"Bad things always happen in threes " If a very old person like Grandmama says it, is it not true? This is the very normal, understandable worry eight-year-old Julia has when she has knocked a burning hot iron into her little sister's hand. The first bad thing And surely two more must follow, if Grandmama says so. What will they be? When will they happen? This is an enormous worry, indeed Although this gentle story about a family with three little girls takes place in Russia at the turn of the twentieth century, it has universal appeal, as both family life, and eight-year-old Julia's fears and concerns are all so true and believable. Perhaps this is because they are true, inspired by the real-life experiences of the author's mother.