The World from Rough Stones

by Malcolm Macdonald, published in 1975 by Alfred A. Knopf

Maybe my favorite genre — reminiscent of Masterpiece Theatre series productions. Its 570 pages are written against the backdrop of the construction of a railway tunnel in England from 1839 to 1841. The story begins with Nora, a poverty-stricken but well-bred young woman who lives by her wits and her body. She meets “Lord John,” former “navvy,” (tunnel laborer), now rising by his shrewdness and uncommon people skills to the position of General Contractor.

The book title describes not only the building of the tunnel, but the couple’s synergy, elevating them to financial and social success. Though the book is ends satisfactorily, you sense that John and Nora are not finished making deals. Their family story is continued in three sequels, The Rich Are with You Always, Sons of Fortune and Abigail.

Though technical in its description of 19th century railway construction and finance, the story is carried by its cast of strong characters. It contains a few explicit sexual scenes, so I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone.

The Ladies of Missalonghi

by Colleen McCullough, 192 pages, published in 1987 by Harper & Row

A short, entertaining read, with an ending you might not expect. Missy Wright, 33-year-old spinster, is dominated by her mother and maiden aunt and the other members of the clan that controls her Australian village.

The arrival in town of stranger John Smith, who has bought a nearby valley, coincides with a fainting spell that Missy suffers. After he rescues her, she determines she will not spend another minute as “mousy” Missy.

Her sudden boldness secretly pleases her mother, mortifies the clan — particularly rich, beautiful cousin Alicia — and charms Mr. Smith.

(Some reader reviews claim this book copies the plot of The Blue Castle, written by L. M. Montgomery, most famous for her Anne of Green Gables series.)

Outliers: The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell, 309 pages, published in 2008 by Little, Brown and Company

My notes indicate that I heard about this from Diggy at Upgrade Reality, but it was also a book that one of my sons had requested. Diggy cited from the book that it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at anything — 3 hours a day for 10 years.

However, the book covers much more than the 10,000-hour rule. Gladwell proposes that innate talent is important, but the year – and sometimes month — of your birth, circumstances and opportunity, length of school year, Eastern or Western culture of work, have much more influence than mere creative genius.

Despite being driven by extensive research and statistics, the book was easy to read and understand. Gladwell’s other books include The Tipping Point and Blink.

Although it’s not a self-help book, as I supposed it might be, it is an enlightening examination of worldly success.

Author: Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984)

About the Books

This is a trilogy set in England spanning from after WWI to after WWII. The titles of the books, in order, are

The Bird in the Tree, published in 1940
The Herb of Grace (entitled Pilgrim’s Inn by American publishers), written in 1948
The Heart of the Family, written in 1953.

About the Author

A quick look at Wikipedia also reveals this about Elizabeth Goudge’s writings: Her favorite among her books was The Little White Horse (1946), which is also a favorite of J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories.

Another little tidbit that’s significant for me: She also wrote a book called Island Magic (1934), which is about the Channel Islands. It seems her mother was a native of Guernsey. Two of my favorite experiences have been watching The Island at War, a BBC series, and reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. (Can you tell I’m a fan of British historical fiction?)

Not for Everyone

I would recommend The Eliot Family series to certain readers, but not all. They have what I think you’d call an esoteric appeal.

Because the place is as important as the characters, Goudge describes it in great detail. She does it well. Even if you don’t recognize the names of all the flora and fauna she describes, you still get a sense of the lush surroundings, the smallest leaf, every sparkle of the sun.

Since the books were written in the early 20th century, some may find the language old-fashioned, which to me is part of its appeal.

Goudge also develops the characters wonderfully. This is a quote from a friend who is still reading the second book in the series:

I’m really in love with the Eliot family, and will continue to read the books in the series.  I love how the author writes her books.

The Spiritual Dimension

My sister, who recommended the book to me, commented that in this series, Goudge makes you feel like everything’s going to be all right.

The two houses in the books, Damerosehay and the Herb of Grace, bring out the best in all who enter them, helping them shed both their sins and their struggles. The source of the spirit of the houses is Lucilla, the matriarch. The books richly emphasize a spirituality that comes from God and the value of children as our legacy. The last word of the last book is “child.”

Sunset or sunrise, he had forgotten now which it was. The old house seemed to hold them both, and to hold, too, a welling up of freshness, as though it renewed its youth in the youth of this marvellous child.