Granny

Popular Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

This morning I discovered this book of Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘Popular Fairy Tales’ given to my paternal grandmother a few weeks after her 9th birthday. My granny was a remarkable woman who lived through the Second World War waiting four years with no word from my grandfather (her fiancé) until he returned home, having been liberated from the Japanese PoW camp where he’d been held captive. They married shortly after his return. An inspiring teacher and voracious reader, I’ve always wished I’d been that bit older to be able to chat to her about life and literature (I was only 9 when she died) but I think she’d really like The Zest and so it feels right to post this, especially today. #motheringsunday