Patty's Friends

Book excerpt: The sixth in the ‘Patty Fairfield’ series of children’s books by Carolyn Wells, we re-join Patty as she continues her European travels, relocating from Paris to the UK for the summer. There are plenty of adventures to be had – from trying to reconcile an estranged father and daughter, to searching for mysterious hidden treasure, and even Patty’s first proposal - this is a delightful addition to the series. Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was a prolific American novelist and poet, best known for her children’s literature, mystery novels and humorous verse. Following school in New Jersey, Wells worked as a librarian where she developed her love of reading. It was during 1896, while working at the library that Wells' first book ‘At the Sign of the Sphinx’ was published. From 1900 she dedicated herself to her literary career, writing over 170 novels in total across a range of genres. Some of her most loved works include the ‘Patty Fairfield’ and ‘Marjorie Maynard’ series for girls, as well as the ‘Fleming Stone’ mystery series for adults. Wells is also well-known for her humorous nonsense verse, and was a frequent contributor of verse to magazines. She published an autobiography ‘The Rest of my Life’ in 1937. Wells died in New York City in 1942.