Apricot Sky by Ruby Ferguson is a delight! As Candia McWilliam says in her introduction to the new Dean Street Press/Furrowed Middlebrow edition (the book having first been published in 1952), "the plot of the novel is, simply, life, as lived by irresistible characters with humour, optimism, and affection". And of the writing, " [it's] a ballad in prose; the 'refrains' are singingly chromatic accounts, most often of weather, land or sea, [...] it's something like watching tweed being made, the bright threads combining to offer veracity to nature. She lays down colour with plein-air freshness and sincerity." She's spot-on about this funny, warm, light-hearted romance, the engaging story of a Highland family set just after the war.
White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector by Nicholas Royle is a quest narrative set in second-hand bookshops. It's about the collecting impulse, the 'completist' mentality, the thrill of discovery, and the quiet pleasure of mooching around among old books. In Nicholas Royle's case, the quarry is the white-spined Picador paperbacks published from the 1970s to the '90s, but whether you define the hunt as 'hobby' or 'obsession', it's a rich and lively account of the world of books, writers, writing, and how those things can shape and furnish a life.
Devorgilla Days by Kathleen Hart is aptly subtitled A Memoir of Hope and Healing. Kathleen outlines but doesn't dwell on the very tough times which led her to buy a small white "sugar cube" of a cottage in Scotland's 'book capital', Wigtown, but it's clear that her easy acceptance by the community there, the friendships she has made, and the new sense of purpose and joy in life that she has found in her adopted home are of especial value given what she's weathered. Her core message applies to anyone, whether they are experiencing rough water or plain sailing: "Have a go. It's fine once you're in." In other words, choose expansion over contraction, try something and see, and don't be afraid to start over. Kathleen will show you how.
