6 h 29 minAudiobook16 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 29 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Beneath a sunlit cedar, two children cling to the father who must leave them at dawn.
At Firgrove, Darby and Joan sit close to Captain Dene while autumn sunshine warms the garden. Their mother has died, and now their father must sail to South Africa with his soldiers. In Two Little Travellers, Frances Browne Arthur brings us into a family facing another painful separation. The children long to follow their father, but he must leave them in the care of relatives.
Their new home holds two very different aunts. Aunt Catharine believes children need strict discipline; Auntie Alice offers gentler ways. With nurse Perry and baby Eric nearby, Darby and Joan must face life without the parent who keeps them close. A little diary in Darby’s pocket and ripening fruit around the lawn give this tender children’s adventure a world you can picture and almost touch.
What you’ll discover
- Two devoted companions Meet Darby and Joan, whose affectionate nicknames reflect how closely they belong together.
- A farewell beneath branches Feel the weight of unspoken words as Captain Dene holds his children near.
- Two kinds of care Discover the contrast between Aunt Catharine’s firm rules and Auntie Alice’s quiet gentleness.
- An autumn you can picture Step into Firgrove’s garden, among ripening pears, golden grain, and softly falling leaves.
- The pull of home Explore what familiar faces mean when children must stay behind and their father leaves.
Who will love it
Readers who love old-fashioned adventure with a big heart, children's stories read aloud, hymns and country gardens, and tales in which small, brave children win over cruel and gentle grown-ups alike.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A father says goodbye under the cedar
- Life at Firgrove with two aunts
- Squirrels, eggs and Copsley Wood
- Punishment, and a plan to find the Happy Land
- Missing children and a hat in the water
- Aboard the Smiling Jane, with thieves following
- Joe and Moll's caravan and its strange company
- Bambo's teaching about the true Happy Land
- What the story is about and how it is told
Who’s who
- Darby DeneA brave, serious boy of seven, called Guy by his aunts, who sets out to find the Happy Land and tries to protect his sister.
- Joan DeneDarby's five-year-old sister, called Doris by her aunts, a chatty, golden-haired child who follows her brother everywhere and trusts those who are kind to her.
- BamboA kind, sickly dwarf in a travelling show who cares for the children and wants to bring them safely home.
- Joe HarrisKnown as Thieving Joe, the red-haired owner of the Satellite Circus Company, he wants children to train as performers.
- Moll HarrisJoe's black-browed wife, who is tempted by a silk gown and a diamond ring yet is touched by Joan's prayer.
- Aunt CatharineThe tall, strict elder Miss Turner, who believes in rules and the Catechism and hides a loving heart.
- Auntie AliceThe gentle, shy younger sister who loves the children, keeps bees, and trusts that they will return.
- Captain DeneThe children's soldier father, a widower who leaves for the war in South Africa and hopes for a quick return.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 29 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 16 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Two Little Travellers
Two children set out to find the Happy Land and meet a dwarf, a bear and a cruel showman on the way.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Two Little Travellers is a children's novel by Frances Browne Arthur, set while British soldiers are fighting in South Africa. It follows seven-year-old Darby Dene and his sister Joan, who are left with their two great-aunts in a country house while their father goes to war.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A father says goodbye under the cedar
The story opens on a golden September Sunday under the cedar tree on the lawn at Firgrove. Captain Dene sits on a bench with his two small children pressed close against him. At daybreak next morning he must board a transport ship in Southampton Water and sail for the war in South Africa. Nobody can find the words they want to say.
Darby is nearly seven, with short brown hair and big grey eyes. Joan is five, with golden curls that tumble across her face. Their baptized names are Guy and Doris, but their father began calling them Darby and Joan when they were toddlers, because they were such close companions. Only their grandmother still uses the proper names.
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What is Two Little Travellers about?
It is about Darby and Joan Dene, a young brother and sister left with two aunts while their father goes to war. They run away to find the Happy Land from a hymn and meet a dwarf, a bear and cruel showmen.
Who is Bambo in Two Little Travellers?
Bambo is a dwarf who works in a travelling circus and cooks for its owners. Gentle, patient and deeply religious, he becomes the children's friend and teacher and works out how to take them home.
What is the Happy Land in the book?
It is a place from a hymn the nurse sings, where nobody is naughty or sick. Darby thinks it is a real country. Bambo teaches the children that the true Happy Land is made by love and duty wherever you are.
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