Thursday, April 25, 2013

My Grace Livingston Hill Day


Visiting the GLH exhibit at Cairn University in Pennsylvania--hurry, only a few more weeks! 


GLH's own Scofield Bible--with the smooth pages, text notes, and fine margins that are noted in so many of her novels.


I loved this--her own copy of Blue Ruin, marked and notated for a public reading. Lots of blue clips left in, passages marked out, and paragraphs retyped and added in to make a readable section.


Finally, a drive by her real house, located near Swarthmore College. It's privately owned and not for touring, but you can see GLH's spirit in the stone arches, hospitable porches, and diamond-paned windows. Her grandson Robert Munce writes:

"It was a home for her children and her mother, and it was a studio where she could write. It was also a lovely and comfortable setting where she could counsel and encourage young people. . . .

It was more than a functional place for work and social activites. It was another art form in which Grace could indulge . . . The finished house was lovely and restful to the eyes. The gray granite stones sparkled in the morning sunlight . . .  The porch was paved with large red tiles, and the heavy oak front door had a large brass knocker. . . .

But she valued home more than house, family more than fame, and God's blessing more than a good bank balance. "

Amen!

16 comments:

  1. I love that you went to visit! My in laws live mere minutes from her home and we make a pilgrimage to it every so often.

    Here's my take on it: http://elizalives.blogspot.com/2011/12/east-coast-home.html

    I think we had very similar observations!

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  2. Jealous! I have all of GLH's books and some of her aunt's as well. Thank you for sharing. Her home is lovely.
    -Connie in San Diego

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  3. Oh how wonderful! My favorite part was seeing her Scofield Bible. Of course her home was lovely too.

    Thank you for the pictures.

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  4. Thank you for sharing your GLH day! My mom introduced me to Grace Livingston Hill books when I was 13, and that's the age I introduced her books to MY daughter. We've slowly collected her books over the years, and it has been such an enjoyable shared interest. :-)

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  5. I am so glad you introduced me to GLH so many years ago and now I am adding her homeplace as a stop for my trip to Upstate NY this Summer. We will be driving through PA.

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  6. That dress you're wearing is a very elegant look!

    Lisateresa

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  7. That's so cool! Are you visiting with your cousin? You seem to be having a lovely trip.

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  8. How fun! I've loved GLH since I was a teenager.

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  9. I have not read her books in years! Would so love to see this exhibit. Is it not permanent ?

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  10. Oh my, how exciting! I live so close to this University, thanks for letting me know about this exhibition. We'll definitely make a day trip to see this. Isn't the weather beautiful this week on the campus at Swarthmore. I love to walk through their gardens. So very interesting that you are here in "my neck of the woods"!

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  11. Goodness - you are right by me. I drive through Swarthmore every day on my way into work. what a small world. And, I had no idea that Grace Livingston grew up here. Safe travels! Linda R.

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  12. Thank you so much for alerting us to the exhibit- right in our backyard!

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  13. So nice of you to pass through my state! ;) I had never heard of GLH, until reading of her on your blog. Looks like I have a new author to check out....

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  14. What a wonderful tour! You were the one who introduced me to GLH books, and I've found most of them at the library. My favorite line from one of them is, "He placed his hand on her ungloved hand . . ."
    Gracious!

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  15. Oh, I'm so glad you went to see it! I'm very close to completing my collection of all of her books.

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  16. Just finished reading GLH "The Substitute Guest" and loved it! Now on to reading her book "Matched Pearls".

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