Aunt Sass: Christmas
Stories by P.L.Travers
Published by Virago
6 November 2014
Hardback Edition
Friends come in many guises. In these autobiographical
stories, three characters - an eccentric great aunt, a Chinese cook and a
foul-mouthed ex-jockey - assert a lifelong influence on the narrator, as she
looks back over her childhood. Much like Mary Poppins, each comes into the
child's life just when she needs them most. And each, however unlikely, becomes
a friend and a champion to the young girl.
Charming, tender and moving, these stories, which were
given to the author's friends as Christmas gifts, contain all the hallmarks
you'd expect from such a magical writer. They are also fascinating for anybody
who, after watching Saving Mr Banks, wants to find out more about
Travers' early life. And best of all, you will meet the woman who was the
inspiration for Mary Poppins.
This is a collection of three stories written by
P.L.Travers, who is probably best well known for her classic Mary Poppins. These were stories that she wrote, and gave
to her friends as gifts, and have finally been published together for the first
time. Three tales in all, they include
an unlikely combination of a Chinese cook who chants threats at crying babies -
not a recommended babysitter there then, Johnny Delaney who was a jockey with a
foul mouth and temper to match, and Travers' own aunt Helen Morehead, known
affectionately as Aunt Sass.
Having never read Mary Poppins, I can't say whether
in terms of language that this is comparable, but I would say, that whilst the
stories are for children in some respects, the language is such that it isn't
overly accessible to the young, and even older children might need many of the
words explaining to them. In my
opinion, I would argue that these are stories of childhood, but written for
adults to reminisce and enjoy.
Aunt Sass was the inspiration for the character of Mary
Poppins, and whilst I didn't picture her as Julie Andrews in my mind, I imagine
that in the novel format, she is much more recognisable. Many people watched and enjoyed the film Saving Mr Banks
and I think that this collection of short stories can only add to the love and
admiration of this author.
Happy Reading
Sounds fabulous. I've not seen Saving Mr Banks yet but I do love Mary Poppins, and I love to have a collection of short stories on the go. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete