This is one which I downloaded free from girlebooks, I’ve been really keen on Elizabeth von Arnim for years, ever since I came across a beautiful leather bound and gilt edged copy of Elizabeth and her German Garden about 30 years ago in a second-hand bookshop in Glasgow. I had no idea if the book would be worth reading but externally it was a thing of beauty, it didn’t even have the author’s name on it but I took a chance on it. What luck, I devoured that book and the next one I found was The Enchanted April, another treasure. I’ve got a lot of her books now but In the Mountains was one which had eluded me.
I was a wee bit disappointed when I realised that it’s written in diary form, not really my favourite sort of reading but in the end I did enjoy it.
Most of her books are semi-autobiographical, this one is set in the Swiss mountains just after the Great War. The diarist, an English woman, has gone back to her Swiss chalet which she had vacated for the duration of the war. She’s troubled and heart-sore and hopes that her home in the mountains will cure her. Her melancholia would no doubt have fitted in with the feelings of many women at that time who had lost so many men to the war but we never find out what it is exactly which is troubling the writer.
When she finds two English widows walking about on the mountain on a day when she is feeling particularly lonely, she invites them to stay for tea and so begins a relationship with Dolly and Kitty who are sisters. They are also in emotional difficulties but keep very quiet about their problems.
In the Mountains has similarities with The Enchanted April and although it’s not as good, in my opinion anyway, it’s still well worth reading.
I’m so happy to find ebook versions of von Arnim available! I’ve downloaded this one as well.
Lisa,
I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the books on the girlebooks site and I’ll be downloading a lot more I’m sure.
Saw the movie Enchanted April a few years back,having no idea what it was about. Absolutely loved it. Will now buy both books. Thanks.
Lorraine,
If you can read a whole book from your computer (I find it too uncomfortable) then you can download the books for free. I download them onto my Kindle. I’m a real book person so I never thought that I would like a Kindle but I’m finding it great for getting out of print books and free books. The print is so much better too so it’s easier to read. Click on these links to get to the books for free, there are lots of others available. I hope you enjoy them – whether real books or ebooks.
http://girlebooks.com/ebook-catalog/elizabeth-von-arnim/in-the-mountains/
http://girlebooks.com/ebook-catalog/elizabeth-von-arnim/vera/
http://girlebooks.com/ebook-catalog/elizabeth-von-arnim/the-enchanted-april/
http://girlebooks.com/ebook-catalog/elizabeth-von-arnim/elizabeth-and-her-german-garden/
I have collected a few von Arnim books, including this one in digital form, but have still not read any! Jane at Fleur Fisher read this a few months ago and she liked it as well – would you start with this von Arnim or one of her others?
Anbolyn,
I think if I were you I would start with The Enchanted April and then maybe go on to Elizabeth and Her German Garden. I hope you enjoy them!
For some reason my email sent your last 6 notifications to the spam folder and I just found them there! I missed out on a lot!
Peggy Ann,
Spammed! I never check my spam before deleting it, I could be getting rid of all sorts.