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Tom Tiddler's Ground
“Is Florence looking after the house all right? I thought it was rather touching of her to say she would like to stay and be bombed with you. Mind you put her underneath when you’re lying down flat in an air-raid.”
Caroline Cameron is charming and witty, no doubt—but also superficial, and a bit immoral. When we first meet her, at the beginning of Ursula Orange’s delightful novel of the early days of World War II, married Caroline is contemplating an affair with an actor. But then war intervenes, and Caroline and her young daughter evacuate to the quiet village of Chesterford to stay with school-friend Constance Smith.
The two women couldn’t be more different. Warm-hearted, generous Constance surprises the local billeting officer with her delight at welcoming evacuees into her home. But she has also made a catastrophic marriage to salesman Alfred. As they weather the storm of blackouts, shelters, and village drama, it’s ultimately the women’s differences that allow them to bring out the best in each other and let peace (of a sort) reign again.
Tom Tiddler’s Ground is a rollicking, irresistible tale of troubles on the Home Front. This new edition features an introduction by Stacy Marking.
“Miss Orange’s very considerable gifts have all been requisitioned to make this a book not only of first-rate entertainment, but of literary excellence in its special light comedy genre.” New York Times
“The whole story is a sparkling piece of fun.” Daily Telegraph
Caroline Cameron is charming and witty, no doubt—but also superficial, and a bit immoral. When we first meet her, at the beginning of Ursula Orange’s delightful novel of the early days of World War II, married Caroline is contemplating an affair with an actor. But then war intervenes, and Caroline and her young daughter evacuate to the quiet village of Chesterford to stay with school-friend Constance Smith.
The two women couldn’t be more different. Warm-hearted, generous Constance surprises the local billeting officer with her delight at welcoming evacuees into her home. But she has also made a catastrophic marriage to salesman Alfred. As they weather the storm of blackouts, shelters, and village drama, it’s ultimately the women’s differences that allow them to bring out the best in each other and let peace (of a sort) reign again.
Tom Tiddler’s Ground is a rollicking, irresistible tale of troubles on the Home Front. This new edition features an introduction by Stacy Marking.
“Miss Orange’s very considerable gifts have all been requisitioned to make this a book not only of first-rate entertainment, but of literary excellence in its special light comedy genre.” New York Times
“The whole story is a sparkling piece of fun.” Daily Telegraph
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1941
22 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 3, 2021
4.5
I'm not sure that I could put my finger on why I enjoyed this one so much, but I did. It evokes the feeling of a cosy village drama but what is happening isn't cosy.
Set during the phoney war period, Caroline, who is feeling a bit dissatisfied in her marriage to John, takes their daughter Marguerite down to the country to escape the threat of air-raids. She goes to stay with her old school friend Constance. (Constance by name, Constance by nature). Constance is far too good and as a result, Caroline finds her irritating; she's not keen on her husband, Captain not-quite-a-gentleman Smith and thinks he's a wrong 'un. Add to the mix a 'slum mother' and her baby and there's all sorts that can go wrong, and things do. Adultery and death not the least of it.
I'm really looking forward to trying more of her work.
I'm not sure that I could put my finger on why I enjoyed this one so much, but I did. It evokes the feeling of a cosy village drama but what is happening isn't cosy.
Set during the phoney war period, Caroline, who is feeling a bit dissatisfied in her marriage to John, takes their daughter Marguerite down to the country to escape the threat of air-raids. She goes to stay with her old school friend Constance. (Constance by name, Constance by nature). Constance is far too good and as a result, Caroline finds her irritating; she's not keen on her husband, Captain not-quite-a-gentleman Smith and thinks he's a wrong 'un. Add to the mix a 'slum mother' and her baby and there's all sorts that can go wrong, and things do. Adultery and death not the least of it.
I'm really looking forward to trying more of her work.
July 28, 2019
I've enjoyed the two novels I've read by Ursula Orange enormously (for those with a taste for mid 20th century English middlebrow, they are more witty and acerbic than they are cozy and comforting). I'm tremendously grateful that this imprint exists, and has brought her work back into print; it is a shame that the books (or this one anyway) are somewhat marred by sloppy copy editing. It's jarring to have a paragraph break come immediately after the sentence that's meant to open the new section.
July 23, 2023
4 Stars
What happens when two old friends, with very different characters, are thrown together in a small village during World War II? What secrets are they hiding? What villainous plots are afoot? The author is clever, sharply funny, and the story is sophisticated rather than sweet. A delight!
What happens when two old friends, with very different characters, are thrown together in a small village during World War II? What secrets are they hiding? What villainous plots are afoot? The author is clever, sharply funny, and the story is sophisticated rather than sweet. A delight!
May 22, 2021
4.5 so enjoyable
August 1, 2021
This book was delightful. It had the perfect balance for me of light and dark, humor and drama. Caroline Cameron is a self-absorbed young mother whose toddler is mainly raised by Nanny and who is humored in her self-absorption by her older, solicitor husband. However, life changes for her dramatically when at the start of WWII to avoid the bombing she leaves London with daughter and Nanny in tow to live in the country with an old school friend. Said friend is the kind-hearted but terribly naïve Constance Smith who has made a terrible marriage (though as typical for her, Constance does not realize it) to the jumped up “gentleman”, Alfred. The book has some interesting class politics and dares to have a female main character who is downright unlikeable at times, but still keeps the reader interested in her and her story.
May 3, 2025
At the start of WW2, Caroline and her infant daughter Marguerite and her daughter’s Nanny all go to stay with Caroline’s old friend Constance, who lives in a village in Kent, while Caroline’s husband John remains in London. Constance, a vicar’s daughter, has married Alfred, a former chauffeur now working as a used car salesman. Alfred has social ambitions and wants to ingratiate himself with the local gentry. Also staying in the house are evacuees Mrs Gossage and her baby son Norman. Caroline, charming and rather frivolous, is a complete contrast to the serious conscientious Constance, but the two women are fond of each other. There are several tangled relationships to be sorted out in the course of the novel, and more than one secret is revealed. Quite an enjoyable story with some humorous touches. The Nanny was my favourite character.
October 29, 2017
The tone is here lighthearted but the themes are serious. This book reminds me of two books by Margarita Laski: the ruthless class war of The Village and the casual wartime promiscuity of To Bed with Grand Music. The author offers the thoughts of the characters in parenthesis immediately after their speech which enlivens the text with their honesty and the writing is fresh, moving along at a brisk pace. A perfectly enjoyable read with well realised characters and motivations yet not as lightweight as it might appear at first glance. I look forward to reading more Furrowed Middlebrow publications from Dean Street Press, if any bookshop would be sensible enough to stock them.
April 13, 2017
Very good light fiction
For fans of Thirkell, Delafield, etc. Orange is less flip and less sharp tongued, for all that her heroine wishes she were a bright young thing. The characters are well drawn, perhaps despite the fact that they are the stock village fiction characters (Rector's daughter, green driver's wife...). Because Orange takes them seriously, we do too. Well written and enjoyable. My fear that the author's overuse of the parenthetical aside would become unbearable proved groundless. I recommend this book if you like light village fiction.
For fans of Thirkell, Delafield, etc. Orange is less flip and less sharp tongued, for all that her heroine wishes she were a bright young thing. The characters are well drawn, perhaps despite the fact that they are the stock village fiction characters (Rector's daughter, green driver's wife...). Because Orange takes them seriously, we do too. Well written and enjoyable. My fear that the author's overuse of the parenthetical aside would become unbearable proved groundless. I recommend this book if you like light village fiction.
April 30, 2017
As a fan of British women's fiction from the first half the last century, I was delighted to hear of a new imprint, Furrowed Middlebrow from Dean Street Press. Tom Tiddler's Ground was my first choice and will not be my last from either the author or the publisher. The novel explores serious themes but with a light touch. Gentle fiction at its best.
October 25, 2025
Sharp, funny, and thoroughly modern book, even though it was published in 1941 and takes place during the Phoney War. While it is set in a stereotypically cozy setting, there is nothing cozy about the goings-on. It reminded me in some ways of Cold Comfort Farm, in that a rather silly, self-absorbed city woman encounters ordinary less-privileged country people and thus finally grows up.
The author herself had to evacuate to the country with her young daughter during this period, as her husband had gone to war and their London house was badly damaged in the bombing. I wonder how many of the characters are based on that experience.
The Daily Telegraph called it, "a sparkling piece of fun," but I think that glosses over the exceptionally good understanding Orange had of human nature, relationships, and how we weather our own bad actions. And while the Sunday Times called it, "the gayest of comedies," I found some it tender and even sad. And knowing what the characters would be in for later, as the war went on made it all the more poignant.
I found the story engrossing and the dialogue excellent. It is too bad Orange died young. She was a wonderful writer.
As a side note, the publisher Furrowed Middlebrow used Eric Ravilious's painting, "Two Women in a Garden" for the cover. One the few of his paintings I really like, and probably only because his wife Tirzah Garwood also an artist, is one of the women. I rather wish they'd used one of Garwood's paintings. Perhaps Villa at Walton on Naze or Canna House.
The author herself had to evacuate to the country with her young daughter during this period, as her husband had gone to war and their London house was badly damaged in the bombing. I wonder how many of the characters are based on that experience.
The Daily Telegraph called it, "a sparkling piece of fun," but I think that glosses over the exceptionally good understanding Orange had of human nature, relationships, and how we weather our own bad actions. And while the Sunday Times called it, "the gayest of comedies," I found some it tender and even sad. And knowing what the characters would be in for later, as the war went on made it all the more poignant.
I found the story engrossing and the dialogue excellent. It is too bad Orange died young. She was a wonderful writer.
As a side note, the publisher Furrowed Middlebrow used Eric Ravilious's painting, "Two Women in a Garden" for the cover. One the few of his paintings I really like, and probably only because his wife Tirzah Garwood also an artist, is one of the women. I rather wish they'd used one of Garwood's paintings. Perhaps Villa at Walton on Naze or Canna House.
February 17, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable 2ndWW tale of relationships, morality, sex and sincerity. Divorce, adultery, adolescent sexuality - all written in 1941...
January 25, 2022
"Tom Tiddler's Ground" is mentioned near the ending and how it ties into the story. I had not heard that phrase before and kept on waiting for an evacuee named Tom. I absolutely love Ursula Orange's stories and wish they would all come to Kindle format, but hopefully Dean Street Press will do that someday. Her writing style is delightful, her characters speak their private thoughts so the reader can understand them better. This story is about evacuees and a country village right before World War 2 where the bombs are hitting the homeland. The main characters are Caroline Cameron, Constance and Alfred Smith, the story revolves around them. I didn't care for Caroline and the below quote from the introduction explains how the publisher felt too.
"The notices and sales for Tom Tiddler’s Ground were good, but Ursula must have been disconcerted to receive a personal letter from her new publisher, Michael Joseph himself. He had been away at the wars, he explains, and has been reading the novel in hospital. He writes that he was “immensely entertained” and predicts “that it is only a question of time – and the always necessary slice of good luck – before you become a really big seller ...” But then he adds: “The only criticism that I venture to offer is that Caroline’s unorthodox behaviour ... may have prevented the book from having a bigger sale. I think it is still true, even in these days, that the public likes its heroines pure.”
I loved Constance and how not knowing but her good and kind ways changed her friend. I don't think Caroline would have stopped her ways unless seeing what she saw during her stay at Chesterford. Yet, she still doesn't blame herself because of her husband's past.
Story in short-Constance lives in the country and invites her friend, Caroline to stay with her as well as a factory mother with a newborn.
"The girl who had married John Cameron eight years ago seemed to herself a totally different personage from the Caroline of July, 1939. She was quite ready to repudiate her past taste in furniture, together with most of her past opinions and ambitions."
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
I had figured that John had caused his wife's death by driving drunk. Caroline should have stayed with her husband and sent the Nanny and her daughter to the country, she took care of her daughter but in a back seated type of way. She wanted to be treated not as a spoiled child but yet she acted one. Her love affair which she delighted in until she saw that it must end, and she started to be interested in her husband again. I liked her some near the end but truly she was not my favorite. Her making fun and writing a play about Chesterfield with her actor lover and his friends was reprehensible, she finally found out how wrong that was. I wonder if her husband had some inkling about her affair, it might have gotten to him but he took a step back and waited, I wonder. Constance is my favorite, her kind behavior makes her truly beautiful and I hope that she finds someone who will love her, but if not she will be happy being Norman's mother. Alfred is unlikable but what made him a little likeable though he was always trying to get higher in his social position, is that he was not looking to make love to these women, he rather do without their troubles, so he was not using them for his pleasure. I thought for sure Maudie was a blackmailer.
“You never get aggravated with me, do you, John?” “I don’t find you at all aggravating, darling.” “Don’t you? You astound me. It’s almost inhuman. Really I am very aggravating, John, sometimes,” Caroline urged, “I even aggravate myself. So there!” “So there—what? Really, darling, you can’t expect me to quarrel with you at half-past five in the morning on the grounds that I don’t find you aggravating.” “No. . . . I don’t expect you to. All the same it’s rather awful the way we never quarrel.” “I’m too old to quarrel,” said John comfortably."
“Are you going to wake up at half-past five every morning and behave like this? You are an infant, darling.” “That’s because I’ve been spoilt,” said Caroline. “It’s not been very good for me. First Mummy, then you.” “Well, I like you all right,” said John affectionately. A shade crossed Caroline’s face. “I don’t, though,” she said disturbingly. “What on earth do you mean?”
“Does it make you laugh to think of being married, darling?” The minute she had said it Caroline could have bitten her tongue out for her tactlessness. “Not so much.” (A careful voice.) “You see I’m eight years older than you.” And married before, AND married before, screamed the silence."
“No, please, Caroline.” (He was really distressed.) “Don’t think about me at all. It’s my job to make you happy. That’s all."
Caroline Cameron thinks back to when she first was married and how different she is today, her husband John is a lawyer and had been married before at the age of 19. Caroline is told by her mother in law not to ask questions about Edna, John's firsr wife. It seems that Edna was older and is dead now. The Camerons have their own house now. They have a daughter named Marguerite.
"Or “I wish I could help you, Mrs. Latchford. All these awful slum-children on your hands—too terrible for you— but, of course, they’d be miserable in a house like this."
“Alfred and I—two bedrooms really—now. You see, Alfred’s work sometimes keeping him late and . . .” “Yes, yes, of course!” (Behave as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Good heavens! Only two years married and already—!) “That makes four then.” Another finger shot up. “And your maid—”
"Oh, no, he won’t be, thought Mrs. Latchford, remounting her bicycle. He’ll like our smart Caroline, but not our little slum-baby. Now does Constance realize that, or is she really a fool where the man’s concerned? I’d love to know! Two bedrooms, indeed, and crazy about babies. Poor Constance! One’s always saying: “What a pity So- and-so never married.” Why doesn’t one ever say: “What a pity So-and-so did!” Yes, poor Constance. “Quite like old times,” she said, her eyes shining. She ought to have gone back to her work in London when her father died. Being married isn’t her line, and does she know it yet, or doesn’t she?"
“Oh, my dear, that’s really what I’m ringing you up about. Look here, do you remember promising to come down to us if there was a war—in Oxford Street, that day? Well, the billeting officer’s just been round—” “The what? My God, Constance, is it as bad as all that? I mean John and I are pooh-poohers. Like Gugnuncs, you know, only not in the least like. But if billeting officers are going to start scrounging around the country-side, it does sound a bit grim, doesn’t it?”
“And, of course, it’s only precautionary in case. They must have it all worked out in advance, mustn’t they? I mean a big scheme like that—” (Pip, pip, pip.) “Well, what I really wanted to ask you was, have you made any other arrangements because we’d love to have you?”“Well, no, we haven’t made any arrangements because of our pooh-pooh principles. . . . But, of course, I’m quite ready to admit that if it did come to bombs on the roof I should be one of the first to tuck Marguerite under my arm and fly to the country.” “Well, Caroline, then promise to fly to us. We’d simply love to have you—all of you.”
“Oh, John! You lucky devil! When it’s me that adores the house so.” “Sorry.” A pause. “I shall miss you terribly.” “Now you’ve made me feel a selfish pig, John.” Silence.
Constance Smith is visited by the doctor's wife who is going around trying to prepare if the war comes and find places in the country for the children. Smith had married the vicar's daughter and is much older, having served in the first war. It seems their marriage already as shown strain. Constance calls up her school chum, Caroline to see if she would like to stay with her if the war started. They seem to not be as great of friends a least according to Caroline, Constance married beneath her station. John was 30 when he married is now 38 & Caroline is 30 now.
"The notices and sales for Tom Tiddler’s Ground were good, but Ursula must have been disconcerted to receive a personal letter from her new publisher, Michael Joseph himself. He had been away at the wars, he explains, and has been reading the novel in hospital. He writes that he was “immensely entertained” and predicts “that it is only a question of time – and the always necessary slice of good luck – before you become a really big seller ...” But then he adds: “The only criticism that I venture to offer is that Caroline’s unorthodox behaviour ... may have prevented the book from having a bigger sale. I think it is still true, even in these days, that the public likes its heroines pure.”
I loved Constance and how not knowing but her good and kind ways changed her friend. I don't think Caroline would have stopped her ways unless seeing what she saw during her stay at Chesterford. Yet, she still doesn't blame herself because of her husband's past.
Story in short-Constance lives in the country and invites her friend, Caroline to stay with her as well as a factory mother with a newborn.
"The girl who had married John Cameron eight years ago seemed to herself a totally different personage from the Caroline of July, 1939. She was quite ready to repudiate her past taste in furniture, together with most of her past opinions and ambitions."
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
I had figured that John had caused his wife's death by driving drunk. Caroline should have stayed with her husband and sent the Nanny and her daughter to the country, she took care of her daughter but in a back seated type of way. She wanted to be treated not as a spoiled child but yet she acted one. Her love affair which she delighted in until she saw that it must end, and she started to be interested in her husband again. I liked her some near the end but truly she was not my favorite. Her making fun and writing a play about Chesterfield with her actor lover and his friends was reprehensible, she finally found out how wrong that was. I wonder if her husband had some inkling about her affair, it might have gotten to him but he took a step back and waited, I wonder. Constance is my favorite, her kind behavior makes her truly beautiful and I hope that she finds someone who will love her, but if not she will be happy being Norman's mother. Alfred is unlikable but what made him a little likeable though he was always trying to get higher in his social position, is that he was not looking to make love to these women, he rather do without their troubles, so he was not using them for his pleasure. I thought for sure Maudie was a blackmailer.
“You never get aggravated with me, do you, John?” “I don’t find you at all aggravating, darling.” “Don’t you? You astound me. It’s almost inhuman. Really I am very aggravating, John, sometimes,” Caroline urged, “I even aggravate myself. So there!” “So there—what? Really, darling, you can’t expect me to quarrel with you at half-past five in the morning on the grounds that I don’t find you aggravating.” “No. . . . I don’t expect you to. All the same it’s rather awful the way we never quarrel.” “I’m too old to quarrel,” said John comfortably."
“Are you going to wake up at half-past five every morning and behave like this? You are an infant, darling.” “That’s because I’ve been spoilt,” said Caroline. “It’s not been very good for me. First Mummy, then you.” “Well, I like you all right,” said John affectionately. A shade crossed Caroline’s face. “I don’t, though,” she said disturbingly. “What on earth do you mean?”
“Does it make you laugh to think of being married, darling?” The minute she had said it Caroline could have bitten her tongue out for her tactlessness. “Not so much.” (A careful voice.) “You see I’m eight years older than you.” And married before, AND married before, screamed the silence."
“No, please, Caroline.” (He was really distressed.) “Don’t think about me at all. It’s my job to make you happy. That’s all."
Caroline Cameron thinks back to when she first was married and how different she is today, her husband John is a lawyer and had been married before at the age of 19. Caroline is told by her mother in law not to ask questions about Edna, John's firsr wife. It seems that Edna was older and is dead now. The Camerons have their own house now. They have a daughter named Marguerite.
"Or “I wish I could help you, Mrs. Latchford. All these awful slum-children on your hands—too terrible for you— but, of course, they’d be miserable in a house like this."
“Alfred and I—two bedrooms really—now. You see, Alfred’s work sometimes keeping him late and . . .” “Yes, yes, of course!” (Behave as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Good heavens! Only two years married and already—!) “That makes four then.” Another finger shot up. “And your maid—”
"Oh, no, he won’t be, thought Mrs. Latchford, remounting her bicycle. He’ll like our smart Caroline, but not our little slum-baby. Now does Constance realize that, or is she really a fool where the man’s concerned? I’d love to know! Two bedrooms, indeed, and crazy about babies. Poor Constance! One’s always saying: “What a pity So- and-so never married.” Why doesn’t one ever say: “What a pity So-and-so did!” Yes, poor Constance. “Quite like old times,” she said, her eyes shining. She ought to have gone back to her work in London when her father died. Being married isn’t her line, and does she know it yet, or doesn’t she?"
“Oh, my dear, that’s really what I’m ringing you up about. Look here, do you remember promising to come down to us if there was a war—in Oxford Street, that day? Well, the billeting officer’s just been round—” “The what? My God, Constance, is it as bad as all that? I mean John and I are pooh-poohers. Like Gugnuncs, you know, only not in the least like. But if billeting officers are going to start scrounging around the country-side, it does sound a bit grim, doesn’t it?”
“And, of course, it’s only precautionary in case. They must have it all worked out in advance, mustn’t they? I mean a big scheme like that—” (Pip, pip, pip.) “Well, what I really wanted to ask you was, have you made any other arrangements because we’d love to have you?”“Well, no, we haven’t made any arrangements because of our pooh-pooh principles. . . . But, of course, I’m quite ready to admit that if it did come to bombs on the roof I should be one of the first to tuck Marguerite under my arm and fly to the country.” “Well, Caroline, then promise to fly to us. We’d simply love to have you—all of you.”
“Oh, John! You lucky devil! When it’s me that adores the house so.” “Sorry.” A pause. “I shall miss you terribly.” “Now you’ve made me feel a selfish pig, John.” Silence.
Constance Smith is visited by the doctor's wife who is going around trying to prepare if the war comes and find places in the country for the children. Smith had married the vicar's daughter and is much older, having served in the first war. It seems their marriage already as shown strain. Constance calls up her school chum, Caroline to see if she would like to stay with her if the war started. They seem to not be as great of friends a least according to Caroline, Constance married beneath her station. John was 30 when he married is now 38 & Caroline is 30 now.
December 2, 2020
I am always tempted by the recommendations of Nancy Pearl, "America's Librarian," especially about authors who are no longer published or back listed. That's what led me to Ursula Orange, a British author who wrote a number of books between 1936 and 1945. Better yet, her books are now published by "Furrowed Middlebrow Books", a great name in itself, and investigating its website led me down a rabbit hole for several hours!
On the surface, Ursula Orange's books may seem light comedy, but considering the time in which they were written, I find her exploration here of topics such as adultery, bigamy, single parenting, fraud, loveless marriage and working women insightful. Dialogue occurs on two levels: the first is the spoken conversation, and then, in brackets, all that is unsaid by the speaker. Most of these made me smile because parallel conversations are embedded in my communication.
This novel is set in 1939-1940; people are being urged to evacuate London, but the war doesn't seem real yet. Constance Smith, living in her late father's vicarage in Chesterford, is married to the despicable, self-centered Alfred. A former social worker, she readily agrees to take in a mother and baby from London as well as her old school friend, Caroline Cameron, and her daughter, Marguerite. Alfred is far less agreeable to this arrangement and is distracted by his past and diminishing career. Despite being set in 1939, there is little talk of war in the novel other than the evacuation of women and children to the country. Several characters travel easily back and forth to London. While I liked many of the characters and the story lines, my favorite aspect was the growth of Constance and Caroline, their evolving self awareness, their differing personalities finding connections.
Finally, a word about the title. "Tom Tiddler's Ground" was a short story written by Charles Dickens. The phrase has evolved into describing something like a game of tag, chasing the players around somewhat haphazardly, until catching someone. Caroline, consoling Constance at one point, explains, "Oh, Constance, do believe me, everyone has something in their past...oh, a sort of patch they're ashamed of. A sort of Tom Tiddler's Ground which you keep to yourself and chase other people off." Thinking about this expression, of course, new to me, and its connection to the characters, made the novel more contemporary. Don't we all have a Tom Tiddler's Ground, or maybe two or three?
On the surface, Ursula Orange's books may seem light comedy, but considering the time in which they were written, I find her exploration here of topics such as adultery, bigamy, single parenting, fraud, loveless marriage and working women insightful. Dialogue occurs on two levels: the first is the spoken conversation, and then, in brackets, all that is unsaid by the speaker. Most of these made me smile because parallel conversations are embedded in my communication.
This novel is set in 1939-1940; people are being urged to evacuate London, but the war doesn't seem real yet. Constance Smith, living in her late father's vicarage in Chesterford, is married to the despicable, self-centered Alfred. A former social worker, she readily agrees to take in a mother and baby from London as well as her old school friend, Caroline Cameron, and her daughter, Marguerite. Alfred is far less agreeable to this arrangement and is distracted by his past and diminishing career. Despite being set in 1939, there is little talk of war in the novel other than the evacuation of women and children to the country. Several characters travel easily back and forth to London. While I liked many of the characters and the story lines, my favorite aspect was the growth of Constance and Caroline, their evolving self awareness, their differing personalities finding connections.
Finally, a word about the title. "Tom Tiddler's Ground" was a short story written by Charles Dickens. The phrase has evolved into describing something like a game of tag, chasing the players around somewhat haphazardly, until catching someone. Caroline, consoling Constance at one point, explains, "Oh, Constance, do believe me, everyone has something in their past...oh, a sort of patch they're ashamed of. A sort of Tom Tiddler's Ground which you keep to yourself and chase other people off." Thinking about this expression, of course, new to me, and its connection to the characters, made the novel more contemporary. Don't we all have a Tom Tiddler's Ground, or maybe two or three?
abandoned
March 18, 2024DNF - shifting timelines are the kiss of death for me. I give these books even less and less of my time the older I get. Also the women characters in this book have very similar names (Constance and Carolyn) and I kept thinking they were the same person and the shifting back and forth in time was making things worse.
August 19, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. Charming from start to finish it reminded me of a cross between the tv series Home Fires and Miss Buncle’s Book. I’ll definitely be rereading this - such a comforting domestic WWII novel and a satisfying resolution at the end.
May 4, 2017
This is another name for Tom Tiddler's Ground.
July 20, 2018
Another WWII novel written and published in England during the early years of the war, leaving the reader with the uncomfortable feeling of knowing what’s in store for the characters even though the novel ends before the worst of it takes place.
It’s set in a cozy rural village where aside from a few references to air raid shelters, blackouts and accommodations for evacuees, most everyone in the novel is content to carry on as if the war didn’t really matter. “Nobody’s anxiety was directly connected with the war, although everyone unconsciously adopted it as a good patriotic excuse for preoccupation.”
At first the novel’s protagonist, Caroline Cameron, seems lazy, self indulgent and terribly superficial. Forced to evacuate London leaving her husband behind, she accepts an invitation to move to the quiet village of Chesterford with her small daughter at the invitation of her friend Constance Smith. (I wish the author would not have given her main characters names that began with the same letter!)
At first Caroline finds village life dull and unsophisticated and so she embarks upon a secret love affair. (Evidently what passed for steamy in 1941 were passages like this:“as she fondled his hair, she returned his kisses with a sudden passion that momentarily turned time and space and the war into a half-forgotten story-book legend.”)
As Caroline is drawn deeper into the lives of the villagers she starts to take a closer look at herself and finally recognizes what needs to change. It’s at this point that the novel’s title begins to make sense. “Everyone has something in their past that they’re ashamed of - a sort of Tom Tiddler’s Ground which you keep to yourself and chase other people off.. . .everybody’s got something to be ashamed of.”
Ursula Orange is a fine writer and I particularly enjoyed her use of dialogue, often inserting parenthetical statements along with what was being said to let her readers in on what a character was really thinking - since it was often the exact opposite of what they were saying.
It’s set in a cozy rural village where aside from a few references to air raid shelters, blackouts and accommodations for evacuees, most everyone in the novel is content to carry on as if the war didn’t really matter. “Nobody’s anxiety was directly connected with the war, although everyone unconsciously adopted it as a good patriotic excuse for preoccupation.”
At first the novel’s protagonist, Caroline Cameron, seems lazy, self indulgent and terribly superficial. Forced to evacuate London leaving her husband behind, she accepts an invitation to move to the quiet village of Chesterford with her small daughter at the invitation of her friend Constance Smith. (I wish the author would not have given her main characters names that began with the same letter!)
At first Caroline finds village life dull and unsophisticated and so she embarks upon a secret love affair. (Evidently what passed for steamy in 1941 were passages like this:“as she fondled his hair, she returned his kisses with a sudden passion that momentarily turned time and space and the war into a half-forgotten story-book legend.”)
As Caroline is drawn deeper into the lives of the villagers she starts to take a closer look at herself and finally recognizes what needs to change. It’s at this point that the novel’s title begins to make sense. “Everyone has something in their past that they’re ashamed of - a sort of Tom Tiddler’s Ground which you keep to yourself and chase other people off.. . .everybody’s got something to be ashamed of.”
Ursula Orange is a fine writer and I particularly enjoyed her use of dialogue, often inserting parenthetical statements along with what was being said to let her readers in on what a character was really thinking - since it was often the exact opposite of what they were saying.
Read
January 19, 2024A little more of a bite and a much less cozy story line than DES. I enjoyed Begin Again more. But this was a good read. The characters didn’t draw me in as much but there was some needed growth of the main character. I didn’t like her through much of the book. The plot was interesting.
August 13, 2020
**3.5 Stars**
February 16, 2021
Rural England. Village life. Lighthearted drama. Written in 1941. Engaging characters.
27 of 60before60
27 of 60before60
March 14, 2021
Somewhat slow in parts. And I honestly think I enjoyed Begin Again much better. The characters in this one were a bit too naive and Alfred just makes me mad and gets away with being an ass.
May 29, 2025
Enjoyable and insightful.
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