The late Nora Hall, who died last year, was a prolific wood carver. In her book “Relief Carving with Nora Hall” she tells the story of how her plans to be an art teacher in Holland were foiled by the German invasion in 1940, and how one day her father asked why she didn’t try her hand at carving. She loved it from that first day and spent the next seven years working with her father who was a professional carver. She describes the strain of working under German occupation with a brother in the resistance and sheltering Jews in secret hiding places in their house. She and her family emigrated to America in 1956, arriving with $14 in their pockets and settling first in Arizona, and then in southern California.

The instructional part of the book covers how to carve a 17th century Dutch panel (seen on the cover), various types of lettering, and a crest. In all cases she advocates making the initial cuts with a V tool which she says gives more control and better results as opposed to making stop cuts followed by relief cuts.

This is probably not a book for those who have never picked up a gouge (for example, there’s nothing about how to sharpen your carving tools), but if you have done a little carving and are ambitious to learn more this would be a helpful and inspirational source of knowledge.

Published by Schiffer Books the price is $25.