'In this House of Brede' by Rumer Godden

This extraordinarily sensitive and insightful portrait of religious life centers on Philippa Talbot, a highly successful professional woman who leaves her life among the London elite to join a cloistered Benedictine community.

MY THOUGHTS:

I saw this book recommendation from other bloggers and Rumer Godden's name stirred good memories from decades ago, when I read some of her books for kids. But I never expected this story to sweep me into its rich world of devotion so thoroughly. In her intro, Phyllis Tickle calls it, 'the most accessible, accurate and sympathetic presentation of a monastic life in all of English literature.' I guess I'm surely not the only girl who ever wondered what it might have been like to be a nun. This story is like immersing ourselves among those women who feel truly called to be set apart for God. 

The pivotal character is Philippa Talbot, a corporation head who announces to her staff that she's dropping it all to make a major life change. She's going to become a Benedictine nun at Brede Abbey. Some of the long established nuns at Brede have misgivings that she's not cut from the right cloth. Compared with their fresh intake of other novices, Philippa is fairly old, streetwise and familiar with the sweet taste of worldly success. To put it in Star Wars terms, she's the Anakin Skywalker of the Abbey. But Philippa proves she's more successful at becoming a Benedictine nun than he was at being a Jedi Knight. And paradoxically, success is all about forgetting such a word even exists, and just immersing herself in the atmosphere of devotion and routine.  

To mention just a couple of the other great characters, there's beautiful young Sister Cecily, whose overbearing mother and ex-boyfriend Larry are set hard against her choice of vocation. And Abbess Catherine, who is reluctantly assigned head position when the more charismatic and popular Abbess Hester, who was something of a pocket rocket, suddenly dies. Poor Abbess Catherine discovers a shocking secret Abbess Hester hid behind their backs, and now she'll be the one to bear the brunt of the consequences.   

These assorted ladies are living the pattern of life prescribed centuries ago by Saint Benedict. It's an ever-turning wheel of prayer, praise and work. The daily liturgy or Office is the main thing, and other work fills the cracks between, rather than vice versa.   

I anticipated a book of fascinating revelation, because such spartan and repetitive lifestyles must have a huge pay-off, so to speak, and I wanted to dig to the bottom of it. But it turns out that's just the wrong approach to take for anyone really called to join their ranks. The women living beneath the roof of Brede Abbey know full well that anyone who enters with the idea of getting something out of it is bound to fail, but that itself is the prize they're after. Brede is a bubble that's free of the ambition and self-aggrandisement that wears us out in the world at large. 

The nuns' life is obviously not suitable for many. You have to opt out of several great milestones that confer fulfillment and identity, including spouses, kids and property. You also get singled out as an extremist or oddity. But in return, your interior life has room to flourish. You needn't worry about keeping up with the Jones', and even the minutiae of daily chores is taken off your hands. Your calendar is so structured that you need never waste time wondering what activity to prioritise on any given day. The seasons pass for you in a rich, meaningful cycle. You don't vie for pats on the back, because standing out as a noteworthy person is an unworthy goal. Therefore, you can shed the stress of accumulating followers, admirers and fans. Your role in the community is fluid enough that you're spared from the burden of earning yourself a special reputation. And the angst that others put into keeping up appearances simply isn't an issue for you.

'The veil, the habit, our cut hair under the cap, are meant for self-effacement. We need to be free of the preoccupations with self that plague other women, which is precisely why we did away with the time-consuming frills.' 

In our western world we're conditioned to think staying on the treadmill is an obligation we owe ourselves, so it rarely dawns on us that this is the source of the stress and anxiety that often seems to dog our steps. But for those brave enough to jump off, there's tranquility, deep peace and continuity. 'The life of the great monasteries flow as steadily as a river, no matter what rocks and crosscurrents there are.' Even though I certainly never had this calling, I can see how Philippa and her companions represent some aspect of the seeker in all of us.That's why this book is playing on my mind long after I've finished it. I love exploring the restfulness which comes when people are able to drop the striving to be somebody special or to make a name for ourselves.  

However, this novel shows that sudden changes can come from out of the blue, even in such a lifestyle. It's a restful book but also an interesting page turner. It'll surely be among my best reads of the year. 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

'Anne of Green Gables' by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Or 'The One with the Smashed Slate'

Warning: These re-reads may contain a few spoilers, but I consider old classics are fair game. 

It's one of the best mistakes ever made. Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert are a brother and sister who decide to adopt a boy from an orphanage to help work on their property, since they're getting older. But there's an office mix-up, and an imaginative red-haired girl arrives instead. When the shock wears off, the Cuthberts go with their gut instinct to keep her, since they believe they'll do her some good. But time and again, they discover the benefit is mutual, when Anne's originality and love works its way like yeast through their hearts and lives. 

It's a bulls-eye of a debut novel, and perfect example of episodic plot structure carried to perfection. Generations of young people have found themselves straight in Anne's head space. But if you're old, don't ever assume it's too late to start this series. You might well be like Miss Josephine Barry, who says, 'She amuses me, and at my time of life, an amusing person is a rarity.' 

What I appreciated even more than before. 

1) Anne's relationship with Marilla is my highlight, since they're opposite in their default styles of thinking and reacting, yet somehow contrive to form a close, mutually loving relationship. Marilla is certain that Anne needs lots of plain common sense to ground her in the practicalities of everyday life, or else the ups and downs will take a heavy toll on her. Only later does it dawn on her that Anne's intense creative energy and keen appreciation for beauty is a huge compensation for the occasional low ebbs that go along with it. And Anne's personality has actually enriched Marilla's own life, along with Matthew's, in ways they'd never have expected.  

2) I love Matthew! Not only is he bursting with love, but he's a great model for introverts and shy folk everywhere. Those who know him well don't try to push him out of his shell, or encourage him to become more sociable and outgoing. They accept that he has his own style which won't ever change, and leave him to enjoy his life in his preferred manner. So perhaps it's Matthew's family and friends who need to be congratulated as great role models, along with the guy himself.  

3) As modern readers, it's interesting to trace changes over time. For example, Mrs Rachel Lynde's fascination with people watching is now regarded in some circles as a genuine hobby, rather than just being nosy. And Anne's first prayer beneath the Green Gables roof is surely now considered by many a fine, creative example of legitimate, devout prayer. It may be poles apart from the strict, 19th century Orthodox Presbyterian outlook shown by Marilla but no less reverent. Marilla was horrified almost speechless, but I doubt her 21st century counterpart would be. 

4) I back Anne and Gilbert all the way! What a lot of complexity can be contained into a non-relationship! As a kid, I thought Anne should grow up and swallow her wounded pride! I used to be the target of bullies, and reasoned that many boys in my class treated me far worse, and far more consistently, than poor Gilbert and that one incident, for which he instantly apologised. 

I feel differently as an older person, and understand Anne's slate smashing reaction without condoning it. She'd simply had enough. Gilbert wasn't to know the extent of her history on the receiving end of cruel put-downs. Of course his obnoxious behaviour was just a ploy for attention, but for her it was the tipping point. In turn, she wasn't to know that young males sometimes turn clownish and juvenile when they aim to impress girls. (That's one many people haven't fathomed.) She just thought, 'This is the last time anyone's going to deal me this guff in my new life!' Dare I say she may have even startled Gilbert into being his manly best from then on. He comes across as a bit of a jerk in our first glimpse of him, including the stunt with Ruby Gillis' plait. Their subsequent academic rivalry is great fun to read. Anne's insistence that Gilbert means nothing to her clearly means just the opposite, and we look forward to the day she admits it, especially to herself.

5) One of my favourite lessons she learned is a very practical one. Anne, you should never offer guests anything to eat or drink without sampling it yourself! This is vital, just to be on the safe side. Of course in the case of the raspberry cordial, she might have got drunk along with Diana, which wouldn't have helped her cause. But then again, she might have realised it wasn't the usual flavour of Marilla's raspberry cordial, and stopped them drinking it. In the case of the liniment cake, we all know you shouldn't cook for others if you have a bad cold. But this time around, it stands out that Marilla was partly to blame, for not having things put where Anne expected. On that train of thought, I won't even get started on the case of the missing brooch.  

6) If the concluding chapters don't turn on your waterworks, your self-control must be like steel. I imagine some of the first people good old Matthew met in heaven would have been Bertha and Walter Shirley, to thank him for helping turn their little daughter's life around.  

What I wasn't a big fan of this time round. 

1) There's really nothing! This could well be one of the world's best books. But just for the sake of throwing something out there for debate, do you think it was fortunate for Anne that she was a chirpy and bewitching little girl? We're left in no doubt her particular charisma worked in her favour. If she'd been sullen or prickly, as many girls in her position probably would have been, there's no way the Cuthberts would have opted to keep her. Of course they would have been under no obligation to, but this is just my observation that other equally needy kids often miss the help they desperately need because the protective walls they raise are repellent to adults. It's a heartbreaking but true fact of life. 

2) For anyone whose name is Ann without an E, reading this might be a somewhat upsetting experience. But for the rest of us, it's all good. 

3) The prize for book's biggest villain goes to Diana's mother, Mrs Barry. What an inflexible piece of work. But it was good to see her step up and swallow humble pie later on. 

4) The last two points are tongue-in-cheek of course, because there's really nothing bad to say about this book.     

Great Quotes to take on board. 

Anne: It's so easy to be wicked without knowing it, isn't it?

Anne: It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. Of course, you must make it up firmly.

Marilla: I don't believe in imagining things different from what they really are. When the Lord puts us in certain circumstances, He doesn't mean for us to imagine them away.

Marilla: I'm not feeling discouraged. When I make up my mind to do a thing, it stays made up.

Anne: Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world. 

Anne: I never knew before that religion was such a cheerful thing. I always thought it was kind of melancholy, but Mrs Allen's isn't. I can just feel she's glad to be a Christian, and would be one even if she could get to heaven without it. 

Anne: It is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable. I know I'll be able to study better because of my flounce. I shall have such a comfortable feeling deep down in my mind about that flounce. 

Anne: It is always wrong to do anything you can't tell the minister's wife.   

Anne: Really Marilla, one can't stay sad very long in such an interesting world, can one?

Anne: Dear old world, you are very lovely, and I'm glad to be alive in you. 

Stay tuned, because next up will be Anne of Avonlea.

'Unsheltered' by Barbara Kingsolver

The New York Times bestselling author of Flight Behavior, The Lacuna, and The Poisonwood Bible and recipient of numerous literary awards—including the National Humanities Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Orange Prize—returns with a timely novel that interweaves past and present to explore the human capacity for resiliency and compassion in times of great upheaval.

MY THOUGHTS:

I put this on my wish list when I first saw it brand new for big bucks at my city Dymocks, but stuck to my budget which doesn't allow for expensive new releases. Down the track, just recently, I spotted it at a local second shop for just $5, and you can bet I jumped on it. 

I like a good dual timeline story. The two main characters are linked by the same decrepit house they find themselves living in, over a century apart. In 2016, Willa Knox is told that the family home she's inherited is fit only for demolition. It's the same day her son's girlfriend commits suicide shortly after giving birth to Willa's first grandchild. And back in 1874, Thatcher Greenwood discovers structural issues in the house he shares with his wife and in-laws, but they refuse to listen. Needless to say, it's the same address. Thatcher is a frustrated Science teacher who's trying to teach Charles Darwin's new discoveries to his High School students, but nobody wants a bar of them; least of all his employer, Principal Cutler. 

This is only my second Kingsolver novel so far, and they've both been what I'd call 'soapbox stories'. There are several scenes with characters sitting around in lounge rooms discussing politics, which makes the writing feel a bit static at times. Weaving a political agenda into her fiction seems to be her trademark, and some of the grievances are very up-to-date in this one. The issues she addresses actually make me glad to live in Australia, where it appears we're looked after far better when it comes to medical care and student loans. Kingsolver's 21st century characters often discuss Donald Trump without actually mentioning him by name, yet it's clear who's under the microscope. I once heard Kingsolver speak here in Australia, and she mentioned hate mail she receives from disgruntled readers, including occasional death threats. I say, 'Good on you, Barbara!' It can't be easy to stand among those brave and principled authors who are prepared to take backlash for their convictions.  

Willa's sections speak to me because she's a middle-aged parent of young adults still at home. She wonders why she and Iano, her husband, are in a financial mess after trying hard all their lives to make the prescribed moves to stay ahead of the rat race. Her epiphany comes from her free-spirited, hippy-ish, mid-twenties daughter Tig. 'The secret of happiness is having low expectations.' 

Willa is a Baby Boomer/Gen X citizen who was brought up on advice to shoot for the moon, because we can achieve anything if we try hard enough. We hitch our wagons to the stars, then crash hard when our plans are derailed. Perhaps it takes thoughtful millennials like Tig to set us straight. Maybe those of us born through to the seventies are just now coming to realise we've been fed an exaggeration. That hard work = smashing success formula isn't as reliable as we've been promised, because the world isn't stable. This novel suggests that learning to accept whatever comes and regarding small pleasures with big gratitude may be the secret, not of getting ahead, but of living with some measure of contentment. 

As for Thatcher's tight spot, I enjoyed reading about his heartbreaking dead-ends when trying to teach Darwinism, and his deep friendship with his next door neighbour Mary Treat, (who was actually a true, living person). I'm among those who never had trouble accepting Christian faith and the basics of natural selection simultaneously, and I appreciate that Thatcher and Mary seemed to share my mindset. They reason that 'Mr Darwin's argument doesn't malign divinity, as several people seem to think it does.' One good line is Mary's, 'To have been made the creatures we are is a marvel. If the process required millenia rather than seven days, how can it be any less sublime?'     

On the surface, it seems the plights faced by characters in the different timelines have nothing in common, but thoughtful reflection suggests they're similar after all. People always panic when their philosophical foundations crumble. Nobody ever wants to start fresh on the bottom rung when they've grown up with certain paradigms and beliefs cemented in place. The colossal waste of time this implies is just scraping the surface. But staying stubborn and lashing out at others is the ultimate ostrich behaviour. 

It's a really interesting read, but not perfect. The characters sometimes tread a fine line between being well-rounded and being mere mouthpieces. The nineteenth century thread seemed to peter out a bit. I would have liked to be filled in a little more on what happened to Thatcher after the events related in this story, and maybe even be told how he eventually died. As for the twenty-first century thread, toward the end, I'm left with major uneasiness that Willa's family situation is a tinder box waiting to explode.

  [A few spoilers ahead] Her children, Zeke and Tig, have never got along well together, and now Tig has decided she wants to raise her brother's baby, without getting his approval. Zeke has requested his parents to be temporary guardians, but now Willa and Iano will be living in premises that make it impossible. Tig's solution seems ideal to them, since she adores baby Dusty and Zeke's high-flying lifestyle leaves him no room for a baby. I think Barbara Kingsolver expects us to agree it's logical all round. But whoa, things could change at any moment. If Zeke ever wants Dusty back, the proverbial you-know-what will really hit the fan! I'm glad this story stops before that has a chance to happen, because poor little Dusty will be the one in the crossfire.  

Overall, I like Kingsolver's beautiful writing, including the clever transitions between chapters. The timelines alternate between chapters, and the last line of each chapter merges seamlessly into the title of the next, giving the impression that the history of 744 Plum Street is an unbroken continuum, despite the passing of time. In spite of the less than satisfying conclusions, I'll probably keep reading more of her books, although I tend to think they'll date over time, if they're like this one.  

 🌟🌟🌟 

The Anne Series by L.M. Montgomery

I've been hearing plenty of nostalgia about Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne series recently. Along with everything else she ever wrote, these are heart-warming classics which I read many times during my childhood and youth. Anne is a genuinely beautiful soul whose happy outlook can't help rubbing off on readers. Even though I've referred to them lots since starting this blog, I haven't read them for many years. I decided I'm well overdue for a re-read. 

They're easy, pleasurable reads, so I'll space the eight of them out each fortnight, to take about four months all up. Each write-up will include aspects I still love, things that didn't impress me so much this time round, and great quotes. Please feel more than welcome to join me, or at least follow my progress. We'll kick off in a fortnight with Anne of Green Gables, the bestseller that got this mighty ball rolling. 

And just to add a bit more fun, let's give each book an alternative title to match the F.R.I.E.N.D.S sitcom format. If you've read the series before, these might spur your memory, and if you haven't, they'll stimulate your curiosity. Now, stay tuned for more as we get stuck into this Anne-athon.  

Anne of Green Gables

The One with the smashed slate

Anne of Avonlea

The One where she teaches school

Anne of the Island
The One with all the Proposals

Anne of Windy Willows
The One with Two Titles 

Anne's House of Dreams
The One with the Creepy Amnesiac Dude

Anne of Ingleside
The One with all the Kids

Rainbow Valley
The One with all the Minister's Kids

Rilla of Ingleside
The One Set during the Great War