StoryStash Books

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim, read aloud by EmilyGrace Jones.  This is one of my favorite books. Our four heroines (you'll meet two in this first chapter) could not be more different and yet they are all connected by the same thing: the drudge of everyday life has worn them down. Their true selves are so hidden by junk, fears and trivial annoyances that yell so loud that it's easy to take them too seriously. And so, in short, they are in a quandary - a perfect setting for miraculous transformation to take place. But before any of the miraculous can visit, it is time for a rude awakening, or really, not as much rude as a quiet, enticing Italian breeze. Who knew a simple breeze could have such an impact?!? - EmilyGrace

Hello My Friends! I was reminded this week that I forgot to mention that this book was written in the early 1900s, it was first published in 1922, and you will notice (of course) the traditional gender roles assumed. Outside of this though, there are many similarities to people of today - one of the reasons I love these older books so much: people are people wherever they are and whomever they are with.    Today's chapter is a perfect example of this; we get insight into the tumultuous inner life of the outwardly calm, cool and collected Mrs. Arbuthnot. This world existed about a century ago and yet, people are people and she is not so different from you and I: making justifications, explaining and dealing with the consequences of the decisions that she and others have made. How many times in a day to each of us do this???   When we last left our ladies, Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mrs. Wilkins had just accused both of them of being miserable. While Mrs. Wilkins is perfectly comfortable to admit this, Mrs. Wilkins is not. She has striven for years to create a life with purpose and has created an intricately woven mental monologue explaining why she is not - why she could not possibly be - miserable. And, well, the idea of an Italian medieval castle has upset the apple cart. 

This week two important things happen in our next chapter. First of all, we find that a way is made where none seemed possible. Once a dream is first conceived, doesn't it seem like the vision of it is followed by the possibilities- as close as you can touch - followed by disappointments, followed by decisions to either give up on it or figure out a way through? Assuming you do take steps to move forward, inevitably it will again be followed by more ups and downs but each one takes you one step closer to the final destination of fulfilling that dream. That is what the dream of San Salvatore, the Italian medieval castle, is like for Mrs. Arbuthnot and Mrs. Wilkins.   The second important thing is that we are introduced to the indomitable Mrs. Fisher. The sheer force of her will is impressive, but if you happen to be the one interacting with her it can be less impressive and a bit more challenging. The strict structure and rules she holds dear and has purposefully chosen to live by have kept everything in precious order. Does she know what she is getting into? Probably not, but that is what makes surprises so sweet. 

This week’s chapter is short but effective. You know how there is always a swirl of fear and anxiety right before you take off on a new adventure? Something about changing the pattern of your life that calls down the ravaging doubt storm? I have recently begun to realize that my doubt storms often mean I am actually on the exact right path. Something deep within me recognizes that if I take the very step I’m questioning, it will change me (hopefully for the better). What is it about having the boring, life-sucking processes of our lives threatened that causes us to take stock still and question if the dream we’ve been yearning to step into has any real value at all??? We're about to find out. To say that Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot have called down a doubt storm is putting it mildly. And yet, I don’t know any other way they could have stepped out of the deep monotonous trenches in which they had been ensconced. Necessary; difficult; and takes them one step closer - the last big step - toward their dream of that brilliant medieval, Italian castle: San Salvatore.

Last week we left Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot agonizing over the upcoming trip. It's that tension between putting others first (as is so much easier to do) and defiantly taking some time for yourself that we could almost reach out and touch. Finally, it was settled. They were off! This week, we encounter our heroines through to the commencement of their trip. I know we all think that once the flight, the train or the car ride is finished that the trip is over, but I always forget about that part of the trip that actually gets me from the airport or station to the doorstep.  I took a trip this last weekend and it was the best kind of trip: boring and predictable - that is until the Uber driver couldn't find the house! Thankfully it was easily remedied by a quick phone call and I found my destination. Traveling in the past has often brought more difficult challenges. Going back and forth between home, college and abroad I got myself into some nasty pickles. This included sprinting through airports, begging my way through to the front of the security line, layovers in unexpected cities and a few long taxi rides.  Our lovely ladies have made it to Italy and safely off the train but the last leg of their journey is filled with unexpected challenges; they even fear for their lives more than once. Is the trip over for them before it begins? Join me as we give the ladies some moral support to press on.

Oh my goodness do I have a fantastic chapter in store for you. After weeks of tough chapters with the agony and tension of uncertainty Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot have finally arrived...  When I think back to the more stressful times in my life - beleaguered by expectations, the pressure of daily life, and the flurry of activity it takes just to get through one normal day - and then moving from that into vacation is like night and day. After the flurry of (extra) activity it takes to get ready for said vacation, once I get there the weight lifts of with surprising speed and I start seeing the world through different eyes. And that is exactly what you have in store for you in this next chapter of the Enchanted April. My friends, we’ve been through the dreary English days and now we have finally made it to the crystal clear blue Italian skies of San Salvatore where we get to finally discover the riches that lie in wait for Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs. Fisher and Lady Caroline Dester.

In today's chapter, our ladies continue with their morning and continue with their discoveries of the beautiful (and the not so beautiful). Really, it's the uncomfortableness of traveling with new people. In reality, traveling, even with people you know very well (spouses included), is really difficult. My husband and I might take a quick overnight trip and even then we have a difference in opinion on what we do, how many activities to pack into one day and if we'll make time for any friends who might be in the area. All this - and we even like each other.   Enter Mrs. Fisher. Need I say more?? Okay, well just to satisfy you, Mrs. Fisher brings with her a quality and a standard all her own that may or may not grate on the nerves of those around her.    Join us to find out just how awesome traveling with Mrs. Fisher can be.

This week we get to spend some time with our girl Mrs. Fisher. Well, to be more accurate, the older, distinguished, somewhat uptight, opinionated, stuck in the past Mrs. Fisher. When I'm reading her internal thoughts I think it's easier to understand her refusal to accept anything new and to only value the old. If you happened to encounter Mrs. Fisher in real life (unless you were one of her approved, elderly friends) it is inevitable that you would hear comparison and disapproval. From within her mind though, yes, there is still comparison and judgement but the added appeal of charming memories, made only sweeter by the passage of time. Remember the games you played as a child, your favorite songs, the best ever television shows or that simple but special family trip you took? Well, take that and add in all the venerable authors and poets that defined the zeitgeist of the time. (I had a psychology professor who's favorite word was zeitgeist - I wouldn't know the word otherwise, but because of him, I will never forget it. It simply means the spirit of the time. Think back to when a few artists could change the culture, the atmosphere. It's easy to see why Mrs. Fisher cherished her childhood memories so much.    We are each on a journey together, so lets see where this part of the journey takes us all

Today's note is actually a thank you. Thank you to all my high school English teachers and the work you put into us, and really, for making us do vocabulary lessons. I even had a teacher that had us do an additional, college-level book of vocabulary so that as we moved through the world, we would have a better understanding of the words we encountered - and hopefully be able to pronounce them correctly too. Looking back, there was always a struggle to learn each week's new words and the attitude that vocab was just busy work. Now, however, I see how those lessons still help me today to read through and understand the pictures drawn for me by the words in every book.    I have experienced this pressing appreciation for words lately. Because of reading older books, I read more words I don't immediately know. This week the word I learned was "marchioness" and the definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is a woman holding the rank of marquess (ranking above an earl and below a duke) in her own right. Also, the ch is pronounced with the sh sound - Who knew??!? Well, I'm sure somebody did, but I sure didn't. Anyway, the point of all of this is that as unsexy as word definitions can seem, as soon as I looked up this one simple word, the whole section of the book was illuminated. Yes, I've read it before without knowing the definition  and understood the section generally, but this gave the story more depth and fullness - it painted a better picture for my heart and mind to attach to. When you listen to today's chapter, you'll understand the meanderings of Lady Caroline's mind that much better too: her background, her experiences, what's she's escaping from and what she hopes to be moving toward. All illuminated better.   So again, thank you to all the English teachers who taught me over the years to enjoy and appreciate the words that make up our world. Join me and enjoy this new section of (the better illuminated) The Enchanted April.

Mrs. Wilkins is definitely aware of how thankful she is to be in the new, breathtaking surroundings of San Salvatore. It helps quite a bit that she allowed herself to be transformed immediately - there were no protests, no struggles against change for her! But Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Arbuthnot are in very different places than our sweet Mrs. Wilkins. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Fisher is as much Mrs. Fisher than she ever was. She has had many, many more years to develop (in her opinion) the RIGHT way to do things and envelope herself in those traditions. On the other hand, Mrs. Arbuthnot has stayed busy to avoid dealing with the situations she found herself in (amazing that they did that too in the early 1900s) and now that she's surrounded by the quiet beauty of San Salvatore, she has quite a bit of catching up to do.    Last week we left our two originals, Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot, just caught by Mrs. Fisher in the room she had reserved for her own personal use. What will she ever do with these two hooligans?? Join me to discover the next chapter of The Enchanted April.

Chapter 12 brings with it the end of the first day at San Salvatore and the bringing together - for the first time ever – of the four ladies who will share the next month together. On this evening, personalities begin to emerge and interactions set the tone for their upcoming evening meals. We know Mrs. Fisher has issues with Mrs. Wilkins - and that Mrs. Wilkins doesn’t even notice - but what about Scrap? It’s the first time, really, she’s interacted with anyone other than Mrs. Fisher and the range of personalities laid out before her is at once intriguing, horrifying and mystifying. And then of course there’s the announcement from Mrs. Wilkins - that only Rose any idea about - and that adds extra spice to everything else. Just a quiet night at the castle, that’s all....  Join me for Chapter 12 of The Enchanted April

Chapter 13 brings with it the beauty of San Salvatore. I love this one - it’s a quiet chapter and the movement our ladies are experiencing is so deep-rooted and internal that it is difficult to see unless you can peek into their minds - lucky for us, this is a book and we can. Mrs. Wilkins, already thriving and awake, was just the tip of the iceberg. Scrap, Mrs. Arbuthnot and Mrs. Fisher, all have strange stirrings - but how to get to the other side of them? Each of them must first go through the awkwardness and uncomfortability before shedding their skin (so to speak) and moving on. Join me, and experience with me, what our lovely ladies are going through.

This week brings the entrance of Mr. Wilkins and he starts to change the dynamics of the castle simply with his male presence and perspective. I know there are "things" that I avoid because they are complicated or would be a bother to others; my husband, however, ignores the over-thinking part and just does those "things." Ah, the difference between men and women... Well, Mr. Wilkins is no different and has no idea of the consequences of his actions until it's too late! But really, what kind of story would it be if everyone avoided the tricky (and surprisingly volatile) parts??

This week our chapter focuses of the character of Mr. Wilkins. It is true that last week we had a peek into the antics of Mr. Wilkins (through no fault of his own) but this week we get a chance to glimpse into the mind of the dear man. Like men of his kind, his ultimate goal is to build the clientele of his law practice. While this brings out the money-grubber in most, interestingly enough, this brings out the compassionate human in Mr. Wilkins and we see all his energy aimed at pleasing and building trust.   Mr. Wilkins is given an opportunity to leap to the forefront, to be the hero of the situation presenting itself - just like he has always desired. Even better, it is in service of Lady Caroline and Mrs. Fisher! Come join us for the next chapter with the charming, attentive and clever Mr. Wilkins.

This chapter we check in with three of our ladies, but my favorite part is that we get to spend some time with Mrs. Arbuthnot. It's been a while since we've checked in with her, as Mr. Wilkins likes to say about her, she is the most retiring of the four ladies. The tenderness of her heart for her husband keeps her hidden away. But with the time and space away from the busy-ness of London: the meetings, the poor, the serving of others - always the serving of others - she finally has time to untangle. She has space to figure out what she wants, doesn't want and even what she believes; the essence of Mrs. Arbuthnot is starting to rise to the surface. What could be a sweeter way to spend an April?

This week, we again get to spend time with Mrs. Arbuthnot - funny to still call her by her formal name after all these months. Rose, we get to spend more time with Rose Arbuthnot. As a contemplative introvert, I love spending time with Rose. I know what it is like to hem and to haw, to reason it out and then take it all back again. I think that is why this is such an easy story to enjoy, the characters are so easy to relate to, likely exaggerated a bit, but they each have traits we see every day in the world around us, even though it was written all those years ago.   And now, back to Rose: she has reached an impasse. Her contemplation has run its course and now she must act. Will she or won't she ask her husband to join her? Her internal protection alarms are going off warning her to keep herself safe, her soul is pining, and yet still she has to make a decision. This chapter will take her, faster than she realizes, into the next step of her life.   You will also find an early example of "mansplaining" in this chapter, done with the best intentions, of course - it made me giggle to see it, hopefully it'll make you smile too.

After the shock of the last chapter, Rose needs something to revive her. Thankfully, she is delivered exactly what she needs, with a few additional moments of wonderment and awe. In case you needed even more charm in your life, we even explore the phenomenon touched on a few chapters ago: when you are nice to others, smiling, talking and laughing, your conversation partner responds with their own grins and seems even nicer than before and then you, in turn, add your dimples and twinkles and it turns into cyclical smiles, heightened affection and enjoyment.    Come, join in on the endearment with the next chapter of The Enchanted April.

Today with The Enchanted April, we see an incredible moment - maybe not beautiful and graceful, but a moment nonetheless. If it's been a few days since you listened to Chapter 18, let me remind you that it ended with Mr. Briggs catching sight of Lady Caroline, and instantly he is struck dumb by her beauty. Finally, after pages and pages of hearing about Lady Caroline's effect on the masculine, we finally see the true effects and the very beginning of Briggs' infatuation. Today we get a glimpse of what that really means for each of them - the effect of it on Mr. Briggs and the reactions to it of Lady Caroline's. Of course, there are a few added surprises, but you'll just have to listen to the chapter to find out more...

This chapter a short one, but packs quite a wallop. Even so, it is the chapter you've been waiting for - even if you didn't realize it.

There are many strands of the story and as we are winding things up, we must find a place for each of these strands. With the beauty of last week's chapter - Rose's husband appearing, as if from thin air - that is one major strand of the story finding a home, and yet, you will see the end of the strand still has a few untucked mini strands still to be taken care of. In this chapter we will see a few of these frayed ends pop up to entertain us just a little bit more. Come join me on this part of the journey, to enjoy the next (and almost the last) chapter of The Enchanted April.

Can you believe it?!!? I mean, REALLY, can you believe that this is the final chapter of The Enchanted April??? Can you even handle it? I mean, I barely can and I'm only the one on this side of the screen. It is as beautiful, elegant and just as awkward as you have come to expect of our incredible ladies. I promise you will not be disappointed.

We've transitioned into the new year and so I have a story all about the beauty of life and new beginnings waiting for us right around the corner. The Velveteen Rabbit is a beloved story from my childhood and likely from yours too. I remember how, as a child, I used to play with my own toys and dream of what it would be like if they were real. As I re-read this story now, I’m struck by how there is always a new chapter ahead even when it is hard to see it. I'm sure many of you are going through some challenges right now – life can get messy and complicated. I hope this story reminds you that even within the struggles we face, there are always sweet moments to be found. These sweet moments make up this patchwork thing we call life. Here’s to your brand-new year, coming with gifts and surprises for you!

For those of you who have never read any Sherlock Holmes books before, hold on to your hats. As one of the most recognizable characters of all time, we know what to expect, and yet, he is still fascinating to behold. Enjoy this first installment of A Study in Scarlet.

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have met and enter 221B Baker Street, a flat and yet a character so strongly in its own right that there are references and parodies every which way you turn. And so, their home is established and we also get a glimpse into Sherlock Holmes’ vast array (and lack thereof) of knowledge. Enjoy the next installment of A Study in Scarlet.

And now that we have been fully introduced to Sherlock Holmes, who would Sherlock be without a mystery??? I give you, the Lauriston Garden Mystery!

It’s just like a genius to show off. Today we and Dr. Watson learn just how much small observations add up and how much fun it is when you (or Sherlock Holmes rather) don’t have all the pieces. Yet...

Today we find our detective in a run in with a mysterious woman....she’s definitely not a bird or a plane but she could very well be someone other than she seems. Enjoy the next chapter!

A case is never as cut and dry as you would hope, is it? Today Mr. Gregson takes a stab at the case and uncovers valuable information. Ah, but which direction will it take our venerable detective?

What will Sherlock Holmes do with these new revelations of Mr. Joseph Stangerson? What pieces of the puzzle will be revealed?And how will Sherlock use every piece to his advantage, bringing him closer and closer to the complete solution of the mystery?

Ready for a surprise??? If you’ve never read this story before, this next chapter will come as a surprise, but I promise you, you’re still in the right story. Enjoy!

I hope you have recovered from such an abrupt plot change. And that’s exactly what enters into this chapter: hope. Hope in the form of Jefferson Hope - our story’s hero and antagonist all rolled into one. Enjoy this introduction to him!

By now I’m sure you’ve realized the connection between Part I and Part II - pretty masterful, right?? Well, today the plot thickens in the beautiful Utah valley. Enjoy!

And so the countdown begins. 30 days left, now 29 and then 28... but oh, how quickly the days slip away! Soon the days of grace will will be gone and then What will John and Lucy do??

Our team has escaped the city, but will they escape those that will surely come after them? Either way, their lives will never be the same after this. Listen in to find out what happens to John and Lucy Ferrier and our Jefferson Hope.

We finally rejoin Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and our own Jefferson Hope. With this chapter, we discover the rest of the story of what happened in London leading up to the murders of Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson.

We rejoin Sherlock and Dr. Watson for the final chapter of our story. Most importantly, we receive a sum-up of the adventure by Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Oh how we love even a glimpse into the mind of a man like Sherlock Holmes. Enjoy!