Katy books

Im reading some of the Katy books by Susan Coolidge. They are set in the USA, about a widowed doctor who has 6 children, in a small town in the West. Katy is the eldest, rather harum scarum and thoughtless but warm hearted. She has 3 sisters, Clover, Elsie and the boyish Johnnie (Johanna). There are 2 brothers. Katy and the children are looked after by Aunt Izzie, the doctor's sister who is kind but strict... Katy has a fall one day from a swing, having been told not to play on it. She did not know that it needed mending and was not safe and she has a bad fall that jars her spine. She is told that she may never walk again and that to have some chance of recovery, she will have to lie in bed and rest. She is utterly miserable, but receives a visit from a cousin, Cousin Helen, who also has a back injury that has left her crippled. Helen persuades her that she may recover if she does what the doctor tells her and tries to make a life for herself. She is only 12, and Helen tells her to keep up with her school work, and not neglect her education. Katy tries to follow Helen's advice.... but then Aunt Izzie dies.

Sylvia's Lovers Part III

Sylvia becomes pregnant and has a daughter, whom she calls Isabella after her mother. But soon after the birth, she learns that Philip lied to her about Charlie, letting her think he had left her, when he had been press ganged. She reacts violently and cannot forgive her husband, somewhat like Cathy in Wuthering Heights, and tells him she will never live as his wife again. Philip is shocked but is then overcome by remorse and leaves the town, ending up joining the army. Sylvia is relieved in some ways, but she gradually realises that while Philip was very much in the wrong, she should try and forgive him. Her impassioned emotions become calmer and she tries to accept the limitations of being a town based wife. Philip makes the best of Army life, though he is not naturally cut out for it. He is injured and sent home and manages to get a place in a charity for old soldiers. However, in a short time he decides he must go back home and ask forgiveness of his wife. Sylvia by now is prosperous and busy with looking after her daughter Bella. She is startled when one day a young well to do woman comes into the shop and she finds that this lady is Charlie Kincaid's wife. He has become an officer in the military and has gone up in the world, marrying a girl with some money. She thinks that Philip would not have found consolation and married another woman in the way that Charlie did. Philip, having been lucky enough to get a place in an almshouse, throws it up to go to Monkshaven. He rescues Bella, his daughter from a drowning accident and Sylvia goes to see him and forgives him. He dies, impoverished and lonely but he has put things right as best he could. Sylvia rears her daughter but she dies young. Bella goes to America. the story ends sadly, but both Philip and Sylvia have grown and matured. However, Sylvia has never adjusted to the constraints of living in a town as a woman after the busier healthier more active life she had lived on the farm. Gaskell noted this, that as women rose in the world they often found that their activities were more limited, especially during the Victorian era.

Beds and Blue Jeans, story on Amazon

This is a long novella, avaiable on Amazon. It is set in the early 2000s' a few years ago, and its about the music business in Nashville. Sam is a bar singer, who makes a living just about, singing in the bars. He has a girlfriend, Pattie who has moved in with him when she became pregnant, but their relationship is not working out too well. Over time, Pattie grows up a bit, and Sam who has been unfaithful to her and irritated by her, comes to understand her better.

Sylvia's Lovers Part II

Bell Robson, who is a sensible quiet woman, very unlike her violently emotional husband, leans on Sylvia. Daniel is hanged for his part in the riot. Bell is changed by the experience and becomes ill and mentally damaged. Philip wants to marry Sylvia, but she knows she does not love him. However, Charlie Kincaid has disappeared. Philip knows that he's been taken by the Press Gang, but he does not tell Sylvia. She decides to marry her cousin to have some security and help looking after her mother. Sylvia's marriage does not go well from the start. He finds her very emotional; she is angry with the people who betrayed her father, and cannot find it in her heart to forgive them whereas Philip is shocked at this unchristian attitude. She also finds living in a town frustrating. She is used to a more outdoors life, where she was kept busy with dairy work, spinning, and housework and now she has little to do and has to dress up formally to go outside. Hester, a relative of Philip's is in love with him but she is kind to Sylvia and Bell... she works in the shop as well. Sylvia tries to adjust to married life but she and Philip find it hard to have any common ground.

Sylvia's Lovers Part I

Sylvia's Lovers is Elizabeth Gaskell's fifth novel and she said it was a very sad story. It is unusual in that it is about working people rather than the gentry or middle class like most novels up to that time. It also has characters who are very passionate and emotional, something akin to the characters in Wuthering Heights. Sylvia Robson, the heroine is a farmer's daughter. She has never learned to read or write, and she is hot tempered. She is happy with the work of the home and farm. Her mother Bell tries to persuade her to learn a little more, but she is not interested in books. She is unusual for a Victorian heroine in her class position and lack of the ladylike refinements. To please her mother, she does take some lessons. The book is set in the Napoleonic Wars and Sylvia falls in love with a young man who works on a whaling ship. Her father had a similar job before he gave up the sea and became a farmer. Sylvia has a cousin, Philip, who works in a cloth selling business in the town, (based on Whitby). He is a prim and proper young man, he works for a Quaker family, and is more like Edgar Linton. Sylvia finds him rather dull and is irritated when her mother persuades her to learn reading and writing properly, being taught by Philip. Sylvia meets Charlie Kincaid, the whaler, and is attracted to him and does not notice that Philip is falling deeply in love with her. The story was originally called Philip's Idol as the theme is about making an idol of a person. The press gang come to the town in search of men to work in the Navy and take in some men who have just come off a whaling ship. Daniel Robson leads a riot to try and free the men, and he is arrested.

Poldark Novels XII

By now, in 1820, the news is that the old mad King is dying, and can't last much longer. The Prince Regent is also ill and it's not clear if he will outlive his father. Clowance and Edward plan a quiet wedding. She does not love him as she did Stephen but she knows he is an honest decent man and he loves her. They think of building a house in Cornwall. She has been managing Stephen's small shipping line in Penryn but she will now be more comfortable financially. Bella slowly recovers from her illness but she begins to realise that her voice is much weaker and she fears that she cannot sing opera any more. Christopher tries to reassure her but she is very upset because she has come to love the life of the theatre. She has just had one success and now it seems to be over. Christopher is now working for Rothschild's bank, after a few years in the army, but he keeps up his interest in the theatre and wants to nurture Bella's talent. Ross tries to make peace with George Warleggan who has been injured in an accident, falling into one of the many holes in the area, and only being rescued because Harriet's dogs find him. However, George refuses to accept his overtures. Selina visits Cornwall and Valentine snatches his son away from her, but George Senior is on Selina's side and hires a lawyer to get the child back legally. Valentine believes he will be able to get custody of the boy, and he has cut down his drinking and wenching but his ape Butto, accidentally sets fire to his quarters and the house goes up. Ross who lives nearby, goes to the rescue and he and the servants get little George out, but Valentine insists on going back after Butto. Ross goes back into the house, but Valentine is dead, and Ross himself suffers from smoke inhalation. Ross feels some grief about Valentine's death and wishes he could have saved him. Demelza tries to accept that he has these feelings, and that although he loves young Harry, he will always feel something for Valentine. Bella gets an offer to play Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet, and she is a success. We learn that although she never sings opera any more, she can still sing and her acting will in the future be a great success. She and the family go home to Cornwall to prepare for her wedding.

Rough Music By Nadine Sutton

Rough Music is a long novella, about a country rock band. Its based loosely on the history of several country acts back in the 1960s and 70s. Its set in the late 1970s and is about an American band who are on the way up. The 2 lead singers Jeff Randles and Brandon, are both unfaithful husbands, and they try to make compromises between doing good work and making money..They used to be a bar band but are now enjoying some success on TV and at the Opry but they are always trying to make real music and they also want to help people. But the price of success and fame is a lot of touring and it means that they seek solace in sleeping around and taking drugs. Jeff Randles then finds that a one night stand has consequences and that his marriage is on the rocks. He and Brandon do their best to cope with married life, and being music stars, and travelling all the time. The novella is available on Amazon