Phrase: saffron detective stories

[Haihao]

Hi,

Would you please help me procure a better understanding for:

[Yankee]

Hi Haihao

1. Does 'She was coaxed from her unhappy mood' mean: She was coaxed by Kennicott and as a result she got away from/got rid of her unhappy mood?
Yes, her mood improved as a result of his gentle persuasion.

2. What is the function or grammatical meaning of the second 'had'?
This ensures that it's clear she sat up after the window was opened. Because the word 'when' introduces the clause, it would otherwise not be clear.

3. What is 'saffron detective stories'?
Sorry, I don't really know why 'saffron' was used here. Maybe someone else will know.
A couple of guesses:
- The color of saffron is yellow. If the magazine were old, the pages might have been yellow with age.
- Possibly the stories were being compared to the taste of saffron (figurative comparison).

4. Is the 'where' = which = cities and factory smut? If so, is this usage reasonably common or just a 'literary usage'?
'Where' refers to the future (of the land). 'In which' could have also been used.
Yes, it's a common usage.
_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Haihao]

Thank you, Amy, for your precious help, which is what I precisely needed.

Haihao