Matilda's England (Penguin 60s)

by William Trevor | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0146000463 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Megi53 of Danville, Virginia USA on 9/12/2015
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This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Megi53 from Danville, Virginia USA on Saturday, September 12, 2015
Started out fine, with lots of details, both of countryside and drawing room. Gradually horrific life events overtook the narrator. I liked Ralphie's character quite a bit!

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Your package arrived today; many thanks! I'm always glad to have more of these Penguin 60s books for releasing in geocaches, and this one's been on my wishlist for a while now so I was especially pleased. I was glad to be able to participate in the memorial release for your brother Scott.

Later: I really enjoyed this story-trilogy, which began with a charming look at life in England at the dawn of WWII. Young Matilda is entranced by Mrs. Ashburton, an elderly neighbor who lives in a formerly-grand house that's fallen into disarray. When the neighbor invites her and her siblings to play tennis - if they'll help weed and refurbish the long-neglected court - it kicks off a delightful summer, but this all comes to an end when the war breaks out.

The second story picks up a couple of years later. Matilda is now 11, and her 17-year-old brother is in the army. Their father has died, but the family and their neighbors keep going, with daily life getting harder as wartime shortages kick in - and as different families get the dreaded news of lost loved ones. Matilda and a friend suspect that Matilda's sister is sneaking out with her beau to the old summerhouse that used to be Mrs. Ashburton's, but when they try to spy on the sparking couple they find another couple entirely - and that's not the only shock to Matilda's world...

By the third story, Matilda is grown - indeed, she's 48 as she begins the narration, but the events take place in the 1950s, when a new family buys the long-neglected property of the late Mrs. Ashburton. Matilda winds up marrying the family's son, and we gradually find out why - it seems that those hints from the earlier stories of her interest in Mrs. Ashburton's house and land (and her tales of the past, the perils of war, the hazards of living) revealed a much more deep-rooted obsession, one that warps Matilda's life. I enjoyed the way this all unfolded, though it was so very dark and sad - it completely re-imagined much of the story once we get to see a few things through other people's eyes. Very effective!

[It seems there was a 1979 mini-series based on this book; interesting!]

Released 8 yrs ago (9/29/2015 UTC) at New Hampshire geocache (see notes for details) in -- Geocaches, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in the Pine Island Park geocache in Manchester NH at around 1:30 or so; hope the finder enjoys it!

*** Released as part of the 2015 Keep Them Moving release challenge. ***

Journal Entry 4 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, June 3, 2016
I stopped by the geocache again today to swap some trackables, and found the book still there - in decent shape, but as it had been there so long with no takers I decided to reclaim it and release it somewhere else.

Released 7 yrs ago (6/30/2016 UTC) at Vermont geocache (see notes for details) in -- Geocaches, Vermont USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in the Leaf Peeper: TB Hotel Exit 3 near Royalton VT; hope the finder enjoys it!

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