The book can be a bridge from how things used to be to how much they have changed. Having lived nine decades, the author is a testament to witnessing change. I was intrigued with the bits and pieces she revealed about her mother, especially how she rode her Harley. Set out a picnic tea on a blanket for your child dressed as Baby Bear on the moon, children canfind a few toys to join in. Make a picture

But isn’t stoicism a double-edged sword? As you admit in your book, life might have been better for you and your children if you’d talked more. Bracing honesty, rare insight, and more revelations: the New York Times bestselling author of Lady in Waiting shares everything she's learned from her extraordinary and unexpected life. Whatever Next? is an interesting book about a wealthy woman whose family has associated for decades with the Royal Family. The parts of the book about her travel and the fascinating people she gets to meet are really fun. Anne routinely spends time with Princess Margaret and takes her job seriously taking care of her. In fact, Anne spends most of her life taking care of others - spouse, children, company, etc. Yes, but thanks to this book, I’ve had the most wonderful conversations with them. We’ve been able to talk about what Colin, their father, did to them in great detail and I’ve been able to say: “Oh, darlings.”

This one was more a re-hashing of that one. Maybe I was too eager and didn’t give enough time between both books. Colin was a Jekyll and Hyde figure, wasn’t he? Great fun at one moment and vicious and violent at the next. Encourage children to tell the story in their own words using the illustrations to help them. You might find they include some phrases from the story. Talk about the story After reading "Lady in Waiting", also written by Lady Glenconner, I didn't know what else she could have added to top it but I was actually surprised by what I read: it was a more thorough approach to facts she lightly touched on her first book, and I get why she did it. Old generations raised in between WW2 and what it came afterwards weren't into dwelling on feelings, and the past: you just went on with it. At least, that is what my grandparents did.

The writing style is personal and intimate, like you’re sitting with the author and learning these details.This book finds Lady Glenconner more confident; it feels as though she's writing about things that she didn't feel she could write about just a few years ago. She is more open about her marriage and her relationships. I finish this book in two days. It was interesting, and I appreciate her mentioning of matters and consideration, as I think it’s still important today. Sadly, we don’t get enough of it.

From her childhood nanny (one of the good ones; she also had a horrendous one), she often heard, "Let's go and explore." Anne has continued to have a love of travel throughout her life. "The world is full of interesting things to see, but you have to go and look for them." She was the most wonderful friend to me, because she saw all this [the trouble with Colin] going on. She had some of the same problems herself – I saw how Tony [Lord Snowdon] behaved – and it was worse for her, because she was in the public eye. But she saved my life in a way. She was caring, but she was also practical. She didn’t approve of crying or moaning. You had to pull yourself together. We talked about imagination and how we could use different things to pretend - we do a lot of duplo and painting but don't play many imaginative games, so it was very helpful to have this prompt. One day we were making paper books and Miles made one inspired by Whatever Next. He told me story and did the pictures, I just transcribed what he said. Mummy Bear and Baby Bear made quite an impression on him!’ Anne wasn't the only one in her family to deal with marital woes; she mentions her beloved sister Carey, who had a husband "who would only talk to her through the dog for years on end." This is very sad, but I'll admit I had to laugh when I read it :) Who can believe the things some people do?!You feel that your governess, Miss Bonner , who tied you to your bed at night as a child, made you more vulnerable to a man like Colin Tennant . Does she still haunt you? Read the book again allowing children to join in with words they might remember such as WHOOSH! BUMP! Or ‘Whatever next!’ Tell the story A somewhat different book than the first of her autobiography “Lady in Waiting,” this one is told in the same humorous, matter of fact style but with much more openness and honesty about some things which were whitewashed (her marriage) or glossed over (her childhood trauma at the hands of a nasty governess) in the first book. My mother whizzed around Norfolk on her beloved Harley Davidson until she was well into her sixties, in her motorcycle leathers. She was my great friend and champion when I was growing up, and encouraged me to be brave and adventurous, but she never fussed about what I was feeling or wanted to indulge my anxieties. We had to put others first, but not to the extent of becoming doormats in our dealings with the world. It was important to stand up for oneself when necessary. Otherwise her message was simple. Never complain. Life isn’t fair. You will have to do things you won’t want to do, so just get on with it. Putting a brave face on things was all we could do.”