Did Margaret Hale bake?

Fanny hovers over the offered sweets. Were these bought from the bakery?

With so many people spending more time creating in their kitchens this stay-home year, could there be a more timely topic to round out the year?

There’s no indication that Margaret spent time in her kitchen either in Helstone or in Milton. According to Gaskell’s North and South, the Hales kept a cook in Helstone, besides having a house-maid and Dixon, a ladies maid. In Milton it was difficult to find help and Dixon had to take up regular household duties that had once previous been beneath her.

When Mr. Hale announces that Mr. Thornton is coming to tea, Margaret offers to help with some of the day’s work, but it’s not to do any of the baking:

“…we will give [Mr. Thornton] a welcome, and some cocoa-nut cakes. Dixon will be flattered if we ask her to make some; and I will undertake to iron your caps, mamma.”

Mrs. Hale is distressed at the thought of her daughter helping out with the laundry down in the kitchen. Evidently, a gentleman’s daughter was not expected to have to do daily drudgery. It appears likely that Margaret may never have learned to cook or bake.

Certainly, Margaret would never have set foot in the kitchen at Aunt Shaw’s unless it was to relay orders. Learning to cook and bake would not have been on the list of things for Edith to learn. She would never have been expected to do the cooking. Both girls would have been taught, however, how to serve tea.

Alas, does this mean that Margaret would never bake a special batch of treats for her husband once married? Who knows! Both Margaret and John both pushed against being constrained by tradition or class rules. If she had the impulse to bake something herself, I’m sure she would do so. But Margaret Thornton wouldn’t need to do housework or kitchen work.

Apple pie

I, on the other hand, have been enjoying playing in the kitchen. I’ve been spending more time than ever baking and am grateful for a productive hobby to keep me busy while staying home with the family for months on end.

I also love watching and re-watching The British Baking Show. I sometimes put it on for background noise while I’m in the kitchen.

Although I would LOVE to have food made for me, I think I would miss baking. It’s a creative outlet that satisfies — in more ways than one!

My mother was always baking pie, brownies, cookies or cakes. Dessert means “I love you” in my family’s parlance.

Baking is making a tremendous resurgence right now. Are you spending more time baking? What have you made?

The traditional Christmas cookies for the kids to decorate.

"Be Your Own Heroine" by Sophie and Charlotte Andrews

Who needs a hero when you can be your own heroine? Although most women dream of finding the solid support of their very own Mr. Thornton or Mr. Darcy, there is great advantage in recognizing and cultivating your own strengths first and foremost.

Authors Sophie and Charlotte Andrews have created a charming handbook on how to be your own heroine using the examples of six famous literary protagonists. Be Your Own Heroine: Life Lessons from Literature dives into the qualities that help steady the boat and sweeten the ride on the ofttimes bumpy journey of life.

I was glad to see that the authors picked a variety of heroines from both classic and modern novels. This broad array helped expand my awareness of two new-to-me heroines. And now that I know a little about Eleanor Oliphant and July (from The Long Song), I’m intrigued and eager to read those stories!

Of course, not everyone’s favorites could be included in this compact book. And no, Margaret Hale from North and South did not make the list. But the authors do mention Elizabeth Gaskell in their introduction, which is fantastic!

I loved the tips for practicing your heroine qualities that are found at the end of every section. This is an encouraging book. It would make a sweet gift for any female friend or family member who could use a little boost of empowerment.

Be Your Own Heroine: Life Lessons from Literature

Having brought you the wisdom of Austen in Be More Jane, eager reader Sophie Andrews joins forces with her sister Charlotte and turns her attention to what can be learned from the heroines of other stories from past and present. Whatever your taste in authors, there will be strong female characters you can relate to, from Jo March, the tiger-sister in Little Women, to Eleanor Oliphant, the socially bemused heroine of Gail Honeyman's prize-winning first novel. There are spirited young women such as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, and Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series; and then there are the survivors – July in The Long Song and Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. Sophie and Charlotte show how these six inspirational young women can inspire you and guide you through life's challenges. Whether you are faced with hard times at home, in love, or at work, these characters have something to teach you.

Amazon.com / Amazon.co.UK

Book giveaway!

Tell us your favorite heroines.

CICO Books is generously offering a copy of Be Your Own Heroine to one fortunate reader. The giveaway is open to readers from the U.S. and U.K. only, and will run through Sunday, October 25, 2020. To enter, please leave a comment naming one or more of your favorite heroines. Don’t forget to leave your email address. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post.

Sophie and Charlotte Andrews Author Biography:

Sophie and Charlotte Andrews are sisters who both love to lose themselves in books. Charlotte’s passion for reading and writing began in her earliest years. She studied Latin American literature as part of her degree at Warwick University, but especially enjoys historical fiction. Younger sister Sophie appreciates many different genres – however her true love is for all things Jane Austen, an enthusiasm that was initially sparked by studying Pride and Prejudice at school. She started her blog, Laughing with Lizzie, in 2012, aged 16, and soon began to participate in Austen events and festivals around the country. As a founder member of the Jane Austen Pineapple Appreciation Society, she organises house parties, balls and picnics and starred in the 2017 BBC documentary “My Friend Jane”. Her first book, Be More Jane, was published in 2019 by CICO Books. Sophie lives in Berkshire.

Contact Links:

Laughing with Lizzie blog

Laughing with Lizzie Facebook page

Laughing with Lizzie Instagram page

Laughing with Lizzie Twitter page

Sophie’s email: s.j.andrews@hotmail.co.uk 

C19 and Mr. Thornton's Underwear

It was eleven years ago this month that I stumbled upon the BBC’s North & South. And yes, I count it as a life event. And I know I’m not alone. Who else remembers the very first time the saw the four hour mini-series? And how many of you could not stop thinking of it for days or months?

I had so many questions in the days that followed! My mind kept wandering to certain scenes and the characters’ actions. And there was no one to talk to about it!

Who could forget this heartbreaking scene out of their heads? Not me!

Fortunately, I found a fan webpage that directed me to a North and South discussion forum — C19 Proboards. My sanity was saved! Here were many others who had also fallen under the spell of Richard Armitage’s portrayal of John Thornton. C19 was a place for endless discussion of all things North and South — including a serious discussion of Victorian male undergarments with a naughty-sounding thread title: Mr. Thornton’s Underwear.

Here are some of the other topics I remember from long ago that yielded some lively discussion:

Is John Thornton the perfect man?

The kiss

The impact of the dinner party

Daniela’s performance as Margaret

Confessions of N&S addicts

Does the book enhance the film, or detract?

Can Mr. Thornton dance?

What would JT have said next? (during the proposal)

Mr. Hale related class question

Whose side are you on (after the proposal scene)?

Alas, it’s been 16 years since North and South first aired, and the C19 forum has been there for hundreds of gobsmacked viewers who wanted (needed?) to talk about the story, its characters, and Richard Armitage. And on November 2nd, C19 Proboards will close its online doors and become an inactive, read-only site. Members of the forum will be able to access all the old content, but no new discussions will ensue.

It’s the end of an era, and I will sorely miss having C19 to turn to for any active chatting. It was a wonderful place to meet like-minded friends and I’ll always treasure the time I spent there. I learned so much from all the members’ extensive knowledge.

And, of course, I owe it to C19 for introducing me to the wonderful world of fan fiction! When I devoured the North and South fan fiction on C19 in those early days, I had no idea I would add my own stories to the board. I cherish the encouragement I received there as a new writer.

But most of all, I cherish the friendships developed there. Especially those that continue to this day.

May the love of all things North and South continue to flourish and create new friendships!

Being thrown from Paradise - for the better

Have you ever wondered how life would have turned out for Margaret if her father had stayed in Helstone?

Obviously, the entire story arc of North and South would be completely deflated. No move to the North would mean no Milton, no cotton mills, and no Thornton (gasp!). No encounter with new surroundings and mindsets.

And that’s the rub. Staying in Helstone and the gentler South would have given Margaret little opportunity to grow. So of course she needed to make that leap into the unknown for her personal journey! Literature like Gaskell’s North and South show us how unexpected trials can bring enriching change for the main characters.

So away from paradise Margaret must go, although she loved it there so dearly! I often think of how she dreaded the move that ultimately led her to a more fulfilling life. It’s a helpful lesson to remember how human nature would resist change, especially if you believe you are perfectly happy and comfortable where you are.

And Margaret definitely didn’t want to leave Helstone. She had spent 9 years in London dreaming of going home to Helstone for good. It’s heart-rending that she is only given a few months to live there before her father’s decision tears her from her childhood home.

But how many years would she have truly been content to live in Helstone? Would her mother have tried to encourage a courtship between the Southampton carriage maker’s son and her daughter? Would Margaret have grown at all weary of the limited social contact and lack of intellectual stimulation?

Her love for her childhood home in the New Forest is unequivocally described in the book. Although Henry teases her about it being Paradise, she apparently does feel it is “the best place on earth.” To Margaret, it’s place of calm beauty — a place where she has freedom and where she has a helpful role in the community as the vicar’s daughter. Her status and position in Helstone are secure.

Her entire world comes crashing down around her the night her father tells her he’s leaving the church — that the family is moving to Milton. Everything will be turned upside down when they move to Milton.

Margaret soldiers on during the weeks of planning and packing. But her heart is heavy and she’s loathe to leave. On the day she leaves — that momentous day when one life chapter is closed— Margaret cannot contain her emotions.

Railroad time inexorably wrenched them away from lovely, beloved Helstone, the next morning. They were gone; they had seen the last of the long low parsonage home, half-covered with China-roses and pyracanthus--more homelike than ever in the morning sun that glittered on its windows, each belonging to some well-loved room…A sting at Margaret's heart made her strive to look out to catch the last glimpse of the old church tower at the turn where she knew it might be seen above a wave of the forest trees…She leant back and shut her eyes, and the tears welled forth…

After living in such a beautiful place, it’s a depressing adjustment to live in the thick of an industrial city. The transition to the dirty, bustling city is difficult for the women of the house — for those clinging to the past. The scenery around them is dreary, it’s foggy and cold, their living quarters are much smaller, and they know absolutely no one in town.

But Margaret’s horizons will be broadened, she will meet people who will enrich her life, she will find a life purpose that engages all her soul, mind, and heart. She will meet someone who matches her passions and intelligence and will cherish and encourage her spirit. In Milton, she will find love — and her home.

I love the scene of Margaret’s arrival at the mill — a place, unbeknownst to her, which will become so vital to her future.

As she impatiently waits to speak to the man who will someday become her husband, she takes a turn about his office with curiosity. I always hold my breath as she examines the handwriting of the one who manages the great factory.

The magic of what is about to happen is suspended in this quiet, reflective moment. For she is about to burst into the center of John Thornton’s world (and explode it!). Nothing will ever be the same for her again.

It takes time, lots of tears, and great doses of humility and patience. But at the end of all her struggles there is this:

I believe in finding John Thornton she has found a new Paradise! Now she will always be able to praise the day she left Helstone.

---

Thanks so much for following my blog. I know I haven’t been tending to it very well this year. It’s been a year of tremendous challenges and changes for everyone.

It’s been an especially huge year for my family. And I think you’ll understand why I’ve been too preoccupied to blog. We’ve moved across the continent! I’ve been busy planning and packing and traveling. And unpacking and exploring and settling in. It’s been quite an adventure for us this year as we moved from a major metropolitan area in California to a small slice of quiet paradise in Vermont.

Having never lived in a rural area before, I feel much closer to Margaret’s heart now in loving the beauty around me here. It fills the soul. And like Margaret, I find myself wanting to be outside as much as possible.

I hope everyone is doing well and learning lessons on what is really important in life. I know I still am.

Confessions of a limited Richard Armitage fan

My introduction to Richard Armitage is a common story. At least is used to be, before The Hobbit movies began rolling out.

Like thousands of other soon-to-be-smitten fans, my very first glimpse of the actor was as the imposing mill master in the BBC’s North and South. The opening scene is definitely not my favorite, but I was completely won over by the vulnerable Victorian industrialist by the end of episode two.

Unbuttoned and emotionally unravelling, John Thornton wants desperately to believe what his mother is saying.

That was October 2009. And I didn’t know that watching Richard Armitage bring John Thornton to life on screen would change my life. But it did.

I searched his name on the Internet. Who was this man, and why hadn’t I ever heard of him before?! I discovered, to my delight, that I wasn't the only one with a new obsession after watching North and South. C19.Proboards.com introduced me to the Richard Armitage fandom. And I — for the first time in my life — become a fan girl.

But here’s my guilty confession: I don’t think I’ve earned all the points necessary to be a genuine card-carrying Armitage fan.

You see, my interest in Armitage has centered rather heavily on his role as John Thornton. I’ve only ventured to see a very limited portion of his work. I’ve watched and loved Sparkhouse. And I thought he was sweet in The Vicar of Dibley. But I never really watched him as Guy of Gisbourne, or Lucas North. Just a little.

But I think I get fan points for going to the theater to watch Captain America, solely to exalt in seeing his name appear in the credits on the big screen that very first time. I was really excited.

And I was uncharacteristically jumping up and down with glee when I first heard he had landed the role as Thorin. I was ecstatic. Richard was going to be famous! It was a very special time to be in the Armitage fandom. We were all so very excited for our boy to be introduced to the world scene.

I watched all three Hobbit movies when they came out, even though I’m not really a big Tolkein fan. I did it for Richard. All to seem him in his glory.

But I haven’t seen him in anything else. I saw Castlevania’s first season. But I never got around to watching the rest. I don’t watch much tv —that’s my main excuse. But I still feel like I fall short of being a full-fledged fan. There are so many other shows I haven’t watched. And I haven’t even begun to listen to his audible books!

To all of my fellow Richard Armitage fans, I love our solidarity in fond admiration for a very handsome and incredibly talented actor. It’s been a great joy to “meet” so many of you!

To celebrate the blogging fandom, today is a celebration of those who have ever blogged about Richard: #RABlogReunion.

I didn't start this blog until 2016. But I’m still here. Still writing the occasional blog post about a story I love. A story that came to life on screen with phenomenal power due to Richard Armitage.

What have I been doing since I became an Armitage fan?

I’ve written two North and South variation novels, have helped compile an anthology of N&S short stories (Falling for Mr. Thornton), and am dabbling with writing a third variation. My focus has slipped on writing — real life concerns have been rather exhausting. I still visit and moderate the C19 site, but not nearly as often as I used to. The fanfiction sharing there has waned.

But if the era of my more eager fanhood has waned, I’ll always cherish those earlier, crazier days when the image of Richard as JohnThornton was never far from my mind — those days when I laughed and chatted and plotted with other Armitage fans online nearly every day.

Thanks, Richard, for enriching my life. Your contribution as an artist has had a profound effect on so many.

Moving forward through the darkness

Searching for a gleam of light

There’s a tremendous amount of gloom and tragedy in North and South. Margaret Hale and John Thornton suffer great loss and struggle mightily to keep going, but they both find the strength to get up every day and continue on.

Gaskell’s story could be seen as a glimpse into the hardest three years of Margaret’s life. Seven deaths occur in North and South and all of them impact Margaret Hale. The four most personally felt—the deaths of Bessy, her mother, father and Mr. Bell—all take place within two years. Imagine suffering such a string of catastrophic losses at the age of nineteen or twenty!

Margaret’s first calamity is being forced to leave a beloved home. Moving to Milton is a harsh change for her, although there are definitely some hidden silver linings! But on the whole, things continue to worsen for her as her mother becomes more ill and Margaret finds herself constantly arguing with her father’s favorite student. Margaret’s main motivation through this stage of the story is to support her parents as best she can.

But before long, conditions and events in this new town begin to spiral completely out of control:

• Her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse.

• She gets injured trying to single-handedly stop a riot.

• Her father’s best friend suddenly professes his love to her.

• She forcefully rejects the town’s most eligible bachelor.

• her new (and only) Milton friend dies.

Margaret still keeps going rather bravely for weeks until everything crashes to a halt with her mother’s death. But even then, Margaret does not have the luxury to break down and grieve. The very next evening she takes Fred to the station and everything goes terribly wrong. (Poor Margaret is caught up in dangerous violence again!) Mr. Thornton sees her with Frederick and she is forced to lie to the police.

This is a dark time for Margaret. Feeling she’s lost the respect of Mr. Thornton, and condemning herself for lying, she has lost some respect for herself in the bargain. She moves through life with no cheerfulness, trying to help others. Gaskell describes this period of gloom poignantly:

The dreary peacefulness of the present time had been preceded by so long a period of anxiety and care — even intermixed with some storms — that her mind had lost its elasticity. She tried to find herself occupation in teaching the two younger Boucher children, and worked hard at goodness…for her heart seemed dead to the end of all her efforts…her life seemed still bleak and dreary. The only thing she did well, was what she did out of unconscious piety, the silent comforting and consoling of her father.

The last goodbye

Little did she know that this barren, calm period was only the receding wave, gathering in silence to unleash the final crashing wave of loss.

At the news of her father’s unexpected death, Margaret finally breaks down. She cannot rise from her grief and despair for several days. These are her darkest days, when she no longer has a family to live for, and is convinced she has lost the chance to have one of her own.

Margaret’s existence in London is almost mechanical. She has no heart for the life Edith leads and feels her soul revive only when alone with Edith’s toddler son or hearing someone talk of Milton. She spends several months in this mode of barely living before she searches deep inside to find a guiding principle to follow.

Mr. Bell’s sudden death causes Margaret to pray “that she might have strength to speak and act the truth forevermore.” To discover what that truth means to her, Margaret spends day after day sitting at the beach, contemplating her life until “she turned with all her heart and strength to the life that lay immediately before her, and resolved to strive and make the best of that.”

She returns to London with new vigor, taking “her life into her own hands” and acknowledging “her right to follow her own ideas of duty.” For Margaret, this means taking time to help the poor in London. Margaret finds life-giving meaning in helping others. It sustains her by giving her purpose, activity, and a sense of doing good. And although she still feels the pain of losing what might have been with Thornton, she has found a way to bring light into her life and move forward.

Of course Margaret is not the only one pushing valiantly on through a seeming tunnel of darkness. When we meet John Thornton, he has already passed through the signal tragedy of his life: his father’s suicide. The manner in which he and his mother fought through this deep trial to become outstanding members of society shows the great strength of character this man possesses.

But with Margaret’s arrival to Milton, the scene is set for Mr. Thornton to endure another great test of his strength. Her rejection of him shrouds his future in darkness, but he still has the mill to occupy his mind and the “stinging pleasure” of seeing her occasionally. It’s when she leaves Milton, that he is cast into a deep despair, as the famous scene in the BBC adaptation encapsulates so perfectly.

So, at the same time that Margaret is in London living a stoic half-life, going through the motions of life with barely any hope or joy—John Thornton is living a similar emptiness as he continues on without hope of having the life he truly wants.

Ah, but it gets worse. With the financial collapse of the mill, John is deprived of the purposeful work that keeps him going. Facing the loss of his lifework as well as the loss of Margaret as a life-partner, John stands on the brink of—for a second time in his existence—a deep chasm of darkness.

It is this battle-weary John Thornton that appears in my short story “Once Again.” I explore his inner struggle as he goes to London to sign the papers that gives up his connection to the mill.

My admiration for his strength deepened as I realized how much pain it must have caused him to see Margaret again, thinking she was destined to become another man’s wife. He could have declined the offer to dine at Aunt Shaw’s, but he must have been compelled to look upon the object of his deep passion once again. And so he goes to dinner….

I hope you’ll want to read how I portray his experience in London as he tries to move forward in spite of the gloom.

And what is it that propels him forward? It’s the same spirit that Margaret clings to: the desire to do right; the desire to be helpful to others. He won’t take work that only concentrates on the profit-motive. He wants to find work that will lift other men up in significant ways.

When his mother is lost in despair at the mill’s failure, she asks him what he will do—and he replies with this incredible, but time-tested battle cry in his darkest hour:

Be always the same John Thornton in whatever circumstances; endeavoring to do right, and making great blunders; and then trying to be brave in setting to afresh. But it is hard, mother. I have so worked and planned. I have discovered new powers in my situation too late — and now it is all over. I am too old to begin again with the same heart. It is hard, mother.

It’s because of the depth of darkness that both John and Margaret endure that it’s so heartening to see them find each other. We can feel how strongly united their spirits are. We know that the light of their love is going to be shining brightly for them through their future trials together.

Despite personal and global unrest, strife and tragedy—I hope people can find the courage and strength to continue their struggle for bringing out good in the world. We need each and every one who has a heart to help others to keep going.

We’re going to make it out into the light.