More than a hundred years old now, The Railway Children is a delightful children’s book by Edith Nesbit. Originally serialised in ‘The London Magazine’ during 195, it was first published in book form in 196.
The story focuses on the lives of three young children, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis, who have to say goodbye to their comfortable, middle-class lives to move to a small cottage in the country with their mother when their father has to leave rather unexpectedly.
Life is very different from the hustle bustle of London, and the children fall in love with the railway and the amazing things it has to offer. They make friends with the porter and the station master to learn new and exciting things. This magical tale deals with the subject of an absent parent in a sensitive manner and teaches us to accept the challenges of adapting to changing circumstances in life. Little wonder that The Railway Children remains a bestseller even today and has been adapted for the screen many times, of which the 197 film version is the most famous.