Editor’s note: A recent review by Dorothy Crandell asked readers “When is the right time to reread a classic?” In the spirit of that question, we’re taking a fresh look at some books that have been available here at the Miller Library for many years.
Country Notes is a collection of charming short articles, most of them originally published in New Statesman and Nation magazine in 1938 and 1939. They describe life on the farm as seen by Sackville-West from her estate, Sissinghurst, in Kent, England. She has a knack for description of botanical detail. For example, of the witch hazel she says the “dark brown twigs look as though some child had amused itself by tying them up with bunches of yellow ribbons, and then snipping the ends short.” The articles describe farm events such as harvesting hops and dealing with animals, including the horses still pulling plows. She also introduces local characters, like her gardener and the seasonal workers who camp out on the property during harvest time.
It is particularly intriguing to read this book in the context of its times. By the end of 1939, England was at war. In only one or two spots does the author mention “Herr Hitler” or the threat of conflict. But a cloud of worry must have hung over her writing. In addition, Sackville-West herself, in spite of her protesting that she loves the old ways, was part of the very modern Bloomsbury group, and was herself somewhat infamous for her multiple lovers, including Virginia Woolf. Beyond that background, Sackville-West was a well-known gardener, and wrote several books on gardening, including some in our library. A recent account of the history of her garden appears in Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History, by her grandson Adam Nicholson, also in our collection. So there is much to think about while enjoying these sketches of the Kentish countryside.
Published in the July 2018 Leaflet, Volume 5, Issue 7.