Yahoo Finance The books that shaped me: Santa Montefiore
Welcome to 'The books that shaped me' - a Good Housekeeping series in which authors talk us through the reads that stand out for them. This week, we're hearing from author Santa Montefiore. She's the author of more than 20 books, including her latest The Distant Shores which is out now. With her husband, writer Simon Sebag Montefiore, she writes a series of children books called The Royal Rabbits of London. They live in London with their two children, Lily and Sasha.
The childhood book that’s stayed with you...
Winnie the Pooh by A A Milne is a timeless classic and a series of stories that I read to my children when they were small, and which my children will probably read to their children one day. I think the reason they’re so successful is because the characters are so beautifully drawn. We all know a grumpy, pessimistic Eeyore; a helicopter mother like Kanga; those pushy, bossy people who have to be at the centre of everything like Rabbit, and timid little Piglet who’s afraid of his own shadow. Sweet, kind Pooh is the archetypal zen master, isn’t he! I can classify everyone I meet as either one, or a mixture of two, Winne the Pooh characters. My husband is a combination of Tigger and Owl, for example. I’m Pooh and Tigger. A A Milne is a master of character and his prose is so charming – I would say he was my greatest teacher in the art of storytelling. I learned so much from him, by example, simply from reading and absorbing his stories. Also, the world of the hundred acre forest is an innocent one. That innocence is hard to find these days. It’s uplifting to read something so full of innocent joy. I will never tire of reading Winnie the Pooh!
Your favourite book of all time...
This is very hard as there are many books I would like to name here, but as I have to choose one, I’ll choose The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Firstly, her writing is wonderful. There’s a subtle humour in her prose, which I love, an intelligence and sharp perception, and her voice is like no one else’s. I adore the way she creates a sense of place so vividly – late 19th century, upper class New York. The book starts at the opera and Edith very quickly captures the fastidious, conventional world where appearances, etiquette and social standing are of paramount importance. The characters are beautifully drawn. Sweet, shallow May Welland; sophisticated, enigmatic Countess Ellen Olenska; conventional yet frustrated Newland Archer. Newland is engaged to May, but falls in love with the scandalous countess who is divorcing her Polish count. The way these three characters interact is masterful, and the brilliantly clever manner in which May turns out to be really very cunning and manipulative is genius. This is quite simply a beautiful, deeply engrossing and charming story of forbidden love and one I have read loads of times for the sheer pleasure of hearing Edith’s voice. As an author I always learn from other writers. Obviously, I learn the most when I read superior authors, like Edith Wharton, who are masters of their craft.
The book you wish you’d written...
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters because it’s the most brilliantly plotted book I have ever read. There are many books I would like to claim as my own work, from Tolstoy, Austen and Wharton to Barbara Erskine, Jojo Moyes and Carlos Ruiz Zafon, because they’re excellent, but if I had to choose one, I’d probably go for Fingersmith. It’s one of those books that literally makes you gasp at the twists. You simply can’t see them coming. The characters live and the gothic atmosphere of Victorian London is skillfully created. She writes extremely well. I love the sensuality of her prose. But it is her plots that are second to none. I don’t know how she thinks them up!
The book you wish everyone would read...
The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle is mind-blowing and changed my life. If everyone learned to get beyond their egos there would be an end to all conflict in the world. It’s really that simple. Eckhart Tolle has been my favourite spiritual writer for many years now and every time I re-read one of his books, I feel more connected to life and more uplifted. It’s like plugging me into a socket and recharging my batteries on a spiritual level. Material things become less important, I become less competitive, less reactive to my thoughts and less controlled by them, and I become more giving. He reminds me of my true nature and what I’m here for. He's incredibly articulate and deeply wise. I listen to him on audible as I walk round the park every morning with my dog and it’s as good as a meditation. I come home feeling very peaceful and happy.
The book that got you through a hard time...
I was in an unhappy relationship when I was in my twenties, but I didn’t really realise how unhappy I was. I thought I had to make it work, and tried very hard to be pleasing. The man I was with was much older than me and very possessive and controlling. It wasn’t until I read The Road Less Travelled by M Scott Peck that I woke up. It was like being hit by a bolt of light: I could leave any time I wanted to. And I did. Through reading the book I learned to be strong, to know what I wanted and to recognise my behaviour patterns, and those of the man I was with, that were unhealthy. It was as if the author held up a mirror that reflected my shortcomings and then told me how to get beyond them. Through that relationship and that wonderful book I learned my most valuable lesson in life: People treat you according to how you allow yourself to be treated. And I never looked back. After that relationship ended, I never let anyone treat me badly again. I’ve given it to my daughter because it’s a very useful guide to life, and I will probably read it again myself. The truth is we know very little about ourselves and other people, and books like these can be illuminating. They can help us find balance, objectivity, empathy and understanding too, and as a consequence, find a deep and lasting happiness.
The book that uplifts you...
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim is one of those charming, delightful reads that makes you feel warm inside, every time you read it. I must have read it six times. It’s written and set between the wars, and is about four very different women who respond to an advertisement in the papers, advertising a villa in Italy for rent for the month of April. The wonderful thing about the story is that you get into the heads of each woman – the young socialite, the bored housewife, the bitter old woman who lives in the past and the religious, neglected wife - so you know what they’re thinking and what their motivations are. The descriptions of Italy in springtime are gorgeous – the heaps of bougainvillea and jasmine and that endless sunshine. It’s so sensual and charming. Also, the characters are brilliantly drawn and funny too, and at the end they resolve all their differences and you just feel so happy.
The Distant Shores by Santa Montefiore is out now
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