Monday 13 May 2013

Memory Lane Monday [10]





Welcome to another edition of Memory Lane Monday. The idea behind this feature is to take a nostalgic stroll along the bookshelves of my past, looking at those books I've loved since I was a small(er) girl.


Today is 2 books instead of one! Ooooh ;) But these are books I've been having nostalgic feelings about for a while and tried to resist re-reading until I thought "Actually, I'm gonna read them" so I borrowed them off a friend and am so glad I did:


Cuckoo in the Nest and A Spoonful of Jam by Michelle Magorian

Both are set in post-war England and follow the same family, the Hollis'. In the first book we see Ralph, who desperately wants to be an actor but has to fight against the wishes of his father, his social class and numerous other obstacles to do so. The sequel follows his sister, a smart girl who is tormented by bullies every day for a seemingly unknown reason.

Both books focus on the struggles faced not just by the individual, but by their family and by their class and by Britain as a whole following the second world war. They are heart-wrenching but also so feel-good and delightful. Sometimes when you re-read books from your younger years they don't measure up to your memory; but these absolutely do and I am so glad I re-read them. 

Have you read these books? If so, what did you think? And, can you recommend me anything similar?

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