Ann Lawrence

[Capn]

Ann Lawrence was just getting rolling when she died rather young, and sadly I can't find much on this author or her works, apart from these:

Between the Forest and the Hills
Tom Ass; or, The Second Gift
The Half Brothers
The Conjuror's Box
The Hawk of May
Merlin, the Wizard*
The Travels of Oggy
Oggy At Home
Oggy and the Holiday
Summer's End: Stories of Ghostly Lovers
Mr. Robertson's Hundred Pounds
The Good Little Devil
Mr. Fox
There and Back Again
*On Archive.org

I also found Beyond the firelight : and other stories of hobgoblins by Ann Lawrence (1983) to read for free on InternetArchive: https://archive.org/details/beyondfir...

I can't find much about her, sadly. "More than fifteen books" is a phrase that makes me suspicious that few people do know how many books she authored.

I plan on getting to The Travels of Oggy sometime in 2023, and as Merlin, the Wizard can be read for free, I might even get to that sometime.

I would really like to read Tom Ass; or, The Second Gift, The Hawk of May and Between the Forest and the Hills, as The Conjuror's Box was an absolute corker! I honestly think it could be picked up by Studio Ghibli and done into a winning Anime movie as it was written - very cinematic.

But it looks like I'll have to pay quite a bit to do so. :(

[Len]

I remember reading Between the Forest and the Hills, probably when it was first published, and being impressed by it. I may have read The Hawk of May but I can't be sure.

[Emily]

Tom Ass is lovely! It's funny though, some present day American readers tend to be shocked at seeing the word "ass" in older, usually British, children's books. Apparently they're unaware that 60+ years ago the more common meaning of the word was "donkey."

[Capn]

Emily wrote: "Tom Ass is lovely! It's funny though, some present day American readers tend to be shocked at seeing the word "ass" in older, usually British, children's books. Apparently they're unaware that 60+ ..."

Tee hee! Oh dear. Education is so important... ;)

[Capn]

Len wrote: "I remember reading Between the Forest and the Hills, probably when it was first published, and being impressed by it. I may have read The Hawk of May but I can't be sure."

Both of these are of interest to me! I'm over my quota for books bought in 2022 by quite a bit, so I'm going to have to knock off a fair few next year before I can start accumulating more. :)

(I cheat when an Abebooks "We Found the Book You've Been Looking For" notification comes through and I tack on a couple of extras while I have my shopping cart open... or if Girls Gone By has a release (limited quantities), but otherwise I try (quite unsuccessfully) to keep shopping to a minimum. The look my partner gives me when he lugs in an armful of book-shaped packages is always slightly humbling...! And they must pile up in Swiss customs - they never come on Monday, and so Tuesday is usually the flood. Always looks worse that way, I feel!)

[Len]

I used to be an Abebooks bookseller between 2006 and 2016. If I had only had a customer like you at the time I could have retired a happy man.

[Capn]

Oh dear, I dare say you might have! :) I have spent much too much money there. :S

[Charlotte]

Seconding Emily's recommendation of Tom Ass--it was a book I reread constantly when I was little and still love today. I also love Between the Forest and the Hills, which I read as an adult--from my blog review--"Imagine, if you will, the book that would result if Angela Thirkell or D.E. Stevenson collaborated with Rosemary Sutcliff to write a book about early Dark Age Britain for children, and they decided to throw in a touch of fantasy. The result would be this book." https://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.co...

Here's my review of The Good Little Devil https://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.co...
and The Hawk of May https://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.co...

[Louise]

I enjoy her books. The Good Little Devil is my favourite, very amusing (actually now think my favourite is Between the Forest and the Hills).

[Capn]

Thanks, Charlotte and Louise - these are in pole-position for my next shopping binge. Unfortunately, some of these are pretty pricey at the moment. I can't even find a single copy of The Hawk of May for sale!

[Capn]

So I'm going to give Beyond the Firelight a go now (I figure it's still the season, so long as there is Hallowe'en candy at home!).

Would a kindly Librarian like to add a record of this book to GR? Would be most appreciated:

Beyond the Firelight and Other Stories of Hobgoblins
Ann Lawrence
Pan Macmillan; New Ed edition (2 September 1988)
74 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0330294997
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0330294997
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Firelig...

[Capn]

re: Beyond the Firelight and Other Stories of Hobgoblins

1. Beyond the Firelight
2. Only Me
3. The Boggart
4. The Three Spinners

Very short, and the story, "The Boggart" is the same folktale as told in A Bag of Moonshine by Alan Garner (Billy Bowker's Mowing Match). Though I think I preferred Lawrence's rendition.

Cute enough - it's aimed at young readers who can read for themselves, or to be read to the even younger, so nothing scary at all. I'd like to be able to add it to some fairytale lists here for the benefit of parents and teachers, as it can be read for free. ;)

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "So I'm going to give Beyond the Firelight a go now (I figure it's still the season, so long as there is Hallowe'en candy at home!).

Would a kindly Librarian like to add a record of this book to GR..."

Done.

[Capn]

Thank you, Sem! :) Most appreciated - I needed it for my Boggarts list. ;)

Thanks again. :)

[Saffron Moon]

Hello everyone, for those who enjoy audiobooks, and perhaps did not know, “Between the Forest and the Hills” is available on Audible.

[Saffron Moon]

Also I found a mini biography of Ann Lawrence in “Twentieth-Century Children's Writers” pages 737-739.
https://archive.org/details/twentieth...

[Capn]

Saffron Moon wrote: "Hello everyone, for those who enjoy audiobooks, and perhaps did not know, “Between the Forest and the Hills” is available on Audible."

Thanks, Saffron Moon! :) I'm reading it in hardcopy right now (just at the beginning), but it might make a fun audiobook!

[Capn]

Saffron Moon wrote: "Also I found a mini biography of Ann Lawrence in “Twentieth-Century Children's Writers” pages 737-739.
https://archive.org/details/twentieth..."

Starts on page 737 (bottom). Thanks for this, Saffron Moon! That was interesting. :) I quite liked The Conjuror's Box, though that reviewer seemed to think it 'unoriginal' and 'derivative' (neither of those terms occurred to me!). And apparently there's (view spoiler)[an annoying impossible coincidence at the end of (hide spoiler)]The Travels of Oggy (sigh. Well, it's a story of a travelling hedgehog after all...)
Man, I wish I could find a copy of Tom Ass; or, The Second Gift, though!!!

[Louise]

I recently reread Between the Forest and the Hills which is very good, a great atmosphere of Roman Britain in decline with much humour and a touch of fantasy. I think now that this is my favourite of hers.

[Capn]

I'm reading it now, Louise! :) I'm off to a slow start with it, though (oh man, the Christmas social crunch starts early in the Germanic world! ADVENT!!!). :S Yeesh.
Must find some time for escapism. :)

[Louise]

I just read MrRobertson’s Hundred Pounds which I enjoyed very much. A bit more serious in tone than her other books, but a very interesting story with good characters.