Summary
Summary of The House of Arden
Key ideas
Key idea 1
The children want a real home
Edred and Elfrida Arden live with Aunt Edith in a seaside house full of lodgers. Their father and Uncle Jim have been captured by brigands in South America, and renting rooms keeps the family going. The children resent the constant bells and the feeling of being looked down on.
When Aunt Edith leaves for London after receiving a letter, their birthday picnic becomes a chance to visit Arden Castle. Behind their secret plan lies a shared wish for money, belonging and a home of their own.
Key idea 2
An inheritance leads to a spell
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Key idea 3
Kindness opens the way to magic
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Key idea 4
Old clothes open another time
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Key idea 5
Enemies become people who need rescue
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Key idea 6
Elfrida keeps her head under pressure
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Key idea 7
Seeking proof brings a new danger
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Key idea 8
Careless knowledge puts others at risk
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Key idea 9
The treasure hunt keeps changing meaning
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
Perfect for readers who love magical adventures, funny narrators who chat with you, and history seen through children's eyes. Families sharing a story aloud, and anyone who enjoys castles, secret panels and talking animals, will feel at home.
What this book is
What if an old family rhyme could send you back through time? In The House of Arden, written by E. Nesbit, ten-year-old Edred and his sister Elfrida move from a noisy seaside lodging house to a ruined castle that belongs to them. A talking white mole, the badge of their house, offers to send them into the past to hunt for a lost treasure. You get a lively time-travel tale full of quarrels, costumes and close escapes. First, meet two children who go to school each day and hate the lodgers at home.
In this summary
- 1Two children in a house full of lodgersFree
- 2An old man recognises Edred as the heir
- 3A rude white mole offers to help
- 4The door opens onto Boney's time
- 5Smugglers, a storm and a wrecked ship
- 6A highwayman, a king and a secret panel
- 7Locked in the secret room
- 8The Gunpowder Plot and the Tower of London
- 9What treasure means, and who tells the tale
Key point 1 of 9
Two children in a house full of lodgers
Edred and Elfrida Arden live with their Aunt Edith in a cliff-top house by the sea. Their father and Uncle Jim have been captured by brigands in South America, the money is lost, and the family now rents rooms to survive. The children dislike the lodgers, whose bells ring all day.
The story begins with a letter. Aunt Edith reads it three times, says a ship may be coming home, and hurries to London. She lets the children have a picnic on the Downs for Edred's birthday. They do not tell her they plan to visit Arden Castle, the ruined home of their family.
This opening sets up what they want. They long for money, for a real home, and for a way out of being looked down on. Every later adventure grows from that wish, and from the quarrelsome habit that always gets in their way.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
What must the children do before looking for the magical door?
Right. “The children must be nice to each other for a whole day, and then look for the door.”Not quite. “The children must be nice to each other for a whole day, and then look for the door.”
How do the villagers respond when the French ship is in danger?
Right. “The men who spent the night ready to fight the French now rush to rescue them.”Not quite. “The men who spent the night ready to fight the French now rush to rescue them.”
What is the real task behind the children's journeys into the past?
Right. “Each trip into the past brings thrills, but the real task is to be brave, kind and wise, just as the old spell demands.”Not quite. “Each trip into the past brings thrills, but the real task is to be brave, kind and wise, just as the old spell demands.”
Questions about The House of Arden
What is The House of Arden about?
It follows Edred and Elfrida Arden, who inherit a ruined castle and meet a talking white mole. It sends them into the past, from Boney's time to the Gunpowder Plot, in search of a lost family treasure.
Who is the Mouldiwarp?
The Mouldiwarp is the white mole that is the badge of the Arden family. It can talk, make magic clocks from white things, and take the children through time, but it is often cross.
Is The House of Arden a sequel?
It is a fantasy by E. Nesbit published in the early twentieth century. A later book, Harding's Luck, is linked to it, but you can enjoy this story on its own.
Is The House of Arden easy to read?
Its chatty narrator, short scenes and plenty of humour make it a friendly read.
What is the main message of the book?
The book suggests that kindness, courage and affection matter more than wealth. The children learn that quarrels waste chances, and that caring for family and neighbours is the best treasure.
