The Firstborn

by Laurie Lee

Laurie Lee takes us back to the Age of Innocence. His poems are vivid and sensuous. In Cider with Rosie he recalls the unspoilt country of his childhood; and in this deeply moving essay Laurie Lee writes of the birth of his first child."This moment of meeting seemed to be a birthtime for both of us; her first and my second life. Nothing I knew would be the same again...She is of course just an ordinary miracle, but is also the late wonder of my life. So each night I take her to bed like a book and lie close and study her".

Genres: Essays

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Laurence Edward Alan "Laurie" Lee, MBE, was an English poet, novelist, and screenwriter. His most famous work was an autobiographical trilogy which consisted of Cider with Rosie (1959), As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991). While the first volume famously recounts his childhood in the idyllic Slad Valley, the second deals with his leaving home for London and his first visit to Spain in 1934, and the third with his return in December 1937 to join the Republican International Brigade.

Reviews

[Yue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from some rather sexist remarks, a very good collection of essays on taking up the role as parents that screams Laurie Lee.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful essay. A very thoughtful gift for first time parents

[Stephen Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous short story from a beautiful poet.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie Lee captures the evanescent in these lovely meditations on his daughter.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most touching piece of prose/narrative I have ever read. Beautiful.