Jul 09, 2019 | 288 Pages
Aug 07, 2018 | 288 Pages
Aug 07, 2018 | 560 Minutes
“Superb. . . . [A] heart-gladdening and heartbreaking drama.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
“De Bernières writes with whimsical sympathy.” —The Guardian
“Deft delineation of character is one of Louis de Bernières’ strengths. He does not caricature his people by highlighting their quirks, but shows them in action or dealing with inner conflicts. Consequently, the plot is not imposed on them by the exigencies of telling a story, but develops from their personalities and behavior.” —The Washington Times
“Witty and heartfelt. . . . De Bernières creates an impressionistic depiction of Britain recovering from one world war and slipping inexorably into another. . . . An irresistible reading experience.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A richly enjoyable, agreeably old-fashioned novel. . . . De Bernières has so completely immersed himself in the period of which he is writing that his book . . . recalls bestsellers of the 1920s and 30s.” —The Scotsman
“Told with the usual warmth, subtlety, and emotional intelligence that de Bernières brings to his fiction.” —Sydney Morning Herald
“Wonderful.” —The Daily Telegraph
“This tragicomic romp has a winning glint in its eye, delivering oodles of Downton-esque entertainment as it portrays a changing Britain poised uneasily on the brink of modernity.” —Daily Mail
“[A] heart-tugging tale of love, loss, guilt and regret.” —Sunday Express
1. Gun Snap 1
2. Archie and Esther 4
3. Archie and Rosie 12
4. Poor Child 19
5. The Reverend Williams 25
6. At Christ Church 31
7. The Beatitudes of Oily Wragge 36
8. Samadara (1) 45
9. A Letter from Fairhead 55
10. Samadara (2) 62
11. Fairhead’s Good Idea 67
12. Hugh 72
13. Ottilie 76
14. Samadara (3) 81
15. Ottilie and Frederick at the Tarn 83
16. Farewell to Samadara 87
17. Rosie (1) 91
18. Returning 94
19. An Interview with Mrs McCosh 106
20. A Letter from Archie 109
21. In Which Frederick and Ottilie Abscond 111
22. The Proposition (1) 116
23. The Proposition (2) 121
24. Young Edward 134
25. Rosie (2) 138
26. The Will 143
27. Geddes Axe 152
28. A Bombshell in The London Times 156
29. Agatha 158
30. Daniel at Hexham 162
31. The Honourable Mary FitzGerald St George 166
32. Rosie (3) 174
33. Daniel Goes to See Archie 179
34. A Letter from Willy and Fritzl 187
35. Daniel Writes to Esther 189
36. Oily Wragge (1) 198
37. Sandwiches 206
38. Daniel, Felix and Felicity 209
39. Oily Wragge (2) 214
40. Oily Wragge (3) 221
41. Where They All Were 226
42. After All These Years 230
43. Two Letters 242
44. Two Letters from Sandringham 244
45. The Bombers Will Always Get Through 246
46. The Aguila 251
47. The Cliffs 252
48. Necessary Work 264
49. Oily Wragge (4) 267
50. The Temptation 269
