The Shuttle in Persephone Books

Jul 17, 2020 Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: librivox, audio, 2020, classics, britain

This novel was written in the early 20th Century. It was popular then but long forgotten until Persephone Press published it again, bringing it today's readers. It has a very apt title. The "shuttle" refers to the rich American heiresses who could not make the best societal marriages because their family wealth came from new, rather than old money. To solve this problem they traveled to England and married poor but Aristocratic, husbands in need of money to finance their dilapidated estates, tra This novel was written in the early 20th Century. It was popular then but long forgotten until Persephone Press published it again, bringing it today's readers. It has a very apt title. The "shuttle" refers to the rich American heiresses who could not make the best societal marriages because their family wealth came from new, rather than old money. To solve this problem they traveled to England and married poor but Aristocratic, husbands in need of money to finance their dilapidated estates, trading wealth for high society and a title.

I enjoyed this novel, with it's Gothic touches, about a phenomenon with which the author was very familiar. Frances Hodgson Burnett lived in New York for several years so knew well what could go right or wrong in these marriages. The Shuttle tells a dramatic story of what could go terribly wrong with these bartered marriages. We have one British aristocratic villain, one meek and too trusting American fianc茅 who becomes a wife to the villainous Brit. 10 years pass and a very different American heiress arrives on the scene in England to find out what has happened to her older sister from whom she and her family have heard nothing in all the years of her marriage. This is Betty who is the opposite of her frightened and meek sister. She is "the most beautiful and kindhearted creature on earth," as well as emotionally strong, clever and brave with a polite but snappy answer to every possible dilemma she meets in her attempts to save her sister. She is bankrolled by her rich father so anything is possible. We meet other fantastic characters within the setting of this story, an old English village with crumbling but still gorgeous estates and gardens. Burnett's descriptions of these estates are beautifully drawn. I could see them all and felt like I was right there, walking in the overgrown and mossy gardens. Altogether, Burnett has woven a wonderfully atmospheric, entertaining and engaging story.

My only issue with this book is that it could have used some paring down. It was unnecessarily long. For readers of The Secret Garden you will be happy to find the appearance of a Robin in this story. ...more

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Oct 31, 2014 Jane rated it it was amazing

There鈥檚 a lovely passage in Frances Hodgson-Burnett鈥檚 childhood memoir 鈥� 鈥楾he One I Knew the Best of All鈥� 鈥� that recalls the joy of imagining what wondrous stories might be inside the books on the highest shelf that she couldn鈥檛 quite reach.

鈥楾he Shuttle鈥� is exactly the right book for that child to have written when she became a grown up author. An author who understood the magic of the story; the very special kind of magic that captures children and makes them into life-long readers. This book ...more

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May 07, 2013 rachael gibson rated it really liked it

Rereading because it was on my Kindle and I had no other book on me!

Another Persephone hit!

I've long been interested in the wave of US millionaires marrying Brit aristocracy, and have read and enjoyed biographies of Vanderbilts, Catons and Randolphs - and as a dedicated Downton fan, I'm also looking forward to Fellowe's upcoming drama on the Gilded Age.

... all of which is a long winded way of saying I thoroughly.enjoyed this book. I downloaded it to read on holiday and it was a total page-turne ...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Janis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own

Superb, engrossing read from start to finish...a little Gothic in parts towards the end, but nothing to detract from the story...

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Nov 07, 2024 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: classic, peresephone

Wow! This is a heck of a read and one I would highly recommend. This is the same wonderful author who penned 鈥淎 Little Princess 鈥� and 鈥淪ecret Garden 鈥�. I didn鈥檛 know she wrote adult novels and then I stumbled on this. Happy day for me!

It takes place at the end of the 19th century when titled but cash strapped Brits were taking the shuttle (the overseas crossing from London to NY) in search of wealthy, American ladies. This novel chronicles one such marriage between a sweet but dim American heire ...more

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