2019 Reprint of 1911 Illustrated Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. The close-knit Carey family is devastated by their father's death of typhoid fever, but with inexhaustible optimism and courage the group manages to continue to enriche not only its own life but also that of the community. The book tells the story of a poor but happy family of four children who, in spite of being fatherless, make the lives of others better. Their home life becomes complicated when Julia, a snobbish cousin, comes to live with them. The Carey children suffer many disappointments (Gilbert must forgo college, for example), but Julia is transformed when she realizes happiness has little to do with wealth.