A to Z Challenge - Favourite Books - The Children of Green Knowe

Children of Green Knowe, and all the other stories in the series by L. M. Boston.

I came to these stories late, long after I'd already reread Tolkien and Lewis, and so at first their magic felt a little esoteric, a little foggy. But they're English, and their charm is all English, and so I couldn't resist.

Also, I've just discovered that the house in the books is real! Not only that, Boston wrote two memoirs about her childhood, and the house, which is a Norman manor house, built in about 1130 and one of the oldest continually inhabited houses in the British Isles. More books for the two wishlists...

Hemingford Grey Manor House, near Huntingdon:





All that, and a secret garden, too!

Comments

S.P. Bowers said…
Love the house, never heard of the book. I'll put it on my list.
Karen Baldwin said…
Wow, that's really cool. The house looks so contemporary, well the outside anyway. I'll have to check out her book.
Zan Marie said…
And I think my 90+ year old house is old! ; ) That's a neat connection of history and fiction.
Michael Di Gesu said…
How stunning! I LOVE English manor houses...

Thanks for featuring this, Deniz...

How are you? I hope all is well.
Anonymous said…
I've never heard that title before. Interesting.
Nadja Notariani said…
I've never heard of this title either! But that house is really something. Great stone wall in the livingroom interior. Plus...the simplicity of the outdoor pic is wonderful. It's not over-manicured, still natural enough to be lovely yet neat enough to be English. (At least that's my take on it...)
Angela Brown said…
Thank you for introducing this title to us. Will have to check it out.

Love the outside architecture and that inside shows such earthy personality.
Denise Covey said…
The house is amazing and the book sounds even more so. Also read your previous post. Stephen King continually amazes doesn't he,but I'm pleased to read that he sweats blood over his books - it aint' easy, as he says.

Denise
Jemi Fraser said…
Gorgeous! I'm surprised I don't know this one - my parents introduced me to many British authors!
What a charming house! The walls in that first room are amazing.

I've never heard of the book though.
Deniz Bevan said…
I hope you like them Sara and Em!

Isn't it lovely, Zan Marie? I wonder if I could live in and take care of a house like that?

Glad you liked it Michael! This A-Z is fun.

I can't remember how I discovered them, Joshua. But they're English, so I was bound to come across them sometime [g]

I like your take, Nadja!

Thanks for coming by Angela and Denise!
Loved these pictures of the house. Looks great and well a place with history!
Gwen Gardner said…
I adore everything English! The photos are awesome. I will have to go look up the book. Thanks for sharing, Deniz. Good luck on your querying!
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks Romance and Lady Gwen!
Unknown said…
Sounds like a great series and love the house.
Unknown said…
I love that it's based on a real place, and that it's still standing!


Jamie Gibbs
Fellow A-Z Buddy
Mithril Wisdom
Anonymous said…
Great pictures. I love the interior view.

I'd love to read this series. I'll look it up.
Deniz Bevan said…
Me too, Clarissa!

I hope I can visit it someday, Jamie...

Hope you like the books, Medeia!