Homeland: A Year of Country Days

Abstract

THIS book consists of a series of sketches—mostly impressionist—of the march of the seasons in the Eastern Counties of England. There is one for each day in the year, and the author shows his good sense by beginning with March 21 and ending with March 20. “So we set out in the thrill of the year's morning songs and climb with the sun to the high noon of summer; then go down the hill of autumn and traverse the valley of winter, and so arrive again before the portals of spring. Thus hope is with us first and last.” And delight as well, we may say, for Mr. Izzard's pictures—many of them just vignettes—have a delicate touch, awakening old joys. On reading them we feel that the author is one who would sincerely say with Stevenson:—

Homeland: A Year of Country Days.

By Percy W. D. Izzard. With illustrations by Florence L. Izzard and W. Gordon Mein. Pp. 383. (London: John Richmond, n.d.) Price 7s. 6d. net.