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The Shuttle (1907) by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Book review by George Simmers: When my daughter was young I used to read to her regularly, and when she was ten or eleven we both greatly enjoyed the children’s books of Frances Hodgson Burnet. The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Editha’s Burglar. Wonderful stories. Frances Hodgson Burnet. was born in Manchester, … Continue reading

The Tenth Anniversary of Reading 1900-1950

Dear Reading 1900-1950 Blog followers, On the 19th July we are celebrating ten years of reading mainly popular fiction from the first half of the twentieth century by launching a book of reviews showcasing the work of the group. The reviews have mainly been specially written by current members of the reading group, though we … Continue reading

Phyllis Bentley in Batley

From Sue Roe: Recently I have been helping my husband out with his research on the former players for Batley Rugby League Club. This has involved checking through the Batley News for details of games. In course of this research I came across two articles on Phyllis Bentley, describing her involvement with the Dewsbury and … Continue reading

Blue Danube (1943) by Eunice Buckley

Book review by George S: Blue Danube is the third novel to appear under the name of Eunice Buckley, but its author had written other books and plays before, under the names of R. Allatini, A.T. Fitzroy, R. l. Scott, Mrs Cyril Scott and Lucian Wainwright. As A.T. Fitzroy she had written Despised and Rejected … Continue reading

The Vanity Girl (1920) by Compton Mackenzie

Book review by Sylvia D: When Compton Mackenzie’s The Vanity Girl (the copy I read being the Remploy reprint of 1973) was first published in 1920 by Macdonald, it was dedicated to Mackenzie’s sister, Fay Compton, the actress. When it was republished in 1954, Mackenzie (1883-1972) re-wrote the original dedication, with the words ‘Dearest Fay, … Continue reading