Lodged in my "list of things to blog about some day" is the book meme. With everybody recommending books for the holidays, I thought I would do my own recommendations (of a sort). :)
Memes seem to have variations on:
A book that changed my life
A book I've read more than once
A book I would take to a desert island
A book that made me laugh (or cry)
A book I wish had been written
A book that I wish had not been written
A book that I wish I had written
A book that I have been meaning to read
What are you reading now
Then you are supposed to tag five of your fellow bloggers to respond in the same way.
So here is Part I A BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
The Rainchildren by TH Orpen published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Subtitled (unbelievably) A Fairy-Tale in Physics, it was probably my first science book. I liked it for the colour prints and the personification of natural forces: Aunt Cold, Aunt Heat, Colonel Lightning and the explanations of steam engines and glaciers. I probably read it when I was about 7 or 8. It's clearly why I became an energy specialist.
 |  |  |
The book lives in my box of family treasures due to my ex-husband's habit of throwing tatty old books away. Dragging it out for a new look and some photographs for the blog, I was quite surprised by what I found. First of all, it seemed it was a Sunday School Prize of my mother's for "regular attendance and good conduct" in 1923-4. But it has a slip bound into it stating all the author's profits will be divided between the Belgian and Serbian Relief Funds, which dates it to around 1914.
Here's a sample of the style:
 |
The Aunts' Battle Meanwhile Aunt Cold's face outside was pressed tight against the window pane. "Condense, condense, children!" she called out, and a thick fur settled on the glass, and presently little drops of water began to trickle down. This was followed by another call, "Crystalize, crystalize, children!" "What does she mean by that, I wonder?" exclaimed Esther. Oh! I'll show you," said a little rain-child that was dancing about on the window-pane, "she wants us to make fern-leaves". And quick as thought, the tiny creature whirled round, and spread out her skirt on the pane of glass, where it formed itself into a beautiful white lace-like pattern something like a fern-leaf. |
Fern-leaves (or Jack Frost as we called them) on the windows was a regular part of winter in a house with only one coal fireplace for heating in the 1950s.
 |
Colonel Lightning "Wake up, Colonel Lightning," she (Aunt Heat) said, "let us come for a ride." The Colonel sat up rubbed his eyes and looked about him. "Yes that looks like a nice soft place," he said pointing to the other dark bank of cloud lying far below. "Hallo! Sergeant, my horse!" thereupon the low rumble was heard again, and a man appeared leading a horse. Esther noticed that he wore a dark grey uniform with scarlet facings and carried a big drum slung from his shoulder. Halting the horse, he held the stirrup for the Colonel, who quickly swung himself into the saddle. "Oh do please take me up behind you," pleaded Aunt Heat, "I should so like a ride with you," and without waiting for an answer, she jumped up behind the rider, and together they galloped off down to the lower bank of cloud, tracing a bright zig-zag streak across the sky as they went, while the sergeant jogged more slowly after them, making a loud rattle on his drum. |
Description of a power station
"Well, there are big engines fitted up in what they call a 'power station', and it is their business to catch Colonel Lightning and keep him quiet till he is wanted. Then there are long wires running in all directions from the power station to carry him wherever he is wanted. He simply loves metal wire, and will run along it as fast - well, as fast as lightning. And then when you've got him, he'll do almost anything for you; light up your house for instance."
I wonder what the author would have made of the Internet.
I remember thinking that the illustrations were a bit creepy. Old Greek philosophers on the cover, grumpy old aunts looking like ghosts, 'rainchildren' looking like the fake fairies on photographs.
But looking back it was quite a modern book in recommending education for girls, though not for everybody clearly.
"Oh dear!" exclaimed Mrs Campbell (her mother), "I don't quite like this letter about the dear girl. Listen to what her Mistress (at boarding school) says: 'Esther is working splendidly, and developing so fast in every way. I am only afraid of her over-working herself, but there is really no stopping her. She takes such a keen interest in all her work, but especially in every branch of Natural Science. She says she wants to go up to Girton (a special College for women, in Cambridge University) when she is old enough, and take the Natural Sciences' Tripos! .... I should advise you to insist on her taking a complete rest from mental work of any kind during her holidays. ..... I think if you could take her right away, and give her an entire change of scene, it would be the best for her'".
The book is shot through with descriptions and photographs of English upper class life of the period. The father (a vicar) applies for an August chaplaincy in Switzerland to the SPG, which I think stands for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospels (to the heathen). It is a bit surprising that the Swiss are considered heathens, or that heathens don't have holidays in August. It is clearly a bit of a skive for Dad, but he gets away with it. They go off to Switzerland and Italy for a month where Esther has a lecture by her father on glaciers and how tunnels are built.
So although the book is not very scientific, and shows a very privileged little girl, with whom I had nothing in common, it somehow made its mark on me. I never managed to go up to Girton. But I think I have better understanding of how power stations work now.
Part II comes tomorrow.
