Persephone Books discussion

Just wanted to say hello because I just joined. I love Persephone books. I will try to follow along with the group reads - I have read the Sack of Bath (loved it, it's a good example of Persephone doing something a little different!) so next month I will try to order and read the London Child book that you are reading this month.

Hi, Rosemary. Glad to hear a rave for the Sack of Bath. I love the endpapers, but wasn't sure if I'd like the book :>)

It probably helps if you know Bath a little bit...I see you are in the USA so maybe that is not so likely, but you might have visited? But anyway, there are so many photos, I think you will understand what was happening.

I know Bath through Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer :>) Haven't made it there in person yet, but love Georgian and other historic architecture so am particularly interested in this one. It does seem different from the other Persephones I've read, but I'd like to try more of their nonfiction. Have you read any others you'd particularly recommend?

I thought the Bath book really conveys some universal thoughts about restoration. I am in the U.S. and never traveled to Bath either, but actually the very same kinds of things happened in my region also, so I could relate. The value of the book is that it happened on such a large scale in one place so it is the perfect place to tell the story about what happened in the 1970s in regards preservation. And how lots of us have lost some of our heritage and we and our children are living with that now.

Everyone give it a try if you can. It isn't what we have been reading of the Persephones, but it is a good book.

Susan wrote: "I'd like to try more of their nonfiction. Have you read any others you'd particularly recommend?"

The only other non-fiction Persephone that I've read is Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyll. She wrote a regular column for a newspaper and though there are recipes in them, there are a lot of extra comments too. I really liked it.

I also loved 'Marjory Fleming' which is a fictionalised biography of a child who lived in Scotland at the beginning of the 19th century. But that is historical fiction, though based on a real person and including a few extracts from her letters and journal.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've been intrigued by Marjory Fleming in the catalog but didn't realize it was historical fiction. Now I'm definitely putting it on my list. Maybe I'll take advantage of the January buy 2 get 1 free deal.

SarahC wrote: "I thought the Bath book really conveys some universal thoughts about restoration. I am in the U.S. and never traveled to Bath either, but actually the very same kinds of things happened in my regi..."

Lots of this going on around here too (Washington/Baltimore area). And seeing how past planning decisions are made and carry forward into the present sounds very universal.

Yes, Susan, I agree, the same planning decisions do still go on today. I think some developers still put aside thoughts of what certain areas mean to the community as far as history or cohesion and go with their new plans too quickly. Growing up all during the era of "build it new is building it better," and the Big Box nation as some people now call it, it has made me wary of "new" development. I am actually in my 40's, but I have also lived long enough to see some of that "new development" of a few decades ago fall into disuse because for reasons, bigger was not better. So it really seems like such a waste that older buildings and communities were cleared away for such things. It makes me skeptical really.

I guess I should save some of my thoughts for the actual discussion! haha

Welcome to the group, Rosemary! Susan-- last year we read A Woman's Place about British women's history, and I thought it was fascinating!

I had to go to London for a meeting yesterday and went a little early so I could visit the Persephone shop. It was such a treat! It is in a lovely little corner of the city between Holborn and Russell Square stations, where they still have traditional shop fronts one house wide. The kind of area where I think "ooh, I could live here" and that's rare for me in London! They have all the books set out around the shop and it's so calm and peaceful and the staff are just lovely. Definitely worth visiting!

Jealous!! :) I hope to get there someday!

Me, too! Did you get any books while you were there, Rosemary?

Do you need to ask LOL

I was very restrained and only bought three :)
Every Eye, Good Things in England, Minnie's Room

I admire your will power :)

But now they have sent an email with a Jubilee offer of a free book so I have to buy more!