Another lovely novel from Elizabeth Fair, kindly supplied to me by Dean Street Press‘s in their excellent Furrowed Middlebrow imprint. I read “Seaview House” last month, too (I finished “A Winter Away” on Friday) and I’d be hard-pressed to say which I enjoyed most. If you like a family-based story with an interesting heroine and quirky, eccentric characters, a bit like Margery Sharp, you will enjoy these books.
Elizabeth Fair – “A Winter Away”
(21 February 2017 ebook)
Another super novel. Maud, who used to be delicate (but firmly is not now), comes to live with her elderly cousin Alice (firmly not an aunt) and her rather terrifying companion, Con, along with their spoiled and unpleasant dog (nothing happens to any of the animals in the book) to work as secretary to Old M, an irascible chap who lives a somewhat miserly existence in the Big House in the village. He’s got a dull son and an exciting and possibly renegade nephew, and there’s a hint of a family falling-out, all of which get Maud’s nerve-endings twitching and looking for excitement, although she’s too sensible and moral to get mixed up in too much excitement.
Add in a retired vicar, his downtrodden daughter and the curate she yearns for and a nouveau riche and rather glamorous family with a whiff of divorce about them who like to throw very carefully arranged parties, and you’ve got a set of lovely eccentric people to have fun with.
Maud is a great heroine, her development as a real secretary after going to secretarial college is hilarious as she grapples with too-fast dictation and an incomprehensible accounting system (this reminded me of some Victoria Clayton heroines, too, or a touch of the Dodie Smiths). She’s able to grow and perceive where she’s misjudged people, and while she genuinely wants to help people along their way, tries hard not to meddle. And she’s got a bit of a temper, which gets her into some trouble.
Alice and Con’s relationship is cleverly drawn and although they’re gently satirised for their modern methods of preserving vitamins and inedible biscuits, it’s gentle and kind. The plot does rely a tiny bit on Alice slowly warming to Maud while rebelling against Con’s strictures, and telling her things she really shouldn’t do, but as the whole plot revolves around secrets and unveilings, it’s not implausible as such plots go and you can forgive this for the delicious tete-a-tetes they indulge in. There’s also plenty of tartness, for example when Con, trying to oust Maud, tells her she’s made mistakes and left taps running before “she” actually “has”.
Very satisfying and another lovely read.
Heaven-Ali has also read and reviewed this book and you can read her review here.
Apr 02, 2017 @ 18:21:10
Sounds great fun! 🙂
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Apr 03, 2017 @ 05:31:47
It really was – highly recommended as a gentle read, this author.
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Apr 02, 2017 @ 20:21:51
Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one. I knew you would.
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Apr 03, 2017 @ 05:32:28
One you’d have recommended to me if I didn’t already have it! Two out of two so far – both can’t wait to read the others and want to save them up!
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Apr 12, 2017 @ 11:32:34
i have read all 6 Fair books and think they vary–first 2 are the most busy and humerous.
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Apr 12, 2017 @ 12:02:41
Thank you, that’s useful to know. I don’t think I’m reading them in order, but I’m not sure. I read this one because Ali had read it. I’ve got all six so four more to go.
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Apr 14, 2017 @ 06:53:17
Why do people always marry cousins in novels?Fair also has picnics in all her books but they are not always a delightful experience.For me the first 2 and 6th books were best.The others were good in parts.The 5th one is a dud in my opinion.—A WINTER AWAY.
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Apr 14, 2017 @ 07:23:25
Oh, a bit of a spoiler there, as I haven’t had one where someone’s married their cousin yet! I also really enjoyed A Winter Away as you can see from my review, but I’m sure people have got lots of different opinions on them, as with all books.
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Book review – Elizabeth Fair – “Landscape in Sunlight” (Furrowed Middlebrow) @DeanStPress #amreading | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
Jun 11, 2017 @ 20:33:06