Page 33 - Autumn 2024 Newsletter Online_Neat

By Jenny Naylor

Over the years we have travelled the length and
breadth of the Lake District with our touring caravan
and our Keesies.
It has been the perfect place for finding (and buying)
books of interest. Each visit would have us coming
home with a selection of books to add to our collection.
Mostly old poetry books and old books about dogs.
Poetry, after the loss of our young daughter. 'Doggy'
books after the Keesies became part of our lives.
One book which I love is:- ‘All The Dogs Of My Life’.
The book cover tells me it is by -
“The Author of Elizabeth and her German Garden”!
Puzzled, and none the wiser,
I bought the book anyway. I'm so glad I did.
It is a lovely book, with some nice photos in,
but no clues at all as to the name of the author.
When I decided to write this article I needed to find
out more information. With the help of my daughter,
and her smart phone, I now have the author's name
and a few details. The author is Elizabeth von Arnim.
She was born in 1866, and died in 1941. ‘Elizabeth
and her German Garden’ was first published in 1898.
Astonishingly, it is still being printed and is
available today in Penguin paperback.
I have a copy, and it is well worth a read.
‘All The Dogs Of My Life’, was published in 1936.
I was lucky enough to find a hardback copy of the
1st Edition, in the bookshop in Cartmel, Cumbria.
This book is also a 'must read', and is available in
paperback by Virago.
Unfortunately, copyright forbids me from including
excerpts from the book.
You will just have to take my word, and buy a copy!
You’ll be so glad you did.

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