Helpful Score: 3
I really loved this book... Relationships were developed and uncovered, keeping me hooked... the characters were so full of life! This takes place in post WWII England. The differences between the older people who lived through the war and the younger generation who don't fully grasp the sacrifices people made, come together. Either you will see alot of yourself in Penelope or in Charlotte.
I won't be posting this book because I know I will want to read it again!!!
I won't be posting this book because I know I will want to read it again!!!
Kathleen Marie (kathleenmarie) -
Helpful Score: 2
I am not sure why but I could not get into the book. I found the dialog dragged on and I could not stay focused. I just found it rather dull and found my mind wandering. Maybe someday I will give it another try. I usually don't have this problem with British historical literature and it really bothers me.
Helpful Score: 2
I read through this book in two days time. It was so well written that I felt like I would have loved to live in London then, be friends with Charlotte, Penelope, Harry and Inigo and have tea with Aunt Clare. At some times I felt that Penelope was acting so silly but then when I looked back at myself at 17 or 18 and the crushes I had I realized why I cared so much for her and what happened to her family and friends. I cared so much because she was SUCH a real character.
Helpful Score: 2
I enjoyed this book, the era, and the characters. Going to your first fancy party, having your first drink, concerts and crushes, it all takes me back. The older characters were fun too. The one thing that bothered me was there seemed to be plot discrepancies. I won't go into all the ones I found but one was where her brother went back to school and then all of a sudden he was still there. Did no one else find any of these?
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book -- an easy read with well-drawn characters and a setting so well described that it was easy to envision everything that was taking place. A teenage English girl grows up in a large country manor and struggles with the loss of her father, as well as typical teenage issues -- love, parents, what to wear, adolescent crushes -- before finally learning what she really values in life, all while the events of the 1950s take place around her. The story feels light and the main characters are easy to love. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
You will want to live in London following the reading of this fun, stylish book with great quirky characters! A good read.
This is a quick read and kept my attention. The story is set in the l950's and the main characters are in their late teens and have interests mainly in what they were going to wear, the local gossip, parties and drinking at every opportunity. The story takes place in England when the teenage worship of Johnny Ray the singer had girls this age enthralled. The girls and guys are trying to fit into the expectations of the parents while still adapting to the changing life of post World War II as England tried to adjust to a more modern way of life. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. Genny
A return to a different age. Anyone who loves both the decrepit and the grandeur that combines in the old world genteel England where it is always time for tea will love this book. Beautifully written with an unforgettable back drop.
I read this book for my January book club meeting. It was okay. It started out so slow (but kept me interested if that makes any sense), that I nearly gave up on it, but it does get better. The last half I flew through in a few hours. It's a little on the fluffy side, a little silly, but a fun read. The house thing at the end really really surprised me. I wasn't expecting that. The rest of it - well, the rest of it I was expecting :)
A decent read. A little long, but kept my interest. It's not something I generally would have picked up on my own because of the historical side of things, but a good read.
A decent read. A little long, but kept my interest. It's not something I generally would have picked up on my own because of the historical side of things, but a good read.
A crumbling English stately home, and a cast of eccentric characters. Set in the 1950's, it is the enchanting story of Penelope and her eccentric family at the start of the rock 'n' roll era. I loved it. Cosmopolitan says "If Jane Austen were still around, she'd be writing books like this".
English author. Interesting but predictable ending.
