Molly Hughes, M Vivian Hughes the Victorian girl etc series

[Themodernuriahheep]

just picked up that a few people, not just me, are fans .

Not sure if this should go under children's.

But I read as an adult. And really enjoyed, rather like Gwen Raverat, a normal family, not hugely well off, and indeed later on not well off at all, and how they survived. By courage and determination.

Anyone else?

I loved that they felt so domestic and ordinary, not like the princess/ duchess type stuff that made up a lot of the historical fiction I read. Still enjoy that sort of social history. Happy to pick upmore suggestions!

I agree, and that they had to watch the pennies just as we did and do. I was fascinated by the different assumptions made for schooling for boys and girls, and that all her brothers thought she was stupid right to the end. And mostly died young ( not saying cause and effect...)

and the scarcity if resources in the little Welsh village when she went to meet her future mil were also horrifying.

In terms of others, I loved Gwen Raverat, and there was a series about a French girl, whose mother was a dressmaker. If I call her Madeleine it feels right but I'm probably confusing her with the wonderful children's book. But they lived in soho.

I have never met anyone who liked MV Hughes or Gwen Raverat before! I think I've talked to one person about Molly Hughes (and when I was reading on the BBC website about shorthand she was what came to mind).

Have you read the child of the forest?

Yes, loved it, how does it relate to Lark rise?

And the Alison Uttley, is it a country child?

The king of the Barbareens, brilliant book about bring brought up in care in 20 century. No happy ending, though.

Found them , praise be to google, Mrs Robert Henrey, The little Madeleine and sequels.

Oh yes, King of the Barbareens. Haven't thought of that in years, but now it comes flooding back! Such a sad, sad book.

Yup, to recognise she didn't recognise love..

I need to reread this! I mostly just remember the funny moments like her brother Tom being translated into the Latin dative as 'tomato'.

I can't remember that at all! Must see where my copies are.

Just found mine! Yay, a Molly Vivian Hughes binge!

I loved the London Child/Girl series, too :) I read the 'younger' ones to dd when she was studying the Victorians in primary school a few years ago.

And YY to Gwen Raverat, too - I lived in Cambridge for many years, so particularly like her for that reason.

Well, I'm rereading, and I must say my jaw is sore from dropping so many times.
I think last time I read it I hadn't read the Lady Addle books and much of it is pure Addle with a sideorder of Mumsnet - she stealth boasts like a pro.
The thing is with Gwen Raverat, she is very much not a Victorian - there's always a slightly incredulous tone of 'did we really used to do that? It seemed normal at the time!' whereas Molly Hughes absolutely is - her tone is more 'and of course that was the right way to do things' (eg with her being told that as a girl she must always come last to her brothers, to stop her getting spoilt).
It's still fascinating and engaging but I'm finding it unconsciously quite funny too, whereas Gwen Raverat is much more self-aware.

Agree ( yay, another lady Addle fan too).

Gwen Raverat had the Darwinian courage to question assumptions - and presumably the knowledge that the family would be able to rescue her whereas no- one could have in Hughes family. Near penury us how I read much of it. But yes, extraordinary assumptions about her.

I loved the London child/ girl books too. I was thrilled to get into the same teacher training college in Cambridge, I could imagine it all...