I’ve just seen the very exciting news that Greyladies, one of my favourite small publishers, has reprinted The English Air by D.E. Stevenson. This is both very wonderful and very sneaky, since there was little warning ahead of time that they would be printing it. Still, what an excellent surprise. I’ve already placed my order and can’t wait to have my very own copy of this, as it is one of my favourite D.E.S. novels (also a favourite of both Barb at Leaves & Pages and Lyn at I prefer reading).
With another Richmal Crompton book (Mrs. Frensham Describes a Circle) slated to be reprinted in February, Greyladies continues to delight. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll continue rescuing Susan Pleydell’s books from obscurity and reprinting my favourite D.E.S. novels (Shirley, if you’re reading, Five Windows would be nice!). Until then, I look forward to rereading The English Air and working through the rest of my Greyladies collection.
The Captive Reader 
It’s very exciting that they keep bringing out Richmal Cromptons – so far only ones I’ve already got, but I hold out hope for them releasing one of the ones I’ve found impossible to get.
And, of course, with that trio of recommendations, I’ll have to give this DES a try!
The Cromptons are exciting. I’ve also really enjoyed some of the obscure authors they’ve reissued – Little G by E.M. Channon (which I lazily have not yet reviewed) might just be my favourite Greyladies title.
I’m tempted by Greyladies books but have resiated so far, DES and Richmal Crompton though. Ooh (but I must resist… for now )
Don’t resist! Of all the small publishers I enjoy, Greyladies is the best at finding consistently enjoyable books to print.
Greyladies books look so lovely – this is very tempting…
They are lovely!
Hurrah! I’ll have to tell my mother — she already owns this, as she does all the DE Stevenson books, but I know she’ll be pleased to see it back in print, anyway.
What a useful mother you have! Even when you have all of an author’s books, its nice to hear they’ve been reissued – if only because it makes it easier for you to give books as presents!
Oh, goodness! You have just made me so tempted. Putting this on the Christmas list!
An excellent place for it!
Thanks for this information.Great news.
It really is!
Yes, this is one that really needs reissuing. Hard to find and a terrific read. The life of an ordinary (well, slightly upper middle class) family in the time leading up to WWII. And of course, it was first published in 1940, when the outcome of the war was a blank wall.
Recently when another Claire (from the late, great blog Paperback Reader) was in DC she brought me three Cromptons, two of which were Greyladies. I nearly fainted at seeing so much Crompton in one spot. They are so hard to come by here in the U.S. DES, while easier to find in the US than RC, wrote so many that I have to keep myself from doing an “at any cost” kind of book search online to come up with all of her titles. At this point I am limiting myself to what is in print and the occasional second hand book hunting needle in the haystack. One day I will seek them all out in earnest. I envy your reader/commenter above whose mother has all of them.