Online Book Club Session 5

Our first session of the New Year focused on The Buckinghams at Ravenswyke - always a popular book with members who visit Whitby and the North York Moors, and the second of the Buckinghams series. 13 members joined the group. 

Charles invites his friends to stay at his parents' new home near Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. Mr Renislau is suddenly confronted with an enemy from his past life. As soon as Juliet and Simon arrive, events take a dramatic turn which leads to desperate encounters with kidnappers.

We discovered that most of us had been seduced by that North Yorkshire coast and the sudden mistiness of the 'sea rokes'! Juliet gets even  more beautiful; Charles is fast losing some (though by no means all) of his fans: 'baddies' are easily spotted. 

Although the coordinator was less keen on this book, the majority of those present enjoyed it very much. The structure elicited a range of views that went beyond the lengthy details of Charles's cricket match (very much appreciated by some of those present). The plot is introduced more immediately than in many of Saville's books and tension is often evident. However after all the scenes that took the plot forward throughout most of the book, it was felt that the ending was very rushed. Did it need to be in London? asked one reader. It seemed to be rather squashed by the longer description of the cricket preceding it. However another reader enjoyed her own memories of the post-war Festival of Britain  celebrations, with all that they entailed.

Discussion ranged widely: the characters were now more familiar and some felt they were developing and changing as they grew older. It  was generally felt to be an easy read, quick and maybe even light? The setting was very much enjoyed, though some of the sexism of the time, despite its context, was not. What we now view as inappropriate comments to, or about, Juliet emerged too often. The detailed descriptions of Whitby, including Rosemary Court and different elements of the town, were noted. 

There was mention of Mystery Mine, which was written a few years later but also included many evocative descriptions of North Yorkshire.

Finally there was agreement that Saville had been very successful in describing the emotions and values of Alex Renislau in Chapter 5, when he reflected a lot on his wartime and subsequent experiences and how he had come to appreciate family, the arts and his new environment. There was mention of PTSD. 

A keen and lively discussion that, like last time, ensured the Lone Piners aren't always the focus of our attention!