CORRESPONDENT AND LAND

Bees were buzzing, birdies were tweeting and the Western Banjo frogs were pobble-bonking on the second day of spring - which was when 7 bookclubbers landed at Margie P's place to discuss her book choice, 'The Correspondent' and McLassie's selection, 'Land'.  As we settled in we all missed Megan, wished her all the best and hoped for next time, and felt envious of Cherilyn and 2-caps because, as the rain came down outside Ferguson Ave setting off car alarms (well, something did), they were enjoying the sun in the deep north.  Both corresponded with their thoughts about the books which then set the conversation off and running - and it was 'Land' that landed first. 

McLassie led with her synopsis of 'Land', an Irish historical novel set in the latter half of the 19th century.  Chosen to follow her interest in historical novels (after Hamnet also by Maggie O'Farrell), McLassie overviewed key events in the author's biography, including being hospitalised with encephalitis at 8 years of age, which MO'F put down as leading her on the road to literature.  Later graduating from Cambridge Uni she now has a long list of awards, and considers her husband (fellow Cambridge traveller, William Sutcliffe) is her best critic.    

McLassie and MO'F took us on a journey to a remote part of western Ireland, recounting the effects and after effects of the Great Irish Famine (1845-1852) on the O'Dwyer family (Tomas, Phina and children Liam, Enda, Rose and Eugene, and of course Bran the dog). 'Memory, identity and the way the past survives into the present' were Cherilyn's words from afar summarising (both) the book/s.  

The bog, the fish and the ring ?

While concurring with Cherilyn's thoughts, our conversation started with the O'Dwyer's hard life, particularly for the women when they moved to the peninsula (including having to make soap, and don't we all look forward to McLassie delivering her production at our next meeting!), but it was the weaving of mythology into the fabric of the book that created commentary.  Some readers found it difficult to place the relevance of Irish folk mythology around the bog, the fish and the gold ring to the story.  Unhelpfully this was only scantily described by MO'F in the early and late sections of the book which was a big miss, because it seemed central to the underlying premise of the story.  Some readers also thought the book tried to do too much (eg famine, diaspora, imperialism, religion, mythology, Irish independence movement, country life, cartography +); some wondered why Enda and Rose's stories were left hanging in Canada, while Liam's return to cartography and Eugene's story involving his return to the land and returning the ring to fish in the bog, was probably somehow symbolic (?!) and certainly more complete than their sisters stories; and some thought that a few contradictions scattered throughout the text shifted confidence in the book's editor.  

Despite these criticisms, 'Land' landed with all readers as an interesting book, very readable and a good choice - which in light of our fulsome discussion, possibly required reading with feeling, more than a judgemental eye (although we thought perhaps William could be a more thoughtful critic next time).

McLassie handed the book baton on to Margie for her selection, 'The Correspondent' by Virginia Evans.  Guilt and connection were added to Cherilyn's trifecta (memory, identity and the past) by Margie about this book.  Her research revealed Virginia gained a bachelor degree in English literature in Virginia USA, where she met her husband Mark Evans, then after having a family went back to complete a Master in Creative Writing at Trinity College in Dublin.  'The Correspondent' was started during the Covid years and is her first published novel, winning the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction (a prize which was interestingly started in 1996 after none of the six shortlisted books for the Booker Prize in 1991 were written by women).   

Some recipients of Sybil's letters
Kazuo, Joan above: Ann, Virginia below

Margie summarised the epistolary novel where protagonist, 70+ year old Sybil Van Antwerp, wrote letters and emails to a wide range of people in the morning, as her sight declined over the years.  Family members, close and not so close friends, her lovely neighbour, past colleagues and professionals, academics, her doctor, young people, a customer service representative of the genetic testing company, her acerbic garden club members, and famous authors/public figures received letters or emails from Sybil's pen/keyboard - reflecting Sybil's thoughts about current events, family, relationships, and as her sight declined, the important people and events in her past life.  

We all agreed with 2-caps' comment 'Go Sybil!', in part because she emerged from her writings as a very engaging character - with humour, warmth, intelligence and strength, saving her cutting wit for those who were less accommodating to her (read the Dean of the English Department at Maryland Uni who initially blocked Sybil's entry to audit literature courses).   There was consensus that this was a very affirming book, partly about the forgotten art of correspondence but mostly about the importance of relationships.  When guilt made its surprising appearance towards the end of the book through her unsent correspondence Sybil emerged as a person who had suffered through trauma with courage.  We reflected on the similar drowning deaths in Kathy's book (Remarkably Bright Creatures, and the fate of Tova's son Erik - accident or suicide but leaning to accident?) and Gilbert, Sybil's son (accident) - but it was only a passing comment.  The main reflections on the book were about Sybil's strength of character, and particularly her readiness to reconnect with family and friends when things had gone awry - as happens in life after trauma.  

Similar but not Margies - imagine
a blueberry crowning the tartlet 
(now sorry I didn't take a photo!).

Tea for two came out, along with Margie's fabulous home made lemon curd tartlets made from home grown lemons,** with blueberries, and we agreed these were two very different but rewarding books.  The tartlets rolled around the table and our mouths as we talked about the dangers of swimming in half-width marked laps, tumble turns, country life in the 1950/60's, and swimming in the river - along with the trials of cooking (or not) for one or two in our more senior years (McLassie with her enthusiasm for cooking, catering and cleaning for others was an exceptional exception - others said they had declared partial 'tools down' for some household jobs, including ironing). 

Few tartlets remained on Margie's marvellous Mud Australia plate (an astute Cherrie observed), as we collected our stuff and wandered out the door - but not before next books were chosen, which after some umming and aahing are:

Julie: 'Whistler' by Ann Patchett (you may want to correspond with her about it, like Sybil)

Sue: 'The Picasso Ransom' by A.T. Prewett (a slightly indulgent choice for a light and fluffy caper read)

** Julie suggested that next meeting we also collaborate and plot out a short murder mystery - so here is an opening para to work on or ditch if you prefer

Furtively darting out the back door, Lilith only had time to grab her most prized possession - the original recipe for Lemon Curd.  Written on soft but strong velum using ink made from soot, gum and water it was in original arabic calligraphy, and was material proof that the British didn't invent the popular spread.  An English recipe was first recorded in the book The Lady's Own Cookery Book, written by Lady Charlotte Campbell Bury in 1844, and the printed book quickly came to be on the kitchen shelves of all respectable middle and upper class Victorian ladies - or at least the shelves that held the important tools of the trade of their cooks.  The original 1844 handwritten book was on display in the British Museum, providing what was considered to be unassailable proof that Lemon Curd was a British invention during the time of Queen Victoria.  In beautiful sloping cursive script, all the important ingredients and method for making lemon curd could be seen, because the book was set open at the page in a glass case in the museum's Great Court.   The descriptive label proudly recorded Lady Charlotte Campbell Bury invented Lemon Curd in 1843 in her test kitchen, and reported she was encouraged to publish the recipe by the Victorian publishing house, Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans before Mrs Beaton published her Book of Household Management.  Lilith knew she was running for her life, leaving behind all her other possessions, a trail of destruction and yes - a body on the kitchen table smothered in commercial lemon curd.  

See you next on 11 November 2026, at 1 Fox Street Goodwood - with or without your contributions to 'The Lost Curd - a Recipe for Disaster'.