Sophie Kennedy's experience: or, The stepmother: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Sophie Kennedy's experience: or, The stepmother: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Sophie Kennedy's experience: or, The stepmother is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Guernsey, Lucy Ellen (1826–1899).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Sophie Kennedy's experience" by Lucy Ellen Guernsey is a didactic domestic novel written in the mid-19th century. It follows sensitive schoolgirl Sophie as she faces gossip about her father’s remarriage, meets a gentle, capable stepmother, and begins learning obedience, patience, and Christian duty. The work challenges common prejudices against stepmothers while highlighting charity, self-discipline, and Protestant family life. The opening of the novel shows school gossipmonger Laura blurting out Mr. Kennedy’s impending remarriage, sending Sophie into distress until Nancy, the family’s faithful nurse, calms her with examples of kind stepmothers. Mrs. Gaylord soon involves Sophie in visiting Betsey, a poor, badly burned child devoted to her own stepmother, which draws Sophie into practical charity and keeping promises. Mr. Kennedy returns with Sophie’s new mother, whose warmth, music, and thoughtful guidance quickly reassure the girl, and who establishes orderly worship and steady home lessons. As music, sewing, arithmetic, and Bible study begin, Sophie’s impatience and daydreaming surface; a tantrum over arithmetic costs her a drawing lesson, but a visit with her mother to Betsey reveals the child’s serene Christian faith and forgiveness, prompting Sophie to reflect on duty over reverie. Soon after, Sophie’s carelessness in the cold brings on a severe illness, and Dr. Werner orders rest, barring her from seeing the now-dying Betsey—setting the stage for Sophie’s struggle between impulse and the firm, loving guidance around her.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Sophie Kennedy's experience: or, The stepmother
- Author credits: Guernsey, Lucy Ellen (1826–1899)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Christian life -- Juvenile fiction
- Girls -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
- Stepmothers -- Juvenile fiction
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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