The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

A Novel

By: Helen Simonson

Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Helen Simonson

Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Historical fiction of the highest order . . . an absolute joy of a book, warm and romantic, and with so much to say about the lives of women in the years following World War I.”—Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

A timeless comedy of manners—refreshing as a summer breeze and bracing as the British seaside—about a generation of young women facing the seismic changes brought on by war and dreaming of the boundless possibilities of their future, from the bestselling author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

It is the summer of 1919, and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that all the men have returned from the front, she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job at the estate she helped run during the war. While she looks for a position as a bookkeeper or—horror—a governess, she’s sent as a lady’s companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel. Despite having only weeks to find a permanent home, Constance is swept up in the social whirl of Hazelbourne-on-Sea after she rescues the local baronet’s daughter, Poppy Wirrall, from a social faux pas.

Poppy wears trousers, operates a taxi and delivery service to employ local women, and runs a ladies’ motorcycle club (to which she plans to add flying lessons). She and her friends enthusiastically welcome Constance into their circle. And then there is Harris, Poppy’s recalcitrant but handsome brother—a fighter pilot recently wounded in battle—who warms in Constance’s presence. But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked.

Whip-smart and utterly transportive, The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is historical fiction of the highest order: an unforgettable coming-of-age story, a tender romance, and a portrait of a nation on the brink of change.

©2024 Helen Simonson (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Simonson expertly probes cultural tensions hindering her characters’ efforts at post-war reinvention, including the immense human cost of combat, the hypocrisy of letting women work during wartime but not afterward.”—Shelf Awareness

“The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is an absolute joy of a book. Warm and romantic, it also has so much to say about the lives of women in the years following World War I. This is historical fiction of the highest order—pleasurable and smart.”—Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

“I am so in love with the way Helen Simonson writes, how she tells a story. This book is utterly captivating from the first page. With a perfect blend of historical charm, courage, and camaraderie, it takes readers on a riveting journey through a world where the skies are the limit for those brave enough to soar.”—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

The women riding motorcycles and learning to fly

I liked the story. It had plenty of twists and turns and kept me wanting to hear more. I liked the ending but was sorry when the book was finished!

Engaging at every step

Loved this book! Felt a bit like a post WW I Jane Austen novel. Touched on many social issues while keeping you engaged in the story throughout.

Escape to 1919

Keeps you moving from one character to the next while the plot materializes.
Lots of characters all with beauty and quirkiness. At the end I am a little sad since I want to know what each of them did with their lives.

Wonderful book!

I hadn't realized that the book was written by Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. As with the previous book, the characters are absolutely wonderful, the plot is engaging and interesting and I only wish I could read it again for the first time. Narration was beautifully done. Highly recommend.

An enjoyable listen.

This book was well written and a fun look at the life of the upper class and of women in 1919. The story line was predictable, but still enjoyable.

Delightful

Sweet and pure. Delightful protagonist, a fun bunch of endearingly flawed characters trying to get back to life after war but struggling while still clinging to pre-war ideas. Protagonist brings it all together so that even the most devious characters find at least one redeeming quality.

Wonderful story

The author's use of an abundance of adjectives painted a vivid picture of the story that made me feel as if I was right there. I could see it all through her words. I loved this book!

Well done

Novel set after WW1. Well written concerning the class struggles after the war where women had worked and still needed jobs after and the upper classes had to struggle with the social changes affecting their previously privileged lifestyle. Think Downton Abbey in novel and you will enjoy it.

Escapist reading at it's best

A superb book about residents in a seaside town in England following WWI. The story is dazzling in conveying the social and cultural norms of the times before women's equal standing in the country through the lens of some swashbuckling women operating a motorcycle taxi service. There are many subplots with both conformists and nonconformists adapting to changing times in the early 20th century. The narrator is excellent, able to voice discerning characters uniquely. I didn't want this book to read.

Perseverance of Women

I loved the independent nature of the women in the story.
The characters were so very interesting and real .
I was very surprised by the ending ,not at all expected but so pleased with its conclusion .