I consider this one of the best novels that no one's ever heard of.
During the First World War, the 17-year-old Twinkler twins are shipped off to America by an uncle who doesn't know what to do with them. The Annas, orphaned children of a German father and British mother, are memorably written, hopeful, bright and resilient. When I first read this book 25 or so years ago, I was enamored, and it started me reading everything by Elizabeth von Arnim. But the bookI read was from the library, and I spent the next decades searching in vain for a copy of my own. My best friend found one this spring on a last-chance cart outside a used-books store - for 25 cents no less! - and I immediately started reading it. I fell in love with the novel all over again; however, this time around, I found the conclusion disappointing. The tea room seemed out of sync with the rest of the book. On the other hand, without the tea room storyline, we wouldn't get the unforgettable - and talkative - cook Mrs. Bilson; she's well worth the clunky tea room bit. ( )

Cute and funny diversion charmingly written. ( )

When twins Anna-Rose and Anna-Felicitas are orphaned in their teens, their aunt and uncle take them in. But with the onset of World War I, the girls’ half-German parentage makes them a target for suspicion and bigotry. Their uncle, being a bit of jerk, decides he can’t handle the responsibility and puts them on a ship from England to America armed only with their suitcases and the names of two family friends allegedly prepared to house them.

This may sound like the beginning of a tragic drama, but Elizabeth von Arnim is known for her superb wit, and she applies a heavy dose to Christopher and Columbus:
And so, on a late September afternoon, the St Luke, sliding away from her moorings, relieved Uncle Arthur of his burden. It was final this time, for the two alien enemies once out of it would not be let into England again til after the war. The enemies themselves knew it was final; and the same knowledge that made Uncle Arthur feel so pleasant as he walked home across his park from golf to tea that for a moment he was actually of a mind to kiss Aunt Alice when he got in … the same knowledge that produced these amiable effects in Uncle Arthur, made his alien nieces cling very close together as they leaned over the side of the St Luke hungrily watching the people on the wharf.

On board the St Luke, the Annas meet Mr Twist, a thirty-something businessman quickly enchanted by their good looks and engaging demeanor. Their naivete triggers his “motherly” instincts, and he takes them under his wing for the duration of the voyage. A comedy of errors ensues when no one meets the twins on arrival in New York, and Mr Twist valiantly tries to unite them with the designated family friends while attempting to conceal their German heritage from everyone they meet. Through a series of amusing situations and encounters with equally amusing characters, Mr Twist and the Annas develop strong bonds with each other which initially appear to present a conflict, but are resolved in a very satisfying way.

This was a delightful light read recommended for anyone who has enjoyed other books by Elizabeth von Arnim, or D. E. Stevenson’s Miss Buncle novels. ( )

Anna Rose and Anna Felicitas Twinkler are twins who have been orphaned at age 17 at the outbreak of WWI. Their father was German and their mother was English. Their half-German heritage causes problems when they are thrown upon the mercies of their Engish relatives. They are promptly sent away to America, where they find the protection they had counted on from their uncle's friends to be non-existent.

On the ship to America they find a protector in Mr. Twist, an inventor/entreprnruer who has recently made a fortune with a simple nvention that improves the function of tea pots. He becomes fascinated with "the Twinklers", and very sympathetic to their plight.

This book was just wonderful! The twins' naïvite and lack of a social filter leads to many scrapes and adventures, and gives Mr. Twist many headaches. I laughed out loud in several places.

The ending was the sweetest and most satisfying of any book I've ever read.

Christopher and Columbus confirmed by love for Elizabeth von Arnim's work. I promptly added it to my list of favorites. ( )