Chivalry By Neil Gaiman

"Every Thursday afternoon Mrs. Whitaker walked down to the Post Office to collect her pension, even though her legs were no longer what they were, and on the way back home she would stop at the Oxfam Shop and buy herself a little something." The stained copy of 'Romance and Chivalry' by A.R. Hope Moncrief was a bargain at five pence. Most interesting to learn is that English folk people go out to market most as oriental village people do just to buy a wrapped piece of meat for the day or fresh flowers or perhaps a common shop find. It seemed that this darling graphic novel of a book takes place in England where my Welsch Grandmother Sarah Spencer's family came from in the 1700's to be in America. Therefore, each special character became dearer and the more I read, began to hold a special interest for me. One would like to find why her people were the way they were. Proper. Everything good manners. Sit up straight. Use the proper silverware. Don't push your peas onto your spoon with your finger. Say, "Please." And "Thank-you." And then there is saying, "Excuse me," more times than you should. The high importance of education and being the best you can no matter what you own or how much money you have. That and my grandmother just as Mrs. Whitaker loved making liver fried with breadcrumbs and onions. Tales like this which share, educate and teach and even enlighten help to explain a lot. The past made more understandable also helps make daily seem life more worth living.

All grammar aside, although the grammar here is near impeccable, reading a comic book style book is just plain comfortable - the artwork of Colleen Doran whose beautiful opening illustration of angels perched atop a celestial faerie tale landscape just shines of tales of ancient child stories. And the lettering hand of Todd Klein adds dreams of knights on white shining horses most calligraphic. At the same time, being able to watch the emotions and facial expressions of Mrs. Whitaker and the fantasial characters from the past who show up as a result of her purchase helps us to understand what is going on in the story. One of which her late husband Henry finds some mantel company after an important and interesting thrift shop treasure seated there as he rests peacefully by his 1953 photo beaming.

One day after Mrs. Greenberg comes for tea, bringing of course her own sugars wrapped in a napkin and brings them out of her purse, this normal thing for her is associated with the thrift shop item as also being quite normal and ordinary. After another sugar-packer comes, a stranger from the past, the plot of the story becomes thicker. But not in the way you may think as Mrs. Whitaker treats her uncommon guest as regular as the neighbor boy next door. She asks him to help her around the yard and then she offers him some lemonade which she places a few whisps of her own home-grown mint atop. But only after she asks him to pluck it for her from her herb garden. She drifts between chatting with a young man on a bus ride to visit her dear friend in the hospital to thinking about a sentimental conch shell, a gift from her sister. But the young guest who gives neighborhood children free rides on his rather large and ornate horse brings back memories of her husband and especially from WW II. and on through the years. "She looked at the philosopher's stone and the egg of the phoenix and the apple of life."