Penny Plain by O. Douglas: Cozy Scottish Historical

“SHOPMAN: “You may have your choice — penny plain or twopence coloured.”
SOLEMN SMALL BOY: “Penny plain, please. It’s better value for the money.”

Penny Plain by O. Douglas was a cozy, charming find (thanks to Elisabeth’s recommendation from last year). It’s set in the small town of Priorsford in Scotland, in the 1920s just after WWI.

Young Jean Jardine, barely twenty four, has been taking care of her three younger brothers since a long time. The Jardines have lived on meager means since their parents passed away, but they are an optimistic, good-hearted lot. There’s young rascal Mhor and his dog Peter, Jock who detests sentimentality because he’s at that teenage of life, David who got a scholarship to Oxford and just wants to improve things for his sister. They make do with what they have, possessing a secret of happiness that certainly the rich don’t. Oh, and they read lot, and quote Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott and lots of wonderful poetry.

Enter Miss Pamela Reston. Pamela’s just come down to Priorsford for some peace and quiet, trying to make sense of her empty socialite life. A lovely friendship develops between her and the Jardines, good for both sides. They spend a lot of time visiting the neighbors, talking about books and life in London, and just generally having unpretentious fun. Jean is so simple and has such few wants that she’s nicknamed a “penny plain” – but her penny plain-ness is exactly what makes her so endearing.

Why you should read this book:

The Jardines’ simplicity is charming. Nothing veers off into Pollyanna-ish territory, but this is the 1920s after all: a wholly different age. It seems to be less cynical, and people have more time for each other. Books are the only gateways into other worlds (no social media!) and that’s a very different way of looking at life, especially in the smaller towns. There are also references to British colonies in those days, but the author avoids anything too sensitive; mostly these were seen as fascinating venues for travel and fancy turns of phrases.

In the last one-third of the book, Pamela’s brother comes back from his mountaineering expeditions in India. He too falls head over heels for the Jardines. Of course, we know where this is going — except that Jean thinks they are too poor to be hobnobbing with bigwigs like the Restons. And then, things take another turn when someone leaves a large inheritance to Jean. Suddenly, the attitude of the town towards the Jardines changes in multiple ways, and the author depicts that well.

In fact, that’s the strongest feature of this book – the way Douglas sketches out human characters without making them too lofty or too shabby. Nobody’s all altruistic, and nobody’s all wicked. No one has to be “redeemed”, but everyone can improve just by being themselves. There’s very little ‘judging’ of characters in these books. Douglas gives everyone an insightful backstory that explains their way of thinking in a humorous or empathetic way and makes them look more real. And that warmed the cockles of my heart.

Rating: 8 of 10

Have you read any books by O. Douglas? Interestingly, Douglas’s brother was John Buchan, the renowned statesman who wrote the marvelous historical thriller, The Thirty Nine Steps.