Delightfully nonsensical, they in fact make the best of sense, accomplishing what only real poetry can -- allowing the reader to discover what he didn't know he already knew or felt.

    This compilation takes the contents of Penrod (1914), Penrod and Sam (1916), and Penrod Jashber (1929) and rearranges the stories to form a "biography" of its young hero.

    So an ill-tempered minor god, tired of their bickering, worked a modest miracle......and Sally Willows, no occupying her husband's body, experienced the full horrors of the Nationwide Advertising Agency, while Tim, now outwardly Sally, dealt with the amourous advances of a local Lothario.It was a toss-up whether Sally/Tim's well-earned dismissal or Tim/Sally's bizarre attempt at murder was more spectacular - but both seemed insignificant when Tim found he was pregnant!

    Rose Henniker Heaton's 'Thoughts about Cooks' may be less useful now than they were in the 1930s, but the recipes for salted shrimps and the King of Spain's favourite aperitif might still be recommended, and it is always as well to know what to serve in a country cottage if the Prime Minister comes to dine.Witty -- and occasionally wicked -- the tips on entertaining the welcome and the unwelcome visitor (the 'guest' and the 'pest') are accompanied by the original humorous drawings.

    Even the youngsters, Richard and Cecile, admit that their grandmother is young enough to understand their problems. Indeed, young Mrs Meigs is the conclusive proof that no woman need ever grow old, if she possesses the charm and humour which are the secrets of eternal youth. And young Mrs Meigs has been created for us by the sympathy and the artistry of Miss Elizabeth Corbett."