
With thanks to the publisher for the ebook
It is probably not much of a surprise that after my last read – Three Women by Lisa Taddeo – I needed something totally different, by way of a palate cleanser, something I could rely on. I turned therefore to Dean Street Press, and the first of two of the new releases that Dean Street kindly sent me. The new batch are out in August – and this was one I had been especially looking forward to.
Miss Plum and Miss Penny is my first book by Dorothy Evelyn Smith – someone I had heard enough about from others to know I wanted to read, but whose books are difficult to find. Hooray therefore that Dean Street have re-issued this one, and The British Library women writers’ series will be bringing out another in a couple of months or so.
What I really enjoyed in this novel is that beneath the story of a spinster’s disrupted village household there are some dark undertones and a slightly subversive tone. I also rather liked the fact that in this late 1950s village – it isn’t all flower arranging and good works, but people actually sit and watch tv in the evenings – just like us! It also makes a rather fun companion to another Dean Street novel I reviewed recently – Not at Home – another story of household disruption.
This novel opens as Alison Penny wakes up on her fortieth birthday. She is a contented single woman, living with her long time faithful servant/companion/friend Ada. Ada is fiercely protective of Alison, and we get the impression that she would happily work for her for free. Alison has never married – and she is quite happy with the way her life has turned out – her one near miss was George – who her protective (controlling?) parents disapproved of and sent packing.
“Love isn’t safe. Love is a blinding flash in the dark. It is a leap over a cliff. It is a breathless dive to the bottom of the ocean…”
Now, each year on her birthday Alison receives a letter from George sent from which ever far flung corner of the globe he finds himself in. She looks forward to the letter – it is a tradition, part of the natural rhythm of her life. This year however, there is no letter from George, Ada is indignant on Alison’s behalf, but Alison tries hard to take it philosophically. She decides to go out, to have lunch and see a film.
Later, walking in the park near the duck pond, Alison sees a young woman in some obvious distress, and walks away to give her some privacy, however on glancing back she sees the woman appears to be about to throw herself into the duck pond. Alison acts at once, racing to drag the young women away from the water and back to the safety of dry land – where she immediately takes her in hand, making sure she is fed and dried off at the local YWCA. However, when the YWCA can’t take in the poor sad creature Alison decides she must take her home for a day or so, from where she will be able to help her back on her feet.
The young woman is Miss Plum; Miss Victoria Plum (don’t laugh she’s quite sensitive about her name), and once installed, she becomes surprisingly difficult to shift. Ada is certainly none too impressed with the resident of the spare room – Miss Plum, spends several days unwell in bed – looked after very well indeed by both Alison and Ada – although later, Alison is suspicious about just how well Victoria knows the house layout and whereabouts of things downstairs when she has been apparently bed ridden upstairs since her arrival.
“It was not until she was just on the verge of sleep that a sudden and rather frightening thought smote Alison.
Today was Miss Plum’s first day downstairs. How, then, had she been aware of the sofa bed in the breakfast room? How had she been able to lay hands with such unerring precision on teapot and tea caddy, milk, sugar and biscuits? How had she known where the spare hot-water bottles were kept?
The all too obvious answers sent her shrinking farther under the bedclothes.”
Victoria has soon got her feet well and truly under the table. Alison turns to two of her village friends for some advice on how best to ease her out of the house. They are Hubert, the local widowed vicar, and Stanley. Stanley is a man rather set in his ways, he has a very comfortable home, and is ministered to by the marvellous Mrs Platt. Both these men have considered whether they shouldn’t just marry Alison – though whether they would make her happy has never much entered their heads. While Stanley’s life is very much one of order, elegance and routine, Hubert is a man whose has never got over his wife’s death. His life is far from ordered, the main disruption in his life is his fourteen year old son Ronnie. Ronnie is particularly obnoxious and annoying in way teenagers can be at times. The fact of the matter is neither of Alison’s friends take her problem very seriously, and before anything much can be put into place, Alison falls ill with flu, just as Ada sprains her ankle. There is only one person therefore who can look after them both and she does so with obvious joy.
As Alison and Ada recover – more and more things seem to get in the way of getting Miss Plum out of the house. Christmas approaches, snow falls, and an unexpected visitor descends on the village. Meanwhile, Miss Plum manages to ingratiate her way into the life of the village – making quite an impression it seems on young Ronnie.
This was such a good read – I really appreciated that characters weren’t perfect and very relatable – not everything is tidied up in the traditional way. There is humour and pathos here, and I do love a story that isn’t as cosy as it may look from afar. Really looking forward to reading more by Dorothy Evelyn Smith soon.
Oh, how I long to be living in this world with its simple pleasures and relative freedom from the complexities of modern life. It sounds rather Pym-like in some respects, albeit with some darker, more subversive tones. How do you think it compares?
I think she compares with Pym quite well, certainly I think fans of Pym would enjoy this.
Because of your love of novels from the 1930s 40s and 50s, Ali, I have just started to explore this area myself. If you enjoy them so much, then they must be worth reading. I’ve just finished Barbara Pym’s Excellent Women and it is a small miracle.
So pleased to hear that. Barbara Pym is a miracle. If I didn’t have so many books I would re-read her more.
A lovely review Ali. I do like the sound of this. I shall keep a look out for it and for the British Library book.
Excellent, I will look out for your thoughts in the future.
Sounds lovely, Ali, and I love it when a seemingly straightforward book has those undertones. Good old British politeness does seem to have been something which got in the way of ousting those unwanted guests! 😀
Ha ha, yes, though Alison isn’t always that polite in her head. One section sees her wishing Miss Plum would be kidnapped and never heard of again.
I do like the sound of a ‘slightly subversive tone’.
Yes I imagine a little glint in the eye of the author.
Lovely review, Ali – I’m looking forward to re-reading this one. And to finding out what you think of O, The Brave Music in due course!
Thank you, I am very much looking forward to O, The Brave Music now.
This sounds very good. I like that it’s relatable and has a subversive streak. Such a dreadful idea to invite someone and then not be able to get rid of them.
Oh yes, awful. People seemed to go and stay with people in years past more than they do now.
I can’t read your review yet. My library actually had a copy and I’m reading it now!
Ooh good, hope you enjoy it.
I did! There hasn’t been one DSP book that I haven’t loved.
Oh good I’m so glad.
I loved this one and I really loved the ending. Certainly not the last of hers I’ll be reading, either, and you’re right, it makes an interesting pairing with Not at Home. So glad you enjoyed it, too!
I really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to reading more by her soon.
Selfishly, I am so thrilled to hear that you’ve enjoyed this one. It’s one I picked up second-hand at some point simply because i loved the cover, and now I know I have a treat in store for me. And a Christmas scene? Well, I’ll jot that down for December then. Woot.
Ooh yes, this will be a gorgeous read over Christmas. Lucky you to have an old copy with pretty cover.
These Dean Street Press books are so great! They sent me two as well… Miss Mole by E.H. Young, and A House in the Country by Ruth Adam. I only read Miss Mole, and my review will be published next week.
Miss Mole is fabulous, I read it several years ago, maybe time for a re-read. A House in the Country is very good, hope you enjoy it.
I really enjoyed O, the Brave Music so I’m looking forward to this one as well. I want to read so many of the Furrowed Middlebrow titles but I have so many unread books already! If I make progress on my TBR pile I will reward myself with some of these.
Glad to hear you rate O Brave Music. I know what you mean about DSP books, there are lots I still want to read too.
Great review Ali and this sounds very much in the spirit of Not at Home but very different. Adding it to my reading list 🙂
Yes it makes a pretty good pairing with Not at Home, though there are plenty of differences too. Hope you enjoy it.
Hi Ali: I was just browsing your blog, looking for your Stella Gibbons review, and discovered this treasure. By sheer chance, I’ve just started reading this novel and, although I’m not very far along, am enjoying it immensely. I will save your review until I finish, when I will thoroughly enjoy comparing our reactions!
This is my second Furrowed Middlebrow in a month (Table Two was my first) and I’m afraid I’m getting addicted — the stories and characters are engaging, the writing’s not bad and the atmosphere very attractive.
So glad you enjoyed this one too. Yes, Furrowed Middlebrow books are very addictive. Lots more of them to explore too.