Melanie! I have a copy of this... and need to read. As a younger child I read and re-re-read her "Miss Happiness and Miss Flower," which had, in its back pages, plans to build a Japanese home for the titular dolls. The book was magical.
Thank you for this! We'll have coffee yet... I've had a broken foot for the past 5 weeks...
Alison, so sorry about your foot! When you're better, yes, indeed, we must have that coffee. And I remember that story of Rumer's from my own childhood. Wasn't there a nasty doll in it? Or maybe I'm thinking of another of her stories. In any case, re Greengage Summer, I'm hoping the early 1960s movie with Susannah York as Joss, Jane Asher (pre-Paul McCartney) as Cecil and Kenneth More perfect as Eliot, gets re-appreciated and reissued, maybe on TCM.
I have other titles too--all found when I had too many TBR books. You've made me curious, and remember they're still waiting on my shelves. Books are patient like that.
So true! I, too, have books I really want to read that are waiting patiently on shelves. One problem is that I'm addicted to reserving books at the library. I've seriously thought of going six months without the ever-appealing put-on-holds.
Ha--yes. My branch is about 3 blocks away.. it's part of my exercise routine. Especially now with the knee scooter. It's the perfect distance to get back into moving, rolling along.
Ah, I'm quite sure you read something in 6 months!
Scooting around, my goodness! You're making the aftermath of a broken foot sound quite jolly. I hope when you take the bus you climb and descend the steps with extra slowness, the better to annoy other passengers. I've always thought how satisfying that must be. 😊
Thanks for the review. It’s one Rumer Godden I have yet to read. ‘In This House of Brede’ possibly my favourite. Though ‘The Peacock Spring’ very good too.
I remember In This House of Brede! Thanks for the reminder. I liked that a lot. I must reread it. Ditto Peacock Spring.
I suppose my fave RG is Black Narcissus. As with Greengage Summer, it features a charismatic male, "unsuitable" as our mothers and aunts of past generations would have said, whom the protagonist can't help being attracted to.
Oh my goodness, yes, Barbara Pym! I adore her. So funny! There's one novel with a vicar's wife, or wife of some sort of cleric, who hides behind a bush to spy and eavesdrop on a neighbour. Barbara made the small things in life so epic and thus so hilarious! I must find my Barbara omnibus. I remember Jane and Prudence as being especially funny. She lost favour in the 1960s, as I recall, for not being hip and cool enough, but then some critic resurrected her reputation, thank goodness.
And I'll be interested to hear what you think of GS.
Melanie! I have a copy of this... and need to read. As a younger child I read and re-re-read her "Miss Happiness and Miss Flower," which had, in its back pages, plans to build a Japanese home for the titular dolls. The book was magical.
Thank you for this! We'll have coffee yet... I've had a broken foot for the past 5 weeks...
Alison, so sorry about your foot! When you're better, yes, indeed, we must have that coffee. And I remember that story of Rumer's from my own childhood. Wasn't there a nasty doll in it? Or maybe I'm thinking of another of her stories. In any case, re Greengage Summer, I'm hoping the early 1960s movie with Susannah York as Joss, Jane Asher (pre-Paul McCartney) as Cecil and Kenneth More perfect as Eliot, gets re-appreciated and reissued, maybe on TCM.
I don't remember a nasty doll--must be another!
I have other titles too--all found when I had too many TBR books. You've made me curious, and remember they're still waiting on my shelves. Books are patient like that.
So true! I, too, have books I really want to read that are waiting patiently on shelves. One problem is that I'm addicted to reserving books at the library. I've seriously thought of going six months without the ever-appealing put-on-holds.
Ha--yes. My branch is about 3 blocks away.. it's part of my exercise routine. Especially now with the knee scooter. It's the perfect distance to get back into moving, rolling along.
Ah, I'm quite sure you read something in 6 months!
Scooting around, my goodness! You're making the aftermath of a broken foot sound quite jolly. I hope when you take the bus you climb and descend the steps with extra slowness, the better to annoy other passengers. I've always thought how satisfying that must be. 😊
I have yet to be brave enough for bus travel! My son has been good to me, to drive me out to visit my mom, and his grandma.
But if I DO get on a bus, I will do this, and think of you!!!
Thanks for the review. It’s one Rumer Godden I have yet to read. ‘In This House of Brede’ possibly my favourite. Though ‘The Peacock Spring’ very good too.
I remember In This House of Brede! Thanks for the reminder. I liked that a lot. I must reread it. Ditto Peacock Spring.
I suppose my fave RG is Black Narcissus. As with Greengage Summer, it features a charismatic male, "unsuitable" as our mothers and aunts of past generations would have said, whom the protagonist can't help being attracted to.
I must try ‘Greengage Summer’ especially as we recently came back from France. ‘Unsuitable’ oh yes! I like Barbara Pym’s ‘An Unsuitable Attachment’.
Oh my goodness, yes, Barbara Pym! I adore her. So funny! There's one novel with a vicar's wife, or wife of some sort of cleric, who hides behind a bush to spy and eavesdrop on a neighbour. Barbara made the small things in life so epic and thus so hilarious! I must find my Barbara omnibus. I remember Jane and Prudence as being especially funny. She lost favour in the 1960s, as I recall, for not being hip and cool enough, but then some critic resurrected her reputation, thank goodness.
And I'll be interested to hear what you think of GS.
Thanks for this. I now feel i know a little more about this famous name than the next-to-nothing I knew before.
Black Narcissus is another RG I'd highly recommend. "Highly" being a dangerous element of one scene but of course I'll refrain from explaining that.