A mix of fiction and non-fiction today.

Riding Reader put me on to an amazing read, a historical biography titled The Invincible Miss Cust, by Penny Haw. It is about the first female veterinary surgeon (as they are called in the UK). Born in 1888, to the elite of society, Aleen knew from an early age she wanted to work with animals, and when she continued to pursue this, her family disowned her. Since she was female she was not allowed into any school (other than proper finishing schools) and struggled for years to get into one until finally, a newer one, a more progressive one, let her in. Shunned, ridiculed and bullied by the men, she mustered on, as they say, to get the highest marks in her classes, only to be denied sitting for the final exams that would allow her the proper certification. One vet, in Ireland, agrees to take her on as his partner. Be sure to read the author notes, as she said, the more amazing bits were the true parts and the more mundane bits the fiction part. :-)

After a recent 're-watch' of the film The King's Speech, I went looking for more information on Lionel Lough and discovered that his grandson had written a book! It came out in 2010, about the same time as the movie. It is a biography of his grandfather, and, of course, covers more than just the work with the royals. Based on diaries kept by Lough (always very discreet when it came to the King) it tells how he came up with the exercises and methods he used to help people overcome a stammer or other speech impediment. He and George VI really did become life long friends and that is reflected here, too. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy, by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi details how he taught the King to overcome his fear of speaking and go on to lead the country through the troubled years of WWII.

Reading Hermit With Dog