Just re-read Ballet Shoes as an adult

[heron98]

Someone answer me this - if they are so poor they can't even afford new clothes, why don't they get rid of the flipping cook and the maid? Why doesn't Garnie get a job instead of staying up all night stressing about money?

I was just looking through D E Stevenson's bibliography (thinking I'd never heard of her) and it turns out I've read and liked Celia's House. Will definitely be looking for the rest :)

I think it was Winston Churchill who called depression his black dog.

The black dog depression.

Many if them are potboilers, but frankly, that's what I need from time to time!

Another of my favourite books as a young teen was "New Patches for Old".
Girl moves to Australia, new school, new friends (starts her period when at the beach once, funny the things you remember), learns to swim after being terrified, a decent first sort of teen book (DD has read it, my dog eared copy) and approved.

This thread has caused some damage to my credit card today

God I loved the Tuppence to Cross the Mersey books. Baby Edward didn't die, but he only survived because a policemen took pity on Helen stealing the top of the milk bottles and had a pint delivered every day out of his own meagre wages.

The parents had no financial sense whatsoever, you could see how they lost what money they had, constantly eroding their capital and living beyond their means, they did exactly the same thing in poverty and exploited their oldest mercilessly

This thread has given such pleasure to so many people hasn't it.
I hope my DD looks back in 40 years with joy to the books she read at 12 as I have done with this thread.

Absolutely wallowing in this thread! I think my credit card will suffer tonight.

I am a huge NS fan and reread my favourites often. The Dad in The Painted Garden has depression because - if I remember correctly - he knocked over a little boy in his car and he died.

I absolutely love the illustrations in Ballet Shoes so I am very pleased to hear that 'Isabelle' drew them.

If you search the Desert Island Discs archive, you can hear NS. It's wonderful.

Kathy, yes, that's the one I remembered. It was lovely how he's depicted gradually coming out of his depression in the California sun.

And I've searched for the Desert Island discs episode you mentioned, here in case anyone wants to listen too: bbc.in/N8lbtM

maddie hell yes!! And the curdled milk and mean Patricia! Was actually thinking about this book. Why on earth did they go to Oz? We're both parents looking for work out there??

Were not we're- sodding spellcheck!

Does anyone remember that book called ' I get there by candlelight'? A bit dark and creepy as far as I can member but had horses in it which most of my Pre teen books had!!

Tallulah, the dad lost his job. Do you recall the family dog also died and a policeman took her home. Then the grandad died before they moved.

Yes to The family from One End Street and Tuppence to cross the Mersey.

With TTCTM I always remember reading how people couldn't always afford handkerchiefs (pre tissue days) and used to blow their noses out onto the pavement. Also women fainting in the street. TBH I can remember my mother telling me she remembers this from her childhood (late 1920s / early 1930s in SE London). It was a fairly common occurrence.

Tallulah, was it "Can I Get There by Candlelight"? I used to be fond of it and still have my copy!

Apparently 'The Family from One End Street' was the first childrens book to feature working class families - I loved them as a child.

Tuppence to cross the Mersey though. Ooof. You want to scream at the parents, but apparently not so uncharacteristic of what happened in the depression to those who had never had to manage before. Dad had PTSD from the war, mother is obviously fairly fragile. And there would have been no one to ask for help or advice before - at least, no one they knew or in their social circles and they were ashamed of what had happened. Doesn't excuse how they treated Helen, but they were a product of their time, brought up to do nothing more than be decorative

maddie I loved 'New Patches for Old'. I read it over and over again. Poor Patricia/Patches was so homesick and miserable and Patricia was so mean to her. Tallulah, Patricia's Dad was made redundant and the UK was going through a recession, so Australia was seen as the land of opportunity.

I also loved New Patches for Old but I would never have remembered what it was called. Remember how awful the house is when they arrive?

Been up all night reading The Head of the House of Coomb and the sequel Robin on Project Gutenberg! Am a limp rag.

Mercedes519 My copy of THIC is from 1968 and my copy of TCOTTF is from 1970.

Sticky, do you see what I mean about bizarre? And it all ends unhappily, they'll all be killed in the war...

Oh god, New Patches for Old! I borrowed it from the library aged around 10 and had forgotten it completely! Wasn't there a pivotal scene where the sneered-at heroine makes herself a cool bikini for a pool party but then wears her ugly school swimsuit in solidarity with someone else?

This thread is addictive .
I read one of the Sadler Wells books as a child, and loved it.

I think it was 'Return to the Wells', I had a quick look at the list there and I remember names like Mam Sordy and Timothy and of course Ella. Aww, lovely memories.

Sticky - I was up all night reading Anna and her Daighters :) am shattered this morning though, my toddlers are running rings around me. Totally worth it though. Orlanda thanks for the recommendation, I am looking at what to read next on Kindle, is the Drumberly series any good?