Is it summer? Is it autumn? Is it winter? The weather in the UK this week is very unsure on that point, and so am I. But the windows are still open, and the blankets are out, so I’m making the best of fresh air and cosiness. The perfect reading weather. And perhaps the perfect weather to enjoy a book, a blog post, and a link…
1.) The book – I’ve never read Celia Dale, but I’ve heard great things and I totally trust the combination of (a) Daunt Books and (b) novelist Jenn Ashworth, who has written the introduction. I’m going to copy across a big chunk of the description from the Daunt Books website, because doesn’t this sound wonderful?
Middle-aged Josh and Maisie Evans lead an unremarkable, unassuming life. When Auntie Flo, who has lived with them for years, dies and leaves them her Estate, they head to Italy on holiday, to take in the sea air and let the sun soak into their bones. It’s there they meet Mrs Fingal. A wealthy widow, she lives with her grown-up niece Lena and it’s pretty clear that neither is happy with the situation. So when Josh and Maisie bond with Mrs Fingal, over ice-cream and gentle toddles, it’s only natural that they all decide she should must move in with them once home. It suits everyone.
Beneath the suburban respectability of cups of tea and genteel chitchat, however, emerges a different tale: one of ruthless greed and exploitation, and suffocating, skin-crawling terror.
2.) The link – the forthcoming film of Paul Gallico’s Flowers For Mrs Harris (aka Mrs Harris Goes To Paris) has led to the Guardian doing a list of ten books about cleaners. I’ve read three (Ibbotson, Stockett, Gallico) and haven’t heard of the other seven. I’m also struggling to think of any to add to the list? Unless we encompass domestic servants, then obviously there are dozens.
3.) The blog post – I’m not sure I’ve ever used this slot to link to Captive Reader’s Library Loot, so let’s do that. And scroll back through a few others – she always has such an interesting selection. I seldom use the library (basically just for book group books) because I have so many books unread on my shelves, but I try to go and chance my luck on something new every few months. (The most recent was a Bryan Washington novel – I was very grateful that I hadn’t bought it, because I gave up after a few pages when I discovered there were no speech marks.)
Hi Simon,
I can think of a couple of other books about cleaning women:
The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in Death, Decay & Disaster
by Sarah Krasnostein (it had great reviews, but I didn’t much like it)
The Cleaner of Chartres
by Sally Vickers (on my TBR pile)
My favourite domestic servant is Matchett from The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen.
Cheers,
Gillian
I haven’t heard of that Vickers! I didn’t love my first read by her, but would be willing to try another.
I’ve read Nickled and Dimed but it’s not all about cleaning as far as I recall. And The Help and Mrs ‘Arris but not the Ibbotson.
I did a thing where I sent money to the Gay’s the Word bookshop in London, answered some questions and they sent a mystery book – which was one about a crime scene cleaner (might be the one mentioned above). I had said I like reading about people’s lives that are different from mine but didn’t like horrible content so a slightly odd choice!
Oh that is a very weird choice, given those restrictions!
How timely! I’ve just reviewed A Helping Hand on my blog, and I have to say that it’s a superb domestic noir. So cleverly crafted (the dialogue is particularly good) and utterly chilling in its depiction of Maisie and John’s strategy. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Definitely a book I think you will appreciate!
Oo perfect timing! I’ll go and check out your thoughts
Celia Dale sounds wonderful; she’s an immediate addition to my domestic noir list. I, too, saw the Guardian’s list of books about cleaners, most of which were unfamiliar to me. The exception: Nita Prose’s “The Maid,” which I’ve been meaning to read for some time.
Any good suggestions for domestic noir books I should seek out?
Thank you for this stimulating post and interesting links. Would you count the concierge in The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry as making that a book about cleaners?
Thanks Sarah! That was the only one that came to my mind, but it’s been so long since I read it that I don’t remember if she does any cleaning…
I had to laugh about you giving up on a book for having no speech marks. I know it’s a big bugbear for a lot of people, which prompted me to write an article about that style of reporting dialogue when I reviewed Memorial: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/btb/index.cfm/ref/pr267392
As you say, it’s great to use the library for trying out new authors so that you don’t feel you’ve wasted your money if you buy a book but don’t end up getting on with it.
I wracked my brain for books about cleaners and came up with a good few.
NF: Maid by Stephanie Land
(The Trauma Cleaner, already mentioned above, was great — it was our shadow panel winner for the Wellcome Book Prize.)
Fiction:
Ghosted by Jenn Ashworth
Pretend I’m Dead (and a sequel) by Jen Beagin — I DNFed this
Marlena by Julie Buntin
Indelicacy by Amina Cain
An Advent Calendar by Shena Mackay
The Bitch by Pilar Quintana
& 1 story each in the collections Dance Move by Wendy Erskine, Hearts & Bones by Niamh Mulvey, and Playing Sardines by Michele Roberts.