I have a liking for Winifred Darch novels and have a complete set. However, when Vavara Comes To England, with a different dustwrapper from mine, became available, I couldn't resist it! I love collecting different dustwrappers, they give a different flavour to the book and are works of art in their own right.
The dustwrapper on the right is from the 1927 edition, and has an Art Deco feel to it; on the left the dustwrapper is from a late 1930s edition. I particular love Vavara's colourful shawl.
Vavara is an excellent novel, the heroine being half Russian and half English. The book follows her progress as she travels from France to the UK where she gains a position as a governess at a girls' school.
The following is an excerpt from the book, where Vavara finds herself turned down for a position in a school. Darch's humorous writing comes to the fore:
"I'm afraid it will not do, Miss Vurrasnsof [this is a mangling of her actual name]. The parents of my pupils expect their daughters to be taught by a French governess and would consider a Russian a poor substitute. Besides, with all this talk of Bolshevism, one must be particular."
"I'm not a Bolshevist," said Varvara dryly. "My father was murdered by them."
"Dear me! How sad!" said Miss Sayers. "But what I want is a nice bright French girl with a cheerful ancestry and no murders or anything gloomy of that sort."
"I don't think I'm usually gloomy," said Varvara. "Are you sure you can't give me a trial?"...
But Miss Sayers shook her head firmly. "I dare say you'd try not to be morbid and gloomy. But I'm told Russians can't help it."
Vavara is an excellent novel, the heroine being half Russian and half English. The book follows her progress as she travels from France to the UK where she gains a position as a governess at a girls' school.
The following is an excerpt from the book, where Vavara finds herself turned down for a position in a school. Darch's humorous writing comes to the fore:
"I'm afraid it will not do, Miss Vurrasnsof [this is a mangling of her actual name]. The parents of my pupils expect their daughters to be taught by a French governess and would consider a Russian a poor substitute. Besides, with all this talk of Bolshevism, one must be particular."
"I'm not a Bolshevist," said Varvara dryly. "My father was murdered by them."
"Dear me! How sad!" said Miss Sayers. "But what I want is a nice bright French girl with a cheerful ancestry and no murders or anything gloomy of that sort."
"I don't think I'm usually gloomy," said Varvara. "Are you sure you can't give me a trial?"...
But Miss Sayers shook her head firmly. "I dare say you'd try not to be morbid and gloomy. But I'm told Russians can't help it."