Mistress Pat (by Lucy Maud Montgomery)

(Amazon UK link)

In the Middle of July I reread ‘Pat of Silver Bush’ by LM Montgomery, on my Kindle. It was pleasant reading, if not particularly exciting. But I was pleased to note that the book I had downloaded, probably from Project Gutenberg, wasn’t just the first book. It also included ‘Mistress Pat’, a sequel which I had not been able to find in paperback form. It’s hard to find second-hand, and very expensive new. 

So now I have it on my Kindle, I was eager to read it while I could still remember some of the events of the first book. Pat is a likeable girl, if rather too idealistic. She’s passionate about her home, and fairly sure she never wants to get married. She hopes to stay in Silver Bush all her life, with her brother Sid (whom she hopes will remain single). She loves everything domestic, and adores the Irish family housekeeper/cook/nurse known as Judy.

At the start of the book, Pat is about twenty. Her younger sister Rachel wants to drop her childhood nickname of ‘Cuddles’, and be known as Rae. Rae is thirteen and still at school, but keen to have excitement and romance in her life. Their brother Sid still works hard on the farm, and their brother Joe is still travelling, with only the occasional communication.

Pat’s closest friend Hilary (which was a male name in that era, apparently) is abroad, studying and working. He has been in love with Pat for years, but she insists that she only feels friendship for him. They write to each other, and Rae also writes to him, letting him know about the young men who are attracted to Pat. Rae hopes this will make him jealous, but it has the opposite effect, making him lose hope.

There are a lot of light romantic episodes in the book. Pat thinks she falls in love a couple of times over the years, and eventually agrees to marry a rather older widower whom she is very fond of. But her reasons are somewhat confused, and include the fact that Sid has married someone whom she really doesn’t like.

The book takes place over twelve years, introducing new characters including the wonderful Josiah Tillytuck. He plays the violin, works hard as an extra farmhand, and tells stories that are even more unlikely than those told by Judy.

Pat’s passion for her home seems rather out of proportion to me. She still hates any tree being cut down, or any changes at all to decor or furniture. But she loves her family too, and is happy that her mother, who has been delicate for some years, seems to be doing better now, growing in health and strength from day to day.

There’s no real plot as such in this book, but it makes an excellent sequel to the first book. It’s nice to see Rae growing up and developing a character that’s similar to Pat’s in some ways, and yet quite different in others. The writing is a bit long-winded in places, and Judy’s anecdotes in dialect are as hard to read as the ones in the first book, but there aren’t so many. Judy is growing old, and worried about becoming useless.

There are moments of poignancy, scenes that made me smile, and overall a feeling of warmth even when Pat seems to be setting out on a path that isn’t the best for her. There’s a shocking climax to the book which I really wasn’t expecting, but perhaps it’s the only way that the author could allow Pat to move on - and in the end, she does discover where her heart lies.

Definitely recommended as a sequel to ‘Pat of Silver Bush’. As a standalone it would be a bit confusing, as there’s so much back story that’s implied. 

This was an excellent ebook to read at the airport and on a flight. It was absorbing and engaging when I was reading, but easy to put down. Intended for teenagers, I assume, since so much of the story involves low-key romance. But probably too tame for most of today’s teens. I expect it’s more likely to be read by nostalgic adults who read ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and other works by this author as children. 

Although the image above is for a paperback version of this book, the Amazon link is to the ebook I downloaded, which has both the 'Pat' books. It's no longer free, but very inexpensive. Unfortunately print editions of this book tend to be over-priced. 

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