Cambridge blue

     

    Those who travel frequently say that when you go on holiday you should take half the clothes you think you'll need and twice the money you expect to spend. I'm not sure what the formula is for books - I always imagine I'll have more time than usual in which to read but it works out that I never do.

     However, my week away saw one book finished (and more of that on Saturday), one begun, and a third read straight through. Although I was sitting comfortably in a Swiss chalet, my book took me to a Cambridge college, the fictional St. Radegund's, scene of Rosy Thornton's most excellent novel Hearts and Minds. This was a book to be savoured: intelligently written, neat and cleverly thought out, peopled with well-rounded characters dealing with both personal and professional dilemmas.

     The all-female St. Radegund's breaks with tradition and appoints a male Master, former BBC foreign correspondent and executive James Rycarte, who must follow the redoubtable Dame Emily Froud and take the college forward despite dwindling finances and heavy demands on resources. The strong feminist element within St. Rad's opposes James and his plans and sets out to undermine his leadership, but he finds a staunch ally in Senior Tutor Martha Pearce. Martha's loyalty to the college is tested by her personal problems - a daughter, brilliant but depressed, who has dropped out of school, a husband whose poetry writing comes before his academic and family commitments and an elderly mother whose health is failing. With her college post nearing its statutory conclusion, Martha's professional future is also uncertain.

    Setting the book in such an institution gives it a particularly clear structure, and the personal and political nature of academic life makes for a fascinating contemporary story. It has romance, wit, a keen sense of pertinent issues and is written very engagingly. I loved it and I recommend it highly.

Comments

[Danielle]

This sounds wonderful. I'm so glad I've got a copy of it and can't wait to read it!

[adele geras]

Nothing I like better than a good campus novel. I will put this on my list at once. Nice to have you back, Cornflower. I'll be late to the book group party as I'm away on Sat but expect me on Sunday!

[Fiberjoy]

Ed always sighs in exasperation when he sees me tote my backpack filled with two or three books, journal, spindle and roving. Why, even on a three day outing at least two books are taken, just in case.

[Margaret Powling]

This has already gone on my wish list! And welcome home - we've had snow here, too (well not here in Devon, but in other parts of England.) We only went away for two nights to Combe House Hotel (staying in the cottage - have a look at www.thishotel.com) but I took two books with me!
And whilst we're on about books, might I give a little puff for Sue Moorcroft's latest novel, which has just been published by Robert Hale. It is called FAMILY MATTERS and it comes to you, Cornflower, and all Cornflower readers, highly recommended. I absolutely loved it and stayed in bed on Sunday morning until midday in order to finish it. Now, I've looked on Amazon and it's not there yet, but I've mentioned this to the publicity person at Hale, so I expect to see it on Amazon shortly (I intended to leave a brief review.)
Sue, as some of you will remember, was one of the Transita novelists. Sue (plus Nicola Slade and Pamela Fudge, also former Transita writers) is now with Hale