“All readers were equal, herself included” She calls him her amanuensis, or literary assistant. He is often sent to procure a book’s sequel, or to find a novel referenced in the pages of the Queen’s current read. Norman – he of the library van – is promoted to position of page Upstairs in the palace, as he alone understands her literary love. Quickly, and to the dismay of her staff, the Queen’s love of reading blooms and begins to edge out everything else, both pleasure and duty.
The following week the Queen returns to the mobile library van and takes out a new book – Nancy Mitford this time, The Pursuit Of Love ( “novels seldom came as well-connected as this … the mother in law of another sister was my mistress of the robes”). Here also in the van she encounters Norman for the first time, a gangly kitchen porter from her own staff, who comes to figure prominently in the tale. The librarian recovers quickly from his shock, even able to answer her questions ( “have you come far?” … “Only from Westminster, ma’am”) and stamps out the book she chooses to borrow. Bennett’s imagined premise is that Queen Elizabeth II, out on a walk around Buckingham Palace grounds with her corgis, comes across a mobile library van, and decides on a whim to pop in. At around 120 pages, it’s a quick read and in fact I re-read it in just a couple of hours in prep for this post.
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