While fighting a cold a few weeks ago, I spent a Sunday morning curled up in my living room, with the weak winter sunshine streaming in and all the necessities an invalid could need ready at hand: a blanket, a cup of tea, and one of the cosiest books I know: Five Windows by D.E. Stevenson.
I first read Five Windows back in 2013, when I was devouring several D.E.S. books per month. It instantly became one of my favourites, classed alongside The English Air and the “Mrs. Tim” books, and my fondness for it has only increased after this reading.
Five Windows is the story of David Kirke from his Scottish childhood to his early adulthood in London. It follows him through five different homes: the manse where he grew up as the only child of loving parents, the townhouse in Edinburgh where he lived with his uncle while attending school, the seedy London boarding house where he lives after first arriving in the city, the cosy flat above a bookshop which he has the pleasure of making his own, and the house just outside London where he begins his married life.
David grows from a quiet, gentle boy to a steady, thoughtful man. While the sections dealing with his youth in Scotland are lovely – particularly for the relationship between David and his mother – the book improves dramatically when David moves to London to train for a career in law. The Scottish scenes could be a bit cloyingly sweet; with the move to London, D.E.S. is able to deploy some of her (rather too rarely used) humour. At the squalid boarding house where he initially lives, he finds himself initially taken in by the tacky glamour of several fellow boarders. Initially drawn to them, even as he is uncomfortable with their careless approach to things he holds dear, David eventually comes to see the others for what they are and neatly, and quite wonderfully bluntly, cuts them out of his life. David is that rare creature: the kind-hearted and good but entirely sensible young man. He is also a delighted homemaker, taking real pleasure in doing up the flat he moves into after leaving the boarding house. It is very sweet and David’s pride in his home is familiar to anyone who has gone through the same experience.
While in London, David begins to write. As a child, writing had been a favourite pastime and in London he turns to it again, writing first a series of sketches about the city and then a novel. He takes his work seriously – Mr. Trollope would be proud of David’s work ethic, though perhaps a little disapproving when David chooses to leave his steady job after selling his first book – and his hard work is rewarded with success. What is more, his personal life also prospers: he falls in love with a girl he has known since childhood, recently arrived in London after escaping her rather awful family. Naturally, there is one more home to be done up – the one they will share as man and wife – and all ends as it always does in a D.E.S. novel: happily ever after.
This is a really lovely book and the only negative I can think of is how desperately difficult it is to obtain reasonably priced copies!
The Captive Reader 
I think it was Bloomsbury? that republished (at least electronically) the first Mrs. Tim book. How could we convince them to continue to publish her?
It was Bloomsbury, though sadly they stopped at just the first book. Other publishers have reprinted more in recent years (Persephone, Sourcebooks, Greyladies) so I’m hopeful one of them will be interested enough eventually to reissue this title too.
Oh, this sounds delightful! I’ll have to check and see if my library has it.
I’ll keep my fingers cross for you! My library doesn’t have a copy but I am able to get it through inter-library loan, thankfully.
Wonder of wonders, they do have it…only in large print. Oh, well, just a minor inconvenience. 🙂
Just what I would need after reading several murder mysteries! I’ve only read one Stevenson so far. I have the Miss Buncle books on my shelf for this year.
D.E.S. is certainly a good antidote to mysteries! I hope you enjoy the Buncle books once you start in on them.
There are still a few D E Stevensons in library stock for me to read but sadly not this one. I hope that one of the publishers sending her work back out into the world will notice this one, because it does sound particularly lovely.
My library has very few D.E.S. – just the recently reissued ones. Thank goodness for inter-library loan!
This sounds fabulous! Such a unique way of describing a life, through five windows. I saw it in your Library Loot post and got all excited about a new (to me) DES. Any time I read a DES review, I’m start thinking: Oh, this is what my life has been missing! Haha. Now, just to get my hands on a reasonably priced copy…hrmmph.
Good luck!
I think I messed up and put my comment on Five Windows in the Library Loot slot. Anyway, to further complicate the difficulties of getting a reasonably priced copy of Five Windows is the fact that Rinehart, the US publisher, took out at least two full chapters and at least one major plot line, weakening the book. The UK publisher Collins and the large print publisher Ulverscroft have unabridged versions. One reason this is so hard to find is that no one has ever printed a paperback version. I have been trying to encourage Sourcebooks or Greyladies or Persephone or someone to reissue this, and to use the UNABRIDGED version as their source.
How odd. Do you know which plot line they removed?
The missing plot line is when David’s old school friend comes to London and plans to make his fortune writing books, the first of which he has David read and it is awful. The US version even has the meal at David’s flat with just the female guests, the friend is removed. I can’t remember the name of the friend. The one who let David down over them rooming in the same boarding house in London.
Having read that plot line, I can completely understand removing it!
sounds the perfect companion for when you’re feeling a bit low
It is certainly that!
I wish they’d get all of D. E. Stevenson’s books back in print! (Where “they” is the whole publishing industry.) Then we wouldn’t have to be frantically scouring used book sales to find copies of the good ones. (Not personally. My mum owns them all. I just borrow hers.)
“They” definitely should (and, as always, I am jealous of your mother’s collection – and your easy access to it!).
The perfect cosy read, Claire. Just whipped over to the library catalogue and no joy…one to keep an eye out for at the second-hand shops though.
If you do stumble across a copy, snap it up!
D.E.S. is an author I want to read and this book sounds like one I would like. Right now I am on a Trollope reading adventure; love his writing.
Sixty dollars and more is not an unusual price. It is very hard to find.
I found two DE Stevensons at a free book shop a few weeks ago. One was a duplicate of one I already have, but one was a totally new find for me. I was extremely excited to find them given how, as you note, expensive they can be if you can find them at all.
I can’t thank you enough for introducing me to the writings of D E Stevenson; I read your review of “Five Windows” and our library had it and my, what a delight. Fortunately our library has about 20 of her books because they are very expensive. Now I’ll be keeping my eye out for her books at whatever used bookstores we have.Again,thank you!!!
I’m delighted to hear that, Linda! And lucky you for having such a well-stocked library.
Greyladies are reprinting FW early next year. I’m excited as I haven’t read it & your review is very enticing. Hopefully all DES’s books will soon be in print thanks to Greyladies & Sourcebooks.
[…] Speaking of lovable things… the most delightful discovery of my week was that Greyladies has now released their reprint of Five Windows by D.E. Stevenson. […]
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