In hearts at peace, under an English heaven
As it does every year on the second Sunday of November, the loudest silence will take place tomorrow at 11am. For two minutes a stillness and calm will cloak the country in remembrance, thoughts will not be of ourselves, but for others who went before us to fight for, and preserve, our liberties. As we move further away from living memory of the second world war, the act of remembering what standing up for good versus evil means will become harder and harder. These shores have mostly enjoyed a peace for the last eighty or so years, remembrance is much of what preserves that peace. These Sundays in November are part of our national fabric, part of our character, an essential part of our history – forget our history, and trouble that way lies.
Up the road at Stowe Gardens there’s a remarkable display of remembrance – ‘For Your Tomorrow’ – everyone who has spoken to me about it has been bowled over by its impact. There are details HERE.
The Soldier by Rupert Brooke
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam;
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
This week, our top fiction pick, Conclave by Robert Harris, tells a different story of democracy than what we’ve seen in recent days. The Pope is dead, so the most secretive election is about to take place within the Sistine Chapel. Ambition, religion, and power collide in a gripping tale about the holy men. And in non-fiction, one of the most loved dogs on television exposes the antics going on behind the scenes of Mortimer and Whitehouse’s Gone Fishing. From shelter pup to stardom, this is Ted’s view of the world, and he even throws in some wisdom about how we can all make it a better place.
The fiction shelves are packed with plenty of witty and intriguing novels to entertain on the darker nights. If you want politics without the heavy reality, Jonathan Coe’s new novel The Proof of my Innocence, pokes fun at the institutions ruling the country. As Chris tries to uncover an extreme think-tank founded in the 1980s, things take a turn and lead to a murder enquiry. And John O’Farrell’s Family Politics is a comedic take on division, as two left-leaning parents reel from the news that their son is a Conservative. The Trunk by Kim Ryeo-Ryeong is a feminist thriller with a hint of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. In this translated fiction, a secretive marriage division offers women for marriage without love attached, and when one of Inji’s previous husbands asks for her again, the dark underbelly of the service unravels. For pure escapism, the sequel Return to the Dallergut Dream Department Store follows Penny a year into her work in the Dream Department. She’s learning that not everyone is satisfied with the dreams they are given, and now she is understanding their deepest desires.
In non-fiction, BBC Radio 4 celebrates 100 years of The Shipping Forecast, the programme that appeals to sea-loving Brits. This edition explores maritime history, fishing boats, battleships, and even poems inspired by the forecast. David Attenborough’s The Life of Birds is out in paperback and fully updated with the latest discoveries in ornithology; this year’s best parodies and cartoons are collected in The Private Eye Annual 2024; and Radicals, Rebels and Royals combines two of our great loves: history and a visit to the pub. In this illustrated compendium of British boozers, there are tales of football, pirates, and much more!
In YA, Elle McNicoll’s small-town romance, Some Like it Cold, is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman. In this charming story, Jasper might just find a reason to stay in her home town with budding film-maker Arthur. And for little ones, Tomos Roberts’ rhyming poem, Alive with Poppies, will help a younger generation understand the importance of Remembrance Sunday.
As always, if you want anything ordering in, do let us know!
From Sophie
The full newsletter with linkd to books – including this week’s Signed Editions – can be found HERE
