Newbie: Need Help Identifying a Virago...please?

Hello, Everyone...I'm a Virago fan from waaaaaay back when a special offer for a series of obscure women's fiction was offered by Dial Press in "The New York Review of Books." Well, I saved up my money and bought the lot! That was when they were in black covers. That was a long time ago.

I now live in England which is "Virago heaven." LOL

Anyway, a lot of my books are in storage (including those black ones) and so I am writing to see if anyone can identify this book (or am I hallucinating?) There was a book that was written about a very eccentric family whose last name was "Rome". Does anyone recall the title and author of this work?

So glad to have found these boards!

Thank you!

Rome Garden is the protagonist in Told by an Idiot, but Rome is her first name (the family name is Garden). However, the family is eccentric. Perhaps that is the one?

Edited to say: And welcome, MissDuJardin!! We're glad you have found these boards as well!

I'm delighted that Christina was able to answer your question (yet another book to investigate) (I have it!!) and delighted to add my little welcome, MissDJ. I am envious of your black Dial collection and hope that you will get them catalogued here.

Dear Miss Lizzie,

Thank you for responding to my call. I am glad you have a copy of the book. I will have to find another and re-read it. My books are all in storage, but when I get them out, I will catalogue them. I do have some Viragos here that are on my shelves, but the bulk of them are in boxes.

It's interesting how I cut that offer out of the Book Review and carried that for a year before I ordered it. I was just out of graduate school and funds were low. As soon as I was able to afford the set, I purchased it. I wish I could remember what the cost was....I am guessing it was from $70-$100 dollars. I cannot remember how many volumes there were either. But all will be revealed when I am reunited with my library!

Best wishes! And thanks again.....

Welcome to our group MissduJardin - what a fascinating name. We look forward to getting to know you.

Welcome MissduJardin. Whereabouts in the UK are you now?

Another hearty welcome to you, MissDJ!
I hope you will like it here.

Welcome, MissduJardin. Be sure to check out the Virago bios thread Cate/bleuroses does for us. She has posted some fascinating things there.

Welcome, welcome - I've actually read Told by an Idiot but don't remember one word of it. Let us know how it re-reads.

A very warm welcome to you Miss du Jardin - you will enjoy it here!

Welcome, MissduJardin.

Welcome, MissduJardin! I can relate to having books in storage. I recently moved from a house on my own to a much smaller house with my new husband, so for the time being more than half my book collection lies in boxes in the loft. I indexed them all years ago, but that doesn't help when I desperately want to get my hands on something and have no idea which box it's in. I hope you're reunited with your library very soon!

Welcome here. I also read and enjoyed Told By an Idiot and other novels by Rose Macaulay years ago but can't remember them well, and would love to reread the ones I have (9 novels but only this one in VMC. I've just been reading a biography of her by Sarah LeFanu (published by Virago), which I meant to buy but it's gone out of print and costs silly money secondhand on Amazon.