This was a great romp of an adventure story, with a bit of falconry, a trip to Scotland and a remote island thrown in. I loved it but I know that’s mainly because it is a mix of all my favourite things so I’m not recommending you rush out and track this down!
Reading the notes on the author, John Buchan not only wrote the 39 steps but published FIVE books while at university. This man came from a family that was not at all wealthy, attended grammar school in Glasgow and was awarded scholarships to the University of Glasgow (which is beautiful) and then to Oxford where he couldn’t even afford to dine in college – and yet he ended up Governor-general of Canada. From the way this man describes grand landscapes and being outdoors, I bet that country suited him just fine!
Found: Oxfam bookshop
Read: on the train
Felt: swept up into a good old fashioned adventure story
Would recommend: to people who like a bit of early 1900s escapism
