A mole hill can be a mountain to a sparrow...

{HISTORY}

A great title can really lure you in, can't it? Around here, we love discovering a good read, especially one that has an equally good backstory.

Rumer Godden (1907-1998) was an English author who led a fascinating life worthy of a novel in and of itself. An Episode of Sparrows is a novel set during the aftermath of World War II and tells the story of a group of London city dwellers who build a garden out of concrete rubble - the result of bombs during the war. Compared most often to The Secret Garden, Rumer's story of community, acceptance, and determination was first published in 1955 and has become a beloved story of tender trials and triumphs for readers around the globe.

A prolific writer throughout her life, Rumer was born in England but spent her childhood in India running wild on the river banks and writing tales of adventure along with her three sisters. Sent back to England for schooling,  Rumer longing for her adopted country of India returned as an adult to open a multi-cultural dance school, which she ran for 20 years. During that time, she became pregnant, got married, had a second baby, divorced, and then turned to writing full time to support her family while living in a primitive cottage in India that had no electricity and no running water. 

One of her early novels, Black Narcissus became an instant bestseller and set Rumer on a spectacular literary path that would define her life and career. Publishing over 60 works throughout her lifetime, nine of which were made into feature films, Rumer was represented by publishing companies both in the UK and the US. She moved frequently, at one point living in the same house that Henry James once occupied, and traveled to the US frequently to consult with movie companies on the film adaptations of her books.  During this time, she also remarried and worked with her sister, Jonquil on several writing projects.  She spent the last twenty years of her life living with her daughter in England surrounded by her writing, nature and her beloved dogs. The winner of several literary awards throughout her life, a new interest in Rumer's books have brought her back into the literary spotlight through a series of republications in the 2000s. An Episode of Sparrows was most recently republished in 2014 by Virago Modern Classics.

This edition featured here was published by Viking Press New York in 1965. It is the sixth printing, which retained the first edition 1955 book cover minus the pink shading in the roses. 

 {SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Original 1965 dust jacket 

- 247 pages

- 6th Printing, 1965 edition

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. The dust jacket bears some chippy spots, mostly along the top and bottom edge, and a small rip that measures 1" inch on the bottom corner (this has been repaired with a small piece of clear tape to avoid further degradation. Both the coverboards and the interior pages are clean and bright. 

{SIZE}

Measures 8.25" inches (length) x 5.5" inches (width) x 1" inch (thickness) and weighs 1 lb.