FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

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This was a charming story about a woman's attempts to help her friend get reintegrated into society after a breakup and reconciliation. I was uncomfortable with some of the attitudes toward women but had to remind myself that this book was written in 1938. I especially liked the main character and the humour.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
#192025 #1938 @Librarybelle
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Librarybelle Hooray!! 1w

Ruthiella I agree. It‘s a novel “of its time”, but I liked it in spite of those aspects. 1w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1w

kwmg40 @Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks Thanks for stopping by! 1w

kwmg40 @Ruthiella I really liked it too despite the issues. It was a fun read! 1w

38 likes5 comments

quietjenn

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

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Almost forgot to post about our #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub read, although I did enjoy it, despite some frustrating bits that others have already mentioned. I'm not sure how much of it will stick with me, but the scene seeing was lovely and the characters I liked, I liked enormously. Will certainly read more by Clavering.

quietjenn @LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @batsy @CarolynM @Ruthiella @jlhammar @erzascarletbookgasm @Tamra @Aimeesue @Cathythoughts @Jess_Read_This @Kimzey @catebutler @elkeOriginal @Sparklemn @MrsK 3w

Ruthiella Yes, this was a nice introduction to a new author! DSP has re-published a number of Clavering‘s novels, so it‘s likely we‘ll run into her again! 😃 3w

CarolynM Yes, I‘m keen to read more of her too. Nice review. 3w

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Cathythoughts Nice review ❤️ I really enjoyed this one, and would also like to read more of her too. 3w

jlhammar Yes, I'd definitely be interested in trying another Clavering, see how it compares. Glad you enjoyed! 3w

Tamra Agreed, overall there were many enjoyable aspects of the novel. This was my first of her books and I‘d be game to try another. 3w

MaureenMc @quietjenn @CarolynM @Ruthiella @Cathythoughts @jlhammar @Tamra I‘ve read this Clavering, & really enjoyed it. It‘s supposedly based on her friendship with D.E. Stevenson

Mrs. Lorimer's Quiet Summer

Tamra @MaureenMc thank you for the suggestion! 3w

LeahBergen Nice review! Yes, I‘m up for reading more by Clavering, too (especially when I need something cozy and non-taxing 😆). 3w

LeahBergen @MaureenMc I have that waiting on my shelves. 👍 3w

Aimeesue More Clavering is clearly called for! 3w

quietjenn @MaureenMc Ooh, that may be a good one to try as the next one! 3w

quietjenn @Ruthiella @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Tamra @LeahBergen @Aimeeue This is my second, as I read “Dear Hugo“ sometime last year. I really liked that one! Oh, just realized via Goodreads that I also read “Near Neighbors“ via a group on their earlier this year. That was great! So, I guess I am not so unfamiliar with Clavering as I thought 😆 (edited) 3w

71 likes13 comments

Centique

Romantic Poets | John Keats

Finally got my last book delivered from my #buybuybookdepository order @Cinfhen
All classics and just a bit inspired by the #furrowedmiddlebrowclub to try Susan Scarlet. I have to do a seperate post on how pretty this poetry book is 😍

LeahBergen I hope you enjoy Clothes-Pegs. It‘s a frothy and lighthearted romp. 😆 3w

Centique @LeahBergen frothy and lighthearted sounds perfect! 3w

Cinfhen Ohhhh, those are all gorgeous 🤩well done ♥️ 3w

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Cathythoughts I loved Clothes Pegs 👍🏻💕 3w

CarolynM Clothes Pegs is a real feel good read. Enjoy! 3w

erzascarletbookgasm Great haul 👍 3w

69 likes6 comments

CarolynM

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

pick

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
Some great characters (particularly Kate & young Henry) & amusing escapades kept me reading & enjoying in spite of the “blame the woman for the man‘s infidelity” theme (Lucy & Mrs Farrell both). I agree that holier-than-thou types can be annoying, but shouldn‘t Andrew have had the guts to actually discuss that with L instead of running away with Mrs F? I hope Kate is happy, but I don‘t think Robin is much of a prize.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Cathythoughts, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, willaful, MrsK

Ruthiella I hear ya! But I think Kate and Robin will rub along well enough together. I was a little surprised at the Grey/Anne romance. That came from nowhere. Maybe there‘s a longer version somewhere. 3w

LeahBergen I‘m almost done! I‘ll come back to comment. 3w

batsy Nicely said! I don't find Robin to be much of a prize, either, but it does seem that Kate and him get on super well together. 3w

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Cathythoughts Great review! Yes I agree with Andrew/Lucy relationship. Andrew was painted as such a lovely guy , and Lucy as a real drag. Not fair. I‘m ok with Kate and Robin , I think they will do well together. (edited) 3w

Aimeesue Nice review! 3w

Aimeesue @Ruthiella Yeah, The Grey/Anne thing was a surprise. The malapropisms wore on me after a while too. Still, Anne seems a good sort. 3w

jlhammar Yes! The amusing escapades really made the book for me. That coffee looks delicious! 3w

Tamra You are right about Robin. It was as if Robin & Grey were simply conveniently there to marry the two women off. I liked the novel overall, but there were aspects underdeveloped. 3w

Tamra @Ruthiella yes, that seemed to have manifest out of nowhere! 3w

LeahBergen Now, I quite liked Robin. I don‘t know why! 😆 3w

80 likes10 comments

jlhammar

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

pick

Quite enjoyed this. Loved getting the dynamics of this Scottish Border community and really enjoyed the humor throughout. Some great madcap scenes—Kate locking Andrew in the cupboard, Cousin Charlotte being mistaken for a “bundle of old clothes” while carried out of the window, stealing leeks, the missing dentures 😂. Sharp-tongued Mrs. Anstruther was a delight. I took issue with how Lucy was portrayed though and the whole “poor Andrew” bit.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Cathythoughts, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, willaful, MrsK

jlhammar #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub 3w

Tamra Yes, that was a bit much in terms of “poor Andrew.” Lucy‘s character wasn‘t developed enough. 3w

LeahBergen I‘m hoping to finish up today and I‘ll come back to read this! 😊 3w

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Ruthiella Good point about the physical humor throughout. Would have maybe made a good film. 🤔 3w

charl08 Never heard of this one, sounds intriguing. 3w

Cathythoughts Nice review 👍🏻♥️ It was a fun read with lots of crazy situations. I loved old Anstruther too ♥️ 3w

LeahBergen Great review! I enjoyed the madcap scenes, too. 3w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts That Anstruther was a sharp old thing, wasn‘t she? 😆 3w

66 likes1 stack add8 comments

Tamra

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

pick

There is more here than the happy romance one might expect. I would have liked more of Lucy to better understand her character beyond mere “shrew.” Henry was a riot when he tried to use Virginia to get out of school. 😆

Oh my, what fun it could have been had Great Uncle Henry and Cousin Charlotte stayed on! 🧨 ☄️

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra @CarolynM @catebutler @Cathythoughts @elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @Jess_Read_This @jlhammar @kimzey @LeahBergen @MrsK @quietjenn @Sparklemn @Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads @Tamra @willaful @Aimeesue 4w

Ruthiella I was kinda hoping for a last minute romance between Cousin Charlotte and Uncle Henry! 😂 Definitely this book was not what I expected. One fun thing about our club is I get to read knowing nothing. I don‘t read the blurb first, just dive in! 4w

Tamra @Ruthiella oh my, wouldn‘t that have been fun? I see sequel material! 😂 Me too, I never read the forward for fear of spoilers. 4w

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Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻❤️ Yes , Charlotte and Henry were fun, and relatable as relatives we are not too overjoyed to have staying for long ( small doses ). @Ruthiella I was definitely thinking something would happen with Charlotte and Henry .. 4w

Cathythoughts Lovely photo ❤️ 4w

Aimeesue @Ruthiella @Tamra I enjoyed the non-resolution between Cousin Charlotte and Uncle Henry - reminded me of Moonlighting with all that flirty, feistiness! 4w

Tamra @Cathythoughts 😉😉 bah, indeed!! 4w

Tamra @Cathythoughts I am loving all the bloom color in everyone‘s pics lately! 4w

rubyslippersreads ❤️ your Kindle decal. 4w

batsy Ah yes, Uncle Henry and Cousin Charlotte! Love them 😆 3w

jlhammar Pretty photo! Just finished. Lucy as shrew driving her husband astray did not work for me either. It did seemed like a missed opportunity in terms of presenting a full picture. But, I suppose that is how many would have seen things at the time (even still today if we're being honest!) Loved Henry and Virginia. And it was just too good when Anne came back with both Uncle Henry and Cousin Charlotte 😂 3w

CarolynM So many great characters in this book! I‘m very glad I don‘t have to put up with Cousin Charlotte as a house guest🤣 3w

LeahBergen @Ruthiella I was hoping for that romance, too! They certainly had a secret crotchety fondness for each other. 3w

LeahBergen @Tamra I felt the same about Lucy. She wasn‘t as fleshed out as some of the other characters and we really didn‘t get a lot of scenes from her POV. Maybe it was intentional on the author‘s part as she wasn‘t “one of the family”, so to speak. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3w

Tamra @LeahBergen 🤣 Crotchety romance (edited) 3w

Tamra @LeahBergen good point! 3w

57 likes16 comments

batsy

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

pick

I liked this, though it improved as the story got going. I agree with others that presenting Lucy as somehow the cause of her husband's infidelity was hard to overlook, while her husband got away with an intact Nice Guy rep. He's so meh. I thought Kate a delightful character, but the narrative was pitting Kate vs. Lucy in terms of women men like to be around, & that was also tiresome. Mrs. Anstruther & Virginia for the win! #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

batsy The book is more complex than my review, though, in that it tries to show how harmful gossip can be when it's mere entertainment for some, while involving real people's lives. It also I guess tries to show that marriage is more complex on the inside than any judgment that can be made of it from the outside. It's an interesting novel to think about! It just has some aspects that might seem dated. 4w

batsy @CarolynM @catebutler @Cathythoughts @elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @Jess_Read_This @jlhammar @kimzey @LeahBergen @MrsK @quietjenn @Sparklemn @Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads @Tamra @willaful 4w

Tamra Wonderful review! I agree, so far it is more complicated than it may appear on the surface and deals with some heavy themes. 4w

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Cathythoughts Great review! Definitely more complicated than it appears , good point. Yes and I think Mrs. Anstruther has some interesting words of wisdom.. and her name has ‘ truth ‘ in it. ‘ Life is always interesting even at its most disagreeable‘ 4w

Ruthiella Excellent review! I also felt it got better in the second half. It took me a while to figure out Kate was actually the main focus and that this wouldn‘t be a light hearted romance, but had more heft. 4w

Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Great observation about Mrs. Anstruther‘s name! 4w

batsy @Tamra @Ruthiella Thank you! I also didn't realise about Kate being the focus, and thought it'll be a light and sweet family saga, but it went in a different and intriguing direction. 4w

batsy @Cathythoughts Nice point about Mrs Anstruther's name! Yes, I thought that whole scene with Lucy was great and I highlighted that line, too. It would seem like on the surface she was just exhibiting dry wit, but I agree about the wisdom. "Don't tell me any more, or you will be sorry one day. It is a very great mistake to comfide in people" is also something that holds value in that context! 4w

batsy I forgot to tag you, @Aimeesue sorry about that! Tagging is such a chore on the Android app that I have a list of FM participants saved to copy paste, but I never stop to check if I need to update the list 🙈 4w

Tamra @Cathythoughts so observant, yes re: her name. Loved her character. 4w

jlhammar Fantastic review! Just finished and agree completely. @Cathythoughts I hadn't even caught that about Mrs. Anstruther's name - how apt! 3w

CarolynM Great review! I loved the female characters, the males, with the exception of young Henry, not so much. The gossip was awful, but I thought it was quite sad at the end when Miss Milligan thought how dull it would be if there was no-one to talk about. What a very empty life! 3w

batsy @jlhammar Thank you! 3w

batsy @CarolynM Thanks, Carolyn! I felt the same re: Flora. Her joys seem so small; it ranges from potted head to gossip, and the presence of her emotionally overbearing mother made me feel bad. 3w

LeahBergen I hear ya! And I must say, Virginia was one of my favourite characters. 😆 3w

LeahBergen @CarolynM That Miss Milligan was the saddest character of the bunch, wasn‘t she? 3w

batsy @LeahBergen She is such a feisty goof 😆 3w

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen @Carolyn And her mother was the worst! 2w

batsy @rubyslippersreads Yes 😩 2w

86 likes19 comments

Ruthiella

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

pick

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

I was very bothered by the suggestion here that men are driven to cheat because their wives are shrews. Sexual politics aside (and awkward US civil war commentary) I did like this romance set in Scotland. It‘s clear Clavering has a real love of the landscape. I knew roughly how it must end, but not how the happy couple would actually get there. Also, Kate‘s friendship with young Henry and Virginia the dog was lovely.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Cathythoughts, jlhammar, Sparklemn, willaful, MrsK

Aimeesue Great review! I felt exactly the same way about the Civil War hero worship + the holding Women responsible for men‘s behavior. Ick to both. Name checking KKK founder Nathan Bedford Forrest was particularly bad. But I do like Kate and her interactions with almost everyone. 4w

Ruthiella @Aimeesue Thanks! Yes, plucky Kate saved the book for me. I also liked straight talking Mrs. Anstruther. 4w

CarolynM Yes, both those things are uncomfortable for me too. The blithe “I‘m for the South” makes me wonder how much they actually knew about the wider circumstances of the Civil War? But I am enjoying Kate. Great review. (edited) 4w

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Ruthiella @CarolynM Apparently the myth of “the lost cause” was perpetuated in Scotland too. But sure, I knew boys in high school who were obsessed with WWII tactics and strategy and who likely didn‘t connect it with Nazi atrocities. 4w

quietjenn Yeah, I'm only about halfway through but the South/Civil War thing is so weird and off-putting. 4w

Tamra Oh, spot on your observations re: sexism & the civil war! Such a weird thing about siding with the south, I‘m not sure I understand it from the text. 4w

Ruthiella @quietjenn Right? It‘s so jarring. 4w

Ruthiella @Tamra I think it‘s just to show what a quirky kid Henry is. And this was the ‘30s. Long before the Civil Rights movement. 4w

batsy Great review! I just finished this morning and my main issues with it are the same as yours. I found Lucy a very interesting character despite her having to be the kind of "villain" of sorts; the brief scene between her and Mrs Anstruther was my favourite. And I did find Andrew sort of tiresome for the most part—the amiable, mild-mannered nice guy for whom lots of excuses are made...? Loved Virginia! ? 4w

Ruthiella @batsy Thanks! I think the only forward thinking here was pointing out the unfairness that Andrew is accepted back but Elizabeth Faradell is social pariah. 4w

batsy @Ruthiella That's true! And it says something about Andrew that he could see it. Darn, I was determined to dislike him 😂 4w

LeahBergen I‘m coming back to read this when I‘m done! 4w

Cathythoughts Great review! I was annoyed too with the whole Andrew and Lucy situation. It was particularly annoying because Lucy was not developed as a character, so it didn‘t make any sense at all to me. Another fan of Virginia ♥️ 4w

Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Thanks! Yes, it would have been better to have some more development (and compassion) for Lucy. They were together for 10 years before he left. And it wasn‘t just that he had an affair. He left her for FOUR years. Honestly, I would have given him the divorce and good riddance….but I know times were different then. 4w

jlhammar Yes! I just finished and was also very bothered by that! When Kate said “has Andrew always got to have things like that said about him just because of what he did when he was so unhappy that he couldn't help himself?“ I just cringed. 3w

Ruthiella @jlhammar Yup. Total cringe! I‘m glad the rest was strong enough to keep me from fuming at every page. 😂 3w

LeahBergen @Ruthiella That‘s such a fantastic point about the myth of The Lost Cause and its relation to Scotland‘s own history! 3w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen Actually, I‘d not made that connection! But you‘re probably right! 🤔 (edited) 3w

rubyslippersreads I agree with everyone about Andrew and Lucy. She and Mrs. Fardell were the villains, while Andrew was just misunderstood. 2w

rubyslippersreads Also, I just thought of someone who would probably enjoy potted head—Virginia! 🤣 2w

Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads Yes, you are right. Virginia would love potted head! 😂 2w

67 likes21 comments

Cathythoughts

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

pick

Well that was a fun read. I think I almost shed a tear at the end too. I enjoyed the second half, far more than the first. The emotional action and intrigue picked up. Lucy is really put down as a villain, but it didn‘t work for me ( aren‘t we supposed to secretly love/hate villains ? ? )
I won‘t say anymore, Darlings! 😂
But I‘m looking forward to a bit of discussion 😁 . #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, willaful, MrsK

Cathythoughts I still don‘t really understand the title. Does it mean to have a lamb like nature inside us ? 🤔 4w

batsy Gorgeous photo! I'm almost towards the end, and I also agree that the second half is much better. I was just at the "yoked with a lamb" bit in the book and mulling over the title, as well... Need to have a think. Was wondering if I have to reread Julius Caesar to get it ? 4w

Cathythoughts @batsy reread Julius Caesar to get it !! Keep us posted 😂 This reading life won‘t let us rest ! 4w

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batsy @Cathythoughts Isn't that the truth! We're now branching out to #FurrowedMiddlebrowHomework 😂 4w

Cathythoughts @batsy Stop ! 😂 Homework 🙄🤣 4w

CarolynM Lovely review. I‘m really looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow. 4w

jlhammar What a beautiful photo! Great review. I‘m almost to the second half. Can‘t wait to read more today! 4w

Tamra What a gorgeous pic! 🌸 I‘m only halfway in and I am hoping to get a bead on Lucy, so far there isn‘t much to go on. I love the small village gossipy vibe.😜 4w

Cathythoughts @CarolynM @jlhammar @Tamra Enjoy the rest of the book Ladies ❤️ 4w

Ruthiella Totally agree. The Lucy vs Andrew thing irritated me to no end. FOUR YEARS! 😳 4w

catebutler Love your review! I definitely agree that the second half of the book picks up. I think I have two chapters left and it has completely sucked me in. 4w

LeahBergen What a gorgeous photo, Cathy! I‘m still not very far into this but I‘ll come back to comment when I‘m done. 😘 4w

erzascarletbookgasm I am hoping to start this tomorrow. Lovely review.🩷 4w

Cathythoughts @Ruthiella I know. It‘s not even pegged down into any kind of reality. 🙄 4w

Cathythoughts @catebutler Thankyou. It‘s really good. ❤️ 4w

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I hope you enjoy the rest ❤️ 4w

Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm It‘s a good one 👍🏻😁 4w

Tamra @Cathythoughts I had to look it up, but I think Clavering applied it brilliantly. https://myshakespeare.com/julius-caesar/act-4-scene-2-popup-note-index-item-the-... (edited) 4w

Cathythoughts @Tamra Thanks for the link. I‘ll have to put on my thinking cap … very interesting 👍🏻😘 4w

jlhammar Okay, just finished. Lucy as villain didn't work for me either! It actually really bothered me. Struck me as very unfair. Typical and not all that surprising though, especially for the time. It was all the more troubling to me that a woman, Molly Clavering, chose to write Lucy and Andrew's relationship the way she did. I guess I would have preferred a more feminist slant and some female solidarity. 3w

Cathythoughts @jlhammar Not surprising for the time , as you say. Yes we want more female solidarity ♥️👍🏻 (edited) 3w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @batsy I just finished and found myself doing “homework”… I listened to the Leezie Lindsay song on YouTube. 😆 3w

Centique Love how the purple blue of the flowers matches your book! 😍 3w

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I must look up your homework 😘 3w

Cathythoughts @Centique Thanks Paula X 3w

73 likes1 stack add25 comments

LeahBergen

Yoked with a Lamb | Molly Clavering

I‘m getting a bit of a late start on this month‘s #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub pick but I‘m enjoying what I‘ve read so far.

Personally, I think I‘d just buy some of this pre made potted head to donate to the “Fancye Fayre”, wouldn‘t you? 😆

Ruthiella They‘d find you out and then you would be ostracized in the town! 😂 4w

Tamra 😂 I had to look it up! 4w

Cathythoughts I think I‘ll pass on the potted head 🫢😂 4w

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CarolynM Sounds very unappealing to me, even if it‘s homemade🤢 4w

batsy I had to look up potted head, as well! And felt terribly bad for poor Flora that that was her specialty 😬 4w

sarahbarnes I feel pretty certain I don‘t want to know a lot about what potted head involves. 4w

jlhammar I will most definitely be passing on the potted head! @batsy Yes, what a specialty! 😆 I‘m finding the book quite funny so far. 4w

LeahBergen @Ruthiella You‘re right! 😆 4w

LeahBergen @Tamra I believe it was also called “head cheese”, a favourite of my Nan‘s. 🤢😆😆 4w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @CarolynM Right? Just the name… yikes. 😆 4w

LeahBergen @batsy And the bit about her “oddly” having no appetite for it after she‘d finished making it all. 😆 4w

LeahBergen @sarahbarnes That‘s probably for the best. 😆 4w

LeahBergen @jlhammar Come on … just a teeny bite? 😆😆 4w

Tamra @LeahBergen 😳 4w

rubyslippersreads I‘ll definitely pass on the potted head. Although it made me think of the calves‘ foot jelly from Pollyanna. Both equally appealing. 🤢 2w

LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads I agree! 😆 2w

62 likes16 comments

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