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She shuddered at James Herbert and Stephen King, read about misfit schoolgirls and ravenous rats, got lost in the lush worlds of Evelyn Waugh, and learned some of the mysteries of men from the steamier moments in Mills & Boon. The library had been her Narnia, and it still was.
As the morning ticked by, Martha carried over Skulduggery Pleasant, Divergent and Percy Jackson, and placed the books on the table beside Will. He smiled but didn’t pick them up. Martha found Little Women and Chocolat for her niece.
She hadn’t actually noticed when her parents’ needs surpassed her own, like Japanese knotweed overtaking a garden. She just focused on being helpful, a dutiful daughter. It was clear to her now, though, that she’d given up her own chance of happiness to facilitate theirs.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
She couldn’t understand library-goers who turned their noses up at commercial books, announcing that they only enjoyed literary reads. To her, authors should write what they wanted and readers had their pick of thousands of books to enjoy.
“It’s got to be Alice in Wonderland. I like Alice’s practicality and how she takes everything in her stride. She meets these odd creatures in magical situations and it never fazes her.”
Martha chose Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree because she loved the idea that creatures lived in a tree, in an everyday forest. Owen preferred Treasure Island. “It offers true escapism, buccaneers and buried gold,” he said. “What more could a boy want from a book?”
“Three failed marriages are rather a lot,” Martha observed out loud, then wished she hadn’t. “I don’t think they failed…they were reasonably happy ones. Why does something have to last forever to be classed as successful? Surely it’s okay to give things a try.”
I lost my identity and Zelda has helped me to find it again.”
I have to find the strength to move on. Because there’s no alternative. She decided that she wasn’t going to focus on always trying to please others. She felt determined to take the time to get to know, and love, herself. And she hoped that the warm glow of appreciation she always looked for might actually come from within. I want to be glorious again.
Will said, “Cool. Thanks,” when he unwrapped The Maze Runner trilogy. Rose stroked the cover of How to Train Your Dragon lovingly. “I’ve always wanted to read this,” she said. Martha had bought Lilian The Little Dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior
Owen presented Martha with a limited-edition copy of Alice in Wonderland. For Owen, Martha had asked Gina to call in and see Rita at Monkey Puzzle Books, to pick up a copy of The Little Paris Bookshop. Zelda adored her copy of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
