Tammy out of Time

Book excerpt: Have you ever thought how our modern world with all its artificial devices, its complicated ways, and its false gods would seem to you if you were suddenly moved into the midst of it after having grown up in the old-fashioned way without knowing anything else? If you could look at our world with fresh eyes, wouldn’t it give you a whole new perspective on life and help you to rediscover its true values? Well, Tammy, the lovable young girl you’ll meet in these pages, does just that. Before things began to happen, you see, Tammy had lived all her seventeen years on a Mississippi shantyboat. It was a very simple, quiet, isolated life she had had with her grandparents. But then, after Pete Brent was rescued from the river, things changed, and Tammy found herself at Brenton Hall, where there were some marvelous contrivances and concoctions and also some curious ideas and customs and ways of speaking. Life wasn’t so simple for Tammy any more. In fact, Pete’s mother, Professor Brent, Pete himself, the lovely Barbara, Aunt Renie, and Ernie (especially Ernie) posed many problems. But Tammy, a most unusual and most enduring creature, came through with flying colours. And her story—a warm, lively, engaging story—is the kind that makes you laugh aloud, perhaps stirs a tear or two as well, and along with the entertainment, brings inspiration, a fresh perspective through which you may find strength and a new peace of mind.