More from The Closed Door and Other Stories...

Try as I might, there is absolutely no choosing a clear favourite amongst this collection of short stories.  The Closed Door and Other Stories by the sublime Dorothy Whipple exceeded all my expectations and I highly recommend it! 

Picking up where I left off...

Family Crisis - Mr Parker prides himself on being respected and over the course of time becomes an unbearable snob.  No expense is spared in elevating his son, Alec, to a position in a law firm.  His daughter, Margaret, is frustratingly kept at home to hone her domestic skills and cater to her lazy mother.  When an event shocks this family to their very core, Mr Parker comes to realize that those he has held in the highest esteem were not perhaps the ones who deserved his attention most.

After Tea - This story had me cheering at the end!  In an all too familiar scene, Christine, shares the bulk of the domestic duties with the maid.  In fact, the maid is better off as she is paid and allowed time off.  Christine is desperate to attend free lectures at the university but her parents put her off.  When some information comes to light, Christine finds the strength to make a stand and it is sheer triumph!

Wednesday - This was the most heartbreaking story in the collection.  Mrs Bulford, caught in a messy divorce, is now reduced to waiting at the gate to see her children.  Her former husband has a new wife and in anguish but understanding she hears her younger children refer to this woman as 'Mumsie'.  Catherine, at thirteen, quietly turns away from her mother's attempts at affection, old enough to know what has gone on.  I just may need a tissue if I go on any longer!

Summer Holiday - Rose was the nicest nurse-maid the family had ever had.  In fact, she was treated almost as one of the family.  There are twins, Roger and Charles, but it is Ellie and her big sister who never seem to leave Rose alone for a moment.  They adore her beau, Frank, and love to sit near him when he comes for visits.  The family takes a vacation at the seaside where they stay at Mrs Simpson's rooming house.  Another resident, a flashy Mr Salter, quickly takes a shine to Rose but the young sisters are ill at ease around him.  This holiday won't soon be forgotten but not because of the sun, surf and ice cream!

Saturday Afternoon - Mrs Thorpe and daughter, Muriel, love Saturday afternoons when Mr Thorpe leaves the house to attend his club or do goodness knows what else.  They settle in the garden, eat chocolates and knit or read.  But one afternoon there is a knock on the door and it is a policeman asking for Mr Thorpe.  Saturday afternoons may never be the same again!

Cover - Harry Smith married his sweetheart, Meg Saunders.  Nothing unusual in that but considering what Meg got up to while Harry was away fighting in the war...well, that takes a certain fellow.  A chance to leave the village and escape gossip is a most welcome opportunity but despite new beginnings and a new friendship the ending is a poignant one.

This collection was the perfect companion for Persephone Reading Weekend.  Each story was fascinating and will no doubt be pulled off of my shelf again and again.  I was swept back to another era and marvelled at how I could so enjoy stories where young women are kept at home to cook and clean while their spirits long to soar.  Such is the skill with which Dorothy Whipple tells a story I suppose. 

I had to work on Saturday and today I am losing the fight against a head cold but Persephone Reading Weekend has definitely made this weekend sparkle for me.  Thanks to everyone who participated for your entertaining and thought-provoking posts and most of all to Verity and Claire for their efforts in hosting this event yet again! 

Hosted by Verity and Claire

Four from The Closed Door...

Oh, this is a delightful collection for any admirer of Dorothy Whipple!

The Closed Door - You would think that after ten years of marriage, Ernest and Alice would be over the moon to finally become parents.  But poor Stella is merely a hindrance to the family routine and a drain on their more than adequate budget.  Any small rays of happiness are dashed by her mean parents and Stella comes to the brink of a physical and mental breakdown.  Will she ever recover enough spirit to become a vital woman with confidence and self-esteem?

The Rose - Elsie Smith is Joe's second wife and finding fault with almost everything he does is a pastime of hers.  She even gestures from the front window for him to correct his posture as he goes off to work.  One day, Elsie is convinced Joe is up to something behind her back and she's going to catch him at it!  Which one is in for a surprise?

Youth - Cue some Big Band music for this evocative story about eighteen year-old Anne, and her aunt, Miss Morley.  Not one to engage in much frivolity, the spinster takes her niece on an outing to London.  Her displeasure at Anne's insistence on visiting a dance hall is clearly evident but what can happen during a bit of music in the afternoon?  The repressed Anne meets the gaze of Pilot-Officer, Geoffrey Lawton and she flushes with excitement.  Hmmm...spinter aunt versus handsome officer.  Anne has a dilemma on her hands, or does she?

The Handbag - Mrs West is married to an extremely busy Councillor.  William used to take his wife along on his trips away and to various functions but lately she has been left behind.  She feels every bit of her forty-eight years, in fact, she's looking even older than her husband these days.  Not at all glamorous like the widowed Mrs Wintersley who works closely with her husband.  One day a package arrives at the house.  Inside is a handbag accompanied by a letter which Mrs West reads while sinking onto her bed. 

I bet you are dying to know what it says aren't you!  If you have a copy of The Closed Door and Other Stories languishing on your shelf you are probably already halfway to the bookcase to find out! 

There are six more stories for me to read but I'm on the desk Saturday morning at the library.  So watch this space for more snippets and enjoy the rest of Persephone Reading Weekend!

Hosted by Claire and Verity

A Virago Epilogue

Hands up if you thought yesterday's post was my last one for Virago Reading Week.  The sun is shining today which is something to grab on to and squeeze every last ray out of so R suggested a leisurely drive.  You know, take in the scenery of every dirty salt-covered vehicle whizzing by on the highway.  It was worth it though as our destination was Nostalgia Books in Port Credit.

The gentleman who owns the shop is a lovely man and even though I haven't been there for quite awhile he remembered me.  Well, I am an incessant talker and hard to forget.  Anyway...look what I found!  The fabulous reviews this week have had me really intrigued, such as when Thomas wrote about, All Passion Spent, by Vita Sackville-West.  Then Book Group of One wrote about my latest author crush, Elizabeth Taylor, and her book, Palladian, which I knew nothing about but was very interested in.  The back cover of William by E.H. Young tempted me with this line...'novels of provincial life in which her precise and truthful portrayals of relationships and social conventions are enhanced by a subtle humour.'  Yes please!

Wishing David well, I was backing out of the shop when what to my wandering eye should appear but another Elizabeth Taylor!  "You horrible man!" I said as he laughed.  How could he let me pay for three Viragos and not tell me about another one only an arm's length away?  The movie Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont was lovely and I can only imagine the book will be even more so.

And there you have it, this is well and truly my last post of this reading challenge but as for the conversation, long may it continue.  Thank you to Carolyn and Rachel for bringing everyone together and thank you to everyone who provided a fun-filled education for me this past week!

It's Not Over Yet!

There is nothing like a week of Virago show-and-tell to stir up the urge for a good rummage around a second-hand bookshop.  Not wanting to venture very far due to some light snowfall I stopped in at a shop not too far away...it is usually quite a tip.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it under new management and very neat and tidy, meaning there was a path to walk through and no books teetering high up on shelves.

I found a copy of Monica Dickens, One Pair of Hands, which is brilliant and a VMC that is new to me.  Has anyone read The Loved and Envied or anything else by Enid Bagnold?