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Vacation
From the author of Miss Garnet's Angel and the forthcoming The Cleaner of Chartres comes a relatable short story about family holidays.When Beth decides to treat her husband Hamish to a short holiday in the Scottish Highlands, his paternal home, she does not bet on the arrival of Una, her oddball mother-in-law. Una's quirks - swimming outdoors (naked) in the freezing cold, her St Tropez perma-tan and breaking into song- naturally put a strain on the holiday, and on their relationship.On the remote, windswept isle, surrounded by the idyllic Scottish countryside, it is almost possible to forget that they are accompanied by her.But when Hamish is called away on business, leaving his wife and mother together in the cottage, he fears that all hell may break loose...Vacation includes a four chapter preview of Salley Vickers' fantastic new novel The Cleaner of Chartres, a charming and timeless novel about motherhood, love and community.Salley Vickers is the author of the word-of-mouth bestseller Miss Garnet's Angel and several other bestselling novels including Mr Golightly's Holiday, The Other Side of You and Dancing Backwards as well as a collection of short stories Aphrodite's Hat. She has worked as a cleaner, a dancer, a university teacher of literature and a psychoanalyst. She is currently a RLF fellow at Newnham College Cambridge and she divides her time between Cambridge and London.
- GenresFiction
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Salley Vickers
42 books354 followersSalley Vickers was born in Liverpool, the home of her mother, and grew up as the child of parents in the British Communist Party. She won a state scholarship to St Paul’s Girl’s School and went on to read English at Newnham College Cambridge.
She has worked, variously, as a cleaner, a dancer, an artist’s model, a teacher of children with special needs, a university teacher of literature, and a psychoanalyst. Her first novel, ‘Miss Garnet’s Angel’, became an international word-of-mouth bestseller. She now writes full time and lectures widely on many subjects, particularly the connections between, art, literature, psychology and religion.
Her principal interests are opera, bird watching, dancing, and poetry. One of her father's favourite poets, W.B.Yeats, was responsible for her name Salley, (the Irish for 'willow') which comes from Yeats’s poem set to music by Benjamin Britten 'Down by the salley gardens'.
She has worked, variously, as a cleaner, a dancer, an artist’s model, a teacher of children with special needs, a university teacher of literature, and a psychoanalyst. Her first novel, ‘Miss Garnet’s Angel’, became an international word-of-mouth bestseller. She now writes full time and lectures widely on many subjects, particularly the connections between, art, literature, psychology and religion.
Her principal interests are opera, bird watching, dancing, and poetry. One of her father's favourite poets, W.B.Yeats, was responsible for her name Salley, (the Irish for 'willow') which comes from Yeats’s poem set to music by Benjamin Britten 'Down by the salley gardens'.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 20, 2022
When Beth decides to treat her husband Hamish to a short holiday in the Scottish Highlands, his paternal home, she does not bet on the arrival of Una, her oddball mother-in-law. Una's quirks - swimming outdoors (naked) in the freezing cold, her St Tropez perma-tan and breaking into song- naturally put a strain on the holiday, and on their relationship.
On the remote, windswept isle, surrounded by the idyllic Scottish countryside, it is almost possible to forget that they are accompanied by her. But when Hamish is called away on business, leaving his wife and mother together in the cottage, he fears that all hell may break loose...
A great story, my only complaint is that it was too short!
On the remote, windswept isle, surrounded by the idyllic Scottish countryside, it is almost possible to forget that they are accompanied by her. But when Hamish is called away on business, leaving his wife and mother together in the cottage, he fears that all hell may break loose...
A great story, my only complaint is that it was too short!
January 6, 2022
Short and bitter sweet...
June 23, 2013
I love Salley Vickers' writing style, having newly come to her books. This one was a little odd - I felt that a huge chunk of it had been excised. Perhaps it was written as an experimental piece - an attempt at playing with words to see how a short story could work. I don't know - I do know I prefer her longer books, but then I'm not a great fan of short stories anyway. I have also read far more sophisticatedly constructed short stories - perhaps she should leave this format alone.
June 15, 2013
Disappointed.
April 3, 2014
Bit of a waste of time, short story really
November 8, 2014
Didn't realise this was a short story - Sally is one of my favourite authors but this was too short - felt like there was a chunk missing but I liked the
ending
ending
November 16, 2020
Quality short story
This is a good short story written in Vickers' disarmingly deadpan, simple on the surface, style, masking a deeper and thought provoking under narrative.
This is a good short story written in Vickers' disarmingly deadpan, simple on the surface, style, masking a deeper and thought provoking under narrative.
March 29, 2014
I could not help feeling disappointed that it was so very short.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews