Yesterday I finished my 6th book of the year.
Book 4 was Terms and Conditions: Life in Girls’ Boarding Schools 1939-1979 by Ysenda Maxtone Graham.
This was a depressing read. It was interesting enough but the lack of regard by most of the parents for the welfare of their children, which school had the best scones or was closest to the racetrack were often the ultimate reason for choosing a particular school, was difficult to read about. As was the terrible treatment of the children by equally miserable and often ill treated and poorly paid staff, not exclusive to boarding schools then of course but of course there was little respite from it in boarding.
Interesting though that the middle class children tended to struggle more as they were used to some level of comfort and parental affection unlike the upper class girls who were accustomed to being ignored by their parents and to threadbare sheets in ice cold rooms.
I’m decidedly not a fan of boarding schools and I don’t share the Author’s confidence that shiny new buildings and somewhat better food make up for what(imo) is fundamentally wrong with boarding schools. And having had a friend who has a position in one of the most famous boarding girls’ boarding schools, I have little confidence that the attitude of some of the staff has changed all that much either.
- The Go-Between by L. P Hartley
I’d made a few attempts to read this before but I’m very much a mood reader and it was never the right time. I really enjoyed it this time though and though it won’t be a favourite I enjoyed the beautiful language and child protagonist, (I seem to especially enjoy child protagonists. Bunny from They Came Like Swallows was a highlight of last year.) I think that I’ll read it again next year.
- The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
I’ve had this on Kindle for a few years now and still haven’t read it but I decided to listen to it on audiobook via the library.
I loved this. I can’t say that I enjoyed it exactly considering the subject matter, because it was so difficult to listen to the lives of the poor in Victorian London and especially how the law ensured that women remained trapped in poverty but it was fascinating and I’m very happy that the five women were finally presented as much more than just the victims of Jack The Ripper.
It’s a likely candidate for my top ten of the year.
I’m now listening to American Sirens by Kevin Hazzard which is the story of a group of black men in Pittsburgh, who became the first Paramedics in America and I’m just about to start reading another non-fiction book The Snow Geese by William Fiennes