This was just such a wonderful listen. The audiobook has been with me for about ten years and it has never failed to make me feel cozy and happy. Even now as an adult i genuinely loved it. The (german) narrator gives the story such a strong voice and she creates a wonderful atmosphere, which of course wouldn't be possible if the source material didn’t have it in itself already. The sisters are all enjoyable characters. Are they all likable? No, not always. They all have their little problems and i love that. I myself could identify myself with every one of them except for Batty. The hound passages were just so charming. Usually i do not like this kind of thing in books but here i loved it. I was afraid that Rosalinds crush would be gratified but instead it was a good representation of a teenage girl's crush on someone older. I felt so sorry for her, she was just so dumb about it. This was really nice. But i struggle with her age. Rosalind didn't feel like 12 for a second. 14 minimum, max 16. I do like that she felt older than she was because that's what it does to you when you're the oldest sibling (esp to girls) and you fill in a parental role. But it was too much. I cannot accept her as being 12. She really felt much older. I'm not sure how to interpret her relationship with cagney. I was so happy when she realized that she had no chance and moments later he slightly approaches her..... but in the end it wasn't that? I'm not entirely happy. Generally i feel mixed about the father. He is portrayed as being such a perfect father, esp in comparison to Mrs. Tifton, but he quite frankly is not. I don't really mind that he lets the girls do so much and is rather absent because that is a requirement for a kids book. The parentification of rosalind however, is horrific. Poor girl. Else? I liked it a lot.