The Herb of Grace

[callmemadam]

I have an on-off relationship with Elizabeth Goudge. Some of her books, like Henrietta's House I can read anytime; others, like Valley of Song, I can't read at all. I was looking for an escapist, happy read and I picked The Herb of Grace (1948), the second of three books about the Eliot family. It's just as wonderful as I remembered it; I don't think anyone did slightly magical comfort better. It's set in Hampshire, near Buckler’s Hard and is about two houses: Damerosehay, presided over by Lucilla, and The Herb of Grace, an old pilgrim inn or Maison Dieu. (I think this was published in the US as Pilgrim Inn?) The house is a character in itself, a place of healing for members of the large Eliot family and for those who visit it. The beautiful old inn and the lovely countryside nearby are lyrically described; this must have been just what people wanted after the war. It's still utterly delightful today for those in the right mood for it, as I was.

Comments

[coughingbear]

Herb of Grace is one of my favourite Goudges. I love the descriptions of the building and the rooms and the countryside and how they bring it back to life. Much my favourite of the three Eliot books, possibly because it was the first one I read (then went back and found Bird in the Tree).

I think Valley of Song is pretty terrible - the children are all fairly unmemorable, the 'plot' is clumsy, the horoscope stuff is stupidly overdone and there is far too much magic. Compare it to Smoky-House, where the magic is far more subtle and the children have to have faith that they really saw the Pharisees.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

It's the house descriptions I like best, too. I think EG wrote in her autobiography that 'people seemed to like it the best' of her books. I don't find the other two books as good.

Relieved to find I'm not the only one who can't read Valley of Song. Have you read the time-slip book The Middle Window? Awful! And yet I love some of her books so much.

[coughingbear]

I have read Middle Window - once, many years ago. Never felt any urge to revisit! I have also read her life of Christ, though I've forgotten what it's called now, and don't much recommend that either. I think I was being a bit of an obsessive completist when I sought that out.

The house descriptions are wonderful, especially when they first visit and start imagining what it might look like. I have wanted to live in a Pilgrim Inn ever since.

Hmm, now started thinking about which of her books are favourites - The Dean's Watch is definitely one, along with Towers in the Mist and City of Bells, and of course Henrietta's House. Gentian Hill I liked as a child, I think partly because I had a nice old hardback of it, and loved the descriptions of the places and the farm and the animals and things like Stella's sewing basket. I haven't re-read it for years though.