It captured my heart.

Bit of a surprise last week.

Was chatting to Joan upstairs in the office and she said she had seen me in Good Housekeeping forum, now I probably wasn't really thinking, but I thought she meant there Face Book site that I follow and do occasionally comment on.

But no, she meant the printed magazine its self!!!!!

 

 

The FB site had asked us for our Favourite book of all time

Now, knowing my choice was going to get this much attention, I wish I had put a bit more detail regarding why I chose 'I captured a Castle' By Dodie Smith.

Most people know Dodie Smith as the author of '101 Dalmatians' but this book is a bit more grown up, probably aimed at a teenage audience, though a 1950s one as it was written in 1949.

 

It a love story/coming of age book, set in beautiful English country side in the 1930's and follows Cassandra and Rose dealing with their decline into gentile poverty while growing up with a very eccentric father and living in a ruined castle. It may be a little rose tinted, but to me its a duvet book, one that I want to wrap my self up in and escape into.

 

My mother introduced me to it when I was about 12, and I loved it straight away, I was a booky child, happiest when lost in my own imagination and this one just clicked.

Then back in 2010 by beloved Aunty Betsy passed away, she was married to my Mums brother and they were living back up in Yorkshire where my Mum grew up.  She was a worse bookaholic than me!  So awhile later my uncle asked to look through her books and see if there were any I would like.  I could have gone mad, but was flying, so could only take what I could carry......

So frustrating.

Then I found this, a first edition copy and inside were written both my Granny and my Mothers name and now it has mine too, and I treasure it more than you can believe.

So I love book because it is a gorgeous story, but also I love the emotional connection it gives me to two amazing women who are no longer with us.

Just as a last point 'I captured a castle' was made into a film back in 2003 staring Bill Nighy as their father, it was a good depiction of the book but I do think you should read it first.