My Impression: This is one of my favorite books by Stevenson and was the perfect comfort read on a chilly night, as it offers a school story, which you know I love – told from the perspective of the headmistress – and a picturesque Scottish setting, the MacRynnes’ beloved island home, Targ. Both venues are full of quirky, memorable characters. Charlotte is accomplished and admired but she is in the wrong job – although St. Elizabeth’s is a highly regarded school (attended by several people from other DES books), it is isolated and after a bleak adolescence she would have been better off as an academic at Oxford or Cambridge, where there would have been plenty of companionship.
One of Charlotte's few social events is when she is invited to join a coronation party hosted by the head of St. Elizabeth’s Board of Governors who booked a London hotel room on the course of the festivities. I thought this was particularly interesting because most of Stevenson’s books do not have so specific a timeframe and, of course, because the next coronation did not take place until 2023! However, the spiteful teacher not chosen to be headmistress tricked Charlotte into missing the train, so both Charlotte and I were disappointed not to see Queen Elizabeth’s procession!
Fortunately, an encounter with Tessa MacRynne, whose American (yes, blame us) mother was not happy living on an isolated island and has left her handsome laird husband, gets Charlotte involved with the girl and her father. Then Tessa coaxes Charlotte to visit Scotland during the summer holidays:
“It was just that I did want you to see Targ,” added Tessa. “It is so beautiful; I know you’d love it.”The book consists of two sections – St. Elizabeth’s and Blow the Wind Southerly, which Tessa sings to Charlotte as they sail to Targ from the mainland. It is inevitable that Charlotte and Rory MacRynne will fall in love (that divorce came through very quickly!) but Stevenson comes up with a few wrinkles to keep the reader guessing. The book is full of the quiet charm for which Stevenson was known.
“Yes, I’m sure I should,” said Charlotte. She hesitated. She had heard so much about Targ. Why shouldn’t I go? she thought.
“Oh, Miss Fairlie, you’re thinking about it!” cried Tessa. “Oh, Miss Fairlie, please come – even just for a fortnight.”
“But are you sure you want me? And what about your father?”
“You’ll come!” cried her prospective hostess joyously. “Oh, Miss Fairlie, how absolutely gorgeous!”
“But your father may not want me –”
“Of course he will. He said I could ask a friend.”
“I expect he meant a girl,” said Charlotte, alarmed at the idea of being foisted upon the Lord of the Isles against his wishes.
If you have read this one, is it also a favorite? If not, do you have a favorite DES book? I am rereading them all, one by one.
Title: Charlotte Fairlie
Author: D.E. Stevenson
Publication: Collins, hardcover, 1954
Genre: Fiction
Source: Personal copy. My book is a hardcover second printing that came from Melbourne but Charlotte Fairlie is now back in print from Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean Street Press.
Publication: Collins, hardcover, 1954
Genre: Fiction
Source: Personal copy. My book is a hardcover second printing that came from Melbourne but Charlotte Fairlie is now back in print from Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean Street Press.
10 comments:
I do love this novel, but I enjoy almost all of D. E. Stevenson's novels. One thing to note: In the US this novel was published using alternate titles, with the original US hardback being titled Blow the Wind Southerly and the Ace paperback edition using The Enchanted Isle, so if any of you find the story familiar but the title less so, this fact might explain.
I struggle to select a very top favorite by D. E. Stevenson, it depends on what I have read recently and my frame of mind. Spring Magic is a delight from the early days of WWII. Five Windows I value as an example of DES getting into the mind of a young boy/man. The English Air is as firmly set in time as Charlotte Fairlie, the final scene (and her finishing the manuscript) taking place Feb 29, 1940. The Miss Buncle Books are so very funny, and the Mrs Tim books show glimpses of parts of the author's life. If I am not careful I will go through the list!
That's true, Jerri. I meant to mention all the alternate titles because it can be so annoying to buy a book one already owns! When I worked in publishing, I always tried to discourage my colleagues from doing this but sometimes it was because they thought a title was "too British" and sometimes because a book had not done well in hardcover and they wanted to rebrand it (sneaky). Once it was because there were two other books coming out at the same time with an almost identical title.
I enjoyed reading this fairly recently and have enjoyed most of her books all bar the odd one or two.
Although there are several I've not read due to them being a silly price second-hand.
DES's novels are much more affordable than they used to be, especially for those who can read eBooks, all but a few of the novels that were published after her death from manuscripts "found in the attic" are out in eBook format, most of them at very low prices. Even the ones that are more expensive (the price usually depends on the publisher) go on sale from time to time.
What a charming novel this sounds to be!
I have read two D.E. Stevenson's, and loved both, so I guess I'd read many more in future.
Just marked this one on my Everand. I think I'll be tempted to read another Stevenson's very soon! ;)
Yes, I read this 10 years ago (time flies) and loved it. Brief review here:
http://read-warbler.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-mixed-bag.html
I think Spring Magic is my favourite, probably because of its Scottish wartime setting.
This one is firmly in the "good" DES category for me - well above her weaker books but not as memorable as her best. My favourites are The English Air, Five Windows, and the Mrs Tim books, closely followed by Green Money, Listening Valley, and Sarah Morris Remembers.
I've only read one thing by her, but I want to read more. This sounds good.
The setting seems terrific ... with a little parent trap kind of story lol. Setting up your school's headmistress with your father. Hmm tricky. I don't know of DE Stevenson ... so thx for the intro. She lived all the way to 1973! I know her relative R.L.
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