Dear Enemy (Daddy-Long-Legs #2) by Jean Webster

★★★★★

I dare say I'm becoming a Jean Webster fan!

This epistolary novel is a sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs, though Judy Abbott is no longer the letter-writer. Instead, we have Sallie McBride, Judy's good friend from college, writing from her new station as Superintendent of the John Grier Home, the orphanage where Judy was raised. From the start, it seemed like a good premise for a follow-up: Judy, now married to the president of the Board of Trustees of the John Grier Home, is able to use her wealth and influence to re-make the repressive institution for orphans into a modern, loving home for children.

Sallie McBride is a lively, competent, compassionate woman who doesn't back down from a fight. We read her letters to Judy and Judy's husband, reporting both professional and personal developments at the John Grier Home, as well as her letters to Gordon, a politician suitor in Washington, and Sandy, the visiting doctor for the orphanage. Sallie's personality shines through in her correspondences, and her letters are both entertaining and informative. She was remarkably efficient in her work, especially considering that so much of her time must have been taken up with letter-writing!

Keeping in mind that this book was first written in 1915, it's particularly interesting to read up on Sallie's ideas for improving the orphanage. Though many of the ideas may be dated - and we really ought to read the book through the lens of the time in which it was written - a surprising number of "modern" child-rearing theories outlined in the book are still embraced today!

Though Daddy-Long-Legs was perfectly suitable for Isabelle, this book didn't capture her interest quite as much, and she didn't read more than a few pages. As it turned out, that's probably just as well, because most of the book would probably go over her head. Much of the book actually consists of social commentary on feminism, philanthropy, and the care of orphans. Especially in light of the references to alcoholism, and one passing mention of prostitution, this book is probably better suited for middle school readers, or even high schoolers. Also, there's a bit of accented Scotch and Irish speaking that would be difficult for young readers to parse.