Painted Windows

"Painted Windows" by Elia Wilkinson Peattie is a collection of essays that shows growing up in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The book uses stories to share how the author remembers her childhood and how it changed her. Peattie looks at ideas like memories, being alone, friendships, and traveling, and how these things shape who people are. She writes about her adventures as a child traveling with her father, her feelings of being alone in her family, and all the different things that come with growing up. Each chapter is like looking through a window into her life, sharing the good and bad parts of being young, the pain of being lonely, the excitement of making friends, and the complicated feelings about family. The stories are told with beautiful descriptions, showing both happy times in nature and tough times like being ignored by her family and facing hard truths. In the end, "Painted Windows" makes readers think about their own childhoods, with all the happy and sad moments, and how those memories continue to affect our lives.