The War Workers by E M Delafield

Set in the Hostel for Voluntary Workers we have the boss lady Vivian - hard working, tireless, dogmatic and by the end of this story you want to wring her neck. You also wonder at the effect that class had on society in Britain which hopefully does not exist today that allowed a woman of this kind to ride rough shod over everyone and anything in her path. It was her way or the highway sort of business and God help anyone who got in her way.

The bunch of workers were a very nice lot of girls - hard worked and overworked. That anyone would have not had the gumption to tell Miss. Vivian where to get off got me mad. After putting in an eight hour day of hard work, she roped them into canteen duty (for a good cause it is true) but the girls were exhausted, cold and ripe for falling ill (which they often did) because they were so weak.

We have Miss. Jones who arrives a little later in the story - a secretary that cannot be faulted but because she is not an adoring sycophant our Miss. Vivian just does not "take" to her. Miss. Jones not only does everything that is assigned to her but she does not fall over Vivian and this is something that Vivian finds hard to swallow.   Surprisingly Vivian is the daughter of the local Lord and Lady and though he is a bit out of touch (senility perhaps) she is a very nice character and one who is so in touch with current happenings and the changes that are taking place in society that it is actually her daughter who is the snob here!

The story of the lives of these girls and of the intertwined world of both Miss. Vivian and the Lord and Lady of the area is descriptively told. The war is always the focus of the story and there is plenty of that around in history, background and society. The entire story is driven by the War. How it effected young women in Britain is fascinating and how it changed them forever is a feature of this story.

Romance in good measure but delicately told, history in abundance and a personal saga of a family in times of change as well as the huge change in British society are some of the best features of this book. 

Returned to Colombo before schedule as the dog is sick and had to be taken to the Vet. No Vet in Rozella so a quick run back to Colombo.

Just Jane by Nancy Moser

I am trying (hard!) to do a proper blog post on the IPad so please excuse any errors as this is the first time.

I am at Rozella which is in beautiful tea country in Sri Lanka. It is very serene  acres of hills and totally green. Very quiet. Today not even the sound of a bus in the distance. The only sound is continuous temple music from a Hindu temple in the far distance heralding a festival of some sort. Sri Lanka has an abundance of festivals anyway. All celebrated with much gusto!

The book Just Jane was for me continuously touched with a feeling of both nostalgia as well as sadness.  The story of Jane Austen herself was not an easy one. Jane was different from her siblings and a strong contrast to her only sister Cassandra. Fortunately Cassandra loved Jane understanding that her temperament was so different to other young women of her time and loving her for it. Unfortunately Jane did not get that understanding or acceptance from anyone else though her father certainly tried.

The idea that for a young woman marriage and family was the sole purpose of her existence was paramount at the time and no where more prominent other than in Jane's circles. Jane felt herself in love but that was not to be. A more advantageous match was made for him and Jane felt it very sadly. For the future, Jane looked at any future partner more judiciously - looking at the social norms of society other than her personal feelings. However here too her natural sensitivity took precedence and she released her future husband from his proposal feeling that it was "not right" to marry him under a false prevention of love. This letting go of an advantageous match was met with exclamations of horror on the part of the small community which surrounded Jane. Apart from the advantages of a rich husband, Jane was accused of being wicked, selfish and nonsensical. This more than brought out how much importance was put on marriage as the very purpose of a woman's existence.

That Jane eventually was successful with her trade and gained some recognition during her lifetime was for me some consolation. I disliked the overwhelming feeling of frustration and anger I had just reading how Jane had to face family and friends with a pleasant face and attitude, despite in my case seething inside with the unfairness of it all.

That a book got me so riled, so thinking of what could have, should have makes me think this was a very good book. Not just for lovers of Jane Austen but for anyone.

An Amazon free download. Glad I found another author whom I like for mystery/murder genre. The style of writing is for me a bit abrupt but I guess I have to get used to that. It maybe another style of writing!

A reporter finds out that his professor has committed suicide. He is not assigned to report on the case but he is distressed as he felt that this man would be the last person to commit suicide. Talking to the daughter it affirms his belief because she feels that her father was murdered.  Trying to get some information on the case, Hyder finds that he is very firmly told to lay off the case and go investigate and report on something else or else!  When obstacles are thrown in his way as well as getting dismissed for no real reason, Hyder knows that he is onto something.

That it involves a bigger scenario than what he can handle and knowing that his adversaries are using the fact that he is a Muslim American to their advantage by bringing in a terrorist angle is frustrating and difficult. Add to the story a drunk detective  who is trying to come back to the land of the living after being drunk for months and another detective boss who knows his worth and is trying to keep his job open for him despite orders from everywhere to get rid of him.

An easy read with a well developed story and nice characters.

Mailbox Monday/It's Monday! What are you reading?

My mailbox is now limitless - with access to Open Library  my selection is now wide open!!!

The books I have downloaded for this week are :

After Diary of a Provincial Lady looking forward to this one.

A bit rambling but I like the tone.

A novel on Jane Austen herself. 

Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

I am reading a Susanna Kearsley  - Undertow which is totally different to her other books. I expected romance and time travel and a good dose of history. Nothing like that. Very contemporary but a nice change.

Sarah Morris Remembers by D E Stevenson

This though set in turbulent times - the 1920s and 1930s - is a gentle read. With uncertainty all around, sudden death quite possible, the restrictions of wartime Britain, still this was a very relaxing, soothing book.

The character of Sarah herself lends to this feeling. It is like a port in a storm how one person could imbue a sense of calm to all. The Morris family is a happy one. With the sudden death of Mrs. Morris things take an uncertain turn. Sarah takes on the role of Mother with no questions asked from anyone including Mr. Morris who takes it for granted. He is certainly a very good man but he is rather insular and thinks that this is the ideal life for Sarah. Lottie the only other girl strikes out on her own from the beginning and the boys with the onset of war are all absorbed into the war.

Life in the little village prior to the war was a peaceful one and during Sarah's school days it was a happy one. Sarah was able to leave school as was her wish and study languages both French and German which was so very useful for her later on. She was also introduced to Charles, one of her brother's friends who also turned out to be the love of her life. With the onset of war and Mr. Morris taking over a parish in London, Sarah moves to London to keep house for him. Charles being an Austrian citizen also has to go back, despite the danger from Hitler to look after some urgent family matters. With his departure Sarah feels bereft but struggles on.  Taking on a job as interpreter for a very large departmental store is the saving of Sarah who enjoys the interaction with people and knowing she is doing something more useful than just cooking and cleaning. 

The story goes on detailing how the life and future of the entire Morris family unfolds with a special emphasis on Sarah. You are throughout the book hoping that things are going to end well for her particularly. Sarah has sacrificed much for her family especially after her mother's death but with no recriminations and you feel that justice will not be done unless there is a happy ending for her. Thankfully this was so.

I enjoyed this book from Open Library. Stevenson, Delafield, Thirkell are not authors I will ever get a chance of reading otherwise!

The Blue Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown

Set in Cadillac Texas this was the perfect antidote to the genteel, slightly formal reads I have been indulging in of late!

Four women, two of them related all of them good friends and looking out for each other. All slightly quirky but wonderful people.  Aunt Agnes old, eccentric and dangerous declares war on Violet Prescott. The war has been declared forty years ago and neither time nor age has diminished or mellowed either of them. The younger four just want to keep the peace!

Covering the jubilee celebrations of this small town is the climax of the story. How small town relationships evolve, how everyone knows everyone else's business almost before it happens (I can't believe this happening in America but I think I now have to!), the warm heartedness of people and that friendship amongst women is one of the nicest things there is around is the story of the book.

Covering a cheating cop married to one of our women and now playing around with her and another, the mild Cathy being over ridden by the politically ambitious Violet and her ineffective son and his agent, the club which seeks to keep Agnes out at any cost for reasons going back decades, the how and why of an underground railroad for abused women and how a former brothel owner has turned preacher with her own church and planning of weddings which go really over the top are part of the fun of this book.

The book was hilarious and funny. It was seriously chick lit for me when I needed it most!

The Head of the House of Coombe by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This is the only image I could find anywhere for this book and I did so wish I could have found a prettier one. The book which is very sad in parts is also a happy, uplifting one and this cover is morose!

Written in 1922 it is historically very descriptive, romantic, a family story as well. How well it combines three disparate genres so well is the cleverness of this author.

Robin is a baby in this story and our chief character but her mother Feather is a major part of the story. Today Feather would be accused of child abuse and punished accordingly. Although not criticized in the story, it is a matter of fact statement of events and how she treats this only child of hers. I only hope it was not the pattern for mothers of this era. Other than giving birth to the child she felt so detached from her, that it was almost alien to Feather to even look upon the child. Robin's father's very early demise and the arrival of the man known as Head of the House of Coombe was a godsend for young Robin and her salvation. What would have been Robin's plight if not for this man could not even be imagined.

We follow Robin from the time of her birth, through her babyhood and childhood to growing up to be a well balanced young lady. We follow the same path of her mother Feather from being a young widow without a thought in her head other than her own survival, to being a dependent and still continuing to be the same. A vacuous, vicious young woman. 

Very informative about the period pre WWI also a social commentary of the times (like the upstair downstairs workings which was fascinating) this was a find from Open Library.

For someone without access to books (freely) I am doing very well with Open Library.  All the genres I like are available and though you do have a waiting list for some of the books the choice is so varied that you can always find a book you want.