Horses Or Courses?

I don't seem to be reading quite as much lately. I only managed three books in January. Two fiction [horses]

Both relatively recent Felix Francis published Iced in 2021,Hands Down in 2022. As Bob said, "they're the same as all the others" 

First person narrative, with a strong horse racing link, and crime involved. Iced is a bit different - it is set in two time periods, one in England, the other in Switzerland a few years later. But the chapters are each in two parts - partly here, partly there. Slightly confusing. And a bit too violent in places. 

Hands Down is another Sid Halley story. Dick Francis [Felix' Dad] introduced SH in 1965 in Odds Against, and this is his sixth appearance. I think that means he ought to be in his 80s now - but he's still somewhere in his 50s. All the usual tropes [complicated relationships,  great ex father-in-law supporting him, worries about his prosthetic hand, violent villains] - and I galloped through both books. They sent me off to sleep [as I wanted] so **** for easy predictability, non-challenging bedtime reading.

On the other hand, I greatly enjoyed "Victory in the Kitchen" - a banquet of eight chapters courses . A Christmas stockingfiller from Liz who found it in the Oxfam shop and knew I'd enjoy it. Written by Dr Annie Gray ["our resident food historian" as Jay Rayner always introduces her on Radio 4's "Kitchen Cabinet] this is the story of Georgina Landemar who became cook for Winston Churchill.

AG knows her stuff, and this book is the well-told story of a woman born in 1882 whose family were in service, and she too started her career as a nursemaid - but then her life took a different turn when she married a much older man who was a French chef, from a family of patissiéres. 

He died in 1933 when she was just 50, and that was when she first worked for Winston and Clementine. As a 'Jobbing Cook' she did not have a regular post, but worked as and when needed [a bit like a Supply Teacher] and had a reputation for demonstrating efficient organisational skills and delivering excellent menus when the upper classes wanted to entertain on a grand scale. The C's had enjoyed her food at the homes of friends and she and Clemmie really hit it off remaining friends till Clemmie's death. Georgina became to go-to cook for any special meal. In 1939, when war broke out, Georgina was 57- too old to be conscripted, but in need of regular income, rationing was on the way, and nobody was hosting 'fancy dinners'. So she wrote to Mrs C, offering to be their Wartime Cook. She began working for the family a month after rationing started- and finally retired 8 days before in finished in 1954!

Annie deftly combines social history - the changing lifestyles of people 'in service' and those who employed them with lots of recipes and amusing anecdotes. Lots of stories about Chartwell [now a NT property, which we visited frequently when we lived in Kent] as well as descriptions of life in No 10, when Winston was Prime Minister. 

After he lost the election, they moved back to their flat in Hyde Park Gate, which needed postwar redecoration. Ms Gray refers to the discussion about how the public, struggling financially to rebuild their homes, would not appreciate descriptions of lavish furnishings and ostentatious wealth [I wonder if she was writing this at the time of the latest Downing Street refurbishment controversy?!]

Georgina died aged 96 a year after her dear friend Mrs C. There is much in the book about her early life, and the changes she saw through the twentieth century. It is written competently by a historian who does good research. So yes, it does need concentration and cannot be skimmed through quickly. This book is about Georgina's life and says so on the cover [one snarky review I saw complained that the first part of the book did not mention Mr Churchill] but I definitely rate this ***** I learned a lot from it. Thanks Liz!

If you don't know about Annie Gray, there's a lovely interview here, and she also has a website