1974~~Signed~1st~~THE MIMOSA AND MANGO~Duchess St Albans~CHILDHOOD~FRANCE~MALAYA

Description: In hardcover with the original dust-jacket, a 1974 first edition, genuinely signed by the author, of this memoir of her childhood spent growing up in France and Malaya, written by the author and artist Suzanne Marie Adèle Beauclerk, Duchess of St. Albans (1921-2010). From the 1974 dust-jacket notes: - "The Duchess of St Albans tells the incredible story of the formative years of her youth and how they helped her on her journey to becoming the lady she is today. We follow her through her childhood, spent on an old farm in the south of France and on a rubber plantation in Malaya, and we meet such figures as her horrific governesses and the stern nuns who taught her. We find out what it was like to be raised by a father who rarely spoke and who, like a hermit, preferred to be alone, and a mother who seemed hardly conscious of what was going on around her. More than chronicle the events of a fascinating and unconventional life, the Duchess provides us with a vivid and colourful picture of two different cultures as the story takes us from the genteel refinement and elegance of French life to reveal the wild, primitive, sometimes horrifying aspects of Malaya at that time. The images she conjures up have the same vitality and freshness as the child she is portraying. Written with depth, humour and a good deal of charm, this autobiography reads like a novel." Please see my other items for more interesting and collectable items, including rare titles, as I will always try and combine the delivery to save you money. On Sale is a scarce signed 1974 first edition of * The Mimosa and the Mango * by The Duchess of St. Albans, illustrated from old family photographs, published by W. H. Allen, London. [first published 1974] this one is dated 1974 to the title page and states to the Copyright page "© The Duchess of St Albans 1974", with no other editions or impressions listed, and is inscribed and signed to the front free-endpaper: "To Jack Bond, in memory of a long standing friendship, Suzanne St Albans, 20·2·75" (see photo 7), size approximately 8-3/4 inches x 5-3/4 inches, with 136 pages plus the illustrations. The original dust-jacket is protected within a removable white paper-backed clear plastic sleeve, it's not price-clipped (@ £2.75 net), is fading slightly to the spine and edge areas, slightly surface-rubbed, very slightly bumped at the edges, no tears and no repairs, has a little pale foxing showing on white surfaces, otherwise complete and generally clean and tidy (see photo's 1 & 9). The grey hardcover with gilt spine title, is very slightly bumped on the spine-ends, corners square, very sound and not worn or split, gilt bright with title clearly legible, slight age-toning to top and bottom edges, otherwise generally clean and tidy (photo's 2 & 8). Inside is complete, the endpapers are sound and not split, hinges tight with covers firmly attached, binding tight with pages well attached, inscribed and signed by the author to the front free-endpaper as noted above, no other writing or graffiti, not tanned or foxed, corners not turned and pages not torn, only lightly read, otherwise generally crisp and very clean and tidy. Please view my other items for sale, as I will always try and combine deliveries. If you would like any further information please email to me via eBay.

Price: 17.5 GBP

Location: CORNWALL.

End Time: 2024-01-08T23:50:33.000Z

Shipping Cost: 34.18 GBP