Thursday, September 20, 2007

The Blue Hills

My latest read was this Elizabeth Goudge book. It was a reread.
I remembered the story a few chapters in and then skimmed
the last part. I just looked it up online and found the original
book , 1942, had a different title : Henrietta's House.
It listed in the Children's books in her bibliography but I
got it in Adult fiction.
It is a wonderful short story that is a sequel to The City of Bells.It takes place in the cathedral town of Torminister, which is Wells, where Elizabeth lived as a child. She was taught at home by a governess who is Miss Lavender in The City of Bells.

IN the story , Henrietta, a young girl, helps an older man in a bookshop pick out a library of children books.

The Water Babies and Alice in Wonderland, Undine and The Pilgrim’s Progress, Jackanapes and Little Women, The Fairchild Family, A Flat Iron for a Farthing, The Back of the North Wind, The Princess and Curdie, Andersen’s Fairy Tales, The Swiss Family Robinson, Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book, Lob Lie-by-the-Fire, Treasure Island and The Cockyolly Bird.

A quote ~~
" He's a sort of a fairy-tale person, you know, and fairy-tale persons can't sit still."


Click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge


Elizabeth Goudge
Elizabeth Goudge
April 24, 1900-1984










2 comments:

podso said...

Nice to see a picture of Elizabeth. To think all that creativity and descriptive writing came from the woman sitting so calmly on that chair.

melissa said...

I'm not knowing this book, but will certainly look out for it. Of all the books I read, the Eliz. Goudge's provide me with more quotes than any others.

She just makes me think.