This blog tends to be all about the shiny and new but several titles reviewed on Ali’s HeavenAli blog from Handheld Press caught my eye, including Business as Usual first published in 1933. Then Covid-19 struck and the world turned upside down. Small presses seemed likely to be the hardest hit so I posted two lists of ten indies still valiantly mailing books to customers, including Handheld Press who turned out to be based a few miles from my home. My own order was delivered by co-owner Kate Macdonald who cycled over and left it on my doorstep before ringing the doorbell for a socially distanced ‘Hello’. Just as I’d hoped, Business as Usual turned out to be a glorious piece of escapism, an epistolary novel in which Hilary leaves her Edinburgh home and heads for London finding herself a job at Everyman’s, a smart Oxford Street department store.
The daughter of genteelly poor parents, Hilary has been first a teacher then a librarian but her local library no longer needs her. Engaged to Basil, busy making a name for himself in medicine, she has a year to fill and decides to spend it in London, taking herself off to the Minerva Hotel and finding a job at Everyman’s writing out labels in their book department. Hilary is not the neatest of employees but she has lots of ideas. When she’s put in charge of Fiction C, the cheapest of their circulating library subscriptions, she ruffles a few feathers and makes an enemy. Despite her clumsiness and irrepressible sense of humour which tends to get her into trouble, Hilary deals with customer complaints with tact and intelligence devising a new more efficient system much to the annoyance of her bête noire, Miss Sparling. Soon, Hilary is promoted, not once but twice, which all proves too much for Basil. In between times, Hilary has tea with her socially well-connected, kind-hearted aunt, roars off for a weekend with her friend in a dilapidated car and is offered the chance of a stint on a research trip to Greece. By the end of the year, Hilary’s life will be entirely different from the one she expected.
And what about a Bookshop? A Degree, they said, would matter less there. It might almost cease to be a disadvantage
Oliver and Stafford’s novel is hugely entertaining. Hilary is funny and bright, her letters full of gentle fun-poking often illustrated with amusing line drawings. Her ripostes to Basil are smart and to the point. We never see his side of the correspondence but it’s clear he’s a self-important prig. Despite her parents’ financial embarrassment, Hilary has not been exposed to disadvantage; Everyman’s ‘Nine till Six’ employees offer her a glimpse of a different more constrained life from her own. Some of her observations stand the test of time: Customer-in-state-of-acute-complaint-and-seeking-victim rang a loud bell from bookselling days for me. Kate Macdonald’s introduction puts the book in its context, offering background information on its two authors, both astonishingly prolific, individually and as a team. Everyman’s is based on Selfridges, apparently, and Handheld have included a quote from its founder on the back of the book who clearly loved it as much as I did.
If you like the sound of Business as Usual, please consider ordering direct from Handheld Press. I’m sure Kate will be more than happy to bike a copy to the Post Office for you.
Handheld Press: Bath 9781912766185 242 pages Paperback
I have skimmed this with one eye shut because I am just about to start reading my copy (such beautiful editions produced by HHP). I’ll come back and read it properly when I am finished!
I hope you love it as much as I did, Liz. An absolutel treat!
I really enjoyed this – as you say it is perfect for our upside down world. Apparently there is a sequel but Handheld Press don’t have the rights. I am now onto Barbara Pym novels which also work for me at the moment. Hope you are keeping well.
I wonder if that’s in print anywhere. I was amazed to see how proilific the two authors were.
We’re fine thanks, hope you are too. Seemingly endless sunshine helps!
I love the sound of this! It sounds the perfect escapist read, as you say. How lovely that Kate biked it round to you.
I’d love to have invited her in for a coffee and a chinwag. Another time…
Oh I am glad you enjoyed this, and what a wonderful way to receive the book. I just loved Hilary, such a breath of fresh air. I loved all the detail of retail life in 1930s London.
I’m so pleased you alerted me to it, Ali. An absolute treat. I bought Blitz Writing, too, although may leave that for a while.
I’ve been meaning to read something from Handheld Press for some time, not least because Kate MacDonald happens to be an expert on a favourite author of mine, John Buchan. I have a couple of her books on his work. Your review has prompted me to put placing an order on my To Do list for tomorrow.
I’m so pleased to hear that, Cathy. I think their direct sales have zoomed up since the pandemic although they’ve lost bookshop orders of course.
You’ll be pleased to know then I’ve just ordered two – Business As Usual on the strength of your recommendation and Blitz Writing which also caught my eye. I justified the purchase on the grounds it came to almost the exact same amount as a Premium Bond this month. In fact, that may be a good way to spend future wins, if any. I also noticed Handheld are a publishing a John Buchan book next year, The Gap in the Curtain. I do actually have a first edition of it (1932) but it hasn’t got a dust jacket. If it did it would certainly be worth more than the £4 I paid for it! I love the cover design they’ve chosen so I may well be tempted…
I’m absolutely delighted, Cathy, particularly as Kate posted on Twitter that yesterday was the first day they had no orders to fulfill. Blitz Writing caught my eye, too. You should mention your interest in Buchan to her. I’m sure she’d like to know. And congratulations on that Premium Bond win!
Thanks. As you’ve probably guessed, the Premium Bond win was only £25, although better than nothing. Just think how many booksellers I could make happy if I won the big one!
Fingers crossed!
This is one that I would absolutely love to read. Its premise suits me immediately, but so many different readers have praised it that it seems unmissable!
It’s an absolute delight. I’m sure you’d love it.
Oh, I’m so pleased to see how much you enjoyed this, Susan! It’s such a delightful book, full of charm and wit. Hilary’s tone of voice reminded me a little of The Diary of a Provincial Lady, another ideal comfort read for these lockdown times.
Thank you, Jacqui. Such a treat, and so beautifully presented, too. I’m looking forward to exploring more of Handheld’s list.
Lovely review for one of my favourite books in recent years. So glad that it is getting the attention it deserves.
Thanks, Janet, and me too. An absolute delight!
Love love the look and sound of the book!!! A must-read 🙂
Guaranteed to cheer you up! Definitely heading for my books of the year list.
Such an absolute delight of a novel! And how funny that she could cycle over with it.
I know! So frustrating not to be able to have a proper chat.
Oo a sequel? Do you know the title?
I don’t, I’m afraid, but I’m sure Kate can help you out. I remember from a brief Twitter exchange that she mentioned its existence and that they wouldn’t be publishing it.
I bet when they came up with the name for the company, they never imagined that one day they would be hand delivering their books. Such dedication to their customers is impressive.
This sounds like a delightful read – I shall have a look at what else they offer
Indeed! It’s a lovely novel, Karen. Their list is quite small but it’s a very interesting one, and the books are beautifully produced.