No Room for Secrets

I have just finished reading Joanna Lumley's autobiography 'No Room for Secrets'. Tony had bought this book and didn't particularly enjoy it.  Not because he doesn't like Ms Lumley.  He said it was more to do with the style of writing.

She starts by inviting the reader into her home to show her round the various rooms - hall, kitchen, garden etc - and what follows is a series of questions (supposedly coming from you, the guest) and very long rambling answers (from her, the hostess). "I think you'll enjoy it more" said he (he knows me so well).  Of course he was right. I loved it!  Joanna takes you on a wonderful journey through her life, although not without lots of detours and stops along the way.  Her house is overflowing with wonderful momentos of her life and from her travels.  Every room, every cupboard, every shelf contains another object with a marvellous story attached, a beautiful memory. I loved the way her mind would wander off in mid-story and she would start talking about something completely different (not unlike me really!).  I admire her philosophy on life, her not-so-wacky inventions, her optimism that something will always turn up.  Pretentious she is not. So what if you don't like her home made curtains with the hems that don't match - too bad she says.  Her travelogues are lengthy and full of detail - she really has a flair for managing to capture the mood and drama of a place.  The day I started reading this book, Mum had just given me a photo of her sister and my aunt which was taken in Singapore in 1951 when she was in the WAAF.  My aunt had written on the back 'Singapore 51' and I was using the photo as a temporary bookmark.  I started to read the next chapter which was about Joanne returning to Singapore with her husband and recalling her time there as a child of five.  The year was 1951.  A tiny bit of synchronisity at play.  I just love when that happens, that feeling of 'there's a connection here, does it mean anything?"  I really didn't want this book to end and could have happily spent a whole week there in her house listening to her stories, wandering through her garden, helping her re-decorate the dining room.  I could even have encouraged her to start that painting of her husband she keeps putting off.  Maybe she'll invite us back again some day.

Comments

[Jennifer]

Hi Ruth. Thanks for dropping by. As you can probably tell, I do love to read! Trouble is once I'm buried in a book I tend to forget about everything else.

[Ruth]

Sounds like a book I would probably like too, although I don't spend as much time with my nose in decorating mags and books as I used to. Personal space is such a fascinating topic, isn't it?