I love stories about people going out of their comfort zone and being forced into adventure and danger like Howl’s Moving Castle and The Fellowship of the Ring.
But this year some of the books I have loved the most have been about the joy of home. Of seasonal traditions and taking pleasure in the rhythms of everyday life.
For example, I loved this quote from Wind in the Willows:
‘But he seemed to have lost all interest for the time in the things that went to make up his daily life, as well as in all pleasant forecastings of the altered days and doings that the changing season was surely bringing. Casually, then, and with seeming indifference, the Mole turned his talk to the harvest that was being gathered in, the towering wagons and their straining teams, the growing ricks, and the large moon rising over bare acres dotted with sheaves. He talked of the reddening apples around, of the browning nuts, of jams and preserves and the distilling of cordials; till by easy stages such as these he reached mid-winter, its hearty joys and its snug home life, and then he became simply lyrical.’
It really made me think a lot about how little I appreciate the small things in my everyday life that are so beautiful.
I felt the same thing reading Anne of Green Gables for the first time this year. One of my absolute favourite things I have read this year. There were so many quotes that I loved about the way that Anne breathes life and imagination and adventure into the world around her and just takes so much pleasure from her home. As we are just hitting autumn I will give this example:
‘OCTOBER was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths. Anne reveled in the world of color about her. “Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills? I’m going to decorate my room with them.”
A more heartbreaking version of this I found in Demon Copperhead where you get these really rich descriptions of Lee County and even though Demon is moved from home to home and regularly uprooted you get such a sense of how much he loves the place where he lives even as he can also see how bad it is for him.
I was wondering what people’s favourite books and quotes are that celebrate the joy of home life and why. Maybe it’s something about the passing of the seasons or yearly traditions or the people in a community or the landscape or something else. But I would love to hear them.
by BillyThePigeon
4 Comments
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett is lovely. Audiobook is narrated by Tom Hanks too so that’s cool!
My favorite is Household Gods by Judith Tarr I am trying not to give too much away. it a exciting adventure set in Ancient Rome. The main character learns the value of living in the moment and how precious home is.
I got that vibe from All Creatures Great and Small and sequels although his home is his work place and he travels throughout the county.
There is an author named Miss Read. Her books are such a calming, pleasant experience when the world gets crazier every day. Her first book is titled Village School. Our library still has most of her books which she began writing in the 1950’s.