This trilogy offers an intimate and poetic journey through childhood and adolescence set against the backdrop of the English countryside. It captures the unbridled joys of nature, the poignant experiences of growing up, and complex family dynamics through a young boy's eyes. The narrative is rich with sensory detail, nostalgia, and the timeless beauty of everyday life. It's an evocative celebration of memory and resilience that resonates deeply with readers.
A re-issue of the evocative and nostalgic account of Lee's country childhood in a secluded Cotswold valley. Lee describes a vanished rural world of village schools and church outings but also touches on the darker side of village life as it comes into contact with murder, rape, suicide and depression.
When Laurie Lee set out on foot from his home in the Gloucestershire village of Slad one midsummer morning in 1935 he was 19 and off to see the world with only his violin for company. So began a year of wandering that eventually took him from the North to the South of Spain, a country in which life had barely changed since the Middle Ages but which was now on the brink of a bitter civil war. The adventure that began as a romantic dream ended somewhat ignominiously, but it inspired Lee to produce this brilliant and darkly haunting account of a vanished Spain, and return to fight on the Republican side not long after. Illustrated by Leonard Rosoman. ‘There’s a formidable, instant charm in the writing that genuinely makes it difficult to put the book down.’ New Statesman ‘A beautiful piece of writing.’ Observer ‘He writes like an angel and conveys the pride and vitality of the humblest Spanish life with unfailing sharpness, zest and humour.’ Sunday Times
Concludes the autobiographical trilogy begun in "Cider with Rosie" and "As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning".