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Frost In May
Frost In May | Antonia White
11 posts | 11 read | 13 to read
Nanda Gray, the daughter of a Catholic convert, is nine when she is sent to the Convent of Five Wounds. Quick-witted, resilient and eager to please, she accepts this closed world where, with all the enthusiasm of the outsider, her desires and passions become only those the school permits. Her only deviation from total obedience is the passionate friendships she makes. Convent life is perfectly captured - the smell of beeswax and incense; the petty cruelties of the nuns; the eccentricities of Nanda's school friends.
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andrew61
Frost In May | Antonia White
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Pickpick

A story of life for a young girl in a pre ww1 Catholic convent school. Fer'nanda' is a spirited child who at 9 is anxious but over the next 4 years despite the nuns attempts to crush any individuality grows whilst finding a group of friends who develop as any teenager will. I loved this book, but it left me exasperated at the treatment of the children and this will not be my last post abt nasty nuns today!
Definitely a classic worth reading.

rubyslippersreads I‘ve had this on my TBR list for ages. 5y
Leftcoastzen Yay, Virago! 5y
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Bertha_Mason
Frost In May | Antonia White

I'm laughing my ass off at the reverend mother, whose title for fuck's sake is "Mistress of Discipline," simultaneously being so worried the protagonist might be a lesbian, and yet constantly saying the completest teacher-and-student-S/M-roleplay clichés to her. "I suppose I haven't broken your will yet, my dear child." Crist jeezus. ??

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Bertha_Mason
Frost In May | Antonia White

I am so glad I left the catholic church.

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LeahBergen
Frost In May | Antonia White
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I awoke to a fresh blanketing of snow this morning 🙄 so this seemed like an appropriate title to finally pick up and start.

This 1933 novel was the first book to be (re)published as a Virago Modern Classic. 🍎

readordierachel How apropos! Sorry about the snow ❄ 6y
PurpleyPumpkin Honestly, I think we've had enough winter!! 6y
Crazeedi Snow?! Oh no!!!🤨 6y
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batsy Oh no! However, great excuse to start this book! It's been on my TBR for ages 😆 #whatsnew 6y
MemoirsForMe Oh my! 😲We‘re having the craziest weather this year. 6y
TrishB Snow 😱 6y
RaimeyGallant We got snow yesterday, but not enough to blanket anything. :) 6y
Weaponxgirl First time I read this I hated it because of what the character goes through, then I couldn‘t stop thinking about it for days afterwards and realised how amazing it was to have made me feel that way. My obsession with viragos had been never ending from then on. 6y
LeahBergen @batsy @rubyslippersreads I‘m about halfway through and super impressed. I‘m findings the whole early 1900s convent school story appallingly fascinating (probably because I‘m NOT Catholic so it‘s all new to me 😆). I heartily recommend it. 6y
LeahBergen @Weaponxgirl I‘m so invested in the story at the halfway mark! Was this your first Virago read? I‘m a big fan! 6y
Weaponxgirl This was my second after this one. Then I was hooked from then on. There‘s three more after this one that are also semi autobiographical and unofficially following the same character that I love. 6y
LeahBergen I recently read All Passion Spent, too, and I‘ve already been eyeballing the rest of Antonia White‘s books in this series. 😆 @Weaponxgirl (edited) 6y
93 likes13 comments
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Settings
Frost In May | Antonia White
Pickpick

Another book about religion that makes that faith seem odious and horrific to anyone outside it.

Reminds me of Kristin Lavransdatter - mostly the main characters' Catholic self-inflicted anguish.

Suppose if you believe then all that pain is worth it.

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Lizpixie
Frost In May | Antonia White
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#BookMail Pt2 today is this gorgeous #ViragoModernClassics Edition Of Frost In May by Antonia White. These are such beautiful editions, yet another collection I‘m totally obsessed with (thank you again to @SavidgeReads for waving them in my face!) I really should finish buying one series before starting another, but I only have 2 more to collect in the Bloomsbury Modern Classics, so I indulged. #isithoardingifitsbooks #wegonnaneedabiggerhouse

ephemeralwaltz 😍😍 this one is gorgeous! 6y
81 likes1 comment
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Weaponxgirl
Frost In May | Antonia White
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#readingwomenmonth set in a school. The first ever #Vmc published and it's set in a convent school. Semi autobiographical and heartbreaking. When I read this book I came away mad at what people put the character through. One of the founders of virago said when she read it she knew she had to publish it as it was her experience too. It's in the documentary on iplayer about virago atm.

ephemeralwaltz Thanks for sharing!! Hadn't heard of this one, sounds interesting. Will look into it! 6y
Weaponxgirl @ephemeralwaltz I really enjoy this author a lot, and love that she inspired the creation of the Vmc 6y
Leftcoastzen Nice! 6y
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Andrew65 I was away from he computer for much of the weekend enjoying the beautiful weather we are having and getting ready to read and write 400 reports (!) so need to catch up with my postings. 6y
Weaponxgirl @Andrew65 that's a lot of reports! I had some catching up today since yesterday I was at a picnic all day with a friend and her children who were visiting from Manchester 😊 6y
Andrew65 @Weaponxgirl Yes hate the next couple of Weeks! (edited) 6y
52 likes6 comments
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Verity
Frost In May | Antonia White
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this, but I wanted to know more about what happened next to Nanda. But maybe that‘s the point of it all...

Weaponxgirl Most of Antonia whites books are semi autobiographical and her book the lost traveller makes a great follow on 6y
Verity @Weaponxgirl oooh. Thank you. I‘ll add that to the list! 6y
Weaponxgirl @Verity it's the first in a trilogy and it really changes how you read the books when you realise that it's not just fiction 😊 hope you enjoy 6y
37 likes3 comments
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Verity
Frost In May | Antonia White
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Fresh bedtime reading is this new edition of Frost in May which was the first Virago Modern Classic back in the 1970s. Virago do such beautiful books 📚 📖

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kwmg40
Frost In May | Antonia White
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Currently reading Frost in May for Dewey's #readathon. Here's my stack of Virago Modern Classics for the #ReadMoreWomen mini-challenge. #thereadingwomen

@thereadingwomen

rabbitprincess I just borrowed My Cousin Rachel from the library (to read before seeing the movie). 7y
eraderneely Keep up the good reading fellow Readathoner!!! 7y
kwmg40 @rabbitprincess I hope you enjoy it! I'd reread a couple of Du Mauriers earlier in the year and am looking forward to this one. 7y
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kwmg40 @eraderneely Thank you! 7y
rwmg @kwmg40 How is Precious Bane? Apparently it was one of the inspirations for 7y
kwmg40 @rwmg I've not read it yet. Most of the books in that stack are still TBR. I'll have to add Cold Comfort Farm to my wishlist too! 7y
15 likes6 comments
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LeahBergen
Frost In May | Antonia White
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I'd just been reading about this author recently and came across this pretty little Virago edition today for .50¢. I've always been a sucker for a girls' school novel.

merelybookish I love the Virago covers! 7y
rubyslippersreads Great cover! I've been wanting to read this. 7y
79 likes1 stack add2 comments