Set in Devon in a small village, the inhabitants are those whom for foreigners are quintessentially English! Hereditary farmers Archie and Camilla and his brother Sir Mungo. Archie and Camilla are small time farmers and trying to manage a losing battle on their property. They do not want to sell to developers either but there seems to be no way out. Sir Mungo is very rich but Archie is highly principled and does not want to take money from him. We then have other characters like Billy and Phillip whose home it has been for generations on the same property and others like Kit and Emma and James and Marcus who are part of the plot and support the story.
More or less like a very interesting drama the whole story goes forward on seemingly small incidents. One leading to another. Like all family/village stories secrets abound. What you dont know does not hurt but once you are in the know, dragged in unwittingly then you have a dilemma on your hands and this is what Mungo and Archie eventually face.
Then there is the story of Kit and Jake - a love affair left too late, decades too late and the ghost of Izzy and Ralph hovering around them all.
Strands of different stories, very well woven together to give one a very balanced view of family life in a small English village! Loved it.
Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of St. Martin's Press.
Sounds like a lot going on but also well-told so I'll add it to my list - mostly because you loved it!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one too Mystica and the surprise of a body!!
ReplyDeleteI love this sort of book also, Mystica. Again thanks for introducing this author to me. Have you read the Miss Read stories? All set in an English village of long ago. So quietly lovely.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an excellent books. So glad you shared it with us.
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