful writing for adult magazines. She was asked to write about her childhood but instead of facts chose to describe her happy girlhood in fiction. Thus were written the books that are still read today, and which have been firm bestsellers for decades. She was brilliant at combining real-life situations with elements of fantasy and humour. Films -such as The Railway Children - have kept her stories in the public eye, and her magical fantasies, including Five Children and It, continue to delight each new generation of children.