Eleanor, on the ascent

Letters from Gerald
by R.W. Butler

Altona: Friesen Press, 2024
$22.49 / 9781038305459

Reviewed by Valerie Green

*

I was pleasantly surprised to find that fiction about ornithology could hold my attention to the very last page. West coast author R.W. Butler’s debut novel on this specialized topic has much to commend it.

The book concerns young Eleanor Hutchinson’s aspirations to become an ornithologist following World War II. Butler (Pacific Flyway, with Audrey Benedict and Geoff Hammerson) successfully manages to combine her noteworthy story with a little mystery and intrigue while at the same time including a surplus of knowledge about birds.

As an ambitious young woman, Eleanor is trying to find her way in the world in the 1940s after the war.

She lost both her parents in a traumatic bombing incident in London’s East End during the blitz and was orphaned at the age of sixteen:

Eleanor felt a pang of guilt that with the Second World War had come recruiting drives of young men to go to the front. The irony of that tragic event meant that women were encouraged to step in to fill the void left by the departing men, and Eleanor had been offered a job as a librarian.

Being alone in the world and lacking both further education and social standing, she takes the job but is nonetheless determined to follow her dream and one day enter the male-oriented profession at the British Museum in order to study birds and hopefully travel the world assembling information on birds.

Meanwhile, she enjoys her position as assistant librarian to the British Library’s Miss Bradshaw. She moves away from London to a quiet village called Rabbit’s Burrough in Hertfordshire and rents a cottage from a Mrs. Quimby, a kindly lady who is also the village gossip—and perhaps so much more.

Eleanor takes a chance and decides to write a letter to the British Museum asking for advice on how she can achieve her ambition. She receives a reply from Gerald Benson. A series of correspondence between Eleanor and Gerald ensues. Whenever she has a problem, she asks for his advice in a letter that she mails to him. He readily offers his help while also describing the adventures he is experiencing while travelling and studying birds in a variety of locations for the British Museum. Such occupational excitement is exactly what Eleanor needs and hopes to achieve for herself.

Butler lists a cast of characters at the beginning of his book, and this is an excellent idea. In addition to Quimby and Bradshaw, we are introduced to Jack MacLaughlin, the village postman who delivers the welcome letters; Peter Saunders a land manager for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds who lives in Rabbit’s Burrough; his friend Patrick, a Foreign Service officer; and Anthony and Elizabeth Ashford, parents of Christopher, an Oxford University student. Then there are the free-spirited Spratts, (Dougal, Marjorie and Bernard) in Scotland who Eleanor meets on one of her important missions for the library; Mademoiselle Dupont, a friend of the Spratts from France; Gwyn Llewellyn, former librarian who resides in Wales. Kalmia Rosenblum, a friend of Mrs. Quimby and Arnold Sneeze, the watchmaker.

Butler’s very varied cast of characters all play vital roles in Eleanor’s journey from inexperienced birdwatcher to professional ornithologist.

Some of Butler’s dialogue between his fascinating characters is a little stilted in places as is his prose, which does not always flow smoothly, but this might be excused as being indicative of the times. In the 1940s, conversation was more polite and perhaps people were a little more reserved. That was not always the case, however, as war had changed many people’s attitude about life. Sadly, the social class distinction remained. Butler manages to address this point extremely well (and, admirably too,, the inequality of women). Most women were more than capable of doing the same jobs as men but were completely disregarded when it came to job postings. 

The story continues to build with many twists and turns along the way. And the big twist ending is totally unexpected. Be prepared for what you did not imagine!

Butler also adds a touch of humour with his tongue in cheek play on words with place names such as Rabbit’s Burrough, the village, and the cottage (Robin’s Song) where Eleanor lives. She is woken every morning by the sound of a friendly robin she names after the Greek philosopher Thales. The robin plays a large part in Eleanor’s story and, as Butler later explains in his notes at the end of the book, Thales “is purportedly the person who coined the phrase, ‘Know thyself’–the subtheme of the story.”

These additional Notes and References at the end of the book are well worth reading as they explain so much about the author and how he came to write the story the way he did.

Valerie Green was born and educated in England, where she studied journalism and law. Her passion was always writing from the moment she first held a pen. After working at the world-famous Foyles Books in London (followed by a brief stint with MI5 and legal firms), she moved to Canada in 1968 and embarked on a long career as a freelance writer, columnist, and author of over twenty nonfiction historical and true-crime books. Hancock House recently released Tomorrow, the final volume of The McBride Chronicles (after Providence, Destiny, and Legacy). Now semi-retired (although writers never really retire!) she enjoys taking short road trips around BC with her husband, watching their two beloved grandsons grow up and, of course, writing. [Editor’s note: Valerie Green has recently reviewed books by John D’Eathe, M.A.C Farrant, Olga Campbell, Beka Shane Denter, Kate MacIntosh, Rosemary Neering, Winona Kent, Michael L. Hadley, Jason A.N. Taylor for BCR.]

*

The British Columbia Review

Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie

Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an online book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.

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