The Ready-Made Family facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Antonia Forest |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Marlow Family |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
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Publication date
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1967 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 0571085474 (hardback edition) |
| Preceded by | The Thuggery Affair |
| Followed by | The Cricket Term |
The Ready-Made Family is an exciting children's book by Antonia Forest. It is the seventh story in her popular Marlow family series. This book was first published in 1967.
Even though Antonia Forest is famous for her school stories, this book is different. It's the third book in the series that takes place away from the Kingscote college.
The Story Begins
The adventure starts at Easter at the Marlow family's home, called Trennels. Nicola, Lawrie, Ginty, and Ann arrive home for the holidays. Soon after, their oldest sister, Karen, joins them.
Karen shares some big news: she is leaving Oxford University. She was studying history with a special scholarship. Instead, she plans to marry Edwin Dodd. Edwin is a man who has lost his wife, and he has three children. Their names are Rose (who is ten), Chas (nine), and Phoebe (five), also called 'Fob'.
A New Family Forms
Karen and Edwin get married. They move into the Marlow family home for a while. Edwin is looking for a house near his new job. He will be working as a county archivist in a place called Streweminster.
Rose, Edwin's ten-year-old daughter, quickly becomes very close to Mrs. Marlow. Rose gets very upset when she hears they will be moving. She misses her old home and runs away to Oxford.
The Search for Rose
Nicola, one of the Marlow sisters, finds out Rose has run away. She follows Rose to Oxford. There, Nicola finds Rose with a strange man. He calls himself Uncle Gerry. This man tells Rose that her mother is still alive.
Rose is young and sad, so she believes him. But then she sees a "For Sale" sign on her old family house. This makes her realize the man was not telling the truth. Nicola and Rose manage to get away. They soon meet Edwin, who came after getting a message from Nicola.
