Mark Rutherford is a much underated British author - his sensitive portrail of women in a time of change - the Victorian era - is very moving - If you like this one read Catherine Furze and search out his other books.

William H. White (Mark Rutherford) presents a completely honest account of his life in Victorian England. He reveals his struggle to find spiritual security in a world of doubt. At first glance, Rutherford may seem pessimistic, but only at first glance. He endeavors to take a spiritual journey comparable to John Bunyan (who, in fact, shared the same home town as Wm. H. White). Very apt for the modern reader who may find himself struggling with faith in a world of doubt.

The 'Autobiography' and 'Deliverance' of 'Mark Rutherford' is a fictionalized autobiography (in two parts) by the Victorian civil servant and writer W. H. White. White wrote to help people with personalities like his own -- self-educated intellectuals, lonely, oversensitive, depressive, and with poor self-esteem. Fortunately, he never descends into self-pity or sermonizing. His writing has long been admired for its extraordinary precision, poignancy and economy. This makes him one of the best of the late Victorian novelists, and a writer who rewards repeated re-reading.

Following closely upon the heels of NOT ABOUT NIGHTINGALES and SPRING STORM, this latest New Directions release is refreshingly optimistic for Williams. In this early play, he didn't feel confined to three acts, but instead wrote nearly twenty vignettes, some only a few lines long, to tell the story of Benjamin Murphy, employed at the Continental Branch of Consolidated Shirtmakers. Very impressionistic, this play opens with mechanistic technae in the background as Murphy's supervisors wonder where in the world Murphy is. He's literally found stairs to the roof! A place to smoke, but also a place to dream and to breathe fresh air. As the scenes proceed, the story becomes more and more fantastical and wild, with obsession and foxes and carnivals and millenial magic. Great fun--I'm teaching it to my high school freshman English students this year!

Rite of Passage is a great book for starting out a character and a pack. It give you info on how to get started and then an adventure to carry you through. Valkenburg Foundation is interesting if only for the nefarious skin-dancer Samuel Haight. An interesting read and it seems to have the makings of a classic adventure.