A Fortunate Grandchild [and] Time Remembered

This edition combines two short reminiscences by Miss Read of her childhood during the first World War and thereafter. The first, "A Fortunate Grandchild" deals with her warm memories of both her grandmothers. She lived in her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Read's, home in London with her mother and aunts and uncle while her father was serving overseas during the war. Her grandmother and her Aunt Jess loom large in her memory as they were the women in the home at that period, since her mother spent her days running her father's insurance agency while he was away. She also remembers her paternal grandmother, Mrs. Shafe, a jolly woman who lived in the country, where the family holidayed after her father came home.

The second section, "Time show more Remembered", focuses on her life after the family left London and moved to the country for her mother's health and how much she loved living there versus the bustle of London, and adored the quiet pace of her Village school, which figured so heavily in her writing career.

It's a warm and sentimental book, and it's very pleasant to follow Miss Read (Dora Saint) down Memory Lane. Not profound, but light and enjoyable. show less

Early Days by Miss Read is actually two novellas that compomise a memoir of Miss Read’s early life. The first, The Fortunate Grandchild is about her two Grandmothers who had a great deal of influence on her young life. During WW I, her mother, her sister and she lived with Grandmother Read while her father was away due to the war. Her other Grandmother, Mrs. Shafe is remembered due to her lively humor and love of the country During her seventh year when her father returned after the war, the family moved to the country. Time Remembered, the second novella, has it focus firmly on one of the happiest periods of her life, exploring the country and living in a rural village. She adored country life and the impressions made upon her show more enhanced her writing.

As with most of Miss Read’s writing, the book is light, sentimental and enjoyable. show less

Some very interesting detail on English life in late 19th and early 20th centuries.