Something inspired me to get this book some time ago (was it a post at Here in the Bonny Glen? Probably. Lissa is responsible for so much of my book acquisition.) It was however shelved before I read it. And then packed up when we moved and reshelved. But then I thought of it again this week because I picked up A Child’s Delight
at the library and have been making my way through Noel Perrin’s delightful essays about his favorite neglected children’s books. But this is not my review of A Child’s Delight. That will come later. This is my review of Mistress Masham’s Repose
.
Mistress Masham is a sort of continuation of Gulliver’s Travels. A little orphan named Maria finds the descendants of a group of Lilliputians who were kidnapped by the captain who rescued Gulliver. These Lilliputians in exile have been living on an island in a lake on Maria’s estate. Maria is an heiress, being watched over by a wicked guardian, a Vicar, and the governess he has engaged to terrorize her.
There is plenty of satire. A lot of adventure. A fun read.
