“Let me hasten to add that I am not at all like Jane Eyre, who must have given hope to so many plain women . . .nor have I ever thought of myself as being like her.”

When I read about “the unexpected joy of repeat experiences” during difficult times, I immediately thought of the pleasure I have in rereading novels by Barbara Pym.  Surely one of the ways we can cope with the stress of an international pandemic is to seek out the company of old friends in familiar novels. I realize that Barbara Pym is not exactly a household name, and if you haven’t read the engagingly droll Pym’s novels, consider starting with Excellent Women. It’s set in London right after World War II, when people were trying to make the best of difficult circumstances.

Pym, Barbara. Excellent Women. Perennial Library/Harper & Row, 1980, p. 7.