The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

Over the course of the book, even the most rigid among them unfurls as perceptions and preconceptions about themselves, their relationships with their loved ones, and each other begin to dissolve. Besides taking us on a journey to beautiful Mediterranean shores of ‘wisteria and sunshine’, The Enchanted April explores the inner lives of four quite different women – all strangers to each other at the start of the novel, all unhappy in their own way – and the changing relationships between them as their month together progresses.Īway from the routines and pressures of their normal lives, it is heartening to see how the women seem to shift into new ways of thinking and being, inspired by the beauty of their surroundings and each other - in particular, the wisdom and empathy of Mrs Wilkins, whose claims that she can ‘see inside’ people initially cause her to be regarded with some wariness. It might come as no surprise that a book about four women holidaying in a medieval Italian castle in April is my choice for November’s theme of ‘Light in the Dark’. As someone who has Seasonal Affective Disorder, I find that this often takes the shape of dreaming of the renewed energy I will have in the springtime and of all the wonderful, flower-strewn places I will visit, once the sunshine returns. As the dark days descend, summoning up any feelings of joy can seem almost impossible, and yet I feel that there are always glimmers of light on the horizon, in some way, shape, or form. November is a difficult month for many of us, even at the best of times.

Kate Weston, Manchester Hub Leader for The Reader, shares today's recommendaion The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. The theme for our daily readings in November is 'Light in the Dark' download the calendar here.