Contains four stories that tell of the gentle adventures of Grandfather, his granddaughter Little Orchid, and the people of Village of a Hundred Smiles.
Thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor comes of age in 1982 in what is for him the sleepiest village in Worcestershire, experiencing first cigarettes, first kisses, and first deaths.
Draws upon characters and settings from Jane Austen's novel "Emma" to tell the story of gossipy school mistress Mrs. Goddard whose thoughts turn to matchmaking when an eligible young bachelor moves to town and her sister Mrs. Pinkney who is trying to counsel a desperately homesick young girl.
Compares village life with town life in England, from the Middle Ages to the present, describing how technological developments have blurred the differences.
When Thule's village is destroyed and her whole family killed, she is sent to a poor Christian mission orphanage and then to a wealthy white family where she helps to look after a cripple girl. Through all of this she manages to find love and happiness.
Giorgio and his cat Puffino enjoy a day's activities in their village in Italy at the time of the Renaissance. Includes six village scenes with moving parts.
