Summer at the lake house means long days filled with possibility for Allie, Daisy, and their ambitious friend Jim. The three children tackle an infamous arithmetic problem that leaves them stumped, but their real challenge lies in something far more ambitious: Jim dreams of running a peanut business to help two disabled friends he met in the city, proving that even children can change lives. Joanna H. Mathews captures the particular magic of childhood summers, where a single idea can feel like the most important thing in the world, and friends are bound together by shared secrets and schemes. The arrival of Uncle Rutherford and Aunt Emily brings the gentle guidance of adults who encourage rather than control, watching with amusement as the children stumble toward their goals. What makes this late nineteenth-century girls' story endure is its uncomplicated faith in goodness. There is no cynicism here, only the earnest belief that trying to help others matters more than succeeding. Jim's lawyerly ambitions and Allie and Daisie's sisterly loyalty form the backbone of adventures that feel both timeless and distinctly of their era. The book is for readers who want to remember what it felt like to be young and convinced that the world was full of problems worth solving, if only you could figure out the right arithmetic first.
