The Motor Girls; or, The Mystery of the Road

By Margaret Penrose

The first volume of this popular series, published in 1910, opens with Cora Kimball receiving a brand new automobile for her 16th birthday from her mother, a wealthy widow. With maternal approval thus assured, Cora and her friends (twins Bess and Belle) are free to drive around the town, into the countryside, and even to New York without any adult chaperone. They often encounter Cora’s brother Jack and his friends, who are also auto enthusiasts: cars driven by both the girls and the boys end up in ditches, ponds, and hedges, narrowly avoiding hazards such as farm wagons and oncoming trains. Repeatedly, Cora’s deft and skillful driving saves the day.  The series continued until 1917, for a total of 10 volumes. -AJP