Last week I read several reviews of Diana Tutton’s Guard Your Daughters; most, but not all, enthusiastically and favourably comparing it to Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle. Now I am not alone in believing there is a special warmth in the sun that shines on the Mortmain family as depicted in that tale, so anything that is compared to it attracts my immediate attention.
After reading Claire’s review on The Captive Reader blog, I commented to her on how much I would like to sample Guard Your Daughters for myself, and Claire, who has decided this one is not a “keeper” for her, immediately popped it in the mail to me. I found a parcel card in my box yesterday, and being Sunday, was unable to collect it as our postmistress had the parcel room locked up tight, but this afternoon my teenage son kindly drove the fifteen minutes back out to our small rural post office to pick it up for me. (He picked up a tub of ice cream, too, as our post office is a tiny room at the back of a small country general store, so it wasn’t completely a disinterested trip!)
My husband is away working a night shift this evening, so I will have no qualms about retiring to bed and reading as late as I want without worrying about the light shining in his eyes. Actually, I think I might bow out early, to give my full attention to the task at hand. Will I love this one, or be disappointed? Either way, I am looking forward with great anticipation to finding out.
Thank you, Claire! An early Christmas present, indeed. A review shall follow post haste.
Book People are The Best!
Leaves & Pages 
What a lovely surprise! I had a similar experience with a very generous blogger in Australia. I’ll look forward to your review – I still haven’t read it myself, and I’m interested in the variety of opinions I’m seeing.
I am happy it got there so quickly and, more importantly, that you’ll be able to start reading immediately! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
Well, it’s read. Oh my goodness. I have a lot of thoughts about this one. Thank you again, Claire. I think! 😉 Gosh, where to start?!
What a tease you are, Barb! Now I really can’t wait for your review!!!
Working on it! Today’s a driving day, 5 hours on the highway – usually good for thinking time but both teens are with me today & talk talk talking was the way of it on the first half of the trip. Going home in the dark is usually not so good for musing, anyway – tonight they’re predicting freezing rain & there are a few snowflakes coming down right now. Keeping it on the road & watching for moose keeps the brain engaged without writing blog posts in my mind, lol. 🙂
I totally *got* your review, Claire, now that I’ve read it for myself. So rest assured that we’re more or less on the same page with the quibbles. I have more thoughts to share, though. Hopefully have it up by tomorrow night. Tomorrow is another town day, plus a dentist visit & hauling hay, so computer time looks minimal till evening.
Book people ARE the best. Nobody in the world can ever deny that.