My very first Goudge-book was ‘Henrietta’s House’ (that is, the Dutch version ‘Henriette’s Droomhuis’). And like you said, that first book has a very special place in my heart. My mom had a Dutch collection of Goudge-books and I started my own collection. So whatever second-hand-sale we visited we were looking eagerly for an addition to our collections. Every book found was a treasure! It took many many years and the internet for me to discover that there were so many more books in English! My first English discovery was ‘The Scent of Water’. I very much wanted my mom to be able to read it and I started translating it into Dutch. When I had a few chapters ready, I shared them with her. She loved it / still loves it! The book is complete now but I keep rereading it for mistakes or better translations and every time I do so, I am moved (even to tears) because of the deep truths Elizabeth Goudge has worked into this book. So beautiful! (I hope one day to find a publisher willing to publish it…)
I'm surprised and disappointed that you left out of top picks, the book Linnets and Valerians, it is much superior to the Little White Horse, which I would assert is her worst writing: overly sentimental, cloying and saccharine.
That is certainly another of her children’s books that has some very fervent fans! 😊📚 I would love to hear: what is it that you enjoy most about Linnets and Valerian?
Thank you for asking. I think what make Linnets and Valerians the best children's book she wrote are also the same things that make The Dean's Watch the best adult's book. There is some sentimentality in both books but not excessive like The Little White Horse. The complexity of the characters, the mysteries revealed, and the weaving in of all the ancient folk wisdom (that we label "indigenous knowledge" here in the US when referring to the knowledge and wisdom of the American Indian cultures and which Western Botanists are starting to pay a lot of attention to - another topic entirely!) creates rich and interesting stories that never fail to bring us into a world gone by.
Thanks for sharing! I think it is a delightful book and we read it together last summer, along with TLWH. I know there are some people who find the folklore troubling in it, but I think taking it as a bit of a fairytale is helpful. You will love hearing that I actually got to drive over Dartmoor in April, and I am pretty sure that I spotted the village that Goudge had in mind for the story! I’m looking forward to sharing those photos with everyone next time we read it together. You will want to go take a look at all the setting photos from last year, as there are some beautiful views of the moor 📚❤️🌿
I am really surprised that any fans of Elizabeth Goudge could be troubled by the folklore. It infuses almost all of her writing.
It would be wonderful to see your photos! I have always had the hardest time imagining what the vicarage would look like, how it connects to the village square and how the Valerian mansion is nearby, before even understanding the tor and the hill!
Also I find the Dean's Watch and Linnets and Valerians to be free of the dense and dry prose in Green Dolphin Street and The White Witch, two other favorites of mine, but that I am no longer able to read because of the amount of work to get through all the very detailed images that don't seem to move the story forward.
My very first Goudge-book was ‘Henrietta’s House’ (that is, the Dutch version ‘Henriette’s Droomhuis’). And like you said, that first book has a very special place in my heart. My mom had a Dutch collection of Goudge-books and I started my own collection. So whatever second-hand-sale we visited we were looking eagerly for an addition to our collections. Every book found was a treasure! It took many many years and the internet for me to discover that there were so many more books in English! My first English discovery was ‘The Scent of Water’. I very much wanted my mom to be able to read it and I started translating it into Dutch. When I had a few chapters ready, I shared them with her. She loved it / still loves it! The book is complete now but I keep rereading it for mistakes or better translations and every time I do so, I am moved (even to tears) because of the deep truths Elizabeth Goudge has worked into this book. So beautiful! (I hope one day to find a publisher willing to publish it…)
What a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing it with us. Yes, I hope you find a publisher as it is such a powerful book!
This is a fantastic resource, thank you Julie! I started with The Scent of Water. I love to hear which books other Goudge lovers started with.
It is so interesting to hear how people get into Goudge. Glad you enjoy it too!
I'm surprised and disappointed that you left out of top picks, the book Linnets and Valerians, it is much superior to the Little White Horse, which I would assert is her worst writing: overly sentimental, cloying and saccharine.
NS
That is certainly another of her children’s books that has some very fervent fans! 😊📚 I would love to hear: what is it that you enjoy most about Linnets and Valerian?
Thank you for asking. I think what make Linnets and Valerians the best children's book she wrote are also the same things that make The Dean's Watch the best adult's book. There is some sentimentality in both books but not excessive like The Little White Horse. The complexity of the characters, the mysteries revealed, and the weaving in of all the ancient folk wisdom (that we label "indigenous knowledge" here in the US when referring to the knowledge and wisdom of the American Indian cultures and which Western Botanists are starting to pay a lot of attention to - another topic entirely!) creates rich and interesting stories that never fail to bring us into a world gone by.
Thanks for sharing! I think it is a delightful book and we read it together last summer, along with TLWH. I know there are some people who find the folklore troubling in it, but I think taking it as a bit of a fairytale is helpful. You will love hearing that I actually got to drive over Dartmoor in April, and I am pretty sure that I spotted the village that Goudge had in mind for the story! I’m looking forward to sharing those photos with everyone next time we read it together. You will want to go take a look at all the setting photos from last year, as there are some beautiful views of the moor 📚❤️🌿
I am really surprised that any fans of Elizabeth Goudge could be troubled by the folklore. It infuses almost all of her writing.
It would be wonderful to see your photos! I have always had the hardest time imagining what the vicarage would look like, how it connects to the village square and how the Valerian mansion is nearby, before even understanding the tor and the hill!
Also I find the Dean's Watch and Linnets and Valerians to be free of the dense and dry prose in Green Dolphin Street and The White Witch, two other favorites of mine, but that I am no longer able to read because of the amount of work to get through all the very detailed images that don't seem to move the story forward.