The Railway Children
E. (Edith) Nesbit
The Railway Children
FictionClassicsFamily & Domestic FictionChildren’s Books
17 chapters·5h 1m listening
4.03from 65,238 ratingson Goodreads
"The Railway Children" by E. Nesbit is a children's book published in 1906. When their father is suddenly imprisoned for espionage, three siblings—Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis—move with their mother from London to a modest house near a railway. There, they befriend an elderly gentleman on the morning train and encounter various adventures involving Russian exiles, injured travelers, and railway workers. The children must navigate their changed circumstances while holding onto hope that their father's name will be cleared.
Contains spoilers for the entire book
- Themes
- Atmosphere
About the book
Published in 1906, after appearing as a serial, The Railway Children follows Roberta, Peter and Phyllis, whose comfortable life in a London suburb ends when their father is taken away one evening by two strange men. With their mother they move to a cottage called Three Chimneys in the countryside, close to a railway line, where she writes stories to keep them. E. Nesbit fills the children’s days with the railway: they wave to an old gentleman on the morning train, befriend the station porter Perks, help a Russian exile and stop a train from running into a landslide. Warm and funny, the book is also about the family’s quiet anxiety over their absent father, and about Bobbie’s growing understanding of the adult world.
Characters
Roberta (Bobbie) — Eldest child
A thoughtful girl who takes on new responsibilities after her family's sudden move to the countryside.
Peter — Middle child
An inventive boy fascinated by engines, sometimes carried into trouble by his enthusiasm.
Phyllis — Youngest child
The outspoken youngest sibling, eager to take part in the children's adventures.
Mother — The children's mother
A writer trying to support her family while shielding the children from the cause of their changed circumstances.
Perks — Railway porter
A good-hearted station worker who becomes the children's friend.
The Old Gentleman — Railway passenger
A regular passenger whose responses to the children's greetings grow into a helpful friendship.
About the author
Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) was an English writer of children’s books, poetry and fiction for adults, born in Kennington, south London. In 1880 she married Hubert Bland, and the two were among the founding members of the socialist Fabian Society in 1884. Writing at first to support her household, she found her real gift in stories for children, beginning with The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899), about the Bastable children. It was followed by Five Children and It (1902), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904), The Railway Children (1906) and The Enchanted Castle (1907). Her children are believable, quarrelsome and funny, and she mixed everyday family life with magic in a way that influenced writers from C. S. Lewis onwards. She spent her last years on the Kent coast, where she died in 1924.