Dean Street Press

Mrs Lorimer’s Quiet Summer by Molly Clavering

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Mrs Lorimer’s Quiet Summer’ by Molly Clavering

‘Mrs Lorimer’s Quiet Summer’ by Molly Clavering is the story of one particular summer in Mrs Lorimer’s life, in a small village, set in the Scottish Borders. 

Mrs Lorimer and her husband, Colonel Lorimer, a retired army soldier, try to live a quiet life in their small Scottish village. They have a modest circle of acquaintances, reliable domestic help in the home, a close circle of friends and participate, whenever feasible in the main village activities. 

Lucy Lorimer is a writer of fictional stories and try as she might to write peacefully in her study at her home, there’s always something that needs her attention. The beginning of the story finds her wishing for a larger family home – so that she might host her rather large family of grown up children and grand children under one roof during the summer. There’s a particular property in the village that has Lucy’s attention but that has been bought by some Glaswegians, which she discovers to her dismay, when her maid informs her one morning, early on in the summer. 

“The Legion meetings get all the news that’s going. They just sit there and blather like a lot of old sweetie-wives. It’s a stranger that’s bought Harperslea, a widower with a daughter. Better drink yer tea before it gets cold.”

Lucy Lorimer’s fellow writer friend and neighbour, Grace or ‘Grey’ Douglas comes to the rescue, however, and agrees to host some of the family members at her nearby cottage. All is well and Lucy looks forward to some quality time spent with her family but rather than being the quiet summer that Lucy had hoped for, the children bring along their own troubles and Lucy and her husband must come to the rescue. An old flame from Lucy’s past also resurfaces and Lucy also finds this perturbing to her equilibrium. 

This was my first time reading Molly Clavering and I really enjoyed this slow-paced, humorous read. This is a character driven story and the characters are very well drawn. One of the most interesting aspects of this book is the knowledge that the main two characters in the book – Lucy and Grey- are based on the characters of the author DE Stevenson and Molly Clavering herself. Both were neighbours and mutually admired each other’s writing. Whenever I read about Lucy Lorimer, in my mind – she was DE Stevenson. I am such a big fan of Stevenson’s writing and so this book made such an interesting read for me. Whilst I was reading Lucy Lorimer, DE Stevenson and Mrs Tim became one and the same although this might not be wholly accurate. 

I found myself flagging a number of quotes that I found amusing. Phrases and witty dialogue. Lucy remarks to her husband one day about returning a book to a neighbour :-

“It’s that book she lent me weeks ago, of very dull reminiscences, and I have read as much of it as I can bear. Why will people insist on lending me books? They are never the ones I want to read.”

In another instance, Grey Douglas remarks about her unmarried status, that of being an old maid. 

“Once you get over the shame of being an old maid, there is something to be said for single blessedness.”

To this, Lucy Lorimer remarks that Grey can hardly be categorised as an old maid when she has had marriage proposals. To which Grey responds :

“…one can hardly go about wearing a placard with ‘I’ve had a proposal but I didn’t choose to accept it’ printed on it.”

One of the most humorous characters was that of Colonel Lorimer – whom Clavering turned into a domestic god. His love for his dog, low level tolerance for interfering neighbours, obsession with looking into the quality and washing expedience of the household linens by the local laundrette and many other things made me chuckle. The couples in the book also had varying and interesting relationships. The arrival of new neighbours – in the form of the unfortunately named ‘Smellies’ added interest to the story.

Mostly I enjoyed the description of walks, garden fetes, casual dinners, shopping trips into town and other mild activities. In ways it reminded me of O Douglas’ style – particularly that of ‘Penny Plain’. 

What added real value to the story were often the deep and philosophical observations of Molly Clavering. 

Though a quiet book and not a brilliant book by any means, Molly Clavering’s story had my heart. I am so looking forward to reading more of her gentle stories.

This e-book was an advance press copy from Dean Street Press but all opinions about the book are my own.

‘Rhododendron Pie’ by Margery Sharp

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‘Rhododendron Pie’ is the story of young Ann Laventie, the youngest child in the artistic and well to do Laventie family, who does not fit the artistic mould of the rest of the family. The book addresses her internal struggles of whether or not to break off from the family ideal or to embrace a life and attitude, more fitting with her disposition. 

The Laventie family are outsiders in the small and sleepy village on the Sussex Downs, where the family and is predecessors have lived for many years. There is a touch of snobbery in this dissociation, in that the family choose to separate themselves from the village folk and see themselves as a class apart from everyone else. Hence, friendly fellow feeling with neighbours has never really been advocated – rather artistic people from London circles and beyond inhabit ‘Whitenights’ – the Laventie home – and provide intellectual succour to its inhabitants.

There are three Laventie children. Elizabeth, the eldest (25 at the beginning of the story) is a literary critic, Dick the middle child, a sculptor, and Ann – the youngest Laventie child (aged 20 in the story) has no evident talent – except for a deep appreciation of life and what makes life more interesting.

When the children were young, they struck upon a tradition of having a pie filled with flowers for their respective birthdays. The idea was Elizabeth’s but it soon spread to Dick and in turn to Ann. Dick’s Pie had heliotropes and it fell to Ann’s lot to have rhododendron pie for her birthday.

Although the other two children thrilled at the sensation and whimsy of having inedible flowers in their birthday pies, Ann fought hard to suppress her feeling of disappointment in the contents of her pie – she wanted nothing more than cloves and the sweetness of apples to savour and enjoy. 

When the story starts in earnest, the children are all grown up and are ready to spread their wings into the world. Elizabeth flourishes as a literary critic and takes up a flat in London to mix with the literary set. Dick is a sculptor having many female admirers and Ann befriends Gilbert Croy, a up and coming film maker who stays at Whitenights for months on end – ‘for inspiration’. 

One should mention the children’s mother. She is a quiet industrious woman who is sadly disabled. Unknowingly to the family and the whole world, she is the one who looks into the smooth running of the Laventie household, the hundred and one tedious domestic details that create such an appealing atmosphere at Whitenights. Without her ministrations the Laventie’s would not enjoy the comforts of the home and feel inspired to be so creative. 

Ann is the only member of the Laventie family who has a close friendship with other people in the village. Since childhood she has a close friendship with the members of the Gayford clan. Elizabeth and Dick turn down their noses at their company but Ann rather enjoys spending time with the friendly and homely family, particularly John Gayford who is clearly besotted with Ann.

Things come to a head when Ann must decide whether or not she must embrace a bohemian, artistic attitude to life or follow her heart and enjoy life in the style she see’s fit. 

I really enjoyed this novel and I thought it was a remarkably well constructed debut novel for Margery Sharp. Apart from the writing, and touches of whimsy that we expect from Margery Sharp, I thought Sharp developed quite a succinct theme for her book. I particularly enjoyed how we saw the beauty of the world and the simple enjoyment Ann gleaned from everyday life – be that in the appreciation of nature, the home, simple pastimes or time spent with friends and family. Ann didn’t have the quirky charm of Cluny Brown or the whimsical appeal of Martha – but she was a finely created Sharp protagonist.

There’s an incident in the book where Ann disappears into a secret spot of hers on a window seat in the attic with a large puzzle and two bananas. This is the way that Ann likes to spend time by herself. There’s a description of how Ann likes to approach doing a puzzle that for some reason just really appealed to me – perhaps because I like doing puzzles in the same way. Sometimes the smallest of cozy ordinary details about living – really add enjoyment to the book. Similarly, Ann spends time on the Sussex Downs with John, or an afternoon at a seaside town or in a London with friends – ans I found all these descriptions very enjoyable.

I look forward to reading the other Furrowed Middlebrow- Margery Sharp releases soon. 

I received an e book Press copy of ‘Rhododendron Pie’ from Dean Street Press but all opinions about the book are my own.