Bernese Holiday

I wonder what the original reaction was when Bernese Holiday was published in 1940. Britain was at war with Germany, and yet here is this book being published that describes a chase around Europe, including Germany, with lots of nice Germans receiving their British guests well, politely serving them and putting them up in their hotels, etc. The London Blitz began on the 7th of September, 1940. I can't imagine that anything German would have been popular at that time. I also wonder whether Collins had any qualms about publishing the story during World War II. I suppose that after a year of preparation, they decided to go ahead anyway. I'd like to see a review of the book to gauge people's reactions at the time.

Bernese Adventure

For the last few days I've been reading the second Sara and Caroline book, Bernese Adventure. The girls are sent home for an early holiday due to an oubreak of scarlet fever at their school. All their relatives apparently have plans to go abroad and view the sudden arrival of the girls as a major inconvenience. However, Caroline's elder sister, Vanessa, and her husband, John, more or less at gunpoint, agree to take the two girls to Switzerland, where John is going to a conference in Basle. A series of wonderful adventures follows, involving a cache of stolen diamonds. The girls travel all over Europe, including France, Belgium and Germany. There are many funny scenes, such as when Sara wakes up in the middle of the night to find that their room at a German gasthaus has been invaded by a curious baby cow. Hearty meals, despite John's efforts to economize, pepper the story, and a number of exciting events keep Jane Shaw's very first heroines on their toes as they grapple with crooks and all sorts of adventures, culminating in a dramatic showdown back in Dover. Sara has a wonderful time recounting her adventures to a group of hungry reporters. Caroline rounds off the story with a nonchalant quip. This is the most exciting of the Sara and Caroline stories.