The Great Western Beach: A Memoir of a Cornish Childhood Between the Wars

The Hallsmiths are a truly remarkable family; or that, at least, is how Elspeth€™s parents would like to be perceived. But Father, a hero of the Great War, convinced his destiny is to become a famous painter, has to suffer with gritted teeth the ignominy of his actual position in society€”that of lowly bank clerk. And although Mother, bereaved of three fiancés during the Great War, is at last a married woman with children, she does have the unfortunate knack of upstaging her husband, being, unlike him, tall, charming, and admired by everybody. As to the twins, fearless defiant Pam and sickly bewildered Jim, existence for them is an unremitting struggle. Elspeth, their younger sister, is Daddy€™s favorite, but rather wishes she wasn€™t. And it seems, at first anyway, as if money always in too short a supply to support those appearances thought so essential to the Hallsmith family dignity. But there is one thing about which Elspeth€™s parents are in harmo