Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000)

I found this among my Mom's books on the bookshelf. Originally from an old family friend's bookcase. Published in 1955 when things were a bit different. I found out just how different things were.

Gordon Langley Hall decides to leave his mother's comfortable home in England and answer the call of the wild to teach in northern Ontario Canada on an Ojibway reservation. He gets a taste of what is to come on his dogsled ride out to the reservation. Dressed only in his suit and an unlined topcoat, his arrival is a big event to the natives and him. They get their first look at the new teacher and he gets his first taste of the frozen Northwest.

Gordon quickly discovers he is not only the Teacher, he is also the dispenser, fill-in minister, official greeter and caretaker of the furnace that keeps the schoolhouse warm, along with a number of other positions. He also learns that there are certain cultural differences between his home of England and the reservation life and the customs must be observed even when they make no sense to him.

I really enjoyed reading this. Faced with numerous situations, Gordon tries to endure and survive them no matter if it is gracefully or just gotten through. In his time spent there he learned a lot about dealing with people, that he had the persistence to stick it out an the care and concern about the people of the tribe. He also found how loyal they were to someone who honestly cared for them.

A good read with a lot of laughs.… (meer)

A great look at the life of the wonderful actress Margaret Rutherford, as well as her husband and acting partner, Mr. Stringer Davis. The book provides background on the family history of depression - her mother committed suicide and her father killed his father and spent many years in an asylum. Poor Margaret suffered many bouts of depression and feared her entire life that she too, would end up in a mental institution. Her early years of being a piano teacher are detailed and finally her transition into acting at the age of 35. Her 15 year courtship with Stringer Davis is also discussed as well as her stage and film works. All in all, a well written and good look into Rutherford's life although I felt the author intruded with her own story a bit too much. However, the author did know these two fantastic individuals and was their adopted daughter. The book had some good photographs but no filmography or listing of Rutherford's and Davis' stage and television work. I do appreciate that the author did not end the book at Rutherford's death but went on to let us know what happened to Stringer Davis as well.… (meer)