I Capture the Castle
by Dodie Smith
Summary
Seventeen year old Cassandra Mortmain records in her journal the eccentric, impoverished life her family leads in a crumbling English castle, presided over by her once celebrated novelist father who has not written a word in years. Smith balances comic set pieces about genteel poverty with a tender, keenly observed account of Cassandra's first stirrings of love for the wealthy young men who lease the neighboring estate. The novel's wit and warmth have made it an enduring favorite, admired by generations of readers and writers alike.
Historical Context & Significance
No major British fiction prize existed in 1948, well before the Booker Prize began in 1969. Smith was already known for her plays and would later write The Hundred and One Dalmatians, but neither book ever won a major literary award.