I had a birthday earlier this month so one of the reasons for reviewing these old books–I’m older! Another reason was how they came to me. Both books were a Book-of-the-Month Selection during the year I was born, so for my birthday a few years ago, Hubby thought they’d be a fun birthday gift. In this season of gift-giving, picking a book based on a birthday could be an interesting way to find something for that person who’s hard to buy for. I’ll get to the final reason at the end, but for now let’s open the books …

From the jacket of A Cup of Tea for Mr. Thorgill: It is a seductive world in which the action of this astonishing story unfolds: cultivated, privileged, secure: the close-knit world of an Oxford college, epitomized by the Master and the Master’s house, a haven of good taste, intelligence and aristocratic nonconformity. With one or two exceptions, its inhabitants would–if they were to thank God for anything–thank Him they were not as other men. Yet these are not stoney-hearted snobs; they have accepted an outsider–Nevil Rigdon, product of a city slum. Bemused by elegance, urbanity and intellect, we discover with shock and then horror the web of abomination being spun, inexorably, fatally, within this charmed–and charming–circle.

From the jacket of The Return of Lady Brace: When Lady Caroline Brace returned to her ancestral home on the North Shore of Long Island after many years away, she felt like an intruder in the house that held so many memories for her. And yet, not a day had passed before long-banished guilts and fears and responsibilities connected with her family returned to plague her. There were her two grown daughters, now no more than friendly strangers: Rosemary, rather happily adrift in a placid marriage; Lydia, rebelling in an empty love affair against the anguish of losing the man she loved. And there was her brother Stephen, an enigma she did not dare to understand. She feared him as much as she loved him–and the force of her love for him had always frightened her.

Recently returned from the Orient after many years away, Stephen had brought with him an Eastern monk, known to the household as Venerable Sir. Strangely drawn to him from the first, Lady Brace resisted the attraction his benevolence held for her. But in the drama of the days that followed her return, it was this smiling, serene and very human man of wisdom who averted disaster in a family strained to the breaking point – and who gave Lady Brace the courage to face the future.

Now the final reason for reviewing them, they’re simply good and interesting books. I’ve just finally started reading them, but the jacket blurbs alone intrigued me when I unwrapped the packages years ago. Similar descriptions of each story could be found on the jackets of more recently published works; the stories hold the test of time. There are no new stories, just different ways of telling them.

The setting for Mr. Thorgill’s tea is England in 1952 so there are the questions of who is a Communist, who’s still harboring ill will and grudges from the war? The clash of classes as the world order changes. It has the mystery of current political, spy or suspense novels. Who can you trust?

Lady Brace would still be a good fit alongside other women’s fiction in your local bookstore with its family drama and mysterious outsider.  

I’m enjoying the writing by both authors. A Cup of Tea for Mr. Thorgill, which reads like a suspense novel, is written like literary fiction. The dialogue in Lady Brace is typical of the fifties, but doesn’t sound dated.

This week’s post is about two wonderful old books, but also to maybe pique your curiosity about old books on the back shelves of libraries or used bookstores that are just waiting to be rediscovered. Book challenges for 2024 should start appearing soon–each month challenging readers to read something out of their usual pickings. Looking for a book written or published the year you were born could be added to the list and may lead to a delightful surprise.

We spent Thanksgiving in Ohio with family (why this post is late) and as a friend remarked, we saw all kinds of weather while we were there–including some snow flurries! I love Ohio winters. The brisk air has its own scent, and the cotton-y overcast skies, and even the rain that chills to the bones were welcome this week. It’s the wintry weather that feels like Christmas.

And so let the winter decorating, activities and festivities begin! I hope you have a great week!