The Ivy Tree (1961) by Mary Stewart

Book review by Frances S: The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart was first published in 1961, slightly later than the usual Reading 1900-1950 period but otherwise well qualified for the Popular Fiction canon. I recently came across, in a totally different context, a current online entry by literary agent Caroline Wood. Wood says that she … Continue reading →

Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart (1956)

Book review by Mary P: This was Mary Stewart’s second novel. It is written in the first person, so throughout we have the viewpoint of Gianetta. She is a model, divorced, and making her own living in London. Feeling under pressure her family suggest that she takes a holiday at a hotel in Skye. When … Continue reading →

Mary Stewart – My Brother Michael (1959)

Book review by Jane Varley: ‘The contemporary thriller at its very best’, wrote the Guardian. ‘The result of my own visits to Greece and the impact of that wonderful country on a mind steeped in the classics, My Brother Michael was my love affair with Greece.’ Mary Stewart When I was in the first flush … Continue reading →

The Fortune (1917) by Douglas Goldring

Book review by George S: This month the reading group looked at books featuring war resisters and the war-sceptical. I read The Fortune by Douglas Goldring, a novel which could not find a publisher in England in 1917, but was published in Ireland by the firm of Maunsell and Co. It is reckoned that only … Continue reading →