Morning's At Seven

Three generations of the Pentecost family live in a state of permanent disarray in a huge, sprawling farmhouse. Seven-year-old Gaylord Pentecost is the innocent hero who observes the lives of the adults – Grandpa, Momma and Poppa and two aunties – with amusement and incredulity. Through Gaylord’s eyes, we witness the heartache suffered by Auntie Rose as the exquisite Auntie Becky makes a play for her gentleman friend, while Gaylord unwittingly makes the situation far worse. Mayhem and madness reign in this zestful account of the lives and loves of the outrageous Pentecosts. The Author: Eric Malpass is best known for his wry and perceptive stories about the chaotic and charming Pentecost family. He also wrote biographical novels, amongst them an absorbing trilogy of Shakespeare's life. His novels have been translated into many languages and he has a devoted European readership. Born in Derby in 1910, Eric Malpass worked in a bank after leaving school, but his firm ambition was to become a novelist and he wrote in his spare time for many years. His first book, Morning's at Seven, was published to wide acclaim. With an intuitive eye for the quirkiness of family life, his novels are full of wry comments and perceptive observations. This exquisite sense of detail has led to the filming of three of his books. His most engaging character is Gaylord Pentecost – a charming seven-year-old who observes the strange adult world with utter incredulity. Eric Malpass's biographical novels were carefully researched and highly evocative of the period. Among these is Of Human Frailty, the moving story of Thomas Cranmer. With his amusing and lovingly drawn details of life in rural England, Malpass' books typify a certain whimsical Englishness – a fact which undoubtedly contributes to his popularity in Europe, especially Germany, where they have been at the top of Der Spiegel's best-seller list. Married with a family, Eric Malpass lived in Long Eaton, near Nottingham, until his death in 1996.