BOOK REVIEWS

Settle into summer with these three delightful reads, for lovers of ART, TRAVEL, CRAFTSMANSHIP and DECORATIVE ANTIQUES

PORTRAIT OF DORSET

Rena Gardiner

From Affpuddle to Worth Matravers, this tour of Dorset's towns and villages is a treat for anyone with links to the county. But it's much more than just a guidebook: the first edition of Rena Gardiner's masterpiece was designed, drawn, lithographed, written, printed, bound and published by Rena herself, at her home in Wareham in 1960. A labour of love that reflected her affection for Dorset, it took her two-and-a-half years, and just 30 copies were published. Now, admirers and collectors can appreciate Rena's work anew, the book having been reprinted in all its glory using paper and binding as close to the original as possible. It's a fitting tribute to the life and work of a woman who, in a world dominated by men, was 'the unsung heroine of self-publishing... simply immersing herself in her work, living frugally and happy to find a very modest living by publishing her books and prints.