This book was first published in 1987 and is another one from my 2011 Reading List, it was a very quick read at just 207 pages but I did enjoy it. I’ve got a feeling that I’ve read at least one other book by this author but it’s so long ago – pre kids, and I’m not absolutely sure.
Anyway, Claudia Hampton is in hospital and on her way out of this world, she’s elderly but has lived an eventful life. She was one of the very few female war correspondents in Egypt in World War II and the bulk of the book is Claudia looking back on her experiences of the western desert campaign in 1941. After the war she becomes well known as a writer of history books, but in the end it’s her own history which keeps her and the reader entertained.
She’s very ill and drifting in and out of consciousness, reliving her life and being interrupted now and again by various visitors and nurses. Along the way the reader meets all the people who have been important in Claudia’s life and witnesses the very strange relationship which she has with her brother Gordon.
As I said, I enjoyed this book but I’ve been quite brief with the details of the story because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else who might want to read it. I rarely read much in the way of blurb or introductions until I’ve finished reading a book, and I just turned to see what was said of this one, only to discover that just about the whole story is written in the inside flap! Why do they do that? I’m so glad that I didn’t read it beforehand.
Moan over – and I’ll be reading more by Penelope Lively in the future.
Hello Katrina – its been awhile, I had no internet access for 3 weeks!! It was awful! Radio 7 had a bunch of Daphne du Maurier books, I only got a chance to listen to September Tide, which I had not actually heard of. I have read Moon Tiger and loved it, have you read The Photograph?? I recommend it. I have yet to start Family Album, I bought it and forgot!
Michelle,
No internet access is horrible, it’s amazing how much my life seems to revolve around it nowadays. That must have held back your etsy thing then. For some reason I’ve only been listening to Radio 7 whilst doing the dinner dishes – what an exciting life I have! I must get back into the iplayer. I’ll track down The Photograph, my library probably has it. I wish I had taken notes of every book as I read it over the years. I’m sure I’ve read some of her books before but I’ll have to read the blurb to be reminded.