Classics Challenge: How the Heather Looks

Wrote this post in June and forgot to post it (hence the "going there soon" part - although soon wasn't as soon as we expected)

How the Heather Looks is a travel memoir about a family with two young kids who explores Britain by visiting places they know for children's literature. It's also an Ambleside Online book from Year 7.  I liked this but not as much as I expected too. It just felt uneven. Some chapters were lovely and some were a bit draggy, I did enjoy hearing about the way one traveled 50s. The lack of information and pre-planned stops would have given me a heart attack before we even got there! As much as I love books, I felt like they didn't really experience the best of Britain in their travels, or maybe the author just didn't record them. 

And part of it might just be personality. As much as I love books and Britain, I don't really focus on setting in the way the author does. I'm perfectly happy to imagine Toad Hall and leave it at that and while I am excited about traveling to specific spots to learn about certain authors but I wouldn't have thought to look for the Hundred Acre woods. Although perhaps that is a benefit of the book, thinking about how author's locations and the scenery of the life becomes a part of their stories. I do think reading this knowing I'm going there soon may have put me in a different frame of mind reading it than my kids will have when they reach year 7 so it will be interesting to discuss it with them.

(And for goodness sakes, don't read the afterward. Enjoy the slice of life of the family for what it is. And that's all I'll say about that!)

How the Heather Looks is my Back to the Classic Challenge selection for the Classic with Nature in the Title category.