Aunt Jane's Nieces facts for kids
First edition cover design
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| Author | L. Frank Baum (as "Edith Van Dyne") |
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| Illustrator | Emile A. Nelson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult fiction |
| Publisher | Reilly & Britton |
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Publication date
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1906 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 325 pp. |
| Followed by | Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad |
Aunt Jane's Nieces is a popular book for young people. It was published in 1906 by Reilly & Britton. The author was L. Frank Baum, but he used the pen name "Edith Van Dyne." This book was the first in a series of ten novels. The series was written for teenage girls. The books were published between 1906 and 1918.
Contents
Why the Book Was Written
The book and its series were created to attract the same readers who loved Louisa May Alcott's famous books. These included Little Women and Little Men. The publisher wanted stories that felt similar to Alcott's.
L. Frank Baum's contract even said he should write a book for young girls. It was meant to be in the style of Louisa M. Alcott's stories.
What Happens in the Story
The story is about an old, rich, and difficult woman named Jane Merrick. She is very sick and getting ready for her death. When she was young, she inherited her money from her fiancé, Thomas Bradley. He died before they could get married.
Aunt Jane has no children of her own. So, she invites her three teenage nieces to visit her. She wants to decide which niece will inherit her large estate. The nieces are Louise Merrick, Elizabeth De Graf, and Patsy Doyle. They are the daughters of Jane's younger brother and sisters.
Meet the Nieces
- Louise Merrick: She is seventeen years old. Her father died when she was small. Aunt Jane had refused to help him financially. Louise and her mother have lived on very little money for years. They plan to spend all their savings to live fancy for three years. Their goal is for Louise to find a rich husband.
- Elizabeth De Graf (Beth): She is fifteen. Her parents struggle to make ends meet. Aunt Jane had also refused to help Beth's father with money. Beth is a quiet, beautiful girl from a small town. She can be moody and sullen.
- Patsy Doyle: She is sixteen. Patsy takes care of her Irish father after her mother passed away. Aunt Jane had refused to lend money for Patsy's mother's medical care. Patsy is a fiery redhead. She is angry about Aunt Jane's past actions. She decides she wants nothing to do with the old woman's money.
The Nieces Visit Aunt Jane
The nieces come to visit Aunt Jane. Patsy doesn't want to go at first. But Aunt Jane is stubborn and sends her lawyer to bring the girl. The three cousins show their different personalities. Louise is sweet but can be tricky. Beth is direct, but a bit bitter. Patsy is honest and has strong morals.
Patsy quickly says she doesn't want Aunt Jane's fortune. Yet, Aunt Jane likes Patsy because she is energetic, honest, and stubborn. Beth finds Aunt Jane unpleasant. She makes friends with the servants instead. Louise pretends to nurse Aunt Jane. She showers her with too much affection. Aunt Jane finds it fake but hard to resist. Patsy visits Aunt Jane's room whenever she wants. Her independence pleases the sick old woman.
Kenneth Forbes and Uncle John
Living on the estate is Kenneth Forbes. He is the nephew of Jane's dead fiancé, Thomas Bradley. Aunt Jane has taken care of him since his mother died. But she dislikes him. She makes him live in a far-off room. She never eats with him. Kenneth is shy and awkward because he feels humiliated. He seems uneducated, but Aunt Jane won't pay for better schooling.
Kenneth's only supporter is Jane's lawyer, Silas Watson. He sees potential in Kenneth. He tries to convince Jane to treat him fairly. Kenneth is starting to show talent in drawing.
Aunt Jane has several servants. The most unusual is James, the gardener. He loves flowers as much as she does. He was with Thomas Bradley when he died. This event was so shocking that James rarely speaks.
Aunt Jane's long-lost older brother, Uncle John, also visits. He looks poor and dresses shabbily. His sister lets him stay. Uncle John is honest, kind, and wise. He becomes friends with everyone, including Kenneth. He takes a real interest in the boy.
A Turning Point
The nieces slowly learn to get along despite their differences. One day, something big happens. Beth and Louise often tease Kenneth. This makes him run away from the house. He uses a plank from the rooftop to a tree. Patsy comes to see him about a horse. He tries to escape, but falls off the edge. Aunt Jane sees everything. Patsy bravely pulls him up and saves him. But she loses her balance and falls, breaking her leg.
This accident brings the young people closer. Kenneth learns to talk to the girls and becomes less shy. The nieces start to enjoy each other's company. Kenneth receives a mysterious gift of drawing supplies. He begins to show his artwork to the girls.
Aunt Jane's health gets worse. She decides to make a will. She plans to leave most of her money to Patsy. But Patsy refuses. She insists Aunt Jane should leave everything to Kenneth. They argue for days. Jane pretends to agree with Patsy. But secretly, she makes the new will invalid.
Soon after, Aunt Jane dies in the garden. The gardener, James, finds her. He screams and hides in his room for days.
The Inheritance Mystery
The inheritance drama involves not one will, but three! After the funeral, Silas Watson opens Aunt Jane's last will. He finds that Jane tore off the signatures. This made it void. Her previous will then becomes valid. This will leaves the estate to Patsy. The other nieces get small amounts. Patsy promises to give the estate to Kenneth when she is old enough. She also promises to give more money to her cousins.
Suddenly, the group is called to James's room. He is dying after being kicked by a horse. This shock makes him think clearly for the first time since Thomas Bradley's death. He tells them about the accident. He explains how he pulled the badly hurt man from the wreck. He says "Master Tom" asked for paper to write a new will. The train conductor and James both signed it.
But the dying James doesn't recognize the people around him. He thinks they look too old. He refuses to give them the will. He dies. Watson and Uncle John search the room and find it. In this hurried will, Thomas left his estate to Jane for her lifetime. After she died, it was supposed to go to his sister and her children. This means Aunt Jane couldn't leave the estate to anyone. Kenneth is the only rightful heir.
When this is announced, everyone is shocked. No one gets any cash gifts. The entire fortune belongs to Kenneth. The girls decide to go home. Uncle John seems to have nowhere to go. Patsy invites him to live with her and her father.
Uncle John's Secret
Back in New York, Uncle John seems amused by their small apartment. He sleeps on the sofa. When Patsy and her father leave for work, he slips away. He goes to a fancy banker's office uptown. There, important people treat him with great respect.
After a week, Patsy gets a surprise from someone unknown. She receives keys to a beautiful furnished apartment. It is free for at least three years. They nervously visit it. They find it fully furnished. A maid rings the bell, ready to work. All her wages are paid in advance.
While Patsy and her father get their things from the old apartment, Uncle John visits Louise and her mother. They treat him coldly. He leaves, feeling a bit embarrassed. But in the distance, Louise's banker neighbor points him out. He says Uncle John is worth "from eighty to ninety millions, at least." He also controls most of America's canning and tin-plate industries.
Patsy is worried about the apartment. But Uncle John says, "There is nothing too good for a brave, honest girl whose heart is in the right place." Soon after, Patsy goes to work and is told she's been fired. When she gets home, a lady is waiting to tutor her. She will prepare Patsy for women's college. That afternoon, a piano teacher arrives, which delights her.
Meanwhile, Patsy's father learns that his company's bankers want to hire him. It's a job with very few hours and a generous salary. Days later, he sees Uncle John at the bank doing business. He then learns the truth. At home, John explains that everyone assumed he was poor. He simply didn't correct them. He promises to give a lot of money to the other girls' families. This money can then be left to the nieces. This way, they will never be in need.
Uncle John asks if he can keep staying with Patsy and her father. She replies, "I never meant to part with you, when I thought you poor, and I'll not desert you now that I know you're rich."
The Book Series
The other books in the series feature exciting adventures. The characters travel, have accidents, and even experience a kidnapping and rescue. There are also romances, and Louise gets married.
The last book, Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross, was first published in 1915. At that time, the United States was not yet involved in World War I. The nieces help wounded soldiers from both sides of the war. They hope the war will end soon. The publisher released a new version in 1918. This edition had a more serious tone about the war.
Here are the books in the series:
- Aunt Jane's Nieces, 1906 (reprinted 2005)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad, 1907 (reprinted 2007)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville, 1908 (reprinted 2005)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work, 1909 (reprinted 2005)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces in Society, 1910 (reprinted 2005)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John, 1911 (reprinted 2005)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces on Vacation, 1912 (reprinted 2005)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch, 1913
- Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West, 1914 (reprinted 2005)
- Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross, 1915/1918 (reprinted 2006)
The original books had a cover picture and a special picture at the beginning. Emile A. Nelson illustrated the first eight books. James McCracken illustrated the ninth. Norman P. Hall illustrated the tenth book. He also drew one picture for Baum's 1901 collection, American Fairy Tales.
L. Frank Baum also used the "Edith Van Dyne" pen name for other books. These include the two Flying Girl books (1911–12) and his Mary Louise stories (1916–20).
How Popular Were They?
The Aunt Jane's Nieces books were very popular when they first came out. They were as successful with teenage girls as the Oz books were with younger children. In 1911, six of the books were available. They sold over 22,500 copies that year.
Towards the end of L. Frank Baum's life, these books actually sold more copies than the Oz books. They were often given as gifts to girls graduating from grammar school. After the 1920s, the books were mostly forgotten. Only big fans of Baum and a few scholars remembered them.
However, around the year 2000, people started looking at Baum's works again. Nine of the ten books were reprinted between 2005 and 2007.
