POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCES: A JOURNEY INTO THE PALACES OF EUROPE WITH A CANADIAN LADY-IN-WAITING Claire Mowat Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1989. 311pp, cloth, $26.95 ISBN 0-7710-6548-5. CIP Post-secondary/Adult Reviewed by Catherine R. Cox. Volume 17 Number 5 1989 September This is Claire Mowat's second book published by McClelland and Stew art. It derives from her experiences as lady-in-wailing to her friend Lily Schreyer, the wife of then Governor General Ed Schreyer, during a state trip to Scan­dinavia in 1981. The trip included visits to Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. As it was an official visit, the Schreyers and their entourage, which included Claire and her husband Parley Mowat, attended balls and official functions in each country. The personalities and the events portrayed in this book lead one to expect exciting incidents, insights into how the Schreyers felt about being side-lined in Canadian politics, a little gossip, or even a funny story about Parley Mowat. There is none of this. Claire Mowat tells about a lot of boring dinners during which she was seated beside boring people who had nothing to say about Canada or their own countries. As Parley insightfully remarked on page 75: "It's amazing lo be here...but nothing noteworthy seems to be happening." Nothing noteworthy does. The book is straightforward with a section for each country visited. It is written in the first person, somewhat like a diary though without the daily entries. There is a small collection of black-and-white photographs of the personalities in the book. There is no index. I would not recommend this book as a purchase for school libraries. It is a passable travel book and might find a readership among public library clientele. Catherine R. Cox, Moncton High School, Moncton, N.B.