Elizabeth Goudge Revisited: the Lost Art of Happily Ever After Anne A

Georgia Library Quarterly Volume 43 | Issue 4 Article 5 January 2007 Elizabeth Goudge Revisited: The Lost Art of Happily Ever After Anne A. Salter Oglethorpe University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq Part of the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Salter, Anne A. (2007) "Elizabeth Goudge Revisited: The Lost Art of Happily Ever After," Georgia Library Quarterly: Vol. 43 : Iss. 4 , Article 5. Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol43/iss4/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Georgia Library Quarterly by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Salter: Elizabeth Goudge Revisited Elizabeth Goudge Revisited: The Lost Art of Happily Ever After by Anne A. Salter As we grow up and examine our recall being told frequently that a My mother, like Ms. Goudge, was a lives, it is truly amazing to think that certain book was “too old” for me. I product of the Victorian age, for our parents actually had their own wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, parents who were from that time passions outside of their children. but I did know that my older sister raised her. Like Ms. Goudge, my My mother’s love for reading was a was the right age for these titles that mother’s gentle and spiritual huge part of her world, and she included such works as A Tree Grows character saw and treated her world happily shared it with me as I began in Brooklyn and The Group. Other and its surroundings in a way that to expand my reading repertoire. Her books were my haven, and I soon has sadly vanished from us. Victorians favorite author, Elizabeth Goudge, began to read the same titles my — the quintessential good soldiers — has been described as a writer whose mother was reading. The authors we mustered on through the hard times, books are really “grown up fairy enjoyed together included Nora Lofts, quietly and patiently enduring until tales.” For most critics of the time, Victoria Holt and Elizabeth Goudge. better times came. Those better times this style of writing and its great Ms. Goudge was my mother’s always did arrive no matter how appeal seemed quite odd and the favorite and with the publication of miniscule or unassuming. Optimism object of contempt. Fortunately, this The White Witch, forever mine. Her and imagination are often happily 20th century entity, heavily books were not only hours of enjoy- linked in those end-of-the-19th- influenced by her 19th-century ment for us but investments that century minds, and Ms. Goudge’s upbringing, has made a lasting crowded our bookshelves at home. writing style and personal history impression. Her style of “escape” reveal nothing less than the literature has influenced greatly the In the 1960s, hardbacks were still unsinkable spirit — a product of her world of today’s readers through a popular and paperbacks were rare. upbringing. Goudge’s books helped most interesting twist. We had no Amazon, no Barnes & my mother through some hard times, Noble or Borders. The culture of the so much so that my mother The post World War II cynicism of the day was to either go to the library corresponded with Goudge to thank Western literary world found and check out the book you wanted her. She received a nice reply. Goudge’s adult fairy tales too sweet or head to the department store in for their taste. Their disdain for the Atlanta — Rich’s or Millers — and Elizabeth Goudge was born in 1900, remnants of anything Victorian is purchase it. Thus I was able to see my one of the last true Victorians. She revealed in their harsh critiques of her mother slowly but steadily acquire was influenced greatly by that age, works. Yet the public read her books the hardback copies of Ms. Goudge’s and her books reflect the passionate in droves, the titles sold millions and works as she read through them all link between creation and humanity, the best seller list was often topped one by one. a respect for the world and by one of her titles. awareness of the infinite links I cannot tell you when she began between all creation. The words Goudge’s books entered my life reading Ms. Goudge but it must have “gentle spirit” come to mind when I through my mother’s influence. I been early in this author’s career. think of her works. During the course 14 Winter 2007 Georgia Library Quarterly Published by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 2007 1 Georgia Library Quarterly, Vol. 43, Iss. 4 [2007], Art. 5 of her writing career, she produced some of her contemporaries, her “I know that happy endings are about 17 novels, nine series titles, 17 works lack the larger-than-life sometimes inartistic, and certainly not collections of stories, three heroine characters. Instead she uses always true to life but I can’t write anthologies, four works of non- her knowledge of real people, their any other kind. I am not a serious fiction, and one autobiography. relationships and the ways in which chronicler of the very terrible they work out those relationships contemporary scene but just a story- Her literary career was not without against the backdrop of multiple teller, and there is so much tragedy reward. Her children’s book, The Little historical settings. about us everywhere today that we White Horse, won the Library surely don’t want it in the story- Associations Carnegie Medal in In her book The White Witch, books to which we turn when we 1946. Her best-known novel, Green Goudge weaves one of her most are ill or unhappy... We must escape Dolphin Street, was made into a film intriguing stories. Set against the somewhere.” 3 in 1947 with a stellar cast that historical backdrop of the English included Van Heflin, Lana Turner and Civil War, the novel combines history Most of her works were critiqued in Donna Reed. Goudge writes of this and character the Saturday event in her autobiography as being with folklore. Review of quite astounding and unexpected. This narrative “I am not a serious Literature and includes research Time. The review Her life, as revealed in her auto- that Goudge chronicler of the very of Pilgrim’s Inn biography, Joy of the Snow, reads like conducted on terrible contemporary (also known as anything but her optimistic and the Gypsy people scene but just a story-teller, The Herb of happy-ending novels. Yet through it of England. Grace) provides all, Goudge remains undaunted and Using the works and there is so much an illustration of accepting of what life measures out. of Charles tragedy about us the rather Her parents were her models. Her Leland, she sarcastic and everywhere today that father, a prominent clergyman of the develops cynical view Anglican Church, moved several sympathy for the we surely don’t want it in critics held times, uprooting the family on each Gypsy characters the storybooks to which toward Goudge occasion. Her mother, an invalid most and their culture and similar of her life, suffered terribly from a into the plot. we turn when we are ill authors. The back injury. Yet Goudge’s life is Leland was one or unhappy...” review in Time in revealed as that surrounded by a of the first 1941 includes loving family to whom hardships people to study, — Elizabeth Goudge Goudge’s work were part of life and the good times interview and and that of found in the source of a sunny day, become Hiram Haydn’s an abundantly blooming lilac bush accepted in the Gypsy society of The Time Is Noon, a popular title that and a peaceful walk with the family Great Britain.2 concerned life in America in 1929. dog. Goudge seems to have applied Using a rather unfortunate metaphor her talent in writing at a young age Today his works are little known and of the “hatched chick” to describe and became a success but not hard to acquire, but Goudge drew the authors’ new titles, the review is immediately.1 heavily from them to create her story not overly flattering to either author, and characters. The Gypsy culture is but most pointedly unkind to Her style of writing is a lost art, a perhaps one of the last left in the Goudge. The reviewer depicts her as style that was vastly popular in its day 21st century that nourishes that same “a happy ever after” lightweight and yet very underrated by critics. She connection to nature so ingrained in adds that Hollywood likes her just the drew characters and settings from Goudge’s stories. way she is. Times have indeed those around her. She carefully wove changed. However, the underlying her love for England and its history Her wit combined with charm and a tone of the review is how can such a into charming stories with historic desire to make a happy ending were piece of fluff be taken seriously?4 backgrounds and engaging a recipe for success. Readers adored characters. Research and writing her. Her titles were on the best seller Green Dolphin Street was reviewed in were her gift, and she was a master list more than once, and many of her Time in much the same air of at creating what is now the old- novels were Literary Guild choices. In amazement as Pilgrim’s Inn.

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