Searching for a suitable book for Easter weekend? Let me recommend Bewildering Cares by Winifred Peck, which suits the occasion admirably being both cosy and heavy with aspects of church life. It wasn’t quite to my tastes but I suspect I am an aberration and many of you would enjoy it greatly.
Published in 1940, this short book covers a week in the life of Camilla Lacely, a vicar’s wife in a mid-sized northern town near Manchester. A lover of E.M. Delafield, Camilla attempts to write about church committees, war work, local squabbles, and concerns about her overworked husband and enlisted son with the same verve as the Provincial Lady. Inevitably, she fails to capture the humour and quick-wittedness of those books but the result is still pleasant. The book does drag somewhat through Camilla’s church-related duties and these take up a tedious amount of time. In Delafield’s light-hearted hands I have no doubt this could have been made entertaining but it becomes ponderous in Peck’s far more earnest ones.
The best thing about Camilla is her taste in books and my favourite passages were reading-related ones. For instance, I loved her musings on her fictional predecessors:
…I am rereading with infinite pleasure of the clergy ladies of fiction, Mrs Elton and Mrs Proudie, Nancy Woodforde and Mrs John Wesley […] I let my mind sink into sleep, fancying what sort of address Mrs Elton gave to the Mothers’ Meeting (if any), and how Bishop Proudie ever found the courage to propose to Mrs Proudie.
And who could resist her prescription after a long and exhausting day?
Arthur came in looking so exhausted that I went to the book shelf and took out Mr Mulliner Speaks. I propped this against the water-jug for him, and Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell, which I have read thirty times already and will probably read thirty more, against the loaf for myself. There is nothing so good for worried people as to read at their meals, and funny books if possible…
Others have written far more fondly and at length about this book so do read the reviews by Audrey, Julie, and Lyn if you are interested in learning more. I am happy to have read this but will equally happily consign my copy to the give-away pile. For me, this book is a poor example of Peck’s talents. Her gifts are more introspective than observational, more earnest than comic, and it feels like here she tries – with middling results – to be something she isn’t. Much better to read the excellent House-Bound (published two years later) and be swept up into a thoughtful, moving story about the war’s impact on domestic life and social conventions.
The Captive Reader 
I am reading House-Bound right now and enjoying it greatly. I read Bewildering Cares a year or so ago and mainly remember it for the quote you used about books they read after a long and exhausting day. I did feel the book got a bit bogged down occasionally but, in general, I enjoyed it.
Interesting to hear your perspective on both books, Jennifer. I hope you continue to enjoy House-Bound!
Entirely agree, Claire. I was initially put off by the fact that the title was a misquotation which is perhaps narrow-minded of me. I did love her references to her preferred reading, especially Trollope and Thirkell. But after a while I became very slightly bored – which is very different from reading about boring characters, who paradoxically can be very entertaining – and realised that she lacks the penetration and humour of Delafield. I’m glad I tried it, but it’s for the Oxfam shop now.
Bored is a pretty accurate description of how I felt reading this. She may admire Trollope, Thirkell, and Delafield but she definitely does not have their gift for humour.
I look forward to reading Winifred Peck soon. House-Bound does sound especially appealing!
Happy reading!
I love the churchy background and this us definitely me.
I hope you enjoy it! Many other readers certainly have.
As it says in my post you have kindly linked to (thanks!) I really love this book! Maybe because I do voluntary work for the church and have been married to a Vicar I appreciate the church references and some of the small details more. I do admit that it is easy to drift off in some places and it isn’t a Provincial Lady, but I still love it…
I can completely understand. When you relate personally to a book’s topic or characters (or both!) it can change the reading experience completely. And thank you for having written such an excellent review of it!
I have read 3 books by Peck including FACING SOUTH.Not an author i would read again.
Fair enough. I will happily re-read House-Bound but not this one.
I note you used a website that is not your own when leaving this comment. I have removed it but please do not do this in future. It is not fair to the site’s author.
Genuine error.
I’ve just finished House-Bound (for the podcast) and I loved the literary references – though annoyed at finding a reference to Lady Into Fox when it was too late for me to use it in my dphil!
Is EMD overtly discussed in this novel? I couldn’t quite tell from how you’ve referred to it – if so, it might be enough for this to come off my shelves sooner rather than later…
No, EMD is not discussed. You aren’t missing anything that way!
It’s just slid much further down the tbr 😉
Love those extracts you have posted so I think I would like to read this. I’m a big E M Delafield fan, too. Enjoyed reading your post.
I honestly think these extracts were the highlights but maybe you will find more to delight in than I did. Happy reading!
I did not enjoy Bewildering Cares but I would love to take a look at House Bound.