"A Song of Sixpence", by A.J. Cronin, published by Little, Brown and Company, 1964, first book club edition.

Original dust jacket [small edge damages: see photos]; hard boards, beige cloth with Little & Brown colophon on the front board and brown lettering on spine; 5.3/4" x 8.1/2"; 344 pages on nice cream-color paper, very good condition.

A Song of Sixpence is set in the beautiful western highlands of Scotland. The story revolves around the innocent youth whose naivete is a target for the complex currents of his social surroundings -- the bigotry of the Scottish Protestants, the rigid class consciousness. Laurie is an outsider. The only child of a middle-aged Catholic couple, he suffers the pangs of isolation in a staunchly Puritan town.

"I was totally captivated by "A song of Sixpence." It is, in essence, a coming-of-age story about a talented boy (something of a mommy's boy), who struggles through a series of disappointments and personal loss, encountering various engaging characters along the way who help shape his destiny. This is a delightful, solid story set in a Scotland of unspoiled lochs, steam trains, and slum children with rickets. Unlikely to disappoint if you appreciate good fiction of the old school." [a private review]

US: Priority (c 2-4 days) ------------- $12.50
Canada: 1st Class (c.2-6 weeks) ------- $28.50
World: 1st Class (c.2-8 weeks) -------- $42.50