Although Wiggin lacked formal training as a novelist, she was an excellent storyteller. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a series of entertaining stories about a young misfit who wants to live up to the expectations of her benefactors without sacrificing her individuality.

The episodic plot is always amusing.

Coincidence plays a role in the resolution of the plot but less so in this work than in most young adult novels of the same era.

The novel's greatest strength is Rebecca, a unique character among the many idealized young characters in early twentieth-century novels. Imaginative, unconventional, and sometimes irresponsible, Rebecca frequently makes mistakes, but her self-confidence and her individuality make her a leader among her peers and a favorite among young readers.

Wiggin shows more interest in developing her themes than in developing her characters, and with the exception of Rebecca, the characters tend to be stereotyped...