- Who is it for?
- Ages 10–14
- How long is it?
- 29 min
- What does it include?
- Synced read-along and a quiz
- What does it cost?
- Premium access in Emma's Library
About this audiobook
When their father is suddenly and mysteriously taken away from their comfortable London home, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis move with their impoverished mother to 'Three Chimneys,' a cottage near a railway line in the Yorkshire countryside. To cope with their new poverty and Mother's exhausting writing work, the children find solace in the railway, befriending the station porter, Albert Perks, and a kindly Old Gentleman who waves from the 9:15 train. Through a series of brave deeds—including alerting a train to a landslide using red petticoats, rescuing a baby from a canal boat fire, and aiding a fractured-legged boy in a railway tunnel—they earn the deep respect of their community. They also shelter Mr. Szczepansky, a dissident Russian intellectual fleeing persecution, and enlist the Old Gentleman's help to reunite him with his family. Eventually, Roberta discovers the truth: her father has been falsely imprisoned for treason. She appeals directly to the Old Gentleman, who uses his influence to clear Father's name. The story culminates in a joyful, tearful reunion at the station as Father steps off the train, returning to his family.
Why it's worth a listen
This adaptation captures the warmth, suspense, and emotional depth of E. Nesbit's beloved Edwardian masterpiece. Listeners will follow Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis as they transform a sudden family crisis into a series of courageous acts along the railway lines. It is a timeless story about the power of empathy, resourcefulness, and the quiet strength of family solidarity.
What listeners will learn
Subjects: literature, storytelling, historical imagination.
- character
- setting
- conflict
- choice
- consequence
- theme
- retelling
- railway
- children
- classic
Questions for after listening
- Retell the central conflict in order.
- Name one important choice and what happened because of it.
- How did the setting or tradition shape the story?
A question to keep
How can ordinary people build a community of mutual care when the structures of society fail them?
Chapters
- The Night the World Changed
- The Railway and the Old Gentleman
- Red Petticoats and the Landslide
- Fire, Exile, and the Truth Revealed
- The Dark Tunnel and the Long-Awaited Train
- A Question to Keep
Editorial review
Quality reviewed · 98/100 on . Certificate EL-9A62-1FFC is bound to the exact narrated script.
The review checks factual care, audience fit, teaching quality, structure, tone and source honesty. Read the editorial standards.
Published 2026-07-13 · Updated
