At a flea market on Martha’s Vineyard, I stumbled upon such an interesting piece of long forgotten hidden history that I knew I had to include it in the book I was writing, The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. My discovery was a wonderful vintage paperback,
Martha I just messaged Bryant Park on Instagram asking them to have you come talk about your book this summer. I love going to their author interviews on Wednesday’s in their outdoor reading room. It is a beautiful place in New York City. The past two years Ilana Levine interviewed the authors.
Such a fascinating post Martha. I really enjoyed reading that and didn't know much about the ASE before. Another book boosted by wartime was Forever Amber, by American author Kathleen Winsor. It's about a formidable woman called Amber who ruthlessly used her sexuality to rise up through society in the 19th century, set in London with a backdrop of the plague and the Great Fire. It enjoyed huge popularity around the world in the 1940s, despite being banned and burnt for its 'scandalous' content. Mild by today's standards, but the research is so good could you be standing on the cobbled streets as the death carts rattle past. Love your work and can't wait to read the new book. Kate x
I love this! I had never heard of ASE’s before and now I will want to find them. It’s so beautiful that books share such a monumental piece of history.
This is so heart-warming. I haven't heard of it before and you can imagine the soldiers sharing their opinions about the books with each other, and probably swapping books as well.
How relevant this is at this terrible moment in our country's history! It is chilling and heartbreaking to realize how far we have sunk from advocating for learning by reading all points of view to the current administration's attempt to revise history.
Thanks for this beautiful post, Martha. In my own research, I learned that the nurses would also read aloud from these books, even to soldiers who were unconscious. So many poignant tidbits of history.
Martha I just messaged Bryant Park on Instagram asking them to have you come talk about your book this summer. I love going to their author interviews on Wednesday’s in their outdoor reading room. It is a beautiful place in New York City. The past two years Ilana Levine interviewed the authors.
Such a fascinating post Martha. I really enjoyed reading that and didn't know much about the ASE before. Another book boosted by wartime was Forever Amber, by American author Kathleen Winsor. It's about a formidable woman called Amber who ruthlessly used her sexuality to rise up through society in the 19th century, set in London with a backdrop of the plague and the Great Fire. It enjoyed huge popularity around the world in the 1940s, despite being banned and burnt for its 'scandalous' content. Mild by today's standards, but the research is so good could you be standing on the cobbled streets as the death carts rattle past. Love your work and can't wait to read the new book. Kate x
I love this! I had never heard of ASE’s before and now I will want to find them. It’s so beautiful that books share such a monumental piece of history.
This is so heart-warming. I haven't heard of it before and you can imagine the soldiers sharing their opinions about the books with each other, and probably swapping books as well.
How relevant this is at this terrible moment in our country's history! It is chilling and heartbreaking to realize how far we have sunk from advocating for learning by reading all points of view to the current administration's attempt to revise history.
Thanks for this beautiful post, Martha. In my own research, I learned that the nurses would also read aloud from these books, even to soldiers who were unconscious. So many poignant tidbits of history.
That’s so moving, Elisa. Thank you for sharing that. What a time WWII was!
Love this historical nugget!! Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to your new novel!!
I need to read that, Kate. Thank you for the rec! I love a good plague story LOL and Amber sounds fascinating.