When frail, silent Maida Westabrook is driven from Marblehead to Boston with her powerful father, Dr. Pierce, and Billy Potter, the adults confront a troubling truth: though surgery has restored her health, nothing has restored her joy. Buffalo Westabrook has already tried every luxury money can buy, but Dr. Pierce insists Maida needs purpose, not possessions. Billy, with his playful imagination, sees what others miss—that the child has been surrounded by prizes, but not by creativity, affection, or real understanding. A glimpse of Charlestown, Dr. Pierce's old home, and the toy-like charm of Primrose Court awakens Maida's curiosity, and a tiny, old-fashioned shop on a Boston street sparks a dream. That dream becomes reality when Buffalo gives her the shop, a hidden life above it with Granny Flynn, and Billy's help. As Maida throws herself into work, Mrs. Murdock offers practical wisdom, the shop is stocked for neighborhood families, and the sign MAIDA'S LITTLE SHOP appears. The warm, eccentric household is deepened by Granny's grief over a lost daughter in Ireland and Billy's vow to find her. But Maida soon faces mockery, mischief, and doubt from other children, forcing her to defend her strange new life. When Rosie helps her understand what young customers want, Maida begins to see that her little shop may become not just a business, but a place of healing, hope, and imaginative abundance. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.