Date: 23 June 2019
Location: Pat & Carol
Almost all the Bookers met on a nice June afternoon to discuss Jacquline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs, the first book in her long series about the intrepid psychologist/private investigator.
Most of us had difficulty in May with The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and we were all eager to read something easier and more enjoyable. Maisie Dobbs, recommended to some of us years ago by Bonnie, our sorely-missed Booker who recently passed away, was just such a book. About twelve of us read the book and all but one really enjoyed this rags-to-riches story of a very bright and enterprising young woman.
What many of us found interesting was the mood of the book, which took place mostly in England in the two decades around World War I. The setting had the feel of authenticity, and, when I first read the book, I thought the author had probably grown up and written the book during that period. Of course this was not the case: Winspear was born in 1955 in England, moving to America in 1990; and the novel was published in 2003. However, her grandfather was badly wounded in the war and suffered from shell-shock, and these facts obviously contributed to her interest in this time and place.
The story centers on Maisie who through good luck and remarkable intelligence moves up from a lowly servant girl to an accomplished, educated and enterprising young woman. It describes her experiences as a nurse in France during the war and details her first major mystery investigating the nefarious activities of a ‘retreat’ offering a haven for badly damaged war veterans. She nearly gets her wounded-veteran helper murdered in the process but, with quick-thinking and considerable courage, she manages to save the day.
The one curmudgeon among us who didn’t like the book thought that Maisie was far too perfect to be believable. Oh well, a little willing suspension of disbelief can be useful when reading for simple enjoyment.
Following a nice discussion we then all feasted on Pat’s delicious barbecued pork and lots of other really good food for another wonderful Happy Bookers meeting!
— Bob