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Elsie Dinsmore The Original Elsie Classics Book One Martha Finley Books

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Elsie Dinsmore The Original Elsie Classics Book One Martha Finley Books

First, I must say that this book is very interesting from an historical perspective. It takes place in a Southern plantation before the Civil War, and the perspective through the eyes of devout Christians is fascinating. If you’ve read Gone With The Wind, you know how unflattering the descriptions of black people are in some historical fiction (analogies to monkeys, mules, and dogs abound)—but in this book, there is none of that. This difference alone shows the effects of a Christian worldview—black people are seen as fellow children of Adam, sinners in need of salvation. One black character says that Jesus loves her just as much as if she were white. I also liked how Elsie is trying very hard to be a good Christian—which is as rare among book characters as in real life. I can identify with her as I can with few other book characters.

However, since this book is marketed for children (apparently written as a Sunday school teaching aid, from what I hear), I have to ask myself: would I read this to a child? I would not. As good as it is that Elsie is trying to be a good Christian, I find myself uncomfortable with the way her relationship with her father is portrayed. As strict as he is, we learn that he has very good reasons for his rules, yet we’re left with the impression that he is an unreasonable man who doesn’t love his daughter, but just likes being a tyrant.

The Bible commands children to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3, for example), unless to do so would be sin. Elsie does this some of the time, but refuses when her father commands her to do things that (she believes) would violate the Sabbath. She refuses, and her father points out that he is the one teaching her right from wrong. This raises a question: if Elsie has interpreted the Bible such that she believes that X is a sin, how does she know she’s right? If she looks to the Bible with no guidance, then she’s like a student grading her own tests. Her father is ready to give her guidance, but she deems him too worldly because she believes so strongly in her interpretation of the Bible, whereas even Moses listened to his Gentile father-in-law’s advice (Exodus 18:14-24) though he often saw God face to face (Exodus 33:11). If even St. Peter the Apostle found the Epistles to be hard to understand in some places (2 Peter 3:15-17), after 3 years with Jesus and 30+ years preaching the Gospel and resolving religious disputes (e.g. Acts 15), how could any of us (let alone an 8-year old) nearly 2,000 years later interpret it properly? This issue is not really resolved or even addressed—she’s the good Christian who alone knows the truth, he’s the tyrant who is a Christian in name only, end of story. We Christians dislike Disney movies and romance novels for their distorted portrayal of man-woman relationships, but seem to have no problem with distorted portrayals of parent-child relationships.

If Elsie were a real person, I would not let a child of mine play with her—I would not want my child being influenced by her “keeper of the truth” attitude and believing that it would be a sin to obey me based on a faulty interpretation of the Bible.


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Elsie Dinsmore The Original Elsie Classics Book One Martha Finley Books Reviews

I loved this book when I was a child, although I must say -- with 20/20 hindsight -- I distinctly remember hurting my friend's feelings and making her feel really, really bad by refusing to dance on a Sunday afternoon (under Elsie's influence). My little friend had been happily dancing until I pointed out to her that it was the Sabbath. Then she stopped. And felt ashamed. Ashamed!! Shame on ME for being such a sanctimonious little prig, and shame on Elsie! Her dysfunctional relationship with her father has been noted with suitable horror by many of the reviewers here, but how about her dysfunctional relationship with Jesus Christ? Her Saviour abuses her and terrifies her even more than her father does -- and he would be jailed for a criminal today.

That being said, the book is still highly readable, and fascinating on many levels, not the least of which is the glimpse it affords us of life in the pre-Civil War South. The day-to-day activities and schedule that was followed, how people spent their time on a regular basis, plus the prevailing attitudes and expectations, are seamlessly woven into the story. The unblinking racism and sexism is especially revealing. I think many people today find it hard to understand how people could treat others so hatefully, i.e. enslaving them, while simultaneously loving and valuing them. Reading this book will help you understand (though not condone) this mind-split, which was common in that time and place.
I have two girls and several years ago, we were introduced to Elsie Dinsmore. We had the audio cd's, but now they want the books. This is a great story of a christian young lady who stands firm in her faith despite many difficulties. She helps bring many people to the Lord along the way. I have read Elsie myself and cried at many points along the way. Most books don't affect me in this way. There is a lot of trashy reading out there for young girls. This is a breath of fresh air.
Martha Finley's Elsie Dinsmore novels were tremendously popular in the 19th century. They were intended to be wholesome, morals-filled reading for the young people of the Victorian era. In the 21st century, they provide a fascinating glimpse of the thought processes and beliefs of a long-gone generation, pre- and post Civil War. Many readers will find the depictions of African-Americans in these books distasteful and racist. Those depictions, while disturbing to the modern reader, also show how ideas about race and society have changed over the last 150 years, and are valuable history lessons even though their mindset is unacceptable today. Elsie herself is a model of the ideal Victorian woman, but Finley to her credit lets the characters have flaws, and in addition does not flinch from the painful reality of the Civil War and its aftermath for Elsie's family. Readers who are interested in a view of the past from a contemporary author will find the books intriguing, and may find themselves caught up in the storyline of Elsie's life from childhood to old age.
This book is about a young 8 year old girl who has lost her mom and is raised by her grandparents (who don’t seem to like her much). She is the sweetest child. When her father comes back after being gone for years, she wants nothing more than for him to love her...and for him to love Jesus. But he is gruff and scares her. He thinks she fears him and acts even harsher to her. It was a poignant, heartbreaking tale of a little girl who is emotionally abused until hearts are set right. It was a little too preachy for my taste, and I found the child rearing skills of the father atrocious, but the story was gripping enough to pull me through to the end and I liked it.
I'd much rather read a story that was current, in the time wherein it was written, than a modern piece of historical fiction. It's interesting to see the past through the attitudes of the people who lived at that time, instead of through our own views.
First, I must say that this book is very interesting from an historical perspective. It takes place in a Southern plantation before the Civil War, and the perspective through the eyes of devout Christians is fascinating. If you’ve read Gone With The Wind, you know how unflattering the descriptions of black people are in some historical fiction (analogies to monkeys, mules, and dogs abound)—but in this book, there is none of that. This difference alone shows the effects of a Christian worldview—black people are seen as fellow children of Adam, sinners in need of salvation. One black character says that Jesus loves her just as much as if she were white. I also liked how Elsie is trying very hard to be a good Christian—which is as rare among book characters as in real life. I can identify with her as I can with few other book characters.

However, since this book is marketed for children (apparently written as a Sunday school teaching aid, from what I hear), I have to ask myself would I read this to a child? I would not. As good as it is that Elsie is trying to be a good Christian, I find myself uncomfortable with the way her relationship with her father is portrayed. As strict as he is, we learn that he has very good reasons for his rules, yet we’re left with the impression that he is an unreasonable man who doesn’t love his daughter, but just likes being a tyrant.

The Bible commands children to obey their parents (Ephesians 61-3, for example), unless to do so would be sin. Elsie does this some of the time, but refuses when her father commands her to do things that (she believes) would violate the Sabbath. She refuses, and her father points out that he is the one teaching her right from wrong. This raises a question if Elsie has interpreted the Bible such that she believes that X is a sin, how does she know she’s right? If she looks to the Bible with no guidance, then she’s like a student grading her own tests. Her father is ready to give her guidance, but she deems him too worldly because she believes so strongly in her interpretation of the Bible, whereas even Moses listened to his Gentile father-in-law’s advice (Exodus 1814-24) though he often saw God face to face (Exodus 3311). If even St. Peter the Apostle found the Epistles to be hard to understand in some places (2 Peter 315-17), after 3 years with Jesus and 30+ years preaching the Gospel and resolving religious disputes (e.g. Acts 15), how could any of us (let alone an 8-year old) nearly 2,000 years later interpret it properly? This issue is not really resolved or even addressed—she’s the good Christian who alone knows the truth, he’s the tyrant who is a Christian in name only, end of story. We Christians dislike Disney movies and romance novels for their distorted portrayal of man-woman relationships, but seem to have no problem with distorted portrayals of parent-child relationships.

If Elsie were a real person, I would not let a child of mine play with her—I would not want my child being influenced by her “keeper of the truth” attitude and believing that it would be a sin to obey me based on a faulty interpretation of the Bible.