Irresistibly charming. There s something of The Wind in the Willows something of The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions something of Swallows and Amazons and something uniquely its own as well A Goodreads review. A cult classic tale of life in the forest a European best-seller never out of print 52 editions in 102 years now for the first time in English. Three women spend each summer in a remote cottage in the last virgin forest of Europe. This summer they are joined by their teenage nephew from the big city. First published in 1920 as a story about three men the book quickly became a classic because of its beautiful style setting humor and its heartwarming story. A literary nation has read it for a century. Kids have read it in school. Grandparents have read it to their children. Then in 2014 a gay scholar caused a brouhaha: The three men were in fact three lesbians! Not that it matters all that much: this isn t really an LGBTQ novel. But knowing that the heroes are really heroines gives the book a special resonance: because it is a story about women choosing to live alone in the forest. Beautifully translated and illustrated to delight you. Come let yourself be delighted. Maria Rodziewiczówna (1866-1944) was among the most successful Polish writers of the 20th century and almost all of her books remain in print today.