Polly Milton visits her friend, Fanny Shaw who lives in the city. Polly is only a small town girl and is a little bit shocked when she was exposed to city life and its different ways. Her dresses are not so frilly or lacey like Fanny’s and initially, she was quite upset.
She could not get along with Fanny’s friends because all they ever talked about were fashion, boys, gossips, and other trivial matters. They think she’s merely a small girl and quite odd, so usually she was left alone by them. Polly, who was ever so happy and kind, had quite a hard time trying to adjust to her new surroundings.
However, she put aside all these small matters and concentrated on having fun as well as getting to know Fanny’s family. She’s made friends with Fanny’s grandma who appreciates Polly’s companionship when her own children and grandchildren did not pay much attention to her. Even the mischievous Tom, Fanny’s younger brother, thinks Polly a sensible girl who doesn’t mind getting her dress dirty.
When it was time for Polly to go home, everyone was naturally sad and asked her to visit again. They liked Polly very much and considered her as one of the family. They noticed the little kind things she did for them and she definitely brought some sunshine into their lives.
Six years later, Polly returns to the city to be a music teacher. Women working for a living were typically looked down on but Polly has to earn so that she could support her younger brother who was in college.
Then, there’s also Mr. Sydney who’s very nice and helpful to Polly. But, there’s someone else who’s a little bit jealous. On the other hand, Polly does not approve of Tom’s relationship with Trix, one of Fanny’s friends. She might be in love with him, that’s why. I was waiting to see if Tom and Polly would ever get together or not! You have to read the book to find out yourself because I sure ain’t telling you nothing about it!
An Old-Fashioned Girl is quite a good story where a town girl experiences life in the city. Sometimes, having lots of beautiful dresses, spending extravagantly, etc, do not really make a person happy and contented. The Shaw family may be well off but there’s something important that is lacking and Polly’s presence helped them realize it.
This is the first unabridged book by Louisa May Alcott that I’ve read.
Other reviews: Linus’s Blanket