Then There Were Five
Then There Were Five is a children's novel written and illustrated by Elizabeth Enright, published by Farrar & Rineheart in 1944. It is the third of four books in the Melendy family series which Enright inaugurated in 1941. Continuing life at the "four-story mistake" country house during World War II, the four children have adventures that include a neighbor boy who finally joins the family. Plot introduction The four Melendy children live with their father, a widowed professor of economics, and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in an old house in the countryside of New York. Their Father has been hired by the government for a secret, World War II-related job, and the children venture into their new neighborhood with the intention of helping their country. They end up making new friends collecting scrap metal, and also brush up against some local scoundrels. The most notable of their new friends is Mark, a boy about Rush's age, who is under the care of his abusive adult cousin Oren Meeker. The Melendy children want to help Mark, but don't know how. Meanwhile, there are adventures to be had: Rush composes his Opus 3, Miranda "Randy" and Mona try their hand at canning,