Cheerfulness Breaks in Author:Angela Thirkell In this wartime episode in Thirkell’s saga of the imaginary village of Barsetshire, the highlights include Rose Birkett’s wedding; Geraldine Birkett’s infatuation with Fritz Gissing; and a romance between Octavia Crawley and Tommy Needham. Noel Merton’s marriage to Lydia Keith takes place just before he leaves for the war, an... more »d at the end he may be missing after Dunkirk. “To read Angela Thirkell is to visit dear and valued friends.” — BookPage« less