A Pink Front Door by Stella Gibbons was first published in 1959 ( a very good year!)
The pink front door belongs to a London house which is owned by a young couple Daisy and James, they have a small son generally known as ‘James Too’, but he doesn’t feature much in the story. Daisy is a rare person, she’s the first person that anyone who has ever met her seems to think of when they are in trouble and Daisy just can’t say ‘no’ to anyone. The result is that she spends most of her time trying to sort out problems for people that she hardly even knows. Her husband is getting really fed up being last in the queue for her time. It could be a dangerous situation for Daisy to be in – not that she realises it. James is also just too kind and polite, but he quietly resents being taken for granted.
There’s quite a cast of odd characters, people that probably only someone like Daisy would put up with.
I really enjoyed this one. It’s a shame that everything that she wrote seems to have been compared with Cold Comfort Farm, which has so many laugh out loud moments, but that was a one-off. This one is just as good, but very different. Just as all the loose threads were being tied up successfully at the end of the book there was for me an unexpected sadness which I wish the author hadn’t included, but I can see why she did.
I must say though that although I liked the character of Daisy, I don’t think I would have wanted her as a friend as in her determination to help people she didn’t mind ruthlessly using her acquaintances, even people she hadn’t seen for years, to foist her lame ducks onto them as fast as possible!
This book was reprinted by Dean Street Press fairly recently, but my copy is from 1959, a recent lucky find in an Edinburgh charity shop and it was published by Hodder and Stoughton.
I am often that person who gets stuck fixing all the problems! Someone suggested I remove the chair in my office so people would have to stand to complain (and leave faster) so I sympathize with Daisy! I also like this cover. CCF is the only one of Gibbons’ books I have read and I don’t remember it well. I have looked at some of the reprints of other titles but haven’t yet felt the urge.
Constance,
Oh no, I would be tempted to remove the chair I think! I really like the cover too, I would love to be able to poke around one of those Georgian London houses, if it wasin almost original condition, no walls removed and such. I’ve read quite a lot of her books now and liked them all although some more than others of course.
What a great find for you and I love the cover. I really enjoyed Cold Comfort Farm but I am not familiar with any of her other books. It’s great that so many of these lesser known female authors are being republished, but there’s nothing like having an older version.
Paula,
I love the cover too. I was really lucky to stumble across the book as I didn’t even realise that it existed. I think a lot of the older books are in better shape than much younger paperback versions, although I suppose it depends on the editions. I just prefer hardbacks. I hate creased spines and I’m always careful to avoid doing that, but it can be difficult especially with thicker books.