{"product_id":"the-watercress-girl-paperback","title":"The Watercress Girl - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eH. E. Bates\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStories about children are not always for children. In \u003ci\u003eThe Watercress Girl\u003c\/i\u003e, H. E. Bates masterfully depicts a childhood which, by proxy, reveals the mystifying world of the adult. Through a series of short, lyrical stories, the complexities of the world are seen with crystalline purity through the eyes of children. We experience the joyous and painful clarity of youth, full of fears, hopes and make-believe, and the trust and mistrust of the adult world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA little boy, charmed by the golden-throated Miss Mortenson, witnesses her fall from grace in 'The Pemberton Thrush'\u003ci\u003e. \u003c\/i\u003eThree children become entangled in a forbidden love when they witness a man attempting suicide in 'A Great Day for Bonzo'\u003ci\u003e, \u003c\/i\u003e and a father reveals more of his past than he intends to in 'The Far Distant Journey'\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFirst published in 1959, \u003ci\u003eThe Watercress Girl\u003c\/i\u003e is a rich collection of stories, exploring a world full of wonder but also of unease; an unease of not yet understanding the world or being fully part of it.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eH. E. Bates was born in 1905 in the shoe-making town of Rushden, Northamptonshire, and educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he worked as a reporter and as a clerk in a leather warehouse. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMany of his stories depict life in the rural Midlands, particularly his native Northamptonshire, where he spent many hours wandering the countryside\u003cbr\u003e. \u003cbr\u003eHis first novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Two Sisters\u003c\/i\u003e (1926) was published by Jonathan Cape when he was just twenty. Many critically acclaimed novels and collections of short stories followed. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDuring WWII he was commissioned into the RAF solely to write short stories, which were published under the pseudonym \"Flying Officer X\". His first financial success was \u003ci\u003eFair Stood the Wind for France\u003c\/i\u003e (1944), followed by two novels about Burma, \u003ci\u003eThe Purple Plain\u003c\/i\u003e (1947) and \u003ci\u003eThe Jacaranda Tree\u003c\/i\u003e (1949) and one set in India, \u003ci\u003eThe Scarlet Sword\u003c\/i\u003e (1950). \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOther well-known novels include \u003ci\u003eLove for Lydia\u003c\/i\u003e (1952) and \u003ci\u003eThe Feast of July\u003c\/i\u003e (1954). His most popular creation was the Larkin family which featured in five novels beginning with \u003ci\u003eThe Darling Buds of May\u003c\/i\u003e in 1958. The later television adaptation was a huge success. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMany other stories were adapted for the screen, the most renowned being \u003ci\u003eThe Purple Plain\u003c\/i\u003e (1947) starring Gregory Peck, and \u003ci\u003eThe Triple Echo\u003c\/i\u003e (1970) with Glenda Jackson and Oliver Reed. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eH. E. Bates married in 1931, had four children and lived most of his life in a converted granary near Charing in Kent. He was awarded the CBE in 1973, shortly before his death in 1974.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 296\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.42 x 9.21 x 6.14 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 12, 2016\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47435472535730,"sku":"9781448216512","price":22.93,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/a94df8ea39c88c40a033d7293a237207.webp?v=1778626645","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/the-watercress-girl-paperback","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}