The Heart of the Family: Week 2
Vital moments, happiness and "nothing happens" at the Herb of Grace
Journeying with the Eliots
We began our discussion about the visit to the Herb of Grace earlier this week: Trip to the Herb of Grace. We talked about chapter 7, which follows Sebastian in his first journey past the Hard, down the lane to the house, and into deep conversation with Hilary.
Today in the next three chapters, we have some comforting, shocking, and surprising moments with the Eliots:
Chapter 8 finds us in the cozy living kitchen with Caroline, Lucilla, and Jill.
Chapter 9 lets us in on a somewhat shocking conversation between Nadine and David.
Chapter 10 is all about Tommy, the twins, and Robin.
When “nothing happens” in Goudge
I’ve decided to pull out some significant moments from each chapter for discussion here, as we cannot cover it all. This is a great example of how Goudge manages to make so much happen in terms of character development while moving microscopically in plot. Nothing “happens” besides a few conversations—on a porch, in a kitchen, and out in the woods. And yet, no reader can help but have their heart opened to the different life journeys that play out in these chapters, especially after having loved/lived/endured with these characters for the previous seven hundred pages of the trilogy!
“It was (Lucilla’s) belief that for the children of many prayers, and all her grandchildren were that, the vital moments are always taken care of.
"We don't know what they are, of course," she said, opening her eyes.
"Yes, Milady? " inquired Jill with loving but anxious concern, for really her ladyship did come out with such odd remarks at times that one feared her great age might be telling at last upon the clearness of her mind.
"The moments in life that matter most to us," said Lucilla.
"We think something very important like getting jilted, for instance and perhaps some little thing that we hardly notice, such as reading a particular paragraph in a book at a particular moment, or something someone says to us matters much more.”
“Grandmother, how could anything matter more than getting jilted? " demanded Caroline. “Except, of course, getting married.”
"Getting married can be important," agreed Lucilla. "But not getting married can be just as important, and very often a great deal pleasanter.”
🍂 Elizabeth Goudge, The Heart of the Family, ch 8
Vital moments
Goudge introduces the idea of “vital moments” in chapter 8 during the cozy scene of Caroline, Lucilla, and Jill in the kitchen. They are preparing tea for the family, and we get a glimpse of Caroline’s thoughts, and then suddenly Lucilla is speaking hers right out.
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