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Eugenia Malmains is one of the richest girls in England and an ardent supporter of Captain Jack and the Union Jack shirts; Noel and Jasper are both in search of an heiress (so much easier than trying to work for the money); Poppy and Marjorie are nursing lovelorn hearts; and the beautiful bourgeois Mrs Lace is on the prowl for someone to lighten the boredom of her life.
An epic of remarkable originality, Alone captures the heroism of World War II as movingly as any book in recent memory. Bringing to vivid life the world leaders, generals, and ordinary citizens who fought on both sides of the war, Michael Korda, the best-selling author of Clouds of Glory, chronicles the outbreak of hostilities, recalling as a prescient young boy the enveloping tension that defined pre-Blitz London, and then as a military historian the great events that would alter the course of the 20th century.
When she was suddenly given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, journalist and archetypal Londoner Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: the happiest place on earth isn't Disneyland but Denmark, a land often thought of by foreigners as consisting entirely of long, dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries. What is the secret to their success? Are happy Danes born or made?
World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret.
Probationary constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale....
Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...
Eugenia Malmains is one of the richest girls in England and an ardent supporter of Captain Jack and the Union Jack shirts; Noel and Jasper are both in search of an heiress (so much easier than trying to work for the money); Poppy and Marjorie are nursing lovelorn hearts; and the beautiful bourgeois Mrs Lace is on the prowl for someone to lighten the boredom of her life.
An epic of remarkable originality, Alone captures the heroism of World War II as movingly as any book in recent memory. Bringing to vivid life the world leaders, generals, and ordinary citizens who fought on both sides of the war, Michael Korda, the best-selling author of Clouds of Glory, chronicles the outbreak of hostilities, recalling as a prescient young boy the enveloping tension that defined pre-Blitz London, and then as a military historian the great events that would alter the course of the 20th century.
When she was suddenly given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, journalist and archetypal Londoner Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: the happiest place on earth isn't Disneyland but Denmark, a land often thought of by foreigners as consisting entirely of long, dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries. What is the secret to their success? Are happy Danes born or made?
World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret.
Probationary constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale....
Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...
It isn’t just Nanny who finds it difficult in France when Grace and her young son, Sigi, are finally able to join her dashing aristocratic husband, Charles-Edouard, after the war. For Grace is out of her depth among the fashionably dressed and immaculately coiffured French women, and shocked by their relentless gossiping and bed hopping. When she discovers her husband’s tendency to lust after every pretty girl he sees, it looks like trouble. And things get even more complicated when little Sigi steps in.
The Blessing is a hilarious tale of love, fidelity, and the English abroad.
Though not as good as Love in a Cold Climate and the Pursuit of Love, the Blessing is nevertheless a charming and enjoyable book that has many of the same themes. An unsophisticated young English woman, Grace, falls for a handsome, suave, wealthy Frenchman, Charles-Eduoard. They marry and much fun is had at satirising French ideas about marital fidelity or rather infidelity and differences in life-style and attitudes between France and Britain in the 1940s. The son of the union, Siggi, is quite a character and his ploys to manipulate his parents provide funny scenes as does the prejudices of his nanny about French food.
The book flags a little during part two but overall is well worth listening to as the writing is lively and the characters endearing in their vanities and foibles.
Jenny Agutter is a splendid narrator giving many different voices to the characters on both sides of the Channel.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
very nicely read, entertaining story. excellent company. I have "read" some others too from Mitford and it is always such a pleasure.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
For anyone who enjoys the novels of Nancy Mitford this is the best one could ever hope for particularly the sheer delight of Jenny Agutter's narration. The story (which is a sort of frivolous fairy tale for grown-ups) gets better & better as it goes on & more & more fun. If you enjoy Nancy Mitford it is frequently laugh aloud funny and as a whole wth the wonderful voice of Jenny Agutter is a gift.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Very enjoyable. Jenny Is a marvellous narrator and this is an exceptional work by Nancy Mitford
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Surprisingly daring in some ways, though confined to a privileged world. Great fun altogether.
Jenny Agutter’s English voices are great. The French ones need some tolerance (tante rhyming with ant, m’sewer, Gide with a hard G etc) but I was glad I stayed with it.