reviewed on a recorded bookshow by Ro Bennett aired 28 Feb 2013.
London 1945. The war is grinding to a halt and the
city begins to embrace the hordes who gather to hear the political speeches of
the day. And in the tightly knit world of a Kensington hostel a bevy of well
bred girls of slender means and intriguing morals are leading lives of ritual
femininity, plotting amongst themselves for the suitors who call to confer
favours of clothing coupons, meals and more - until the interlude of innocence
is destroyed by the tragedy and horror of the times.
I
enjoyed the book. It was clever and beautifully written, gently humorous and it
particularly interested me because it described London in 1945. I was born in
1945 in Queen Charlotte’s hospital and we lived near St John’s Wood, not that
far from Kensington.
The
story is based in the May of Teck, which is a boarding house for genteel, hard
up, single girls although a few middle aged spinsters also still live there. The
girls are all working as clerks or secretaries and living on rations, clothing
coupons and hand outs from admiring men.
One
such is Nicholas Farringdon, a would-be poet, who we know at the start of the
story is going to die.
The
plot revolves around Farringdon's interaction with three of the girls, Jane
Wright who works for the publishing house that Nicholas hopes will take up his
poems, Selina Redwood who is the most beautiful and manipulative of the girls,
and Joanna Childe the daughter of a church minister who teaches elocution
through poetry and psalms.
It’s a short book, but a lot is packed into it. The
characters are well defined, I really felt I got to know them. The story ambles
along in a genteel manner and then suddenly - Bang! I wasn’t expecting the
sudden turn of events. For me it was a good read and I would recommend
it.
Muriel Spark also wrote The Prime of Miss Jean
Brodie
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