The Cottage Smallholder

The cottage is quite still

Photo: Anemones

It’s ten o’clock and Danny has disappeared to bed. Dr Quito is snoring gently in a basket at my feet. The wood burning stove has at least another hour of life and it’s snug in the kitchen.

Years ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of staying in on a Saturday night. Now I love it. With the prospect of a day off tomorrow I’m going to have an early night too. Not to creep under the covers and snooze though.

I’m deep into the lives of an enclosed order of Benedictine nuns. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden was given to me years ago by Seraphina. It has waited in the shelves by the bed until it became the next irresistible read. I’m half way through the book and I can’t put it down. The surface simplicity of the nuns’ way of life is perfectly counterbalanced by the complexity of their personalities and relationships.

Like any inspirational read it has made me reflect on our lives at the cottage and how far we are away from living a truly simple life.

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22 Comments so far

Pamela on February 1st, 2009

Ooh, this sounds like a good read. I have just read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, a couple of days each, couldn’t put them down. I’ll look out for Rumer Godden in the library.
fn on February 1st, 2009

Hi Pamela

If you can’t find a copy, I’ll send you mine when I’ve finished it. Even the second hand copies on Amazon are expensive.
amalee issa on February 1st, 2009

Rumer Godden is on of my most favourite authors. I read The Battle of the Villa Fiorita aged 9, and never looked back! Follow that up with The Greengage Summer and if you can bear it, An Episode of Sparrows. Thank God for e-bay. You’re in for a treat, Fiona.

Amalee
Amanda on February 1st, 2009

I love it when the house is still and I can sit and read for hours. Seconding what Pamela said if you haven’t already read them A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner are very good reads. I’ll look out for Rumer Godden books, I hadn’t heard of her.
Veronica on February 1st, 2009

Rumer Godden is an excellent and almost-forgotten writer. She wrote an interesting autobiography called “A time to dance” (she was born and brought up in India). She also wrote the novel on which the wonderful film “Black Narcissus” was based (apparently Godden hated this film, but it’s wonderfully operatic and over the top!).
Pamela on February 1st, 2009

Hello Fiona

Thanks for the offer. I have just put in a request on-line, there is a copy down in Grange over Sands, so if it is not out on loan it will be in my local library in a couple of days.
ambermoggie on February 1st, 2009

I love warm still nights reading by the fire:) I have a couple of Rumer’s childrens books and have read them several times.
They are
The Diddakoi
Mr McFadden’s Hallowe’en.
samantha winter on February 1st, 2009

Hi Fiona
I’ve not read her and by all the comments she sounds wonderful.
Rgds
Sam
nà on February 2nd, 2009

hi Fiona, this book sounds really interesting. is it a true story? when i read what you wrote about it, Philip Groning’s film ‘Into Great Silence’ came to mind. Have you seen it? I saw it at the cinema a few years back, it’s a type of documentary film, almost entirely silent, about the day-to-day lives of Carthusian monks at the Grande Chartreuse monastery in France. It was almost a meditation just watching it. Spectacular, in an unusual way.
jillbe on February 2nd, 2009

Hello, I also have In this House of Brede by my bedside, one which I can dip into/out of at any time. I seem to remember watching a film version some years ago, can anyone else recall this?
fn on February 3rd, 2009

Hi Pamela

I started reading The Kite Runner and some domestic drama happened and it was left bereft beside the bed. So thanks for the nudge. I’ll catch up with it next.

Hello Amalee

I read two of her children’s books and loved then when I was a child. This is the first of her adult books that I’ve tried. I’m impressed that you read her first one aged 9. But then I was a child that didn’t want to grow up.

It’s brilliant to ‘discover’ a new author and have an entire oeuvre to explore.

Hi Amanda

I need good books at the moment so thanks so much for your tips.

Hello Veronica

Yes my sister mentioned the film too. In This House of Brede is very cinematic, I think. And her children’s books were too. I can still remember opening those books, the typeface and the illustrations let alone the stories. They had a clarity.

Hi Pamela

That’s good. One thing that I want to start on this blog is a way to facilitate passing on books. Reading is such a pleasure and libraries are not accessible to loads of people these days.

Hello ambermoggie

I haven’t read those two children’s books.
I was given Little Plum and Miss Happiness and Miss Flower. I didn’t know that there were many more.

Hi Sam

I’m really enjoying the book and literally find it hard to put it down. It’s rationed to five minutes every hour and when I go to bed. I’ve fallen asleep over it several times!

Hello Nà

It’s not a true story but the nuns at Brede did help with the novel when it was being written.
I haven’t seen the film ‘Into Great Silence’ but would love to one day.

Hi Jillbe

A great novel to have by the bed for dipping into every now and then.

I hadn’t heard of a movie but have discovered that a TV film was made in 1975, starring Diana Rigg as Dame Phillipa http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073160/.
Veronica on February 3rd, 2009

Fiona, re swapping books, have you heard of BookMooch? Warning, it’s addictive

Living in France, if I want to read in English libraries are not an option. I used to spend a fortune at Amazon, but since I discovered BookMooch I have a shelf groaning with books waiting to be read! You do have to be patient and you won’t always find the books you want, but it is a good source of extra reading material for not much money!
Pamela on February 3rd, 2009

Hello Veronica

Thanks for the link, I haven’t seen this before. I have loads of books I could pass on. Although in the past I have given away bags and bags of books to charity shops the idea of swapping really appeals. I could have a huge clear out and get fresh stocks in return which would be great as I can get through 2 or 3 books a week when I have a serious reading head on! Not reading quite so many just now as I am in knitting mode. I did once read somewhere on the internet about a scheme where people leave books to be found but I can’t remember what it was called. It seemed like fun though. I have been using the library alot over the last couple of years and Cumbria no longer charges for requesting books. I’ve mentioned it before but if you haven’t read Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer you should try and get hold of it.
Kathy on February 3rd, 2009

I’ve started to use my local library more. Even if they dont have the book you want on the shelf they can order it for you from any library and it costs a pound. They even buy in new books if you request it. I did this for two reasons, cost and I can’t get any more books on to my huge bookshelves as it is!
Veronica on February 3rd, 2009

Pamela, the book-leaving you’re thinking of is BookCrossing.com. It’s a bit too random for me! I like giving books away via BookMooch because you know they’re going to someone who actually wants them. Plus you get books you want in exchange.
jillbe on February 3rd, 2009

Hi Veronica, I am an avid bookcrosser, but I also swap books on http://www.readitswapit.co.uk.
karenO on February 3rd, 2009

I had no idea such a thing existed online. We’ve just started a ‘staff library’ at work where we all take in our old books & then anyone can borrow & return them. The shelves are quite full already & I’m on my 2nd book. I also have some old paperbacks I’ve read & will be glad to sort & get rid of. I have to be very disciplined or I would read all day & do nothing – just one more chapter!!
Pamela on February 5th, 2009

Had a call from the library a little while ago to say the book is in! Unfortunately I thought it was Tuesday today – in spite of going to my Thursday Knit and Natter club and preparing for my private lesson at 4 – which is late night opening so I have missed collecting it today. Never mind, tomorrow morning will do.
fn on February 5th, 2009

Hi Veronica

Thanks so much for the link, I hadn’t heard of BookMooch. But now know that I will be an avid visitor to the site!

GreenMetroplois is a great site to for people in the UK. You can put in a request for a book and they email when it’s available. You do have to pay for the books but they are decent value.

Hi Pamela

A lot of my clients pass on books to me Also my sister and mum. But let loose in a book shop I can go wild so these swap/cheap sites are ideal.

I don’t have free time when the library is open to go for books let alone the time to return them (often it’s a six day working week which is OK but it means lots of things like markets/libraries etc are inaccessible).

I like the idea of using libraries though, if people don’t use them they will close.

Hello Jillbe

Thanks for the links much appreciated!

Hi KarenO

I so agree. When you have a great book on hand it’s so hard to put it down!

Hi Pamela

I am three quarters of the way through the book and it’s driving me nuts as I just want to close all channels, snuggle up with a Min Pin and read.

It takes a while to get up and running but I do hope that you enjoy ‘In This House of Brede’.
Gae on February 14th, 2009

China Court by Rumer Godden is quietly lovely Charts the story of a family retold by “the old lady” and her contant daily read “book of hours ”
Must get it out of our still unpacked removal book boxes and read again Recommended!
Pamela on April 23rd, 2009

Hello Fiona

I just thought I would let you know how much I am enjoying In this House of Brede. It took me a while to get into it but over the last few days I have been suddenly and totally hooked. I am nearing the end and have just requested China Court as recommended by Gae. It should arrive from Barrow in Furness library in a few days. I’m not sure I would have persevered if it had not been a library book but having renewed it several times already it was a case of read it or return it. I’m so glad I gave it another go.
fn on April 23rd, 2009

Hello Pamela

It took me a while to get into it too. I’m lucky that I take a book with me to work to read during the breaks. Away from home, with no other disractions, I’m forced to read on.

It’s a great book that I often think about. Thanks so much for leaving a comment.