The Bird in The Tree; The Herb of Grace; Roverandom

 It is helpful for me to write down my thoughts after I have finished reading a book for when I do so I  tend to remember the book better. These book reviews are an aid to my memory and if they encourage my friends to read, I won't be upset. I am happy to loan my Goudge copies out!


The Bird in The Tree, Elizabeth Goudge 

What is truth? 

 The Eliot series connects goodness, truth, and beauty together so masterfully that you could read the books and not even realize that these themes run so prominently throughout the books. In Goudge's captivating first book, Lucilla, the matriarch of the family, must confess her secret story of love and loss to save David and Nadine from an infatuation that threatens to be detrimental to the peace of her family. Can something really be true, if it is not good? And how will the truth work in the lives of Lucilla's loved ones? I really Enjoyed David and Lucilla's relationship in this book, and I thought that his search for truth was compelling and human. Truth, goodness, and beauty can be classified as "transcendentals," or properties of being that exist in a transcendental state of reality, yet are universally woven into the fabric of the material world. Going all the way back to Plato, Aristotle, and Thomas Aquinas, these properties have been revered (among others) for their fundamental worthiness. Goudge explores their power in her novels; which fact leads me to....


The Herb of Grace, Elizabeth Goudge

This book begins by introducing the reader to a new character, Sally. Instantly endearing, she invites the reader to deduce how this girl might fit in with the Eliot family and our imaginations are simultaneously challenged and delighted as we enter into the story. Two children have been added to George and Nadine's flock, Josephine and Jerry: twins, almost Dickensian in their huge personalities. Nadine's life is trying her (the twins most unrelentingly) and she is desperate for a change. Through the course of events a large, old, decorative inn becomes a place of comfort for the Eliot family - The Herb of Grace. Slowly, the Herb of Grace becomes a boon of health and happiness for not just George and Nadine's family, but a place where the whole community can be transported by its goodness. 


Roverandom, JRR Tolkien

"Once upon a time there was a little dog, and his name was Rover." This is a rollicking tale of a dog who, at the beginning of his story, has an unfortunate run in with a wizard. He goes on to many adventures and meets two additional wizards who are more kindly disposed towards him. Finally, he must make things right with the first wizard before he can be reunited with his family and things be brought back to rights again. I thought the inclusion of exactly three wizards was likely intentional. Also, his travels through the heavens, the earth, and the deep. But there is no seriousness surrounding this story; it is a story full of laughs and 100% improbable (impossible?) situations. It is a fairy tale placed in the time that it was written, and it is both enchanting and hilarious. One of our favorite read alouds so far!! 




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