Like many readers who have previously enjoyed books published by Dean Street Press, I was pleased to hear recently that they were continuing with their Furrowed Middlebrow imprint, after a period when the future had looked uncertain. Miss Granby’s Secret: or The Bastard of Pinsk is the first new book since that announcement was made. First published in 1941, it was written by Eleanor Farjeon and this edition also includes an introduction by Elizabeth Crawford.
The novel opens with the death of Miss Adelaide Granby in 1912. Miss Granby had been a prolific and very successful author, publishing forty-nine romance novels and gaining a large readership, but to her great-niece Pamela, she was always just Aunt Addie. Pamela, who considers herself a ‘modern woman’, has long suspected that Addie, who never married, didn’t understand the facts of life – in fact, Addie always insisted that she didn’t want to know, as it would affect the innocence of her writing. When a large, elaborate wreath is delivered to the funeral, then, accompanied by a romantic poem and a card inscribed “from Stanislaw”, Pamela is intrigued by the idea that Addie must once have had a love interest after all.
Pamela has inherited Aunt Addie’s house and her collection of papers, which includes letters, diaries and the unpublished manuscript of her first novel, written when she was just sixteen. This novel is entitled The Bastard of Pinsk (it seems from Addie’s notes that she believes a bastard is “a very noble Hero of Royal Blood”). As Pamela reads the documents she looks for clues to the identity of Stanislaw and wonders if it will be possible to track him down.
The text of The Bastard of Pinsk is included in its entirety, forming a story-within-a-story. Incorporating lots of tropes of the Romantic or Gothic novel, it’s both ridiculous and quite amusing, mainly because Adelaide Granby clearly doesn’t understand the words she’s using or what they imply. Although it was fun for a while, I started to get impatient to go back to the main story, but I’m sure for other readers it will be their favourite part of the book! I can see why the full story was included, though, as some of the things the young Addie writes about have parallels with her own life.
I enjoyed Pamela’s parts of the book and seeing the mystery of Addie’s relationship with Stanislaw unfold and overall I found it a lovely, entertaining read. A good choice for the revival of this imprint!
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.
She Reads Novels 
It sounds delightful. I’m thrilled DSP is to continue.
Yes, it was great news!
Sounds very entertaining indeed. And hurrah that DSP are back releasing book!
Yes, it’s great that DSP decided to continue – and this book was the perfect choice for their relaunch!
It’s a fun book, but it sounds like you had the same reaction I did, that the internal novel was a bit too long.
Yes, I thought the internal novel was entertaining at first but went on too long and I just wanted to get back to the main plot.
Me too!
The author’s name was immediately familiar, but I don’t think I’ve read anything by her. I’ve enjoyed the DSP reprints, though they are harder to find to here in the US.
This is the first book I’ve read by her, but I would like to read more. I’m more familiar with her brother, J. Jefferson Farjeon, whose books have been published by British Library Crime Classics.
I may actually have been thinking of her brother with the last name, actually.
Great title which would grab my attention straight off, but I’m always fascinated by stories within a story!
Yes, it was the title that attracted me to this book in the first place. I love stories within stories as well, although this one was maybe a bit too long.
I’m reminded that there was a flurry of titles along the lines of ‘The ——’s Daughter’s and there’s a similar long-lasting trend here too: Miss Granny’s Secret is echoed by Miss Garnet’s Angel (which I’ve just reviewed), and Mallika reminds me of another classic Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I’m sure there’ll be others!
This was really fun, wasn’t it! I read fast and thought the story-within-a-story was just the right length but I think I’m in the slight minority there. I also read it in ebook so didn’t know how long it was as I went!
I would have preferred the story-within-a-story to be a bit shorter, but otherwise I thought it was great fun and a perfect choice to relaunch the imprint with!