The Family at Red-Roofs is one of the seven independent novels written by Enid Blyton under the category of family stories. It is difficult to choose the best among her books but this book definitely ranks among one of her finest works. It tells a thoughtfully constructed compelling story revolving around Jackson’s family and is very unlike her popular mystery novels.

The Jackson’s family has four children: Molly, 16, Peter, 14, Michael, 11, and Shirley who is 9. They are all very happy when Mr Jackson, due to doing well in his job, is able to rent a five-bedroom beautiful house with Red Roofs. After moving in they also acquire a nanny, Jenny Wren, to help in the new house but Mrs Jackson is not pleased about it and neither is Miss Wren eager on giving up her independence. However, everything else is going fine until one day Mr Jackson is offered another promotion which requires him to go to America for six months.

The family decides that he should accept the offer but soon after he leaves Mrs. Jackson becomes very ill and is admitted to the hospital. And as if this is not bad enough the children come to know that their father’s ship has collided with another ship and that both the ships sank. Considering the frail condition of their mother they are unable to give her this news. Now, to keep the household running, Molly and Peter decide to give up their dream careers and to take any work that they are offered.

Even Michael starts mending people’s clocks. But, most of all, Jenny keeps the family together in this difficult time. I don’t want to give away the ending so you will have to read the heat-warming story yourself to find out the fate of the Jackson’s family.— Sara Hassan