Online Book Club Session 8

After tackling Sea Witch Comes Home, during the build up to the 2026 Annual Gathering in Lowestoft, we left the Lone Piners again and we turned to one of Saville's best loved non-Lone Pine books: Jane's Country Year. 

Jane is a young girl who is sent to stay on a farm to recover from a serious illness. The story is a charming tale which describes the changes that nature works over a year. Illustrations include lots of pictures of birds, animals, plants that you can find in the countryside at different times of the year.

This book could almost be classified as non-fiction, but there is a story here. The book was written for a real Jane and is to some extent based on her situation.

A select group of us gathered to wallow in the rural idyll of Moor End Farm along with Jane. Not everyone's favourite book but no one hated it!! Though for one or two it's the best! Those who had done the Harpenden visit in 2025 really felt a sense of place when reading. One reader described it as "worthy"

Discussion focused around the amount of detail in the book - a true homage to Nature? A harken back to the use of child labour for potato picking, the harsh realities of life and death (big sticks for rabbits and rats) and eating the things you've grown to love!

All agreed that this felt very much a one off, no adventures this time but parents putting an unaccompanied sick child on a train rang familiar! 

On comparing editions - we discovered that the "What Jane saw in ........"  had been added after the first edition - some felt that this add on was a bit preachy/teachy and repetitive. The challenge to readers to do/see more than Jane did was an interesting device.

The use of the letters home gave another dimension for the reader, though we were at a bit of a loss to see the point of the Janey letters and the Moor End letters.

The more nostalgic amongst us loved the snow and the Christmas festivities.

Our next read is Redshank's Warning, as we meet the Jillies.

If you are a Society member who is not already on the Book Club circulation list but would like to join a future event, please email events@witchend.com so that we can send you a link for the Zoom session.