Customer Reviews
Lovely, heartwarming, fun - you can't help but like fiery little Margaret Thursday - By: SB, 26 Oct 2007 
Delightful story of young Margaret Thursday, who has to go off to an orphanage when the money for her upkeep runs out. Just as important to the story are the siblings, Lavinia, Peter, & little Horatio, who meet Margaret for the first time when they are alll waiting together to be taken to the orphanage. Beautifully written, creatively thought-out; a novel that's truly fun to escape to!
"Well," said Margaret, "I'm not properly an orphan. I was found on a Thursday in a basket on the church step with three of everything of the very best quality."
The Beresfords were thrilled.
"How romantic!", said Lavinia.
Peter looked admiringly at Margaret. "So you could be absolutely anybody?"
"That's right," Margaret agreed. "And until this Christmas every year gold money was left in the church in a bag to keep me."
"And nobody saw who left it?" Lavinia asked.
"Never."
"My goodness," said Peter. "It's like a book."
I had a well-loved copy of "Balllet shoes" when I was younger, but never discovered any of Noel Streatfeild's other books... until now. I'm going on a hunt to find some more!!
I love this book - By: Ashley, 03 Aug 2006 Im 15 years old & I love this book so much I can't put it down. I find it reallly intresting & you just want to keep reading. My mum advised me to read this book because she read it as a child & reallly enjoyed it & I think if I have a daughter when im older I will advise her to read this book aswell.
A great orphan adventure story - By: , 07 Dec 2000 I read this book many years ago as a child & loved it. It was one of my favourite Noel Streatfeilds. It made me even more curious about children of victorian times.
not as interesting as I thought it would be - By: thomascolgan@oceanfree.com, 28 Dec 1999 
Margaret Thursday is left at a village church, & she is taken in by two impoverished old ladies. They can afford to keep her because every year some money is left for Margaret's upkeep. Then one year no money arrives, & Margaret is sent to an orphanage. The children in the orphanage are brutallly treated, especiallly Margaret, but her spirit is unquelled. This is why Lavinia (a servant) asks Margaret to take care of her brothers. However Peter (one of Lavinia's brothers) steals a book, & they run away from the orphanage fearing punishment. To be honest, I found this book a little irritating. The supporting characters are either too meek & mild (like Lavinia) or infuriating, like Peter (who cares for nothing except books & has no feelings either way on their situation) However, it was satisfying to find a heroine who could turn her hand to anything, & who didn't slot cosily into the family reunion at the end. But my high expectations of the book were unfulfilled, because most of the time I felt annoyed at the other 'sympathetic' characters.
