RANDOM JOTTINGS

Stella Gibbons most famous book is Cold Comfort Farm which I had no desire to read at all and only did so after being urged to by fellow bloggers. So I read it, thought it was very good indeed but did not enjoy it at all and disliked nearly all the characters in it.   And then I more or less abandoned this author and never thought of reading any more written by her.   This was easy to do as most of the titles seemed to be unobtainable and/or out of print.

A few years ago I read Nightingale Wood which was reissued by Virago and enjoyed, but again, not bowled over.   But now along comes Dean Street Press and as I am a huge fan of theirs and love their list, I thought I would try Stella again and read The Woods in Winter.

And how glad I am that I did. I absolutely loved this book.  It is just perfect.

"… for the first time in her life she was living as she had always unknowingly wanted to live; in freedom and soliltude with an animal for a close companion"

Ivy Gower, widowed three times and a rather gypsy looking woman with a talent for drawing animals to her, lives in a dingy room in the city where, to the annoyance of her neighbour below her, she befriends a pigeon who comes to her each day for food.   One day she receives a letter from a solicitor and discovers that she has inherited a cottage in Buckinghamshire in a tiny village of Little Warby. She goes to see Mr Gardner to check that this is really true and the property is hers. Her forthright attitude rather takes him aback:

"…he hoped she would not ask about buses; Greddle had infored him two hours ago that the bus had stopped running.."I must make my way homeward". Ivy too had risen. "That your car outside sir?" she enquired………..My cottage is on your way 'ome…so you could give me a lift"

So Ivy moves in to the dilapidated property with a dog she rescued from being locked up in a hut all day in London, and who becomes devoted to her.  One day she is inspecting the hole in the roof and contemplating tackling the landlord to have it fixed when "something fluttered into the area of brightness and perched there, undulating its head and cooing while studying her with a bright eye  "Come to Ivy then" and at that low call he came sailing straight down to her……………"Well I never, all that way" she muttered'

Despite being told that her landlord Lord Gowerville will not expend money on the cottage she earns his gratitude and devotion by healing his old beloved dog who was in danger of being put down.  She is an object of curiousity by all her new neighbours but goes her own way perfectly self sufficient and happy with her lot until one day a runaway 12 year old boy turns up on her doorstep.

Ivy takes him in and looks after him but is adamant that he must return to his father who she manages to trace. For the first time in her life her defences are breached  and her motherly instincts come to the fore as she takes care of Mike and comes to love him.  The day comes when his father comes to collect him and Mike has to leave. He does not want to go and is angry thinking Ivy does not want him.  She asks him to send her a card and work hard at school

"his lids lifted slowly and the glowing blue eyes, dark with fury and suffering, met her own. "I won't send you a card. Your'e making me go you are. I don't ever want to see you again"

"All right" said Ivy with a smile that was all love. "please yourself"

Then Mike broke away and came racing back…she saw that his face was ugly in the grimaces of crying and when he flung himself against her and her face came down to his, she felt the hot tears"

What I loved about this book is the almost Austen like atmosphere – no similarity in the way it is written – but the feel of a small village and the feelings and day to day small happenings which are described so beautifully.  

I freely admit to having a lump in my throat at the final page and was so regretful that I had finished reading it and was sad that it had come to an end.

Dean Street Press were kind enough to send me a copy of the Woods in WInter (ok I admit I emailed them and shamelessly cadged this title and also The Swiss Summer which I have just started and is already shaping up to be delightful).  I promised them faithfully that I would purchase the other titles by Stella Gibbons which they have just published as I did not wish them to think I was always on the cadge……….

They are on their way.

A simply lovely lovely book. Do read.