In Pious Memory

by Margery Sharp

Arthur Prelude, the international banking expert, has died in a plane crash. His devoted wife, who always sat in the tail of the plane (she'd heard it was safer), escaped the disaster with a mere shaking up. After hastily identifying the remains, Mrs. Prelude returns home to England for the funeral and the reading of the will. And that, one might assume, should be the end of things.

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Margery Sharp was born Clara Margery Melita Sharp in Salisbury. She spent part of her childhood in Malta.

Sharp wrote 26 novels, 14 children's stories, 4 plays, 2 mysteries and many short stories. She is best known for her series of children's books about a little white mouse named Miss Bianca and her companion, Bernard. Two Disney films have been made based on them, called The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under.

In 1938, she married Major Geoffrey Castle, an aeronautical engineer.

Reviews

[notgettingenough · Rating 2 out of 5]

I discover as I wend my way through Sharp's books, that she has her bad ones. This is too thin by any stretch. It's not an absolute stinker, but it's hard to recommend it. Those who are compelled, as I seem to be, to read the lot will, nobody else should.

I love the way Sharp uses the vocabulary of the day, reading any Sharp is to discover new words.

Latch-lifter (page 97)

? - damn it, I've lost the other one.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure Sharp genius.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margery Sharp was well-named. She was very sharp! Wonderful writer with style reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse, Georgette Heyer and others of that scintillating ilk. This was a kind-hearted but no-holds-barred, fast-paced satire on the human ability fool selves and others. Delightful, deluded characters. I look forward to reading more Margery Sharp!