Six Degrees of Separation: from The Post Office Girl to The King’s Mother

On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.

Kate:  Books are my Favourite and Best

This month’s chain begins with Stefan Zweig – The Post Office Girl. Which I haven’t read. I’m going to hunt for six books with the names of jobs and occupations in the title.

This gives me an easy way to begin my own chain – with The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault .This is a bittersweet, poetic tale about Bilodo, a lonely postman in Quebec who escapes his somewhat empty  reality by secretly reading the letters inside open envelopes. When he comes across a mysterious haiku, he becomes deeply entangled in a long-distance romance. 

There’s many a children’s book featuring postmen. many of them written by Janet & Allan Ahlberg. But the Ahlbergs covered other – er – occupations in their very many books, of which a family favourite was – Burglar Bill. The book follows an entirely amiable burglar as he goes out nightly to steal – well, a toothbrush and the like, and whose life changes when he accidentally steals a baby, and then meets a soul mate – Burglar Betty, leading them to abandon their criminal ways, marry, and presumably live happily ever after.

Returning to more public-service professions, there’s The Light House Keeper’s Lunch by Ronda and David Armitage which follows the story of Mr. Grinling, a lighthouse keeper, and his clever wife Mrs. Grinling, who daily sends his lunch along to him from home to lighthouse via a complicated pulley system. When scavenging seagulls repeatedly steal Mr. Grinling’s delicious lunches, it’s up to Mrs. G to upset their nefarious schemes by making sandwiches generously filled with …. mustard.  That soon sorts the thieves out.

Perhaps a more useful occupation for a landlubber is that of the milkman.  And Milkman is a book by Anna Burns.This convoluted, stream-of-consciousness narrative is no easy read, but it rewards the effort made to get under its skin. An eighteen year old woman living somewhere in (it has to be, though never said) in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, attempts escape from the convoluted realities of loyalties, honour, family, tribalism, rumour by reading 19th century novels, attending French classes. There is no escape from the attentions of The Milkman, a married man who all-but stalks her. There’s her maybe-boyfriend, her wee sisters, her mother’s attempts to marry her off, her family to contend with, and all this is described in multi-layers of language, which simultaneously illuminate and confuse. The inability simply to be, to get on with life without meaning being imposed by others on the simplest routines is described in all its confusing power by Burns’ use of language – adjective piled on adjective, metaphor on metaphor. It’s suffocatingly powerful, and quite honestly, I was glad to finish it. Though very glad to have read it. 

Luckily, The Memory Police are not part of the job-offering here in the UK – yet. I’m not normally a fan of dystopian fiction, but I found this a powerful and unsettling read, by Yōko Ogawa . Simply yet lyrically written , the writer – this is told in the first person – lives on an island in thrall to the Memory Police. Things comprehensively disappear, and the inhabitants soon lose any memories of the things that have vanished. Those unfortunate people who find they do not forget simply are removed by the Memory Police and never seen again. The ‘writer’ of this book is herself a novelist and she hides her editor in her house, because his memories do not fade, and he is therefore in danger… We never find out more about the Memory Police, or know to whom they are answerable. But we are left with a lot to think about – totalitarian regimes, life, death and the process of letting go and of dying. 

Is being The King’s Mother a job?  Read Annie Garthwaite’s book about Cecily, Duchess of York, and you’ll discover that it is indeed a job for life. This narrative, a successor to Garthwaite’s first book, is about the troubled reigns of Cecily’s sons Edward (IV) and Richard (III), who are brought to life in the story told from the perspective of their redoubtable mother. It offers a rounded perspective of life as it must have been at that time. Being rich, powerful and influential was no passport to an easy life, with allies becoming sworn enemies, and enemies friends, for a whole variety of reasons both good and bad. Richard in particular is sensitively portrayed, and is a different one from his image in popular mythology.  An involving and powerful story from a troubled period of history. 

So. Job done. A chain all about jobs. Next month’s looks to be about Woman’s Work. It’s Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear. I’ve just read the Guardian’s review, which hasn’t tempted me to read it. But it’ll make for am intriguing chain, I hope.

Yesterday, I informed you that you’d seen the back of me for a while. I’d forgotten about my Six Degrees post lurking in drafts. Now I really AM off … though I’ll try to respond to any comments on this post.

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Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

32 thoughts on “Six Degrees of Separation: from The Post Office Girl to The King’s Mother”

  4. What a mixed bunch! I read in a hurry before I drag the washing out and scurry down to t’ai chi. You just caught me! Farewell for a little while, Margaret. Come back soon xx

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  5. I love your jobs theme this month. I used a postmistress for my first link, although I went in a completely different direction after that. The King’s Mother is the only one I’ve read from your chain, but I thought it was an excellent book. Enjoy your break!

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    1. Thank you Helen. Unusually, I didn’t find out more about the starter book before I embarked so was mistaken in assuming the POG was an employee. Never mind. It was a useful peg to hang my chain on.

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  10. We read Stefan Zweig in the original German. We would say the story and the style didn’t age well. It’s just old-fashioned, but technically well done.
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  13. A very clever theme! I like the sound of Burglar Bill and I own the book that comes before The King’s Mother. I haven’t got to it yet but it reminded me of what I assume is a made up book about Cecily in The Daughter of Time. Also, Helen had recommended it.

    Constance

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    1. I do recommend warmly the Annie Garthwaite. I’ve been lucky enough to hear her talk about her books twice now, and she really bring them to life with her infectious enthusiasm.

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  14. Unusually I didn’t find any books here that tempt me to read them, but like Anabel I know and like the Ahlbergs and Armitages, firm favourites when I was a children’s librarian (although I would have liked to have seen the Jolly Postman feature too!)

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    1. I don’t know what is says about us that we remember Burglar Bill over and above The Jolly Postman! I’m quite glad not to have tempted you this time. I know how wearying it is to have too many books in the Must Read queue. You might like to know that we’re off to Grinton this evening for a Swaledale Festival event: a concert of Indian music this time.

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  15. Two children’s books make the list this week! I love picture books and sometimes I use them to teach my middle schoolers. I always love reading your chain and I was intrigued by the Milkman which made me think of visiting my father and stepmom in England when they lived in Reading in the late 70s and early 80s. My stepmom would order milk to be delivered while we were visiting. It was the most amazing milk I’ve ever had – came in bottles with at least an inch or two of cream at the top. I hope you are well and enjoying family time. Peace.

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    1. Well, the milkman still calls here, with the glass bottles you see in the image on my post. Though these days we choose semi-skimmed rather than full fat. I’m never too old for children’s picture books. Both words and images often delight. Thanks Clay – looking forward to a break, and I hope you’re enjoying yours.

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