Summer with Persephone

This past summer of reading was more books than I could keep track of, but the ones that stand out are the Persephone books. Last January when I was visiting my editor in sunny California, I had brought a slow, dark, depressing book that I could barely open. On my editor's shelf was a beautiful book that caught my eye, The Making of a Marchioness, and it was by one of my favorite childhood author's, Frances Hodgeson Burnett ~ ("The Secret Garden").

If you loved "Pride and Prejudice", you will love this book- it sweeps you off your feet with quirky, romantic characters. Curious about the publisher, I visited their website and became obsessed with their mission, their culture, everything about them. I am now an avid collector and reader of Persephone books. Here are some of my favorites from this summer:

The Far Cry ~ A coming of age story with a fabulous passage to India with accurate descriptions of arrival by sea to Bombay, then a harrowing train ride to a tea plantation. I could sense everything about India with this story. The writing was exquisite! Persephone books are beautifully crafted- the size of the book, the endpapers, the quality of the paper- making the reading experience like a delicious feast followed with a rich dessert.

Another favorite was Saplings ~ a very complex story of a family of children who were ushered out of London before the bombs began to fall. It is a heartrending story of how war can nearly destroy a family, not to mention a country.

For laugh out loud, slap-stick reading, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is the perfect book. The Guardian refers to it as a "flight of humor" which describes it exactly- and I just recently finished Mariana, a book filled with the details of daily life in London~ following the growing up of a young girl, whom I did not particularly like, but found myself rooting for her by the end. Interesting to read a book about a character that is not a likable heroine.

I recommend signing up for Persephone's catalogue in the mail~ their newsletter is excellent reading about the joy of books and can be enjoyed over a hot cup of tea.