In-tray

     Here's what's in my in-tray this week, and it's a lot more fun than the piles of paper facing many people on a Monday morning (although I do have some of those to deal with as well !).

    

     This is the new edition of Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes. I've spoken here before of my high regard for Mollie P-D, and these short stories were the first of her work I read. She writes here about the effects of war on the domestic level, the personal, the individual, and she shows how the war could expose attitudes, problems and situations which peacetime allowed to remain hidden or ignored. She works on a small scale and therein lies her strength: she is very fine indeed and if you haven't already discovered her I'd urge you to give her a try.

    

     Winning the prize for longest title of the week is Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance by Lloyd Jones. I enjoyed his Mister Pip last year, and I like the sound of this one in which, according to the New Zealand Herald, "Jones has solved something that's notoriously difficult: how to write about music so that the words themselves express its character".

    

Next a novel by Masha Hamilton, The Camel Bookmobile tells the story of a nomadic settlement in the Kenyan desert which is visited fortnightly by a mobile library. The camels' panniers are filled with a varied collection of books from Tom Sawyer to Dr. Seuss, Homer to cookery books. "The only condition of the Camel Bookmobile is that every book must be returned each week or else the visits will cease. Then one day a book is stolen..."

Lastly (and unidentifiable at the bottom of the pile there) comes the plain white proof copy of Patrick Bishop's A Good War. This first novel by a well-known journalist and expert on the RAF combines a love story with the heroism and horror of combat in the skies and on the ground during the Second World War.

    I hope your in-tray has something good in it!

Comments

[Danielle]

So far nothing this good in my in-tray, but the day's early over here, so I'll be optimistic. I plan on ordering that MPD book of stories--I'm just trying to decide what else to get from Persephone. I'm reading her first novel, The Shoreless Sea and enjoying it greatly. It's very different than One Fine Day, but it was written in 1924 when she was only 17. The Bishop book sounds really good as well. I'll have to write it down and keep an eye out for it.

[BooksPlease]

Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes is in my in-box too! I bought it yesterday - such a beautiful cover and I love "One Fine Day"!

[rosie]

I'm reading Good Evening, Mrs Craven at the moment and having to be careful about where I do so. She often has me snorting with laughter...

[Ruth]

I wasn't at work on Friday. When I arrived there today i had TWO jiffy envelopes addressed to me c/o work. no prizes for guessing the contents.
I wish you hadn't shown us the new Lloyd Jones book - i might have to get it.

[tara]

I'm very intrigued by The Camel Bookmobile. Will have to see if it's been published here. For some reason, the description reminds me of a children's book called Wild About Books, about a library within a zoo.

[tara]

testing

[adele geras]

Serendipity! I was casting about for a third book to buy from Persephone to make up my trio for £30 or whatever it is, and lo and behold, Molly P-D appears on the blog. She will be the one. And to Danielle, may I recommend anything by Dorothy Whipple, esp the one I've read most recently SOMEONE AT A DISTANCE which is really fine.
Just finished number 8 of Dance to the Music of Time too...completely marvellous! Do tell us of your progress in the Dance, Cornflower!

[Danielle]

Just curious--I ordered the MPD and Dorothy Whipple editions that Persephone just put out...do they include bookmarks as well? I know I won't get one for them as I ordered from The Book Depository (free shipping!), but I was just curious.