The featured Persephone title for May is Doreen (1946) by Barbara Noble. I'm rather obsessed with narratives concerning child evacuees during WWII, and this novel did not disappoint. From Jessica Mann's introduction at the Persephone website: In 1946 the theme of...
Just before Christmas, Steve and I spent some time in Bath, and I was excited to finally visit the shop for Persephone Books. Here's an introduction from the website: Persephone Books reprints neglected fiction and non-fiction, mostly by women writers and mostly...
To round out this year of fiction by early twentieth century English women, I offer a holiday mystery! The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay -- Synopsis from the publisher: Aunt Mildred declared that no good could come of the Melbury family Christmas gatherings...
Continuing with novels written by women in the early 20th century, November's Tea and a Book offers The Lark (1922), a mostly adult novel written by famed children's author, E. Nesbit, who wrote such classics as The Treasure Seekers, The Wouldbegoods, Five Children...
The Uninvited -- originally known in the UK as Uneasy Freehold -- was published in 1942 by Irish author Dorothy Macardle and was adapted to the screen by Dodie Smith in 1944. Go here for my post about the film starring Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey. I'm pleased to say...
(Just under the wire with this August post!) This year my intention was to recommend novels by female authors published in the early 20th century. I veered into mid-century with Dodie Smith and I'm doing it again today with Barbara Pym's Jane and Prudence (1953) and...
Continuing with women's fiction from the early 20th century, today I'm pleased to share Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Making of a Marchioness in a gorgeous paperback edition from Persephone that includes its sequel. The publisher has this to say: "Little Lord...
For June’s “Tea and a Book” I am celebrating the work of Winifred Holtby (1898-1935), an English author who published seven novels, two books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and a critical memoir of Virginia Woolf, all before succumbing to kidney disease...
Continuing with our focus on early 20th century female writers, May’s “Tea and a Book” features two cosy mysteries (yay!) by E.C.R. Lorac (1894-1958). Lorac wrote quite prolifically under three pseudonyms, so check out her impressive catalog on Wikipedia.
April’s “Tea and a Book” continues its focus on the early 20th century by recommending Rachel Ferguson’s THE BRONTES WENT TO WOOLWORTHS. Rachel Ferguson (1892-1957 — not to be confused with last month’s author, RUBY Ferguson) was a journalist, author, biographer,...
For March Tea and a Book I am recommending two titles by English writer Ruby Ferguson (1899-1966). Like the authors previously featured this year, Ferguson published her novels in the middle of the 20th century (active from 1926 to 1965). In addition, she wrote...
For February’s “Tea and a Book” I am recommending THE NEW MOON WITH THE OLD, first published in 1963 by Dodie Smith. Smith began her writing career with plays and soon turned to novels. (Eventually she became a screenwriter, as well.) I CAPTURE THE CASTLE is my...
