Family History by Vita Sackville-West

Family history recounts the ill-fated relationship of Evelyn Jarrold and Miles Vane-Merrick. Evelyn is widowed and has a teenage son. She keeps in close contact with her in-laws, the Jarrolds, who are a family of society and appearances. She feels welcomed among them and clings to their company and good graces. Miles is a young bachelor making a career for himself in politics. Evelyn’s teenage son Dan, who struggles with the expectations of his family, is smitten by Miles. He gushes to Evelyn:

“I never met anybody so full of ideas. In fact I never met anybody in the least like him. He seems to be everything one is told not to be, and to believe everything one is taught not to believe in, and yet I can’t imagine anybody not being impressed and convinced by him.”

It is important to understand both their backgrounds to understand why their relationship is tragic. Evelyn represents a set of ideals that are quickly being replaces by those of the new generation, of which Miles is a part. She is 15 years older than Miles though she is still young in appearance and fashion.

Separately, but acting as the backdrop for their relationship is a portrait of an England that is in transition. Victorian ideals are being ushered out and the 1930s in. Miles represents radical ideals while Evelyn tries desperately to cling to what is known and comfortable. Evelyn is aware of the forward thinking that Miles represents and she sees the difference between her social circle and thus herself and Miles-sometimes she is impressed and at other times she is irritated.

She was dreadfully bored at Newlands; not only bored but irritated. The irritation was new, and had come upon her since she had known Miles. The total absence of ideas among the younger Jarrolds, their perpetual heavy banter which passed for wit, the limitation of their interests, their intolerance, their narrow-mindedness, all appeared insufferable to her now in contrast with Miles’ alertness and gaiety.

But the pull of what is proper will not allow her to love him as he is and Miles’ ideas will not allow him to love Evelyn as she is. Evelyn refuses to marry Miles yet she exhibits a possessive fussiness. She is dependent upon Miles for her happiness. Miles however, is too busy to be in so deep-he has his book and his close like-minded friends. Evelyn has tradition.

The last few pages are intense. Whether intensely happy or intensely sad, I don’t yet know.

Other passages

She revelled in the lights, and the music, and in the privileged crowd of which she was one. Surely, she thought, the English upper classes (a horrid expression, but she must define them somehow) were the most decorative on earth. They looked as though for generations they had been well-fed, well-warmed, well exercised, and nourished in the conviction that the world could not produce their peers. The standard of looks was amazing; they had the distinction and beauty of thoroughbred animals….What did it matter that their code should strangely enough involve a contempt for the intellectual advantages which might have been theirs? What did it matter that they should immure themselves within the double barricade of class and their nationality? But Ruth had no such thoughts, being herself one of them, or, at any rate, so good an adaptation as to resemble them in almost every particular.

Look at the way he [Miles] marks his books, Mummy! You always told me not to scribble in books, you said it spoilt them. But look here,-he’s left a shoe-horn in this one, to mark the page, and he takes notes at the end. If I did thatt, there might be some chance of my remembering the books I read. Books aren’t meant to be looked at, surely? And what a lot of different things he must be interested in! How does he find the time?

This was my second Sackville-West. Because I enjoyed All Passion Spent so much I figured I’d read another. I don’t think Family History gripped me in the same way as as All Passion Spent but it was a great book and served to take hold of another part of me. I enjoy her writing style and her characters even though she is not always kind to them. They are complex yet seem to be just like anyone you would know.

I don’t own any books by Sackville-West. These two I borrowed from the library and they have no more, well that’s not exactly true, I have requested Some Flowers which appears to be a gardening book with illustrations in watercolor. Worth peeking into and maybe it will help me get ready for spring planting though that is far off. Anyhow, I will have to wait before I read The Edwardians and No Signposts in the Sea.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society follows four exceptional children: Reynie Muldoon, George “Sticky” Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. Each child responds to a peculiar ad in a newspaper: “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” The children are submitted to a battery of outrageous tests. Each test is filled with puzzles, random trivia, and personal questions. Classrooms full of children sign up to take the series of exams. At the end the 4 kids pass the tests and aptly name themselves The Mysterious Benedict Society.

The first half of the story-introducing each child as they completed the battery of tests, Mr. Benedict the leader of the adventure, and the extremely top secret and mysterious mission was much more captivating than the second half of the story. As part of their mission, the newly formed team enrolls in the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (L.I.V.E.) as undercover agents. Once the children set out on the mission to thwart what appear to be sketchy happenings at the school, the excitement seemed to die off. There were not as many riddles and puzzles to solve as I thought there’d be and I sometimes felt that I had to clunk through parts of the story. Even so, I enjoyed it and there were plenty of life lessons and morals to learn. The theme of friends, family, and being wanted extended throughout as the group of kids not only share the fact that they are smart but are orphans as well. Reynie is the reluctant leader who easily figures out puzzles, Kate is an athletic, practical, straightforward extrovert, Sticky is a shy genius of sorts who can memorize anything at one glance, and Constance is stubborn and whiny. The children learned that people have different strengths and when combined can create a powerful force.

Stewart’s writing style was great for both kids and adults alike. I’ve read comparisons to Dahl, but I don’t think I would go that far. This is just the book I would have enjoyed as a kid. One of the reasons I loved Dahl’s books is that the kids were clever and could always outwit an adult. This is also true of the Mysterious Benedict Society and that always tickled the young me.

The adventures continue for the Mysterious Benedict Society in:

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma

Teaser Tuesdays

From your current read, share a few spoiler-free sentences to tempt others.

Irritated though she had been by his first detachment, Evelyn could appreciate the swoop of contrast. Exasperated she might be, but never bored, never secure. This richness and danger between them satisfied all her needs. She was more afraid of losing Miles than of coming to an end of his resources, but the possibility of losing him only added to his value. She prayed that she might manage him coolly; she had had experience of men; the only experiences she had not had was of her own heart whose intemperance might betray her.

-Family History by Vita Sackville-West

Influential Books

Brigindo tagged me months ago for this meme on Facebook, but doing my 15 here will be just as good.

Rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. List 15 books you’ve read that will always stick with you. They should be the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

In no particular order
1. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
3. Kindred by Octavia Butler
4. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
5. The Darkest Child by Delores Philips
6. M.C. Higgins the Great by Virginia Hamilton
7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest Gaines
9. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
10. Matilda by Roald Dahl
11. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
12. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
13. Song Yet Sung by James McBride
14. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
15. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
16. Jane Erye by Charlotte Bronte
17. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
18. Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume

You really expected me to stop at 15?

Not much gardening going on…

I haven’t had to do much out on the balcony lately besides water, remove dead leaves, and rotate. I did have to gently persuade a few wasps from making one of my hanging baskets their home. I don’t think they would be as cute as these garden pests. Fall is here and the weather is much cooler. When cold weather arrives I have to move all the balcony plants indoors. They don’t seem to enjoy that much and I have to find space for them inside.

Even though I’m not out amongst the containers as often, I’ve found a way to read stories about those who are. Green Prints is published quarterly by a family owned business here in NC. Stories and artwork are submitted by folks around the Nation but this isn’t a how-to magazine. It is filled with gardening stories, reminisces, and funny lessons. I’ve only read a few but I’m liking them and the cover art is lovely (see a few examples I swiped from the site below).

Paul and his wife collect antique postcards. One in particular has a penny stamp affixed and was sent from West Union, Ohio in 1910. The ship to address has only a name and the message reads: “Why don’t you come down? Have been looking for you so long. Persimmons are ripe so you see our long ugly winter is coming. Love to all. Affectionately yours, Agnes.”

If I squint and turn my head to the side I vaguely remember hearing the name Persimmon. I know it’s edible. Beyond that I am at a loss. Paul reflects on the idea that the flora surrounding us has become unknown to us in our days filled with technology and emails (and blogs no doubt). He says that people “seem more on the land than of it.” How many of us know the environment well enough to know that when persimmons are ripe winter is coming? Or that lemons don’t turn yellow until late fall. He relates this to having a sort of veil up between ourselves and nature. After reading the postcard Paul set out some Persimmon trees.

After reading Paul’s story I have a blanket and am enjoying my small bit of nature on the balcony.

Amours de Voyage by Arthur Hugh Clough

Through a series of letters Amours de Voyage follows Claude and Mary Trevellyn, traveling separately through what is today Italy. In 1849 during political unrest there is war, gunfire, and murder-Rome is falling. The letters sent by Claude and Mary are written in verse and they are the readers’ peek into not only the hearts and minds of 2 individuals at this time but also a peek into history. Claude writes to his friend Eustace and Mary to Miss Roper. We only see the letters of Claude and Mary but can guess their correspondents’ reply. The poem is arranged in five cantos.

Claude is traveling to view the sights, artifacts and relics of Rome. He is, however, displeased with his journey and appears to be rather snobbish and unlikeable. Mary Trevellyn and her companions alternatively are having a grand time and are impressed by the sights of Rome.

This is also a story about an attempt at love. It is not a love story because Claude fails. He over thinks his feelings and by the time that he realizes he is in love, he has lost his chance to rendezvous with Mary in Rome. As Rome falls and Claude realizes his predicament, he reflects:

Rome is fallen, I hear, the gallant Medici taken,
Noble manara slain, and Garibaldi has lost il Moro;-
Rome is fallen; and fallen, or falling, heroical Venice.
I, meanwhile, for the loss of a single small chit of a girl,
sit
Moping and mourning here,-for her, and myself much
smaller.

I found it difficult sometimes to fully appreciate the poem. There were many references to historical elements to which I am unfamiliar. I suppose I could have stopped to investigate them all but that would have taken up lots of reading time. Even so, through Claude’s letters, the reader is able to glean a thoughtful commentary on history, the complexities of love, self-doubt, and one man’s (or every man’s) place in history.

Finally caught Ms. Pettigrew on the big screen…well DVD

I recently watched the movie version of Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day . I read it a few months ago and loved it. I recently re-subscribed to Netflix and Ms. Pettigrew was the first that I sat down to watch. The movie was charming and more upbeat than I expected. Released in 2008, Francis McDormand plays Ms. Pettigrew who actually steals her new assignment as a social secretary from the agency and Amy Adams plays Delysia LaFosse who is a singer and actress with one too many boyfriends. Many details were changed from Winifred Watson’s book and surprisingly I didn’t mind that much. I’m usually a stickler for picking out changed details in a book to movie adaptation. Ms. Pettigrew’s day progresses at break-neck speed as she keeps up with Delysia’s endless engagements. Who can’t love a 1930s era soundtrack and high society glitz and glamor. Apparently no one. Not even an air raid could stop the party.

For Colored Girls Who have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange

This slim volume is set for stage performance and is described as a choreopoem. Originally written and performed on Broadway in the 1970s, these poems ring true even today. They are about women, love, family, abuse, relationships, identity, and friendship among women. Most would say that these poems are only about the African-American experience and are thus only meaningful to African-American women, but I would challenge that notion in that women in society have common issues and goals no matter their background.

Shange has a gift in that she is able to transport the reader along as the women in the play feel and experience the retelling of their stories and the stories of the other women. Some stories are told in groups. Others focus on the story of one woman. The women are each dressed in a different color and are identified as such (Lady in Yellow, Lady in Red)- of the rainbow perhaps. In the end they have each other even after all that they’ve been through, even after the pain of telling their stories these women continue to support one another. We see that the rainbow is enough, it is a celebration of friendship and support among women.

A particularly inspiring poem is about a young girl (the young lady in brown) who finds Toussaint L’Ouverture after months of reading about Pippi Longstocking, Christopher Robin and other “pioneer girls & magic rabbits & big city white boys” in the children’s room. She steals into the adult room and finds this Haitian hero who inspires her and provides an outlet.

Teaser Tuesdays

From your current read, share a few spoiler-free sentences to tempt others.

Jackson rolled his icy blue eyes. “This is your first day, so I don’t expect you to know much, Reynard. But this is one of the rules of life you’ll learn at the Institute. Many things that sound like rules aren’t actually rules, and it always sounds as if there are more rules than there really are.”
-The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

Hannah is tired of the holidays. Her family talks constantly about the past and Hannah finds the Jewish celebrations and listening to her relative’s Holocaust survival stories boring. She would rather be anywhere than around the table at this year’s Passover celebration. Interestingly enough, when Hannah is asked to open the door in a ritual welcoming the prophet Elijah she is transported to Poland. The year is 1942. Hannah does not recognize anyone but they recognize her, they call her Chaya and they tell her that she has recently lost her parents and been very ill. She attempts to tell them where she is from but they laugh and blame her confusions on the trauma of her sickness and the loss of her parents. A few days later on the way to a wedding, the family is met by a group of soldiers exclaiming that Jews are to be relocated. Although Hannah was bored at each retelling she remembered the stories told by her elders and her history lessons and she knows what will happen if her family goes with the soldiers. The story follows Chaya/Hannah and her family through the horrors of a concentration camp.

The main idea of the story is the importance of remembrance and of family links. Before being transported into the past, Hannah’s family members constantly talk about the importance of remembering the past and family history. Throughout her time at the concentration camp Hannah is plagued by mild sensations that she knows someone or something, but can’t exactly remember what. The things that she knew in present day are at first sharp but over time they become cloudy. To remember the past so that the future can be brighter seemed to be one of the heroisms of the story. There was no one to save the day or orchestrate a mass uprising, but heroes were made in small acts-“organizing” fresh water or a scrap of bread for a friend, providing moral support, and spreading the will to live through encouraging stories.

Jane Yolen is a wonderful storyteller. This is the first of her books that I’ve read and although it is written for young readers, it is still enjoyable for adults. The characters in the book often offered interesting quips that at times reminded me of my family members. I’ve included some of them below:

A kick in the face and a hand in the pocket
The snake smiles but it shows no teeth
Better the fox to guard the hens and the wolves to guard the sheep
How long is eternity?
All children are from the future. I am from the past. And the past tells us what we must do in the future. That is why adults do the teaching and children the learning.
It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than persmission