Henrietta’s House was written in 1942. I’m always amazed that there were so many women writing ‘domestic fiction’ during the war years. I read that the stubborn heroism of the civilian population was a necessary "military weapon" to stand against the demoralisation and capitulation of the British people, especially during the Blitz. Henrietta’s House is a … Continue reading Henrietta’s House by Elizabeth Goudge
Reading & Listening in March
📚 The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye (1978) 📚- this book is set in India during the last decades of the 19th Century while the British ruled. It's an epic 960-page saga of a young man caught between two cultures. Born to British parents, he was left orphaned and brought up by a low caste … Continue reading Reading & Listening in March
Some New Things
If you've been receiving my Charlotte Mason Newsletter you'll know that I've transferred that to Substack. I'll also be sharing any future posts on education, parenting and other related topics there so if you'd like to receive those posts you can subscribe if you click on the link above. This is my latest post which … Continue reading Some New Things
The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry (1990) – The William Monk Series #1
I’ve finished reading the first three books in Anne Perry’s William Monk series which are set in Victorian London. The first book is The Face of a Stranger. William Monk is a police detective and the story begins with him waking up in a hospital. He’d been unconscious after a severe accident where he was … Continue reading The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry (1990) – The William Monk Series #1
A Daughter of the Land by Gene Stratton Porter
A Daughter of the Land was published in 1918. It’s a little different - you might say darker - than some of her other novels and doesn’t seem to be as well-loved as some of her other books. It is less sentimental than Freckles or Girl of the Limberlost, and its protagonist, Kate Bates, isn’t … Continue reading A Daughter of the Land by Gene Stratton Porter
Reading & Listening in January
The Pensive Reader by Mary Cassatt, c. 1894 Reading The Salzburg Connection by Helen MacInness (1968) I read this years ago and enjoyed it & it's just as good second time around. Bill Matheson, a lawyer working for a publishing company in the USA, is sent to Austria about a supposed contract for a photography … Continue reading Reading & Listening in January
Simon the Coldheart by Georgette Heyer (1925)
Georgette Heyer was in her early twenties when Simon the Coldheart was published. She was a severe critic of her own work and this title was one of about five or six that she said she didn’t want to be republished. After Heyer’s death in 1974, her son decided that his mother had judged her … Continue reading Simon the Coldheart by Georgette Heyer (1925)
Reading Plan for 2024
Last year I linked up with Rose City Reader for her TBR 23 in '23 Challenge to read 23 books from your TBR shelves in 2023. I like this idea because it encouraged me to read books I've had for a while. I'm signing up again this year for the TBR 24 in '24. Gilion … Continue reading Reading Plan for 2024
The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman (1962)
The Guns of August was an immediate and overwhelming success when it was published in 1962 and won the Pulitzer Prize for General Fiction in 1963. It opens with the funeral of Edward VII of England in 1910 and gives some background and an entertaining character sketch of the German Emperor (Kaiser) William II, who … Continue reading The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman (1962)
End of Year Bookish Wrap-up
The majority of my reading in 2023 was fiction but the non-fiction books I read required quite a bit of brain. I took most of them slowly, especially the history tomes. The most memorable of these were Seeking God by Esther de Waal - a book that needed lingering over, Mary Queen of Scots by … Continue reading End of Year Bookish Wrap-up
journey & destination 