This is my first time of reading The Scent of Water and I have heard many good things about it. Reading all the comments here makes me look forward to it even more. I currently have an old paperback copy, in which I will be happy to underline and make notes, but am keeping a look out for a more attractive copy for my growing Goudge collection.
I am going to try and read with you! I have read it for the third time in the last few months but I do feel the need to read it again and underline and highlight!
I am very happy to be invited to be part of the Elizabeth Goudge Book Club. The only book that I have read by her is "My God and My All". It is one if my favorite books. Has anyone else read it? I am looking forward to a year of reading her novels.
Hello Leslie! So glad to have you hear with us! Yes, I’ve read her St Francis book a few times and was so affected after my first reading that I make a St Francis garden at our home! (You can see that on my other publication @JulieWitmerGardens on Substack.)
We read the St Francis book together for Goudge Readalong for Lent 2023 last year, and read her narrative of Christ this year, which you might also really enjoy. There are posts here from March about that one. So glad you found us! You will love The Scent of Water, which is about two Mary’s and begins in the month of May. 🌿📖☺️
I've never read Goudge except for Little White Horse (which I read to my daughter) and a few of the short stories. I was planning to read Scent of Water after finishing my previous book, so I was delighted to find that it will be the read-along book for May. Look forward to joining the discussion.
So glad you can join us!! We will be reading The Little White Horse together in June, and another of her children's books, The Linnets & Valerians, in July.
There is one live zoom book discussion at the end of each month. There is plenty of discussion that happens here in the comments each week. If you take a look at the posts from any month since October, you will see that we have usually about 2 posts per week on the book as we go, and then a live zoom at the end of the month. I divide the book roughly in quarters for each week for my planning, but most people read pretty flexibly so I have learned after five years of leading these Goudge readalongs to not stress about that too much. I will not give spoilers at the beginning of the month, but instead hold those details til the last few days when everyone has hopefully finished.
The book chat is not recorded, so that those of us who are talking in person can share freely, but I make a 20ish minute recording to summarize what we talk about so that if you can't make it you can join in by watching and commenting.
I will announce the day of the zoom in the intro post each month. In May, our zoom chat will be Wednesday May 29th at 3pm EST. We have people from the UK, US and Australia, so that time seems to work best overall.
Hope you can join us in May! Let me know if you have any more questions!
I’ve had it for several years so I do not remember the seller, but I can tel you that I found most of my collection by searching repeatedly over the years used books online - EBay, Abebooks, Thriftbooks, etc. Slow and steady is best for finding things.
I will be reading in May! This is (probably) my favorite Goudge novel. It's certainly the one I've read the most times. I so look forward to reading it in community.
Excited to have you here, Elaine! She is a wonderful author to dig into again. I was not lucky enough to read her when I was a child, but many do and come back decades later. Glad you can join us!
There is such a wonderful Christmas scene in this book! So true. It is always the references to "new life" that get me, whatever season she is talking about. Glad you can join us! :)
This is one of my favorite books of all time. At age 70 and being an avid reader, that says a lot! I reread it periodically and it has been on my heart to read it yet again. Perfect timing!
My all-time favorite Goudge novel! I turn to it whenever I feel anxious or my heart is grieving, and it never fails to provide a balm for my soul. So much spiritual and temporal truth, beauty and goodness here ❤️🙏
Sigh, I just read this for the first time and Oh, what a treat. I sense it could become a top favourite of mine and a re-read following Sarah Clarkson’s talk on it is on the cards. Happy reading everyone 📕
Wow, so happy for you to go through it the first time! Nothing like a first time Goudge read - but I have come to love the second reading even better as it opens things up for me a bit more. It is such a feast. Love to have you along if you have the time in May, Jacqui!
It was so good to listen to Sarah and also chat with others about this novel. I have read it a few times now and it simply gets more powerful each time. Simply beautiful.
Very exciting, Carol! I am so happy for you. I think you will not be disappointed as this one has so many beautiful passages about the natural world and gardens. 🌿
Ah, my favorite Goudge! Wouldn't miss it. My mom shared the "little things" passage with me when I was a little girl and I grew up to read the whole book as a young adult... and to read it again in middle age and now I get to read it again as an old woman... really looking forward to this!! So grateful.
Yay, so glad you can join us, Jeanne! Those are such beautiful memories. Looking forward to sharing our collections/stories of little things with each other in May :) 🌿
This is my first time of reading The Scent of Water and I have heard many good things about it. Reading all the comments here makes me look forward to it even more. I currently have an old paperback copy, in which I will be happy to underline and make notes, but am keeping a look out for a more attractive copy for my growing Goudge collection.
Glad you can join us, Joy! It is a wonderful book.
I am going to try and read with you! I have read it for the third time in the last few months but I do feel the need to read it again and underline and highlight!
Wonderful! I did that one year - I believe in 2020 - and it was a beautiful way to really let it soak in. So glad you can join us! 🌿📖☺️
I am very happy to be invited to be part of the Elizabeth Goudge Book Club. The only book that I have read by her is "My God and My All". It is one if my favorite books. Has anyone else read it? I am looking forward to a year of reading her novels.
Hello Leslie! So glad to have you hear with us! Yes, I’ve read her St Francis book a few times and was so affected after my first reading that I make a St Francis garden at our home! (You can see that on my other publication @JulieWitmerGardens on Substack.)
We read the St Francis book together for Goudge Readalong for Lent 2023 last year, and read her narrative of Christ this year, which you might also really enjoy. There are posts here from March about that one. So glad you found us! You will love The Scent of Water, which is about two Mary’s and begins in the month of May. 🌿📖☺️
This will be a re-read for me after quite a few years. I'm very much looking forward to rediscovering it again.
Wonderful! Glad you can join us!
I've never read Goudge except for Little White Horse (which I read to my daughter) and a few of the short stories. I was planning to read Scent of Water after finishing my previous book, so I was delighted to find that it will be the read-along book for May. Look forward to joining the discussion.
So glad you can join us!! We will be reading The Little White Horse together in June, and another of her children's books, The Linnets & Valerians, in July.
When is the first live discussion, and how many chapters will it cover?
There is one live zoom book discussion at the end of each month. There is plenty of discussion that happens here in the comments each week. If you take a look at the posts from any month since October, you will see that we have usually about 2 posts per week on the book as we go, and then a live zoom at the end of the month. I divide the book roughly in quarters for each week for my planning, but most people read pretty flexibly so I have learned after five years of leading these Goudge readalongs to not stress about that too much. I will not give spoilers at the beginning of the month, but instead hold those details til the last few days when everyone has hopefully finished.
The book chat is not recorded, so that those of us who are talking in person can share freely, but I make a 20ish minute recording to summarize what we talk about so that if you can't make it you can join in by watching and commenting.
I will announce the day of the zoom in the intro post each month. In May, our zoom chat will be Wednesday May 29th at 3pm EST. We have people from the UK, US and Australia, so that time seems to work best overall.
Hope you can join us in May! Let me know if you have any more questions!
If you don’t mind, could you please share where you found the lovely copy shown at the top of your article?
I’ve had it for several years so I do not remember the seller, but I can tel you that I found most of my collection by searching repeatedly over the years used books online - EBay, Abebooks, Thriftbooks, etc. Slow and steady is best for finding things.
I will be reading in May! This is (probably) my favorite Goudge novel. It's certainly the one I've read the most times. I so look forward to reading it in community.
Glad to have you along! :)
Just found your bookclub and will be joining you in May. I read Scent of Water years ago--and now I'm just refinding Goudge.
Excited to have you here, Elaine! She is a wonderful author to dig into again. I was not lucky enough to read her when I was a child, but many do and come back decades later. Glad you can join us!
I did an Advent Read-Along on this one this past year. Looking forward to revisiting.
There is such a wonderful Christmas scene in this book! So true. It is always the references to "new life" that get me, whatever season she is talking about. Glad you can join us! :)
This is one of my favorite books of all time. At age 70 and being an avid reader, that says a lot! I reread it periodically and it has been on my heart to read it yet again. Perfect timing!
That is saying something! So glad you can join us, Susan!
Thanks. Me too ❤️
My all-time favorite Goudge novel! I turn to it whenever I feel anxious or my heart is grieving, and it never fails to provide a balm for my soul. So much spiritual and temporal truth, beauty and goodness here ❤️🙏
Yes, I feel the same. I remember reading and rereading it during 2020 🌿🌿🌿
Sigh, I just read this for the first time and Oh, what a treat. I sense it could become a top favourite of mine and a re-read following Sarah Clarkson’s talk on it is on the cards. Happy reading everyone 📕
Wow, so happy for you to go through it the first time! Nothing like a first time Goudge read - but I have come to love the second reading even better as it opens things up for me a bit more. It is such a feast. Love to have you along if you have the time in May, Jacqui!
I'll be following along for sure Julie, you bring out such depth and layering in her books which I'll look forward to X
It was so good to listen to Sarah and also chat with others about this novel. I have read it a few times now and it simply gets more powerful each time. Simply beautiful.
That sounds like such a lovely time! What a delight
I'll be reading it for the first time, and it is my first adult novel of hers to read! I'm an E.G. newbie!
Very exciting, Carol! I am so happy for you. I think you will not be disappointed as this one has so many beautiful passages about the natural world and gardens. 🌿
I will be reading it for the first time.
So exciting, Dawn! So glad you can join us! 🌿🌿🌿
An exceedingly meaningful book which I will enjoy sharing with others.
So thankful to have you here with us, Mary! Looking forward to chatting about it. 🌿
Ah, my favorite Goudge! Wouldn't miss it. My mom shared the "little things" passage with me when I was a little girl and I grew up to read the whole book as a young adult... and to read it again in middle age and now I get to read it again as an old woman... really looking forward to this!! So grateful.
Yay, so glad you can join us, Jeanne! Those are such beautiful memories. Looking forward to sharing our collections/stories of little things with each other in May :) 🌿