1 have been a fan of Elizabeth Goudge for over sixty years,

and am delighted to discover that there is a society dedicated

to reviving her books. Browsing through a bookshop when I was

eleven years old I came upon her book "Henrietta's House" I

maintain that it is one of the finest books for girls ever

written and as far as I am concerned the most delightful book

in the world. After all these decades I still have it. It is

one of my treasures. Elizabeth was a gracious lady who gently

answered all my fan letters and even tried to calm my

childhood fear of the possible existence of ghosts even though

she saw them all the time. She said that they were

photographs of the past. (This did not reassure me.) I would

love to become affiliated with the Elizabeth Goudge Society.

Even though I never met her - she is a beloved friend Best

regards Katherine Smith

Dear Katherine,

Thank you for taking the time to write to the site with such an interesting letter. I am so envious that you had a correspondence with Elizabeth, it is one of the few regrets I have that I didn't write to her telling her how much she meant to me. It was one of the chief reasons for setting up the site, my way of thanking her. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to date.

I can understand how her matter of fact statement about ghosts was not reassuring. Photographs are something we find in albums or look for in drawers, not are confronted with in the dark! Although I think its as good an explanation as any other. Have you read her auto-biography? In it she talks about the Angel that people used to see on the wall of the house next to hers, in Wells Somerset. Recently a fresco of a woman was discovered on the same wall. I wonder if it had "leaked" through in certain lights?

Her own home in Peppards Common was haunted too, as you can read about in Joy Of The Snow.

How you could become affiliated with the site is up to you.. I'm always on the look out for articles or information others might have about her. Jessie burnt all her papers and correspondence after she died, so we only have other peoples memories of her and her writing of cause, to go on.

Deborah

Hello Deb: First of all are you in England? I am in Raleigh

N.C. U.S.A I poured over those pictures of the party at Rose

Cottage. How I would have loved to have been there. Elizabeth

told me in one of her letters that Rose Cottage was actually

Froniga's house in her book "The White Witch" So for me it

would have been like stepping into one of her books. The

interesting thing about Elizabeth is that, while we may enjoy

the books of other authors they remain merely creators of a

product we have enjoyed - but Elizabeth became a very real

presence in the lives of her readers. I believe it is that

she could, as no other author, enchant. As a child I used to

escape to Torminster I swear, as I ran through those lovely

old streets in winter, I could feel the snow on my face. And

I longed to reach the toasty warmth of the parlour at number

two The Close. It was all so very real to me. There was a

question on the website about the original edition of

"Henrietta's House". Yes it does have green covers. The dust

jacket long gone had a picture of Henrietta in a pink dress

looking through a tall gate at her house in Foxglove Comb.

The book lies in front of me now. This copy was produced in

1946 in accordance with war economy standards and is

beautifully illustrated by L.M. Steele. Thanks so much Deb I

am going to enjoy being part of the Elizabeth Goudge Society.

Much love Katherine

I was sharing your thoughts about how different reading a book by Elizabeth was to other good literature, and that we agreed with you about the quality of her writing. She said she didn't go to Elizabeth for comfort, if she wanted to comfort read she choose Georgette Heyer or a good "who-dun-it", but she couldn't decide what it was that made her keep going back to Elizabeth's work.

I told her I for me it was affirmation, good sound practical advise, and affirmation.

I too enjoyed Frongia's house, although little of the original cottage remains, expect the bedrooms upstairs. It has all been of necessity extensively renovated. We can reach Peppards Common in three hours or so and thoroughly enjoyed the Blue Plaque day.

I thought that your email was charming and an original slant, and I would like to put in Goudge Talk next month.

Please keep in touch and anything about Elizabeth that you wish to share would be most welcome.

Hi Deb: How lovely to hear from you and thank you for

showing me those two lovely pictures. We have a magazine over

here which asks readers to suggest book for reissue. Of course

I suggested my favourite Henrietta's House. We have an artiste

here in the States who was (she died a few months ago) to

enchantment what Elizabeth was to literature. Her name was Tasha

Tudor. Even though I love the work of L.M. Steele I would

have loved to see what Tasha would have done with Elizabeth's

lovely story. The magazine agreed that Henrietta's House

illustrated by Tasha Tudor would make a beautiful volume but

that was the last I heard of my suggestion. Are there plans

to reissue Elizabeth's books in England? I do hope so. Much

love Deb, Katherine