“... sentence mixes Scots and English to resemble ‘a meandering, live thought-process’, as Ali Smith puts it: ‘poetic and realist and soaring and dark and local and strange all at once’. A new sort of sentence for a new vision of the rural Scottish experience: neither the twee ‘kailyard’ of popular fin-de-siècle genre novelists, such as Ian ...”

“... a short story called ‘Sanctuary’, which is nearly identical to ‘Mrs Adis’ by Sheila Kaye-Smith, with race swapped for class. Larsen claimed she’d been told the story by a Lincoln patient, but nobody was buying it. Her new identity was shattered. Then she found out about Gilbert. That she was white. Like Irene, Larsen decided not to confront her ...”

“... Auditorium to celebrate the tenth anniversary of US-Soviet relations, complete with a speech by Olivia de Havilland … The next day, John Wayne learns that the Selective Service board has extended his 3-A deferment. Hot dog! The star celebrates Thanksgiving Day by carving turkeys at the canteen, even as Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin meet in Tehran to ...”

“... English, French; pianist; willing to care for children; highest credentials. Write Box 4435, Frost-Smith Advertising, London EC2.’27 May 1938: ‘Young Austrian lady (Jewish) seeks position Governess; experienced; good references; teaches German, French, Italian; would accept modest salary; good family. Write Box T.1653, The Times, EC4.’6 June ...”