Pink Sugar

The Priorsford Trilogy #2

by O. Douglas

This book from the 1920s belongs squarely in the category of "domestic fiction", just like Barbara Pym or Miss Read. No major events happen, and much of the plot centers around the trials and tribulation of daily life. What made this book worth reading was the fact that these trials of tribulations reflect life in Scotland in the years after WWI

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Scotland, Romance, Humor, Historical Fiction, Historical

511 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

Born Anna Masterton Buchan, younger sister to the statesman & prolific novelist John Buchan. She began writing in 1911, and published 12 novels and a personal memoir of her brother before her death. Her novels are humorous domestic fiction, focusing on the lives of families in Scotland. Her autobiography was published posthumously, in 1960.

Reviews

[Gina House · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, the beauty of this book!! I loved it SO much! 😍❤️ I bookmarked at least 20 wonderfully cozy passages as I read—and it's a small book! This is hands-down my favorite O.Douglas book so far. I only wish I had read Penny Plain right before reading Pink Sugar...some of the characters from the first book in this trilogy were not quite fresh in my mind. But, even with that forgetfulness on my part, I absolutely fell in love with this wee Scottish novel about Kirsty Gilmour as she settles into her little cottage, named Little Phantasy, in the town of Muirburn (near Tweedside.)

A quote from Merren Strang: "I read a review the other day which began, 'This is a book about good, gentle, scrupulous people who live on the bright side of life.'" This is exactly how I feel about Pink Sugar. It's chock full of cozy descriptions (about food, clothing, nature, etc.), charming people (both good and bad) and simple, every day life in a small village in Scotland.

WHAT I LOVED MOST:
❤️ Kirsty herself (so thoughtful, motherly, sweet, kind and interesting)
❤️ Endless cozy descriptions
❤️ The warmth and loveliness of Little Phantasy
❤️ Bright, light, family-oriented tone (with a subtle romance)
❤️ Supportive little village community
❤️ Blanche Cunningham (Kirsty's fabulous friend, though she isn't in the story very much)

Although I chose this book for my Bookstagram Besties Facebook group for August (please join our group!), I was late starting the book and read most of it in early September. So, luckily, it fit in with Nora's (@pear.jelly on Instagram) Spinster September read-a-long. Yay!

I only wish I had an easier time reading the Scottish dialect sections (usually conversations between local servants/villages), but I hope that these will become effortless as time goes by. Otherwise, her novels are a JOY to snuggle down with at any time of day.

All I can say is that, the more O.Douglas books I read, the more I adore her writing and stories. Bundled with the fact that my pocket Nelson editions are extremely adorable and the perfect size to read from, I cannot be happy without an O.Douglas book by my bedside. Again, many, many thanks to Arpita (@bagfullofbooks on Instagram) for recommending this author to me! She is always the best vintage book inspiration!

Highly, highly recommended!!

(P.S. I'll do a full blog post about this book with all of my favorite quotes/sections before the end of September, so please check it out!)

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would put O. Douglas in the same category as Jan Karon -- pleasant domestic fiction. The challenging part of this particular title was the vast and incomprehensible swaths of Scots dialect. As an unrepentant subvocalizer, I had no idea how to pronounce much of that vocabulary. And I'm quite sure I'd not have known what to do with it even if I'd not been trying to pronounce it.

There was no one in the book very much like me, but I identified most with Rebecca, the plain old maid. When I had to stop reading yesterday morning with one chapter left to go, hers was the only story line that hadn't been wrapped up, and I knew it couldn't have the happy ending I'd've written. But it did have a happy ending, and probably one that was better than my idea.

Here's something I realized while I was reading this: I am a writer in books (a fine-line pen in a bright, contrasting color is my weapon of choice), and there were some things I would have marked in this book -- words to look up later (I really should keep a dictionary by my bed) and a few particularly pleasing lines -- but I cannot bring myself to write in a book this old (so old it preceded printing date notation conventions). Markings in books must be of the same vintage as the printing itself, or they will seem too much like vandalism. On that account, I think I prefer a newer, cheaper paperback over a lovelier, older, more valuable edition. On the other hand, the size (smaller than a mass market), shape, and feel of this printing were a treat in other ways, so I'm not complaining!

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pink Sugar is the third book in the Priorsford series by O. Douglas (pseudonym of Anna Masterson Buchan). Although I didn't like the second book very much, this one harkened back to the style and charm of Book One (Penny Plain) because of its rich vocabulary and many literary references (Shakespeare, the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress, the Brontës, Chesterton, Dickens, etc.)

I was enchanted with this light novel of Kirsty Gilmour and her bravery in tackling new goals and projects after the death of her stepmother. At thirty she considers herself a spinster and plans to spend her life investing in other people. Her desire to help others (her "pink sugar" attitude is that everyone should be happy) occasionally gets her into trouble. These troubles keep the book from becoming too saccharine.

I was charmed from start to finish.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

O Douglas is good for my soul. Her novels are so wholesome and she captures human nature so winsomely. This novel is no different and has a lovely lightness that is present even when O Douglas has her characters struggling or talking over serious things. Kirsty Gilmour is the heroine and she is Elizabeth-Bennet like in her effervescence. There is a minor note and smaller subplot with a character named Rebecca Brand. The contrast between Kirsty and Rebecca is so interesting, and I wasn’t sure how that would end but it was satisfying. I liked this slightly less than Penny Plain. I liked heroine Jean from PP a little more than Kirsty and I enjoyed the cast of characters more in PP on the whole. A standout character from this novel is Merran Strang, a perfect friend for Kirsty. There is a reference to Rose Macaulay with her novel Told By an Idiot, which was fun because I have that book on my shelves to read soon.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd book in the Priorsford series.

I am greatly enjoying reading my way through the novels of O. Douglas. She had an amazing gift for these homey domestic tales set in Scotland and her characters are written so vividly you truly come to care about them.

Interestingly, it's finally in this particular book I comprehend more fully why the author includes not only what is sweet in life, but what is sorrowful also. In previous reviews of her novels I had noted she seemed somewhat reluctant to provide a "happily ever after," however I get it now. She was writing what was true, the happy and the sad. Douglas had a real understanding of the nature of life, it being a mix of the mundane, the wonderful, the difficult. She wrote with an eye turned towards hearth and happiness but acknowledged hardship as well-- though the hard things are handled with great sensitivity and a light hand. And always, always an innate sense of hope.

5 stars

Note: This should definitely be read before Priorsford: Scottish Historical Novel. Pink Sugar sets up several storylines that are picked up again in Priorsford.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pink Sugar takes place in the fictional Scottish locations of Muirburn, Priorsford, and the delicious sounding house of Little Phantasy. O Douglas books are of a domestic type, vintage escapism, where nice things largely happen to nice people in nice places – and virtually nothing of the reality of the outside world is allowed in. However, do not let the title fool you, although an unashamed feel good read, this is not as syrupy and sweet as the title may lead you to think.

Our heroine is Kirsty Gilmour a young woman of thirty (though she fears she is now dreadfully old) returned at last to her beloved Scotland after years abroad with her manipulative step-mother. Kirsty had hated the endless round of society that hotel life abroad had brought her, a life her step-mother had revelled in. Now returning to the Scottish Borders of her birth, she is free for the first time in her life, with a good income to live on, and no one to tell her what to do. Kirsty is determined to ‘live for others’ her good and charitable personality making her long to bring happiness to others – or at least release them from trouble or unhappiness. Her attitude to life is the Pink Sugar of the title – an attitude so called by her landlord – the apparently grumpy Colonel Home.

“Surely we want every crumb of pink sugar that we can get in this world. I do hate people who sneer at sentiment. What is sentiment after all? It’s only a word, for all that is decent and kind and loving in these warped little lives of ours.”

Full review: https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2018/...

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book from the 1920s belongs squarely in the category of "domestic fiction", just like Barbara Pym or Miss Read. No major events happen, and much of the plot centers around the trials and tribulation of daily life. What made this book worth reading was the fact that these trials of tribulations reflect life in Scotland in the years after WWI.

Kirsty Gilmour is almost 30 years old. After more than 20 years of being dragged around from fancy hotel to fancy hotel by a glamorous stepmother, she is finally able to live as she likes. And what she likes, is a cottage of her own, in a quiet Scottish village, and some people to share it with. So first she invites an elderly aunt, a sedate character whose main interests in life are knitting, reading religious books, and regular meals, and a limited but kindly interest in her fellow man. But that is not enough for Kirsty, who has rashly decided that she wants to "live for others". She invites 3 motherless children and their governess to spend the summer with her (the disconsolate widower is off for a world tour and seems only too happy to dump his children on this willing spinster). Kirsty loves taking care of the children, and playing lady bountiful to her poorer neighbors, and even indulges in a little discreet match-making (there's a bit of Emma Woodhouse in Kirsty!). She sometimes meets and matches wits with her taciturn landlord, Major Archie, a war hero. In the end, the children's father reappears, with a brand new wife, and takes his children away. Kirsty's only consolation is that the new wife appears to have a genuine love for children. Of course, there have to be some engagements at the end - that is a convention of this type of book.

I found the book fascinating because it was written shortly after WWI, and the war and its aftermath was present throughout. For instance, Kirsty points out sadly that she was so lonely that she didn't even have anyone to lose during the war. Her stepmother's callousness is illustrated by the fact that she went on a sightseeing tour of the trenches shortly after the conclusion of the war, purely as a thing to do, whereas most other travelers were there to see the spot where a loved one had died and remember happy times. Major Archie lost a leg in the war, and probably has a touch of what we would now call Post-traumatic stress syndrome. Other aspects of the book that struck me was how many people died, and how young. For instance, several young people die of consumption - it is hard to imagine how omnipresent that threat was in those pre-tuberculostatics days. Another theme is that of the destiny and fate of women. Kirsty is perfectly happy with her little cottage and her servants, but other women have a much harder life. For instance, the local preacher's sister, Rebecca, is a tormented soul. She works hard to keep house for her brother, and participates in the activities of the parish in a dutiful, but uninterested manner. She has no beauty, no money, no education and seems destined for a life of domestic drudgery... until Kirsty arranges a temporary escape for her.

The tone of the book was somewhat uneven. Sometimes it was purely domestic idyll, and sometimes heavier themes were introduced. For instance, we suddenly learn that Aunt Fanny is terrified of dying, despite her faith. Or there is a passionate exchange between Kirsty, who defends her love of "pink sugar hearts" (a metaphor for a nice, ordered life full of sweetness and lights) against Major Archie's more cynical view of life. Rebecca gives Kirsty a piece of her mind when Kirsty goes a little overboard in her paeans to living contentedly in her little cottage, pointing out that Kirsty actually has very little housework to do.

Summary : a romance from the 1920s which may appeal to readers who love Barbara Pym or Rosamunde Pilcher

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first of this series, Penny Plain, as an undemanding evening read. The first two thirds or so of this instalment was good in the same cosy, undemanding way but sadly from that point it became extremely predictable and the RO-mance, both requited and un-, was far too thick on the ground for my taste.

Our Heroine sets out determined to use her abundant money and free time to "live for others", but as the book progresses that seems to devolve into "getting others to live for others," that is, she has these wonderful ideas and talks her friends into putting them into practice. I used to know a person like that, who had little to occupy his time so he occupied it finding things for other people to do and railroading them into doing it, whether they wanted to or not--and they usually didn't. When one of the secondary characters takes OH to task for this, I began to wonder what the authoress was thinking.

The farther the story progressed, the more exasperating OH became, until in the words of Nella Last "I wanted to give her a smack and a dose of syrup of figs, like a disordered child." All that RO-mance (three, count em, three engagements!) seemed forced and patched-on as a way to finish the book. When I had reached the last line of the last page I couldn't help exclaiming, "What a waste of time!"

[Cera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirsty's stepmother has finally died, leaving Kirsty with money and the freedom to do what she pleases for the first time in her life. What she chooses is a small house in Scotland, where she lives with her maiden aunt, has spirited arguments with her upper-class landlord, and eventually takes in three children who need a temporary home while their father recovers from grief at their mother's death. Kirsty is another one of Buchan's witty heroines, but she's also unabashedly sentimental; the "pink sugar" of the title comes from her telling off her landlord when he suggests that she's a weak person because she prefers the nicer side of life. I really liked Kirsty's combination of strength and sweetness, and I felt the novel did a good job of showing her growth from a somewhat self-absorbed person to someone who can recognise what's best for others, and see proffered romantic love when it comes from an unanticipated corner.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started the book assuming it would be, as one of the characters describes her own work, “a book about good, gentle, scrupulous people who live on the bright side of life.” And that it was for about 80% of the story. Yet I found the ending so unsatisfying and disappointing that it really ruined the book for me. YMMV, but I’m feeling dispirited after finishing it.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it's a dollop of 'soothing syrup', if you will, but it's also absolutely DARLING.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Georgia]

I'd forgotten that this has a rather darker mood than some of the other Priorsford books - though still of course pink and sugary. Nannie Tait dies young; Merren Streng's husband and son were killed in wars; Lady Carruthers makes up loving things her inarticulate husband has said to her; the children are taken from Kirsty; there is some hard Scottish morality; Miss Fanny fears death; and Rebecca Brand's life may or may not improve.

Here's a contemporary review from the Birmingham Daily Post: "one of those gentle and gentlewomanly books distinguished for neatly phrased characterisation and life-like descriptive passages that are still written by some wise people in this hustling and snappy age ... She reveals real emotion without making a fuss about it, and rewards goodness without heroics ... Miss Douglas, in short, is not an ambitious writer and will appeal only to those who care for humanity in the spirit of kindly love: but she achieves her purpose with ease and distinction".

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first O. Douglas, who has frequently been recommended as analogous to things I am very into. Scottish and witty and lots of charming characters in domestic situations, but not tons of action beyond the normal life things. Very pleasant and cozy, with a wee touch of sentimentality. Kirsty is charming but far from perfect and I am excited to have another author to binge on when I need the comfort (which, honestly, is all the time these days).

[Abigail Lyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful read. 🤗

[T.J. Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Pink Sugar" is one of those forgotten British classics that I have been peppering through my reading life for the past 6 months. Published in 1924, "Pink Sugar" is almost as sweet as its name, although it is not all cotton candy fluff. It has some depth to it, especially as the main character is forced to confront the motivations behind her kindness and generosity and how they can sometimes be almost selfish. Kirsty is a likable character, although I never felt like I was able to get too close to her; and the book features one of those romances that goes from 0 to 100 in the final pages, which irritates me. But overall, it was a very sweet and cozy reading experience, and the descriptions of the Scottish countryside were mouthwatering.

Description (from Goodreads):

Kirsty Gilmour ("I'm 30 but you shouldn't make me say it out loud,") makes a home for herself in the Scottish Borders and takes under her wing a gentle old aunt and three motherless children; Barbara, Specky and Bad Bill. Originally written in the 1920s,'Pink Sugar' is full of perfectly drawn characters with old-fashioned values from a vanished world; a world of kindness and good manners, of generosity and self-restraint, and yet a world where poverty, illness and bereavement are just below the surface. In this society of women with peripheral men, social life centres round afternoon tea - we could be in Cranford-on-Tweed.

In between the scenes of domestic life (funny servants! garden parties! returning neighbors' calls!) and pastoral joys (fishing! picnics! cross-country tramps!), there were several meaty conversations that made me pause and ponder: the initial scene where Kirsty deliberately forgives her stepmother; Kirsty's conversation with Aunt Fanny about her fear of death despite her faith; or the moment when Rebecca has to put away her crush on (and hidden picture of) Colonel Horne and look towards what she is going to do with her life. That latter moment was especially moving to me, and Rebecca is one of the most interesting characters in the book.

I enjoyed my time with "Pink Sugar," but it is not my favorite among the 20th century British novels I have read recently (that honor goes to "O the Brave Music" by Dorothy Evelyn Smith). I did appreciate that the child characters seemed to act appropriate to their ages (with the layer of added formality that 100 years gives). I would recommend this book if you want to armchair travel to Scotland and enjoy the shenanigans of a low-drama, gentle household.

[Jennifer Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

O. Douglas (a.k.a. Anna Buchan, sister of John Buchan) wrote some really delightful novels of what you might call “domestic fiction.” If you like Jane Austen, you’ll likely enjoy O. Douglas.

This particular novel is from 1924. It is a sort of sequel to Penny Plain, but very few of the characters overlap, so it could easily be read on its own. I enjoyed it immensely: I loved the writing style, and I particularly loved all the literary and Biblical references. I giggled and chortled and texted quotes to my husband. For example:


The talk had turned on the manners of modern youth, which Colonel Home considered deplorable. ‘Yes,’ said Kirsty musingly, the sunlight bright on her hair, both hands clasped round one knee. ‘Yes, I suppose they are deplorable, terribly off-hand and casual. And such meaningless slang! And yet,’ she turned grave green eyes on the visitor, ‘when the modern youth makes love in his meaningless slang, don’t you think it means as much to him and to the girl as the most florid declaration or the most delicate languishments? “Old bean” is perhaps what his lips say, but his heart is singing, “Thou art all fair, my beloved; thou art all fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.” ’


It was certainly a five-star reading experience, until the last part of the book. The ending was WAY too rushed—it was almost as if Douglas suddenly ran out of time or something and had to just slap on the conclusion. That’s unfortunate, because the way things ended up would have been pretty satisfying, but the breakneck speed with which the book gets there takes some of the joy out of it. I still enjoyed the book overall, though I liked Penny Plain even better.

[Christine Goodnough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased the "Complete Works of O Douglas" and Pink sugar was one of these. I've just finished reading it and thoroughly enjoyed the old-fashioned story. Kirsty Gilmour, after a youth of being dragged from city to city by her flamboyant, luxury-loving stepmother, has come back to her childhood home and rented a home, Little Phantasy. She's determined to settle down here and use this home and property to to good to others.
First, she offers her somewhat impoverished maiden aunt, Fanny Gilmour, a home. Then she offers a home to three young motherless children as their widowed father wants to go traveling to work out his grief. Though the situation is temporary, she falls in love with the children--and they fall in love with Little Phantasy and with Kirsty. Even the crusty, war injured, landlord is taken into their circle of loved ones. Alas, human nature being unpredictable, Kirsty finds there's no pleasing some people.
Anyone who likes the tales of D E Stevenson, Molly Clavering, and Elizabeth Cadell will enjoy this story, which can be bought separately.

[Ioanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just have a feeling that this will be one of my favourite books of the year along with Sally on the Rocks and Flowers of the Storm. It's a lovely book; such a cosy read; it makes you feel comfortable and happy and keep turning the pages. The characters are so real and the heroine such a sweetheart! I adore this book although I haven't finished it yet. I have had so much fun already! Can't wait to see what happens next.

I return to this review after I have finished the book: my emotions are mixed; for such a light-hearted read, the end was somewhat melancholic. This was quite unexpected for a book called Pink Sugar. It should be mentioned, however, that in the second half of the book the characters dealt with some painful moments and the fear of death was also discussed. Although, eventually, all characters got their happy ending, the last scene had a rather bittersweet taste. Unfortunately the second half of the book spoiled a bit the book for me. Nonetheless, it was a very pleasant read.

[Christine McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novel. It was a comfortable read with some interesting characters. In fact, some of the characters reminded me of those from Anne of Green Gables and the successive books. For example, Kirsty is a bit like Anne with her lack of relatives, her love of nature, and her optimism and kindness, as well as some mishaps. Although Kirsty is older and wealthier than Anne, they both seek a home and family. Rebecca in Pink Sugar is very similar to Katherine, Anne's fellow teacher in Anne of Windy Poplars. Compare the two characters' speeches to Anne and Kirsty, and their subsequent fates! Perhaps the Scotch background of LMM on PEI helps to explain some of the similarities, and the authors shared similar insights about village society and certain kinds of personalities and opportunities for women in these circumstances at this time.

[Margaret Conmey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 as I enjoyed reading this during some dreich February days ( my mother spent part of her childhood in Scotland , so I am familiar with some of the Scots words and dialect in the book).

Pink Sugar is an apt title as the heroine Kirsty Gilmour is a little too sweet at times.
The ending was predictable from the start of the book but interesting characters, some comic interludes and sadness helped the story.

O.Douglas’s love of the Scottish countryside and down to earth people is what elevates this book from being a simple ‘Mills and Boon’ type story.

I will certainly read more books by O Douglas but feel I needs a change of tone after so much sweetness!

[Aussie54 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I just want to read something simple and old-fashioned, without any angst or drama, which is what I get with books by O. Douglas. But the books are hit or miss with me. Some don't survive the many years since they were written. This one was a bit like that. It was a fascinating look at how people behaved at that time, but there were some things that I found hard to feel comfortable with. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3, because the country side sounded nice, and I managed to like the children, even Bill who was very naughty.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another charming tale from O. Douglas about Scottish village life, complete with characters who speak with a heavy accent (sometimes difficult to read) and lots of literary references which are somewhat dated now, 99 years after the book was written! However, the romance and the humor are timeless and still very enjoyable.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first half of this book, very witty. By the second half I was starting to get slightly irritated by the main character but all in all still an entertaining, if somewhat dated, read.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely dated, but a lovely setting, and the children were cute. I would have liked the hero to be more of a character--I don't think we even ever get to see inside his house. He's sympathetic, but not three-dimensional.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this edition but the background on the cover is pink not black.

A very domesticated look at a life in Scotland with some heartbreaking moments. The ending is a bit twee and felt rushed after a very slow journey there.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two of the Priorsford trilogy is about a young woman who lives on an easy street, while Penny Plain is about a poorer young woman. Penny Plain has no problem reaching out to and helping others, but Pink Sugar finds it hard "to live for others" because the others see her helping as a charity. Interesting, eh? However, she does have a good heart and gives Barbara, Speck, and Bad Bill several fun-filled and healing months. Aunt Fanny wonders how she ever got along without the help of her niece. And then there is the Colonel. I do so enjoy these lovely books.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the first book, Penny Plain, was a little better. What I like best is the author's large and varied cast of characters and her use of the Scots dialect when appropriate.

[Seawitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sort of draggy and repetitive. The books in the Rutherford Trilogy are a better choice for this author.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had very mixed feelings about this book, so settled on a 3 rating. I didn’t particularly care for the heroine, but I did like the village setting, with the range of characters.