I read this series as a young girl whose family had been splintered by WWII it was a happy group that I found in the pages and they triumphed over trials and did not wallow in their misfortunes. I did not realize how well received the stories were. I write a column for a small town newspaper about all kinds of good things in life, good food, books, gardening, day trips etc etc and I wanted to recommend these books and lo and behold they are still treasured and read. I am so pleased. Excellent books are timeless.