Daisy

Susan WarnerJul 2015

3.0

Word count: 148K words
Chapters: 20

Summary

"You are a foolish boy," said Aunt Gary. "Of course if you fill Daisy's head with notions, she will not get them out again. If you have anything of that sort to say, you had better say it where she will not hear." "Daisy has eyes—and a head," said Preston. As soon as I was able, Preston took me out for short walks, and as I grew stronger he made the walks longer. The city was a strange place to me, very unlike New York; there was much to see and many a story to hear, and Preston and I enjoyed ourselves. Aunt Gary was busy making visits, I think. There was a beautiful walk by the sea which I liked best of all, and when it was not too cold my greatest pleasure was to sit there looking over the dark waters and sending my whole soul across them to that unknown spot where my father and mother were. "Home," that spot was to me. Preston did not know what I liked the Esplanade for.

Editor's review

Daisy unfolds from the perspective of the young girl Daisy, presenting a child's process of observing, judging, and learning through her daily interactions with the adults and companions around her. The opening debate between Aunt Gary and Preston over whether Daisy should be allowed to hear already points to the book's central concern: children are not passive recipients of influence but have their own eyes and minds. The narrative develops as Daisy recovers her health and takes more walks, with city streets and the stories she hears becoming windows onto the world. The tone is gentle and the details are solid, making it suitable for readers interested in children's growth and family education. As you read, note the gap between the adults' conversation and Daisy's understanding—this gap is where the work's observational power lies and gives its everyday scenes room to linger.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in children's growth and family education
Readers who enjoy gentle domestic narratives and slow-paced stories
Students and enthusiasts studying nineteenth-century domestic fiction
Parents who wish to read a growth-themed work with their children

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced narratives
Readers expecting a grand social backdrop or intense conflict
Adult readers impatient with a child's perspective

Reading tips

Note the difference between the adult conversations Daisy overhears and her own understanding, and appreciate the layers of narration.
Read the stories she hears on walks as separate fragments and observe how they piece together Daisy's world.
Read in sections with a child, discussing after each whether Daisy's judgments seem reasonable.
After finishing, trace how Daisy changes through the book and compare her ideas at the beginning and the end.

Copyright information
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XIX.

FAQ

What age of reader is this book suitable for?

Given its narrative style and themes, it is better suited to adolescents and adult readers with some patience for reading. If reading with a child, an adult should read it through first, then choose passages with more everyday scenes to discuss together.

What is the main story line?

The book centers on Daisy's growth. It begins after her recovery, when she takes walks with Preston, and through city sights and the stories she hears, it shows how a child observes the adult world and forms her own judgments; everyday fragments link together her changes.

Why does the book open with the debate between the aunt and Preston?

The debate sets out the book's central question: whether adults should hide certain thoughts from children. The aunt believes it will lead Daisy astray, while Preston trusts that Daisy has eyes and a mind. This disagreement foreshadows Daisy's later observations and judgments.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Susan Warner Author · American · 1819–1885

Susan Warner (1819–1885) was an American novelist. Public information about her personal life is limited. She is known for novels about girls' growth and tests of faith; her representative work, The Wide, Wide World, was an early bestselling girls' novel that circulated widely among American readers and had some influence on later coming-of-age fiction for young women. Her works often center on family misfortune, poverty, and moral choice, with a style that emphasizes sentiment and instruction, stressing the role of perseverance, self-restraint, and religious faith in growing up. One of her works, Daisy, is included here and can be classified as inspirational coming-of-age fiction, continuing her focus on girls' inner lives and character formation. Overall, she is regarded as one of the early representative authors of nineteenth-century American girls' fiction.