Time Keeps Speeding By

Though I have not posted but once this month, I have been busy reading and knitting. Im finding it hard to be organized this month (ok every month). I have managed to read The Puzzle Bark Tree by Stephanie Gertler. It was a nice gentle read though a little predictable. I also just finished Bound (an uncorrected proof, to be published this month by Harper Collins) by Sally Gunning. This was my first read by this author and I was pleasantly satisfied. Historical Fiction in the mid 1700's in and around Boston and Cape Cod set the scene to tell the story of Alice a young girl of 15 who had been sold to a gentleman by her father after her mother and siblings die on the ocean voyage from England to America. Alice was a likeable character but I really found myself drawn to Freeman and the Widow Berry. Their kindness to Alice and the relationship they shared was inspiring. It's easy to forget that the black slaves were not the only people owned by others that were often less than humane to these unfortunates. I would definately read other books by Sally Gunning.

On the knitting front I have finished Mary Jo's poncho (it is being blocked as I type) and will post some pics shortly. I have started my first sock (knitting it on two circular needles) and I am making a cool looking felted basket for my mom to put her crossword puzzle books and balls of yarn in for Mother's Day. Oh ya, I also completed a cute little felted pillow that I just need to stuff then I will post a pic of that as well. Ok, time has run out and I have to get to work.

Excellent Women

Emailing: n63635
Originally uploaded by chronicbooker3

Barbara Pym was one of those authors that didn't write of fast paced plots or even deep plots (in my opinion) but instead, a simple story with very well developed characters. Excellent Women is another fine example of this.

Set in the 1950's England, Pym (as she usually does) writes of an unmarried (spinster they called it then) woman in her early 30's (would we be spinsters at 30 in todays society LOL) and her relationships in and around the church. These are not preachy books by any means and are often filled with somewhat dark humor making the reader wonder what the author really thought of the "church" in the earlier part of the last century.

"Mildred Lathbury is a cleryman's daughter and a spinster in the England of the 1950's, one of those 'excellent women' who tend to get involved in other people's lives-such as those of her new neighbor, Rockingham, and the vicar next door."

I think this is tied with Crampton Hodnet for my favorite read by Barbara Pym.