The Sidmouth letters Book

A book of short stories by the ever admirable Jane Gardam. My favourite was the final one in the book, The Sidmouth Letters. What if Jane Austen had sent letters to a man with whom she was in love, who did not receive them, so that they were returned to the address where she had been staying? If you were given them, what would you do with them? A delicious moral dilemma about the right to privacy no matter how famous a person is.

I also particularly enjoyed The Tribute, showing up the selfishness and hypocrisy of three grandes dames discussing what might be a fitting tribute to a dead woman whom each of them had exploited as nanny to their children. In the end, they decided that their lunch together was appropriate as a tribute: "... instead of the first idea of putting something in the paper. More lavish. And romantic. And very much nicer for us."

Wonderful stuff.