THE BIRD IN THE TREE

One can safely put personal bias in her favor aside, and boldly announce that Elizabeth Goudge has built a large enough market to warrant inclusion in the Must Book category. This new novel returns to the modern scene and ranks with her best work, I found it delightful reading; she has a quality of making her setting permeate the consciousness of her readers, she handles children supremely well, and she succeeds in touching a fey note, without introducing too much to spoil her realism. The story this time revolves around the battle, on the one side, for the ideals of loyalty, of family unity, of consideration, and on the other side passionate love and an assumption that one takes what one wants. The ethical note struck may seem a bit old-fashioned to the moderns who like their romance stream-lined, but there are enough true-blue conservatives and moderates who still like to see ideals sustained. And she does it admirably.