Green Victorians: The Simple Life in John Ruskin's Lake District by Vicky Albritton and Fredrik Jonsson, £28

Rejecting the consumerism of Victorian society, John Ruskin “withdrew to the countryside in search of a new social order and a more thoughtful approach to the use of nature.” Green Victorians tells the story of his “idiosyncratic band of visionaries,” a group of men and women in the Lake District who put Ruskin's theories into practice and tried to live a life of “artful simplicity.” Sustainability and artisanship were at the heart of their beliefs as they looked to the land and to traditional crafts to lead a cleaner, greener way of life. Some of their views were certainly challenging but, illustrated throughout, this book is a well-balanced study of the successes and failures of Ruskin’s “Utopian vision.”

Available directly from Brantwood, Coniston (015394-41396) or to order from your local bookshop.

CAROLINE REECE

WATERSTONES KENDAL