New Morning Books

Early today a call on the shop phone from an elderly lady (elderly even by my liberal standards) who asks for James Herriott, Jean Plaidy, and Catherine Cookson; all popular writers of merit, none of them pretending to be the new Dostoevsky, but giving the reader an even break; Catherine Cookson came from bleak Tyneside poverty, much of which is reflected in her work, didn't start writing until relatively late in life, but once started, never stopped and wrote close to 100 books; often rags to riches stories many of her readers could identify with or aspire to; Jean Plaidy, woman of many noms-de-plume (she was also Victoria Holt etc) another phenomenally productive author who wrote as JP seemingly innumerable well researched, some would say over-researched, historical novels that like Catherine Cookson, have mostly outlived their readership, but which I nevertheless stock for those who wish to discover or rediscover them; other examples, Alastair Maclean, Neville Shute.
I am able to score a perfect 3 out of 3 and an hour later, a charming Northern Englishwoman of years, frail but sparkling of eye, turns up in a wheelchair, wearing a breathing apparatus and gratified to get the books; her son, she tells me, is turning 50 and asked as a present 3 books that had made an impact on her life.
Every picture tells a story.......

From an old Bible.

Our read-aloud of "War & Peace" begun (I think) in March and scheduled to be completed in October, will not be completed in October.

We are currently on the eve of Borodino; more W&P, more Russia, stretch out before us like the seemingly endless steppes....