The rainlessness began in May; dry days lengthened into weeks then months. Crops were brittle in the fields; cracks wound acrossthe landscape. Tree branches were drooping closer to the ground than nature intended. Leaves had an early Autumn appearance.
Despite this, the hedgerows are overflowing with berries. Fierce light framed curtains and shutters from dawn until what passed as dusk. I dreamt of rain – we all did! But today something so long desired has happened. Waking in the early hours of dawn, a light drizzle was to be seen gently caressing this parched landscape, by lunchtime – a deluge. It may not be much but all around the thirsty earth was delighted with this offering.
Summer may be slowly on the wane, but what a one it has been!
NON-FICTION
Falling into Autumn by Angela Harding. The third in this remarkable series by a printmaker who illustrates the journey though the seasons.
Rural Hours; The Country Lives of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Townsend Warner and Rosamond Lehmann by Harriet Baker. Now in paperback, it’s a joy to read. Gently and warmly written, you are drawn into characters, lives, and views of these three remarkable and very different writers. Each had their demons, but they all became invigorated by the countryside and daily rhythms of the landscapes and what it bought to them in their writings and feelings. I have read it slowly, going back to it repeatedly while rereading some of their writing. See the author at Marlborough Lit Fest.
King Of Kings, The Fall of the Shah, the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Unmaking of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson. When the Shah of Iran was toppled from his Peacock Throne by a relatively unknown fiery cleric named Ayatollah Khomeini, the world watched in amazement. The Shah had seemed invincible and was a friend to the West. His country was awash with billions from the oil revenues and his army seemed loyal to him. As so often, there were undercurrents of inequality within his country and the crushing of dissent. The more radical felt he had turned his back on Islam and become lacky of the West. The author suggests that what happened then was a template for the unrest we see around the world today. As this ancient and remarkable part of the world struggles. a look to the past mistakes of all nations might be wise.
Raucous Invention: The Joy of Making by Mark Hearld with contributions from Alan Powers and Lydia Wilson. A book which, once you open it, you are engulfed by the work of this energetically joyful and vibrant artist and his love of the natural world. Collages, lino cuts, textile designs all overflow the pages.
FICTION
Lady Living Alone by Norah Lofts. First published in 1945 and re-issued as part of the British Library’s Woman Writers series. This is one of those glorious books that starts off, you think, as a gentle domestic novel. The lady in question is called Penelope Shadow and, as the name implies, she has made little impact on the world, so far. But then she buys a typewriter and her life turns a corner. Without spoiling the treat, what unfolds evolves into a dramatic thriller with twists and turns keeping you guessing till the end.