Just Started

[Karen]

Just started reading Gaurd Your Daughters, such a funny first chapter, reminds me of Little Women !
Who is reading this book with us during June ?

[Tania]

I've started this one too and loving it so far. They are a wonderful family to read about, they remind me of the family in The Brontës Went to Woolworths, which I loved, (both the family and the book).

[Pamela]

I have a few other books waiting, but will definitely be reading this one, expect to get to it in mid-June

[Karen]

Hiding wet stockings in the grandfather clock !! so funny : D

[Toast]

Well, I'm the new girl and I'm completely new at this so I'll just jump in. Sorry everyone if that's not the way to do it. Here's my First Impressions after a quick first read - I've just finished it and I am a mass of contridictions about it - I loved it, thought it typical eccentric English Family stuff beloved by the US especially, couldn't date it properly, hated the selfish parents who had so ill-prepared their daughters for life outside their house, wonderfully witty writing, realised how modern it was etc.
I was reminded of 'I Capture the Castle' by Dodie Smith and the humour was pure 'Blandings' by PG Wodehouse.
It was more a series of comic/silly episodes like beads on a necklace usually about catching men that underlined the 'Don't upset your Mother' mantra from cowardly Father more than a plotted story until the final crisis which is powerful and has an unexpected effect on the reader regarding Cressida, Mother, Father and the Family. We can debate that for hours methinks.
The writing is sharp, very funny and yet beneath the surface there is a brittleness. Its not really a happy book.
I can see why PB have published it, it should do well for them.
There is just so much to talk about in this novel.....
Toast

[Kim]

So, I just got Guard Your Daughter’s today in the mail. It is June’s read, yes? I see The Village for May, & Vain Shadow for July, but have to hunt for this month’s in the comments section. Am confused. ;-)

[Karen]

Hi Kim , so happy you've got Guard Your Daughters and will be joining the discussion.
Yes it's the book for June, but don't think Gina has had time to swop over the book from last month.
Look forward to hearing what you think in the finished reading thread : )

[Karen]

Hi Toast, I would guess the book is set post-war ? Lots of the story talked about sending tins of food off for Pandora and secretly collecting eggs and butter from their farming neighbours.

[Rosemary]

Planning to read this but not started yet!

[Toast]

The writing is so sharp and witty.
The game of French Cricket that none of them want to play but they all do and carry on playing despite Teresa going in with Mother because she's cold.
The girls all exist in a 'bohemian' bubble - reading books, smoking, drinking sherry, making tea from whatever is in the food parcels sent from Father's many admirers yet they can't invite a man into the house, mustn't dare contemplate going to a cocktail party. Or the trip to the cinema to see sometime educational but they skip it and go to see Gary Cooper instead.

[Rosemary]

Karen wrote: "Hi Toast, I would guess the book is set post-war ? Lots of the story talked about sending tins of food off for Pandora and secretly collecting eggs and butter from their farming neighbours."

Yes, it's set around 1950, I'd say. There's still rationing, but people don't take it as seriously as they did during the war. It's not felt unpatriotic to sneak in an extra purchase of eggs from the local farm.

[Camille]

I'm finally getting round to reading it, months after everyone else. I've read the first three chapters and I'm loving it. It reminds me in a way of I Capture the Castle