I got a lot of chuckles out of this. Mrs. Ada Harris is back for her second adventure, this time with her best friend Mrs. Butterworth. The two of them are invited by a wealthy couple in the movie business to move to America and keep house.
Before they make the move, the duo is horrified by the abuse heaped on Little Henry, who lives with a foster family next door. He has been abandoned by his mother, and his father lives in America. What could be more natural than kidnapping him, bringing him to New York, and searching for his father? Mrs. Harris is convinced it will be simple.
Of course, it isn't.
There are a lot of funny moments in this one, but it's a little darker than the previous book, due to the sufferings of Little Henry. Surprisingly for this type of book, there is also a little language.
But all ends well. ( )

Mrs. Harris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico is the sequel to the charming Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and while this book wasn’t quite as light-hearted or winsome as the first, it was nevertheless a delightful read. In this outing Mrs. Harris and her friend Vi Butterfield embark on a quest to reunite a mistreated abandoned little boy with his long-lost American father.

Mrs. Ada Harris is a no-nonsense, salt of the earth London charlady who speaks her mind and has strong opinions, but she also has a soft core for the misfortunes of others and a strong desire to right the wrongs that she encounters. Young Henry Brown is the foster son of some neighbours but Mrs. Harris can’t abide with how they mistreat him. She is sure if she went to America, she could find his long-lost soldier father and all would be well. When the opportunity for both she and her friend Vi to go to New York to help a client establish a home there, she soon learns the difficulties of smuggling a child into America as well as how impossible the task of trying to locate the right “George Brown” will be.

I find these stories are much like a fairy tale with Mrs. Harris playing the part of the fairy godmother. She changes lives for the better through her Cockney wisdom, British commonsense and her own irrepressible optimism. This particular book touches on some serious matters like child abuse and discrimination but of course there is a happy ending, although not quite the ending that Mrs. Harris imagined. ( )

Such a delightful book for youth and adults alike. Mrs 'Arris has personality traits similar to all of us. We want to help others but it can sometimes go awry.

Mira... una mica inocentó. No està malament, però no m'agraden gaire aquest tipus de llibres. ( )

My second Mrs. Harris book by Paul Gallico and although not as good as Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris, nevertheless a pleasant enough read to have with me on a recent trip away from home. Once again Mrs. Harris and her melodramatic sidekick Mrs. Butterworth, get into all sorts of unintentional trouble as they attempt to help others! ( )