There is always in our minds the hope that we may find again those
golden unhastening days and wake up and dream. - Angela Thirkell
Angela Thirkell, the cousin of Rudyard Kipling and the granddaughter of
celebrated Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones, was an eminent
twentieth century literary figure, and wrote avidly until her death in
1961. In her beautifully nostalgic memoirs, she recalls in rich detail
the three houses in which she grew up and the childhood memories their
walls contain. Thirkell's elaborate portraits of the three houses - The
Grange in Fulham, 27 Young Street in Kensington Square, and North End
House in Rottingdean - offer an invaluable insight into late Victorian
life. Her recounting of forbidden explorations, Punch and Judy shows,
and adventures in the garden are beautifully evocative of the innocent
quality of childhood, and the personal recollections of her famous
grandfather present a loving family man behind the renown. The exposure
to music, art and literature that Thirkell details in her exploration of
her beloved three houses foreshadows her later fictional creations - her
Barsetshire novels.
Three Houses allows us a snapshot of history from the busy literary
centre of London to the English coast. Charmingly expressive, these
stunning memoirs are both reminiscent of the golden days of youth and an
interesting vision of a writer and the early influences that informed
her later work.
