Now That April's There

by Daisy Neumann

Now that April's there is the story of the Turners, of Oxford, England. But they might just as well be the Turners of Council Bluffs, Iowa, or the Turners of Portland, Oregon, or of Skowhegan, Maine. So natural and lovable are they that the reader feels their geographic placement is merely a matter of literary accident. Professor Turner, dreamy Oxford don, and his earnest, well-meaning wife, are charming exponents of the "should be" school. Their gradual re-education to the "as is" school by their amazingly mature youngsters--Wincy, fifteen, and Angus, nine--returned to England after five war years with an American family in Massachusetts makes superb reading for all ages.

Genres: Fiction, British Literature

244 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1944

Reviews

[Phair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1945, this would likely be considered a YA novel these days. Very enjoyable and interesting look at the differences between British and USA upper middle class lifestyles at that period. I love finding these older books that can still captivate and inform readers today. Librarians take note- don't go weeding stuff just because it's old and not on some current bestseller list. There's gold in them thar stacks.

[CLM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy was the housemother in my mother's Radcliffe dorm for several years. She was a very interesting person and spent her latter years volunteering on Quaker causes. I only met her once as a child when she came to tea but I wish I had known about her experiences and been able to discuss them with her, including her own evacuation story.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she corresponded with two of my favorite Quaker authors:
Elfrida V. Foulds and Elizabeth Gray Vining. Her papers are in the Bryn Mawr archives. Road trip, Emily and Charlotte?

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story. Got the book from my cousin over seventy years ago and I enjoyed it as a young girl and rereading it now. An English family sends their two youngest children to America during WWII fo live with an American family until it was safe for them to return home. The story centers on the children's difficulty in adjusting to their family upon their return to England.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book loaned to me by my grandmother. The cover very worn from all the times she read it. A light and sweet story against the backdrop of WWII. I enjoyed it mostly for the connection of reading it like my grandmother did. The original artwork scattered throughout the pages was a sweet touch.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My parents had this book, published in 1945, on their shelves—I have no idea where or when they got it— and I first read it when I was twelve or fourteen. Rereading it now, I recognize it as my first introduction to the concept of culture shock, though the term hadn’t been invented in 1945 and isn’t used in the novel. Although it’s set in Oxford, England, it was evidently written for an American audience, with a glossary of British terms such as “rugger” and “posh.” Our heroine, Wincy (short for Winifred, but a terrible name) is a worthy companion for any contemporary YA lead, and spends much less time waffling around with her feelings. Recommended.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit of a coming-of-age story about Wincy, a girl evacuated from Oxford during WWII for three years. On coming back to England with her little brother she has trouble at first re-adapting to English life and making others understand her American life. I actually felt like I experienced a lot of the same things when I moved to England.

[Madison Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Picked this up at the thrift store because it was old a pretty and had every intention of just putting on a shelf. I'm glad I decided to read it first. A different take on the effects of WWII than what you usually read. SO educational to read this in 2023.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book nearly 60 years ago and loved it then. Reading it again now, I find that it is not exactly as I remembered. It is the story of two British children sent to America to escape danger of WWII in England. They have returned to England, very much Americanized after the three years they spent there. It's a time of adjustment for everyone. The author describes the rather abrupt cultural changes that that war forced on people involved, the necessary melding of two groups of people who were so similar and yet so different.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now That April's There by Daisy Neumann - Wincy, fifteen, and Angus, nine, return to Oxford, England after five war years in America and both parents and children experience culture shock as they strive to become reacquainted. As the flyleaf says, "This is a book to be cherished, to be read over and over again with ever new affection."