What do You think about Miss Happiness And Miss Flower (2006)?
This book was so lighthearted and beautiful! Belinda annoys the ever-living daylights out of me, but the story was so full of hope and goodness that by the end she can't help but catch it. I don't really think, though, that all of her emotional issues stemmed from jealousy of Nona and the dolls; most of it just seems like Belinda is a real piece of work, made even more volatile by Nona's arrival.What I appreciated was that Miss Happiness and Miss Flower didn't become objectified Japanese signifiers; Nona says several times that the Japanese must be very brave people, and treats their way of life like an artform and not a quaint cutesy fantasy. Everyone who helps does so with research and respect. In the end, the dollhouse brings them together, and even teaches Belinda how not to be a little rotter.
—Tasia
Nona Fell has lived in India with her Father and Ayah her whole life. When she moves to cold England to live with her cousins she is overwhelmed and homesick.An aunt sends Nona and her cousin Belinda two Japanese dolls. Nona thinks they must be homesick too, so she sets out to build them a traditional japanese house and garden.In the process of buidling the house, Nona gets to know her cousins better. She makes friends with the book shop owner, her teacher and school mates. This is a fun book fo
—Melissa
I read this book together with my 6 year old daughter, and we both loved it.It tells the story of a 8 year old Nona who moves from India to live with cousins in London. She is sad and homesick, and having difficulty adjusting to her new life.A Great Aunt who lives in San Francisco sends Japanese dolls to Nona and her cousins. This inspires Nona to start a quest. She researches all about Japanese homes, gardens, and culture, and starts to plan a Japanese doll house. Her 11 year old cousin Tom helps her to build the house, and she begins to make friends in her quest to get the supplies she needs to decorate the house and make the furnishings. Little miracles happen along the way, and eventually she brings her family and neighborhood together as she completes her quest.It is a sweet and compelling story that involves cultural adjustment, healing relationship issues, and figuring out how to solve your problems and challenges.
—Julie
