After a glorious spring day, when walking home across the fields, it felt as if the bird song was wishing me a good evening. The fire is lit, the wine is poured and am now settling down to write. The heating is off till later this year – a relief and a milestone in the seasons. The dawn chorus in the morning will be full of spring hope and promise – Hurrah.
NON-FICTION
Daffodils: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden by Naomi Slade and Georgianna Lane. These two have done it again in their latest book which turns to the narcissus family, it does not disappoint. Sixty varieties are described and photographed along with advice on growing, planting and cutting. Did you know this diverse plant can be traced back to the ancient civilisation of the Mediterranean, known then for both its medicinal and botanical properties? The species are native to the meadows and woods of Southern Europe and North Africa. By the 16th century they were being grown in the Netherlands commercially. The heralder of Spring, along with the symbol of many organisations. It’s not only William Wordsworth who is beguiled by this cheery flower of many types.
FICTION
James by Percival Everett. I am not always keen on the retelling of a story so well known and loved, even if it’s from another character’s point of view. But this is utterly exceptional. To describe this as a retelling of a well know tale would be wrong, it is a companion. Everett draws you into the tale of Jim the slave who, on hearing he is about to be resold, flees. Young Huckleberry, meanwhile, has faked his own death to escape his violent father. So begins a dangerous journey together along the Mississippi river towards the elusive promise of freedom. Along the way the characters and situations will lead the reader to think deeply. This book does not shy away from the horrors of slavery and the views of the time when Twain was writing. It is done movingly with humour and wit as we see it all through the eyes of Jim, rather than the child Huckleberry. This must become a classic in its own right. It goes without saying that I find myself rereading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. One of the all-time classics which has not been harmed by Everett’s response, rather it has made it more relevant and poignant than ever.
CHILDREN’S
Mouse by the Sea, a Holiday in Nature by Alice Melvin. The third book illustrated and written by Alice. Having met Mouse in the wood and on the river, we again join Mouse on his summer holiday. Every day new adventures and excitements with flaps to be lifted to discover more. The illustrations are beautiful and so detailed as in her other books. Gently leading us the listener and reader into his world and also showing us the natural world. The illustrations may remind many of books of their childhood and a perfect present for those younger friends of ours. With Easter approaching far more of a treat than any egg and will last far longer.
Miffy and the Artists by Dick Bruna. Can it really be so that Miffy is officially 70 years old! In this book she introduces her young audience to artists such as Van Gogh Henri Matisse and Freida Kahlo and their work. A happy celebration of not only Bruna’s work but the iconic artists who not only inspired Miffy’s creator but continues to do so with the next generation of artists. Bruna died aged 89 in 2017 but his work never ages, neither does Miffy despite her age.