Mistress Masham's Repose

First published in 1947, Mistress Masham's Repose returns in this handsome edition, with superb colour illustrations. It is the story of ten-year-old Maria and her discovery, within the grounds of the dilapidated mansion where she lives, of Lilliput in Exile - a community of the descendants of the little people visited by Gulliver in Swift's satire. From the friendship developing from this encounter White constructs a narrative in which Maria helps the Lilliputians maintain their independence in the face of threats from her repellent governess and guardian. While many adults will respond to White's orotund style and his width of erudite allusion, fewer children will find the book accessible; a pity, for it has undeniable charm and will never look more attractive than it does here.