The
Crystal Palace
Foundation

By Howard Spring

In this book we follow the life of Sarah Rainborough from age 3 in 1851 to the end of her life in 1948. In the opening chapter Sarah is taken to the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace where she catches a glimpse of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Throughout the novel Spring gives his readers the opportunity to share Sarah’s perspective on English history which for Sarah from age 3 on is somehow magically, metaphorically, reflected on the glass windows of the Crystal Palace. As a matter of fact, we learn in the author’s foreword that the title of this book comes from an old music hall song with the words, “You could see the Crystal Palace if it wasn’t for the houses in between.”

Reviews
"I'm enjoying this novel, which I stumbled upon at the bottom of a bag full of rejected "antique" books. I thought I'd give it a chance and I'm glad I did. Fitting comfortably into the Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) genre, this is an engaging, often unexpectedly funny, glimpse into the life of a young, upper class, girl in Victorian England. So far we've had comedy, romance, tragedy, adventure, and action. This is an intriguing, intimate look at a historic period during which societies, conventions, and lives were undergoing tremendous upheaval."

"I discovered this book in my college library stacks at the end of my freshman year finals in 1965, when I was ready to read something for pleasure instead of studies. I fell in love with it, and have re-read it at least four or five times since then. it may be dated as others have said, but it paints an incredible picture of Victorian life and all the lessons learned in a well-lived life. Very nostalgic, sometimes sad, but also uplifting. It's definitely worth reading!"

"Howard Spring was a terrific writer whose novels were invariably very readable and absorbing. This was a very enjoyable read --a nostalgic experience, for I first discovered this novel many years ago, in the mid to late 1950s I think, and it was good to find that it is still as readable as it was then."

PLEASE NOTE: All the copies have been purchased from high-class antique book dealers and are therefore of good quality. Second hand books are however subject to the usual problems - light foxing and / or lightly stained pages, loose or missing spines and the page edges, etc may not be perfect. Where available the jackets may not be perfect (and we may not have any in stock with a jacket). The pages are always fully secure. The best available copy of the book will always be sent.