From The Persephone Quarterly Winter 2005 No. 28

'The New House is a tour de force. It reminds me of Priestley’s time plays, especially Time and the Conways: one family get-together on a particular day brings about the fracture of a lot of cosy make-believe about themselves and their relationships.’ DT, London EC2

'Re Manja: what pain, what brilliance! Is it possible to get this incredible book onto A-Level must read? Has our world learnt anything?’ EB, Oxford

'I enjoyed The World that was Ours enormously – it is an enthralling story and so very well writeen.’ NL, Wadebridge

'The Village was a startling insight into English class structures as well as into the impact of war on all members of the community and the emergence of a new type of society – and also a compelling read. And I finally got around to trying Dorothy Whipple (They were Sisters) and can now understand why you keep coming back to her works – this was an unflinching look at a very ugly situation, at the destructive and self-destructive urges in the human psyche and at the heartening ability of some individuals to resist them. I read both these books on holiday and found them compulsively entertaining but never trivial, elegantly written and humane – in fact typical of so many of the Persephone books I’ve read to date.’ RR, County Wicklow

'I have been very moved – and really very shocked – by They were Sisters and had to read it straight through twice to get the full horror of Geoffrey’s treatment of wife and children – I’m so glad we did not live then!’ SH, London NW3

'I am so pleased to have It’s Hard to be Hip. I remember finding this by chance in a library in the '70s and taking it to work to share with my female colleagues. We laughed for days. Afterwards I could not remember the writer’s name and I have been looking for another copy ever since. It is just as true and funny now as it was then. The Far Cry was new to me but I liked it immensely, finding it perceptive and sensitive. I look forward to reading it again and that’s a sure test.’ DW, Leicester

'I was enthralled by The World that was Ours. Hilda Bernstein’s account of life under apartheid in South Africa, with the insidious reach of its bans and laws designed to stifle every aspect of normal life is powerfully conveyed. There is an Orwellian feeling: abnormality becomes normality for those hunted and oppressed. The “sinister games” played by the police would be absurd, if not so tragic. Hilda Bernstein is torn between loyalties: family or beliefs, leaving or staying. When escape becomes the only choice, the tension of her dangerous journey grips the reader every step of the way. The immediacy of her descriptions is chilling; her fear is like a “hand of acid” permeating her being. This is an extremely important book.’ SW, Newcastle

'What a superb writer Ethel Wilson is! I could tell Hetty Dorval was her first novel: it didn’t seem quite believable that Frankie by the end would let Hetty spend the night in her bed with her with so little fuss. But the characterisations are beautifully handled, and the revelations about Hetty’s character and Frankie’s ethical choices are done with real deftness. The chilling effect of the last sentences, which put the whole story into an entirely different context, fully reveal what a truly masterful writer Ethel Wilson can be.’ JD, Portland, USA

'My Persephone Book Bag accompanies me to work every morning. It contains my lunch, an umbrella if rain looks likely and, of course a book (currently Every Eye).’ SS, Hertford