Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a classic
American 1903 children's novel by Kate
Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of
Rebecca Rowena Randall and her two stern
aunts in the fictional village of
Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's joy for life
inspires her aunts, but she faces many
trials in her young life, gaining wisdom
and understanding. Wiggin wrote a
sequel, New Chronicles of Rebecca. Eric
Wiggin, a great nephew of the author,
wrote updated versions of several
Rebecca books, including a concluding
story. The story was adapted for the
theatrical stage, and was filmed three
times, once with Shirley Temple in the
title role.
Synopsis 
The story Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
opens with Rebecca's journey to
Riverboro, to live with her two aunts,
Miranda and Jane Sawyer. Until this
time, she has lived on the family farm.
Rebecca is the second eldest of seven
children. Most of the children have
fanciful names, such as Marquis and
Jenny Lind, influenced by the father's
artistic background. The family is quite
poor, due to the number of children, Mr.
Randall's inability to stick to a job,
and the farm being mortgaged. At the
beginning of the novel, he has been dead
for three years and the family are
barely scraping by. Therefore, Rebecca's
stay with her aunt is both a chance to
improve her opportunities in life and to
make things easier, as there is one less
mouth to feed. Despite her impoverished
background, Rebecca is an imaginative
and charming child, often composing
little poems and songs to express her
feelings or to amuse her younger
brothers and sisters. It is she who
names their farm "Sunnybrook".
Miranda and Jane had wanted Hannah, the
eldest sister, due to her pragmatic
nature and household skills, but as
these skills are also greatly valued by
her mother, Rebecca is sent instead.
Miranda is unimpressed by Rebecca's
imagination and sallow complexion,
saying that she is the image of her
shiftless father, Lorenzo DeMedici
Randall. Miranda determines to do her
duty and train Rebecca to be a proper
young lady, so she will not shame the
Sawyer name. Jane takes on the role of
Rebecca's protector, acting as a buffer
between her niece and her sister, and
teaches Rebecca to sew, cook and be a
proper little housekeeper. In return,
Rebecca's liveliness and curiosity
brighten Jane's life and refresh her
spirit. Although Rebecca strives to win
Miranda's approval, she finds it hard to
live up to the older aunt's high
standards, as she has to fight against
Miranda's view of her as "all Randall
and no Sawyer".
The middle part of the novel is taken up
with describing the life of Riverboro
and the people who live there. Important
characters include Jeremiah Cobb, who is
the first resident to encounter Rebecca
and be charmed by her; Sarah Cobb, his
wife; Rebecca's best friend, Emma Jane
Perkins, and Adam Ladd, a young
businessman, who first meets Rebecca
when she and Emma Jane are selling soap
for charity. Rebecca nicknames him "Mr
Aladdin," because he gave her and Emma
Jane a lamp as a present.
Rebecca proves to be a good student,
especially in English, and goes on to
attend the high school in Wareham.
During the last part of the book, she
matures into a young lady, but still
retains her high spirits and develops
her talent for writing. She applies for
a teaching place at Augusta, but her
mother falls ill and Rebecca has to
return to take care of her and the farm.
While Rebecca is away from Riverboro,
Miranda dies, having willed the Sawyer
house to Rebecca. A railway company will
buy Sunnybrook Farm in order to build on
the land, giving the Randall family
enough to live on. Thanks to Miranda's
will, Rebecca now has enough money to
become an independent woman and help her
brothers and sisters. The novel ends
with her exclaiming, "God bless Aunt
Miranda! God bless the brick house that
was! God bless the brick house that is
to be!"
Adaptations 
= Play =
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm was
dramatized for the theater in 1909.
Wiggin co-wrote the play with Charlotte
Thompson. It was produced for Broadway
by Klaw & Erlanger in 1909. Before
opening on Broadway, it toured Boston
and New England where it was warmly
received.
= Film =
The story was filmed three times.
Shirley Temple played Rebecca in the
more freely interpreted adaptation of
1938.
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Cultural references 
The character of Rebecca has become
emblematic, and is applied derogatorily
to anyone who is unduly relentlessly
optimistic.
Becky Randall appears as a character in
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by
Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill.
In the first season episode of Melrose
Place, "Pas de Trois", Alison complains
how her colleague Amanda views her as
"some kind of Rebecca of Sunnybrook
Farm", as an example of an innocent,
inexperienced young woman.
The Japanese band Rebecca takes its name
from this novel.
In an episode of That's My Mama titled
"Clifton's Dubious Romance," Clifton's
girlfriend has not been honest about her
sordid past and he claims she passed
herself off as Rebecca of Sunnybrook
Farm.
In an episode of The Golden
Girls,"Blanche's Little Girl", Rebecca's
fiance Jeremy was upset because they
were running late getting to the
airport, and she was taking too long to
say good-bye; he enters the house to
say, "Look, I know things run a little
slow here at Sunnybrook Farm, but we do
have a plane to catch", using the
significance of the name, "Rebecca".
In the Nancy Drew computer game "The
Secret of the Old Clock," Nancy must
deliver a telegram to "Miss Jane,"
referring to Rebecca's aunt Jane, at
Sunnybrook Farm. When Nancy drops off
the telegram, a young girl who
introduces herself as Rebecca promises
to give it to Jane.
References 
External links 
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm at Project
Gutenberg
Wiggin, Kate Douglas. Rebecca of
Sunnybrook Farm. Puffin. ISBN
0-14-036759-4.
