Between My Father and the King by Janet Frame
Janet Frame was an award winning
author from New Zealand. Between My Father and the King, a collection of
some of her previously unpublished and uncollected short stories, is an
excellent introduction to this talented author who died in 2004. The stories,
many told from the point of view of children or spouses in working class
families, are stories of hope and disappointment. The best plums grow on the
neighbor’s side of the fence. A vagrant’s book collection is not worth a
fortune. Grandmother, on her first visit, does not live up to her
grandchildren’s expectations. The daughter who was given a lovely lace dress is
not allowed to attend the dance. And the King does not sufficiently appreciate
the father’s service in World War I. In these and other stories, the author
creates a true voice for a child or adult who hasn't got much in life except acute
powers of observation. The reader can feel the anticipation of having a new
dress, plum jam, hot scones, a cup of tea, a visitor, a new piece of furniture
or set of dishes. And when the anticipation leads to yet another
disappointment, the resigned acceptance of those used to disappointment makes
each story heart-breaking but not maudlin.
