For years I always remembered My Brother Michael as one of Mary Stewart’s more ‘boring’ romances. Then one day I re-read it and wondered what that had all been about, because it was absolutely fantastic.
It’s a low-key kind of romance, so maybe I was too young the first time, wanting something more exciting, and not getting it. I used to think of the hero, Simon, as someone who wasn’t terribly fanciable. Possibly even a little boring. How wrong a witch-in-waiting can be!
But then, I myself am so boring that I would never do what Camilla does. Barely hesitating when offered the keys to a car that needs to be driven to Delphi for someone by the name of Simon, she gets in the car and off she goes.
Well, it saves money and she’s low on funds. She’s also low on self-esteem, having a recently broken engagement behind her, and her travelling companion had to cancel. Naturally she runs into Simon, who may or may not be the Simon the car is intended for.
As your typical ‘macho’ Classics teacher, Simon takes over. He’s in Greece to look into the death of his brother Michael many years earlier. This being a romantic mystery there is plenty that goes wrong, before it goes right.
Those English school teachers are really something! And there is yet another ‘charming young man’, of the kind Mary Stewart does best. With colourful socks.
I adore this book! (Except for the bits where they are always flinging their cigarettes into the highly flammable Greek landscape! lol.)
Caroline’s comment has really made me laugh!
And yes, I now want to re-read all these books. How I wanted to be a Mary Stewart heroine, when I was seventeen – brave, intelligent, effortlessly attractive, and able to spend what seems like weeks on end wandering about in luscious bits of Greece and France… Are you getting around to The Gabriel Hounds? That was a bit of an odd one.
The landscape has survived. Mostly. I’m sure that fictional fire-flingings are safe.
As for the economy, well… Or the trains.
I’ve done my five now, Katherine. The Gabriel Hounds had a profound effect on the young witch, but did not make the top five. There is now a big fat middle ground, and about two that I don’t think that much of.
Nine Coaches Waiting. That was my favourite but it didn’t make your five!
Late to this post as I was in Somerset yesterday. Was expecting Ellen Renner to be there too but having just read tomorrow’s post I can see why she wasn’t. She had a very good excuse to be elsewhere. Well done Ellen.
Thanks, BW – and I especially like the witch-in-waiting. Sounds properly scary and am sure MS would approve.