Monday 7 November 2011

The influence of the older generation

I'm talking parents here, or grandparents, or your dad's friend who's almost part of the family. Not simply someone in the next age bracket up from you. Although, for all I know, they might fit into my little theme today too.

Inevitably, when your parents were kids, an entirely different selection of books was available - books you might never have thought of, had it not been for your mum reminiscing about how she read such-and-such as a child. Or your nan pointing out some books while out at a school fete.

One such book series I discovered in this fashion was Lorna Hill's "Sadlers Wells" series. Mum started me off on this when she gave me the first book, "A Dream of Sadlers Wells". It was her own hardback copy that she'd read several times when she was younger.

I loved this series of books. I loved reading about Veronica and Sebastian. Then, later (as I went through the entire series), about Caroline, Ella, Rosanna, and Vicki.

But if not for my mum, I'd never have found these stories.

Do you have any books like that? Jewels discovered courtesy of the older generation?

3 comments:

Bish Denham said...

Most definitely. Two that stand out are The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald.

AmieSalmon said...

For me it was my Dad's own stories that he would tell me, then later my nieces and nephews, that I still love to think of now. There are so many books, that thanks to my parents I know, but those ones are the most special.

C D Meetens said...

Bish: I love "The Secret Garden". I was given a beautiful hardback version of it, with colour plates, for my seventh birthday. I've treasured it ever since.

Amie: That sounds great - to have your Dad make up stories and tell them to you. What fantastic inspiration.

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