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Celia #2
Listening Valley
Nothing will stop Tonia from finding a home of her own Tonia has lived all her life in the quiet Scottish countryside and can't imagine herself anywhere else. But when her beloved older sister gets married and moves away, Tonia begins to wonder if there aren't bigger things on the horizon for her too. The advent of World War II brings Tonia briefly to the heart of London, where the roar of fighter planes echoes through the night and bombings are a constant threat―but just as she's settling into her new life, a heart-breaking tragedy sends her back home to Scotland. With new friends by her side, Tonia thinks she may have finally found the place where she is supposed to be. But the war interferes again with her plans, and she fears that the person she loves most may be lost to her forever. Listening Valley is another heartwarming tale from D.E. Stevenson, beloved author of Miss Buncle's Book Readers Love D.E. Stevenson's "This heartwarming novel is the literary equivalent of a comforting cup of cocoa on a cozy winter's evening―I can't recommend it highly enough."
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
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591 people want to read
About the author
D.E. Stevenson
67 books629 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
July 8, 2025
One of my favorite re-reads...
Another gem by Stevenson! It started out a bit dark but I started loving it about a third of the way through. Read "Celia's House" first as some of the same characters make an appearance in this book as well.
Now on to “Anna and Her Daughters” and then “Sarah’s Cottage” to read more about these characters.
Another gem by Stevenson! It started out a bit dark but I started loving it about a third of the way through. Read "Celia's House" first as some of the same characters make an appearance in this book as well.
Now on to “Anna and Her Daughters” and then “Sarah’s Cottage” to read more about these characters.
September 26, 2015
What a little gem of a book! I have just finished reading it and am feeling a little sad, because I would have liked it to go on and on for a lot longer: but all good things must come to an end, as the saying goes... D E Stevenson is definitely one of my all-time favourite authors, and I disagree with reviewers who write that this is not one of her best: for me, that discribes "Mrs. Tim Christie". It takes all sorts!
I especially loved the main character, Antonia, with whom I could relate totally (contrary to Mrs Tim who bored me stiff!). And it was with great reluctance that I put it down for such banalities as supermarket shopping or sleeping.
The historical setting was absolutely fascinating too. Just imagine living in 1944 and NOT KNOWING that the war was going to end in a matter of months, and that England and Scotland WOULDN'T be invaded by the Germans! D E Stevenson has the knack of describing things so well, you feel you are there with the people you care about.
This is NOT what I'd call a romance novel; it's much, much more. Not a mystery either, because one can quite easily guess what is going to happen, but even this really doesn't spoil anything for the reader. I totally and whole-heartedly recommend this book to my Goodreads friends who are as passionate as I am about the progressive revival of these amazing women authors.
I read this on the "Celia's House" page, and want to share it with you: "Finding a re-issued D E Stevenson novel is like finding a Tiffany lamp at Woolworth's."
I especially loved the main character, Antonia, with whom I could relate totally (contrary to Mrs Tim who bored me stiff!). And it was with great reluctance that I put it down for such banalities as supermarket shopping or sleeping.
The historical setting was absolutely fascinating too. Just imagine living in 1944 and NOT KNOWING that the war was going to end in a matter of months, and that England and Scotland WOULDN'T be invaded by the Germans! D E Stevenson has the knack of describing things so well, you feel you are there with the people you care about.
This is NOT what I'd call a romance novel; it's much, much more. Not a mystery either, because one can quite easily guess what is going to happen, but even this really doesn't spoil anything for the reader. I totally and whole-heartedly recommend this book to my Goodreads friends who are as passionate as I am about the progressive revival of these amazing women authors.
I read this on the "Celia's House" page, and want to share it with you: "Finding a re-issued D E Stevenson novel is like finding a Tiffany lamp at Woolworth's."
April 8, 2024
Warm and cozy! Another brilliant book to add to my favorite DES list!
I was wavering over a 4.5 vs 5 star rating, but I decided to just go for it and give it 5 stars :D
I loved following sisters, Antonia and Louisa Melville, from a very young age all the way to adulthood. This story is a companion book, not a sequel, to Celia's House (which I liked, but did not love as much as this book). Listening Valley includes a couple of characters who are descendants of the characters in Celia's House.
I adored almost everything about this novel—the characters (both "good" and "bad"), the slow pace, the cozy domestic descriptions, the food, the rivals and the bit of romance. I fell in love with the world and, especially, Melville house. I wish I could live there next to Mrs. Smiley!
Highly recommended and I will add this to my list of D.E. Stevenson books to read again soon!
I was wavering over a 4.5 vs 5 star rating, but I decided to just go for it and give it 5 stars :D
I loved following sisters, Antonia and Louisa Melville, from a very young age all the way to adulthood. This story is a companion book, not a sequel, to Celia's House (which I liked, but did not love as much as this book). Listening Valley includes a couple of characters who are descendants of the characters in Celia's House.
I adored almost everything about this novel—the characters (both "good" and "bad"), the slow pace, the cozy domestic descriptions, the food, the rivals and the bit of romance. I fell in love with the world and, especially, Melville house. I wish I could live there next to Mrs. Smiley!
Highly recommended and I will add this to my list of D.E. Stevenson books to read again soon!
May 3, 2025
Another favorite by DES! I adored this story and was so happy everything worked out exactly as I hoped it would!
July 19, 2016
I loved this endearing story of Tonia Melville as she emerges from her repressive cocoon and takes wing through the love of her older husband. Their relationship is very sweet and he is key to her finding herself. Her friends and neighbors that she surrounds herself with are interesting characters especially the Scottish people! This is one of my favorite books of D.E. Stevenson.
November 15, 2021
I had read Celia's House first & even though they tell you it is not necessary to read Celia's House to enjoy Listening Valley, I am glad I did because the story becomes clearer & complete. I loved these two books & I will be looking into more of her books. This book had some mystery to it as well as wartime story line which is very interesting being it was written in 1944. Loved it!
When I started reading Listening Valley first for the first chapter before reading the other; I was really not sure how I would like it, but knowing I liked the other book so when I started it up again, the story was very engaging & parallel to the other story. Two young sister who live in Scotland with their detached parents become a universe onto themselves & one sister takes care of the other sister who is not so able to fend for herself. Antonia & Louise's father is from the same part of the country that Celia reigns, but sold all his property due to his wife's wants.
There is a break up with the sisters & Antonia is made to be by herself which is difficult for her since Lou was always there for her. Romance, family, friends, country life & the war are the main themes in this book. I could not put either book down & was finding myself trying to fit little bits here & there even on my busy days. This is a coming of age book; where the first book is more of a story about the characters, Listening Valley is about the knocks of life more so.
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
I loved both these stories but Listening Valley was my favorite. Celia's House- I was rooting for Deb & Mark; it was sad it took him too long to realize that Tessa (the neighbor was full of only herself & wanting the house that she thought Mark would inherit.) Her true colors came when she was happy to marry him & then refused by saying he was not honest with her but in regards she was deceitful with Deb playing in The Midsummer Night's Dream - a lying that Deb was too shy. It was sad that the older sister Edith did not realize her mistake in her marriage & her dad was trying to help her find an out. Celia was not really a main character her but was more so in the next book. In the end of one book she meets Courtney Dale & next book they marry. The first Celia & Antonia could not have their chose. Courtney Dale meet Celia after he proposed, hence it was too late bit his grandson found love in Celia the younger. I am glad did not except Oliver's proposal and waited for Mark. He might have really loved Deb unlike his sister Tessa but Deb loved Mark. Listening Valley - at first the older rich man wanting to marry Tonia was a little off putting but he really help her gain confidence where her family did not including her sister Lou - Tonia loved him but different than Bay. I was glad when Bay & her were married at the end. It was a smart for her to move & live and not stay with Janet & Nita (Robert's relatives) after his death when he worked himself to death with war work. I thought all the war scenes in this & other book so profound because they were living it as it was happening & not knowing what would happen in the end. How it differs from Austen's Mansfield Park - from memory MP had rich relatives whereas the Dunnes did not own the house but it would be Celia's
When I started reading Listening Valley first for the first chapter before reading the other; I was really not sure how I would like it, but knowing I liked the other book so when I started it up again, the story was very engaging & parallel to the other story. Two young sister who live in Scotland with their detached parents become a universe onto themselves & one sister takes care of the other sister who is not so able to fend for herself. Antonia & Louise's father is from the same part of the country that Celia reigns, but sold all his property due to his wife's wants.
There is a break up with the sisters & Antonia is made to be by herself which is difficult for her since Lou was always there for her. Romance, family, friends, country life & the war are the main themes in this book. I could not put either book down & was finding myself trying to fit little bits here & there even on my busy days. This is a coming of age book; where the first book is more of a story about the characters, Listening Valley is about the knocks of life more so.
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
I loved both these stories but Listening Valley was my favorite. Celia's House- I was rooting for Deb & Mark; it was sad it took him too long to realize that Tessa (the neighbor was full of only herself & wanting the house that she thought Mark would inherit.) Her true colors came when she was happy to marry him & then refused by saying he was not honest with her but in regards she was deceitful with Deb playing in The Midsummer Night's Dream - a lying that Deb was too shy. It was sad that the older sister Edith did not realize her mistake in her marriage & her dad was trying to help her find an out. Celia was not really a main character her but was more so in the next book. In the end of one book she meets Courtney Dale & next book they marry. The first Celia & Antonia could not have their chose. Courtney Dale meet Celia after he proposed, hence it was too late bit his grandson found love in Celia the younger. I am glad did not except Oliver's proposal and waited for Mark. He might have really loved Deb unlike his sister Tessa but Deb loved Mark. Listening Valley - at first the older rich man wanting to marry Tonia was a little off putting but he really help her gain confidence where her family did not including her sister Lou - Tonia loved him but different than Bay. I was glad when Bay & her were married at the end. It was a smart for her to move & live and not stay with Janet & Nita (Robert's relatives) after his death when he worked himself to death with war work. I thought all the war scenes in this & other book so profound because they were living it as it was happening & not knowing what would happen in the end. How it differs from Austen's Mansfield Park - from memory MP had rich relatives whereas the Dunnes did not own the house but it would be Celia's
April 20, 2024
This one takes the reader on a gentle journey from mousehood to womanhood. I really felt like one of the biggest strengths of the May/December romance in the beginning is that Antonia's husband really does have a respect for her as a person. He's not looking for a child or an "Eliza Dolittle." Instead, he does help her come into her own, sure. But it's because he saw the real reason for her mousiness and helped her overcome it without patronizing her.
And yes, there's another romance in here, so the book is definitely "a romance" so to speak, but it's really more a "coming into her own" story that happens to be "Romantic" as well.
My favorite parts were the poem that one of the characters "made" as well as a conversation about loving your neighbor (not just your enemy which feels virtuous or your friend which is easy). I'd never really seen it that way before. I also liked that it started off as basically a "pay it forward" moment.
Throughly enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite five stars for me. I'm not sure why. Don't care. It's still great and I'll reread I'm sure.
And yes, there's another romance in here, so the book is definitely "a romance" so to speak, but it's really more a "coming into her own" story that happens to be "Romantic" as well.
My favorite parts were the poem that one of the characters "made" as well as a conversation about loving your neighbor (not just your enemy which feels virtuous or your friend which is easy). I'd never really seen it that way before. I also liked that it started off as basically a "pay it forward" moment.
Throughly enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite five stars for me. I'm not sure why. Don't care. It's still great and I'll reread I'm sure.
February 16, 2025
Always a wonderful read. D. E. Stevenson manages to put life into every page. Tonia’s journey is nothing less than that. It begins when she’s very young and ends very satisfactory.
April 19, 2025
At first I loved this, then it was a bit corny, then I loved it again. Overall I believe it’s my favorite DES to date. Now I will go back in time and read Celia’s House…
September 28, 2015
Lou and Antonia Melville live in an ordinary house in the city. They spend their days in the nursery with Nannie except for a daily walk. During those walks the girls spy a walled garden they long to see inside. One day while Nannie is out, the two sisters take off on an adventure that will change their lives. Lou, always bold and daring, marches right up to the mysterious house and rings the bell. A kind lady answers and brings them in for tea. They have the most marvelous time eating eclairs and listening to the lady's son Jack teasing. All too soon it's time to return home and the adventure ends - or so they think. Years later, the girls are grown and Lou dares to make her boldest move yet. Poor Tonia is left alone without her sister, without Nannie or anyone to love her or help her. Her hands are clumsy; she can never do anything right; her parents bicker and Tonia is miserable. All she has is her listening place where she can go in her head and dream and listen to the music there. Enter Mr. Robert Norman who is willing to take Tonia under his wing to teach her about life and give her a sense of self-worth, if only she'll let him. Set against the backdrop of the years between the wars and World War II, this novel is a companion to Celia's House. Part I only mentions the Dunnes in passing, but part 2 takes place in the Scottish countryside near Dunnian and serves as a prequel and sequel to Celia's House.
This book is a light, easy read. It reminded me a lot of Lucy Maud Montgomery's later stories and novels, especially The Blue Castle. The writing is more sophisticated than today's "chick lit" but very accessible. The plot is a little slow at first. There's a lot of exposition and a lot of telling what happened. Then in Part II the action picks up a bit and becomes more interesting. I especially liked/but didn't like the bits about flying. They were boring but yet interesting because my grandfather was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the war stationed in England and flying liberators over Europe. I can't see him participating in the easy camaraderie the characters in this novel do. My library copy is missing the final page. The ending seems very abrupt and unsatisfactory. Thanks to Dorcas and Tweety for sharing the beautiful ending. This author has a way with words and her descriptions are really lovely. I fell in love with the country more than I did in Celia's House. I loved the connection to the Dunnes and learning more about both Celia's, my favorite characters who didn't get enough page time in Celia's House. The romances rely a little too much on coincidence to be realistic but I enjoyed them anyway. I found a certain mystery element to be entirely obvious and can't believe the characters wouldn't have figured it out.
The characters in this book are great. I liked and identified with both Lou and Tonia. Like Lou, I'm the big sister and I tend to take charge. I am also like Tonia - shy and going away to a place in my head where I can dream of more pleasant things. This is Tonia's story - her coming of age and coming into her own. I loved her character development. Her sweetness and sympathetic nature appealed to me and annoyed me at times. I wish she wasn't such a push over sometimes. Lou probably wouldn't have let people walk all over her and would have figured out what was what quickly.
Daisy is lovely. She's so warm-hearted and the type of person anyone except the stuffy Victorian-minded Melvilles would want t be friends with. Her son Jack likes to tease and I don't really care for that. He's not in the story long enough to be developed well. I especially liked the Smilies. As their name implies, they're very happy, caring people who open their hearts to Tonia and serve as the parents she didn't have. The young officers are pretty much all alike. I can't remember which was which except for Bay. Bay's character development is interesting. If I say more, I risk spoiling the plot.
I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy quiet, kind sorts of novels. It's the perfect bedtime read or should be read with a cup of tea on a rainy day.
This book is a light, easy read. It reminded me a lot of Lucy Maud Montgomery's later stories and novels, especially The Blue Castle. The writing is more sophisticated than today's "chick lit" but very accessible. The plot is a little slow at first. There's a lot of exposition and a lot of telling what happened. Then in Part II the action picks up a bit and becomes more interesting. I especially liked/but didn't like the bits about flying. They were boring but yet interesting because my grandfather was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the war stationed in England and flying liberators over Europe. I can't see him participating in the easy camaraderie the characters in this novel do. My library copy is missing the final page. The ending seems very abrupt and unsatisfactory. Thanks to Dorcas and Tweety for sharing the beautiful ending. This author has a way with words and her descriptions are really lovely. I fell in love with the country more than I did in Celia's House. I loved the connection to the Dunnes and learning more about both Celia's, my favorite characters who didn't get enough page time in Celia's House. The romances rely a little too much on coincidence to be realistic but I enjoyed them anyway. I found a certain mystery element to be entirely obvious and can't believe the characters wouldn't have figured it out.
The characters in this book are great. I liked and identified with both Lou and Tonia. Like Lou, I'm the big sister and I tend to take charge. I am also like Tonia - shy and going away to a place in my head where I can dream of more pleasant things. This is Tonia's story - her coming of age and coming into her own. I loved her character development. Her sweetness and sympathetic nature appealed to me and annoyed me at times. I wish she wasn't such a push over sometimes. Lou probably wouldn't have let people walk all over her and would have figured out what was what quickly.
Daisy is lovely. She's so warm-hearted and the type of person anyone except the stuffy Victorian-minded Melvilles would want t be friends with. Her son Jack likes to tease and I don't really care for that. He's not in the story long enough to be developed well. I especially liked the Smilies. As their name implies, they're very happy, caring people who open their hearts to Tonia and serve as the parents she didn't have. The young officers are pretty much all alike. I can't remember which was which except for Bay. Bay's character development is interesting. If I say more, I risk spoiling the plot.
I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy quiet, kind sorts of novels. It's the perfect bedtime read or should be read with a cup of tea on a rainy day.
July 5, 2020
Spilling Tea July section.
This sounds like an oxymoron, but I'd call it a War Cozy. The setting is WWII Scotland and London. This is my favorite settings for novels!
Antonia Melville is our "heroine". I'm sorry to say I found her a bit dimwitted. Her redeeming quality was that she was ever so kind and I admire that in a person more than anything else, so she can be forgiven. Apparently this is a companion novel to another. I wonder if I'd like it more if I had read the other one first?
I look forward to discussing it with the Spilling Tea-sters next week and since it is very much admired by other reviewers I hope to see what they liked in it more than I did.
UPDATE: I may be the only human who did not give this book a stellar review! Perhaps it is a character defect in me ;-) Do not be discouraged. Go forth and enoy!
This sounds like an oxymoron, but I'd call it a War Cozy. The setting is WWII Scotland and London. This is my favorite settings for novels!
Antonia Melville is our "heroine". I'm sorry to say I found her a bit dimwitted. Her redeeming quality was that she was ever so kind and I admire that in a person more than anything else, so she can be forgiven. Apparently this is a companion novel to another. I wonder if I'd like it more if I had read the other one first?
I look forward to discussing it with the Spilling Tea-sters next week and since it is very much admired by other reviewers I hope to see what they liked in it more than I did.
UPDATE: I may be the only human who did not give this book a stellar review! Perhaps it is a character defect in me ;-) Do not be discouraged. Go forth and enoy!
August 9, 2024
“Don't be frightened of life, it's good. Make friends with life...”
I swear, every time I read a D. E. Stevenson novel I declare it’s the best one yet. And this one is no exception. This was an audible so I don’t have all of the facts or details at my fingertips and some things are a little fuzzy. It is another journey of a young city girl who is too shy, too easily dominated, and too insecure who stiffens her spine enough to live a normal happy life in the Scottish countryside.
We follow Tonia (our heroine) and her beautiful, spirited, and charming sister Lou through their childhood. Lou is everything Tonia is not, and as a result, Lou protects and does everything she can to make Tonia’s life as stress-free as possible. In addition to her diffident personality, Tonia has weak hands so is always dropping things and appears awkward and clumsy. In addition, when things get too much for her, she sometimes goes into a kind of trance, which Tonia calls her “listening valley”. On the outside, when she does this in front of people, it looks like she is not quite all there mentally (to put it kindly). But the two sisters love each other very much. Their well-off, unshakeably respectable, but uncaring parents ignore the girls and particularly belittle Tonia constantly. They are just terrible parents (which DES writes so well). The mother particularly never lets an opportunity go by to let them know what a disappointment they are. It’s hateful, especially since they are totally oblivious to the fact that they are the ones at fault for their odd ways. Lou escapes first when she shockingly elopes while still a teenager. Luckily she picks a good guy from a good if rather nonconformist family (his mother was divorced-horrors) and they are happily married. Unfortunately, this leaves poor Tonia at the mercy of her mother with no support, especially after her beloved Nanny is laid off. Fortunately, she soon catches the eye of a colleague of her father and despite the 40-year age difference, they marry. Marriage to Robert proves to be Tonia’s salvation. Wealthy and brilliant, he sees through to Tonia’s beautiful soul (I cringe when I write that, but it is perfectly true) and loves her devotedly. He dedicates himself to her development and to making her happy. They are married for about 5 years, before Robert, who is a great character, dies from stress and overwork as a vital contributor to the war effort in London.
Tonia is alone again, but thanks to Robert, she is a different person and is well able to handle herself, while still remaining kind, gentle, and rather unworldly. She also is now very very wealthy. She escapes London, her dominating sister-in-law, and her mean and shallow daughter who only want to take advantage of her wealth. Because of an old act of generosity to her old Nanny, she has inherited a country “cottage” in Ryddleton, a popular setting for several of Stevenson’s novels. And there, summarizing half the book in one sentence, she makes friends and finds love with an old childhood schoolmate who is now a dashing R.A.F. squadron leader. And just to add a touch of intrigue, he is engaged to a two-faced French baggage who turns out to be spying for “Gerry.”
Stevenson has a gift for drawing you in and making every ripple in her characters’ rather calm lives totally engrossing. She makes you care about everything that happens no matter how trivial. She often creates situations that could lead to dramatic juicy scenes, but unfortunately, she tends to avoid big drama and confrontation, though some do sometimes sneak through. Many scenes do stand out in this book, but I will mention only a few.
Robert questioning Tonia on what the doctors had said about her hands, and what treatments they had prescribed. He is disturbed to find out that her parents had never bothered to look into what was wrong. Too self-involved. Too busy with their own lives and concerns. It is then that Robert realizes he has to marry Tonia, get her away, and start repairing the damage.
Robert’s conversation with Lou when he and his new bride travel to visit her and her husband in India. Lou, though seeing how happy Tonia now is, can’t help but be a little suspicious and standoffish with Robert. She gets him alone to probe his motivations but the tables are turned. He is obliged to explain that he married Tonia not only because he loves her, but to undo the damage that she, Lou, did to her. Lou is flabbergasted. Robert explains that her over-protectiveness and then her abandonment was almost Tonia’s undoing. Lou thinks about it, and replies, “What a beast I am!” I love that she got it.
Tonia’s night in a London bomb shelter where she helps the doctor who becomes a family friend, and makes tea for everyone with the help of a young boy.
I immediately loved Bay, a mischievous and carefree school friend who teasingly calls Tonia “butterfingers.” Tonia senses he does not mean it unkindly but in an affectionate way. He disappears from the book for a stretch when he is expelled after being framed for pulling a particularly nasty prank on the whole school. It turns out that the guilty party is Nita, who will turn out to be Tonia’s unlikable and avaricious niece-in-law. Tonia is the only one in the school who believes that he is innocent and tells him so. It is no surprise (but greatly hoped for) when Bay comes back into her life as an adult, never having forgotten her insight and faith in him.
And finally, Nita showing up without warning in Ryddleton to get her to come back to London to ‘share expenses” with her and her mother (Even though Tonia has virtually given the two her London house to live in rent-free). She is shortly followed by one of her trustees wondering why she hasn’t used any of the money that her late husband left her. Nita is horrid as usual, but the trustee proves to be savvy, understanding, and very approving of Tonia's choices and friends.
As always with D.E.S’s novels written and set during WWII, there is a certain poignancy and intense immediacy about them. They must be read in the context of their times. We must be forgiving of the unconscious classism, where the “lower orders” are always happy to serve “their betters.” But we must also respect that when she wrote about rationing and deprivation, the bombing, and getting to know the young American pilots as well as the British ones, she didn’t know, despite the bravery and optimism, what the future outcome of the war would be. The book has a “happy ending” but at the time it was written and first read, it was not known how long it would last. Yes, Tonia marries her squadron leader, but is another tragedy looming in her future? As the readers of the time closed the book, I’m sure they thought, “Well, I hope they will be OK.”
I swear, every time I read a D. E. Stevenson novel I declare it’s the best one yet. And this one is no exception. This was an audible so I don’t have all of the facts or details at my fingertips and some things are a little fuzzy. It is another journey of a young city girl who is too shy, too easily dominated, and too insecure who stiffens her spine enough to live a normal happy life in the Scottish countryside.
We follow Tonia (our heroine) and her beautiful, spirited, and charming sister Lou through their childhood. Lou is everything Tonia is not, and as a result, Lou protects and does everything she can to make Tonia’s life as stress-free as possible. In addition to her diffident personality, Tonia has weak hands so is always dropping things and appears awkward and clumsy. In addition, when things get too much for her, she sometimes goes into a kind of trance, which Tonia calls her “listening valley”. On the outside, when she does this in front of people, it looks like she is not quite all there mentally (to put it kindly). But the two sisters love each other very much. Their well-off, unshakeably respectable, but uncaring parents ignore the girls and particularly belittle Tonia constantly. They are just terrible parents (which DES writes so well). The mother particularly never lets an opportunity go by to let them know what a disappointment they are. It’s hateful, especially since they are totally oblivious to the fact that they are the ones at fault for their odd ways. Lou escapes first when she shockingly elopes while still a teenager. Luckily she picks a good guy from a good if rather nonconformist family (his mother was divorced-horrors) and they are happily married. Unfortunately, this leaves poor Tonia at the mercy of her mother with no support, especially after her beloved Nanny is laid off. Fortunately, she soon catches the eye of a colleague of her father and despite the 40-year age difference, they marry. Marriage to Robert proves to be Tonia’s salvation. Wealthy and brilliant, he sees through to Tonia’s beautiful soul (I cringe when I write that, but it is perfectly true) and loves her devotedly. He dedicates himself to her development and to making her happy. They are married for about 5 years, before Robert, who is a great character, dies from stress and overwork as a vital contributor to the war effort in London.
Tonia is alone again, but thanks to Robert, she is a different person and is well able to handle herself, while still remaining kind, gentle, and rather unworldly. She also is now very very wealthy. She escapes London, her dominating sister-in-law, and her mean and shallow daughter who only want to take advantage of her wealth. Because of an old act of generosity to her old Nanny, she has inherited a country “cottage” in Ryddleton, a popular setting for several of Stevenson’s novels. And there, summarizing half the book in one sentence, she makes friends and finds love with an old childhood schoolmate who is now a dashing R.A.F. squadron leader. And just to add a touch of intrigue, he is engaged to a two-faced French baggage who turns out to be spying for “Gerry.”
Stevenson has a gift for drawing you in and making every ripple in her characters’ rather calm lives totally engrossing. She makes you care about everything that happens no matter how trivial. She often creates situations that could lead to dramatic juicy scenes, but unfortunately, she tends to avoid big drama and confrontation, though some do sometimes sneak through. Many scenes do stand out in this book, but I will mention only a few.
Robert questioning Tonia on what the doctors had said about her hands, and what treatments they had prescribed. He is disturbed to find out that her parents had never bothered to look into what was wrong. Too self-involved. Too busy with their own lives and concerns. It is then that Robert realizes he has to marry Tonia, get her away, and start repairing the damage.
Robert’s conversation with Lou when he and his new bride travel to visit her and her husband in India. Lou, though seeing how happy Tonia now is, can’t help but be a little suspicious and standoffish with Robert. She gets him alone to probe his motivations but the tables are turned. He is obliged to explain that he married Tonia not only because he loves her, but to undo the damage that she, Lou, did to her. Lou is flabbergasted. Robert explains that her over-protectiveness and then her abandonment was almost Tonia’s undoing. Lou thinks about it, and replies, “What a beast I am!” I love that she got it.
Tonia’s night in a London bomb shelter where she helps the doctor who becomes a family friend, and makes tea for everyone with the help of a young boy.
I immediately loved Bay, a mischievous and carefree school friend who teasingly calls Tonia “butterfingers.” Tonia senses he does not mean it unkindly but in an affectionate way. He disappears from the book for a stretch when he is expelled after being framed for pulling a particularly nasty prank on the whole school. It turns out that the guilty party is Nita, who will turn out to be Tonia’s unlikable and avaricious niece-in-law. Tonia is the only one in the school who believes that he is innocent and tells him so. It is no surprise (but greatly hoped for) when Bay comes back into her life as an adult, never having forgotten her insight and faith in him.
And finally, Nita showing up without warning in Ryddleton to get her to come back to London to ‘share expenses” with her and her mother (Even though Tonia has virtually given the two her London house to live in rent-free). She is shortly followed by one of her trustees wondering why she hasn’t used any of the money that her late husband left her. Nita is horrid as usual, but the trustee proves to be savvy, understanding, and very approving of Tonia's choices and friends.
As always with D.E.S’s novels written and set during WWII, there is a certain poignancy and intense immediacy about them. They must be read in the context of their times. We must be forgiving of the unconscious classism, where the “lower orders” are always happy to serve “their betters.” But we must also respect that when she wrote about rationing and deprivation, the bombing, and getting to know the young American pilots as well as the British ones, she didn’t know, despite the bravery and optimism, what the future outcome of the war would be. The book has a “happy ending” but at the time it was written and first read, it was not known how long it would last. Yes, Tonia marries her squadron leader, but is another tragedy looming in her future? As the readers of the time closed the book, I’m sure they thought, “Well, I hope they will be OK.”
February 23, 2017
Listening Valley is sort of a sequel to Celia's House. The young American that is introduced in the last page of the first book reappears in Chapter 20 of Listening Valley. Many of the allusions to family names in Listening Valley make more sense if you've read the first book. BUT Listening Valley can be read as a stand-alone because the story line is completely different. It is not as satisfying as many of Stevenson's other titles because it is not as light-hearted. It was published in 1944 and many of its characters have been frightened and damaged by the war. Others are very unhappy due to the unkindness of others. And unlike most of her books, Stevenson takes a cavalier approach to marriage in this one (as she did in Shoulder the Sky) when she writes about a man who kindly divorces his wife so she can be happy with another.
Best quote: "They were such trifles to remember, but it was trifles like this that made up your life, and if there was somebody who could share them with you, understandingly, it made life a paradise."
Best quote: "They were such trifles to remember, but it was trifles like this that made up your life, and if there was somebody who could share them with you, understandingly, it made life a paradise."
December 22, 2021
I find myself thinking about this book a lot, months after finishing it. I didn’t initially write a review, because I didn’t enjoy the book’s beginning. But the last third was so compelling, and it’s really stayed with me. Hard to explain without a spoiler, but I love what DES does with our heroine—the way she lives her life and the woman she becomes.
Stevenson published Listening Valley near the end of the war, and I do think her WW II writing is some of her best. This may be my first DES re-read for the New Year.
Stevenson published Listening Valley near the end of the war, and I do think her WW II writing is some of her best. This may be my first DES re-read for the New Year.
October 24, 2023
Again, pleasant but not profound.
Different reader this time. She was mostly fine.
Different reader this time. She was mostly fine.
November 8, 2017
Poor Antonia. From the very beginning she was treated as a soft unworkable little thing always needing to be helped by others, always seeing herself as less. The story follows her adventures with her more daring sister Lou, the press of her absent parent, her strange first marriage, her freedom in her legacy and finally a troubled romance.
Lovely warm and sweet. Such a delightfully comfortable book to read.
The characters are sketched nicely but the thing I feel lacking is the deepness and attachment to them. Its the there and now sentiment which gives you a picture of the scene but doesn't really fully connect you. I've been trying to figure out what it was that bothered me about her stories. However the overall book gave me a very pleasant feeling.
Update: I gave it a reread after reading Celia's House. I have more appreciation for it, the growth of Antonia is lovely, enduring and well done.
Lovely warm and sweet. Such a delightfully comfortable book to read.
The characters are sketched nicely but the thing I feel lacking is the deepness and attachment to them. Its the there and now sentiment which gives you a picture of the scene but doesn't really fully connect you. I've been trying to figure out what it was that bothered me about her stories. However the overall book gave me a very pleasant feeling.
Update: I gave it a reread after reading Celia's House. I have more appreciation for it, the growth of Antonia is lovely, enduring and well done.
February 2, 2016
1944.
Lovely companion to "Celia's House." I was glad to see a few of the characters from that book again.
Beguiling, charming, well-done and satisfying comfort food. Instead of a green smoothie (that can be hard to get down but is very nutrient-dense and we should all have more of that, but just don't do it often enough, right?) this is more like homemade chicken pot-pie with wholesome veggies and lots of buttery crust. Still good for you, but perhaps not if it's all you lived on. Maybe. I'm sure there could be an argument there about the quality of ingredients and whether the crust is made with sprouted flour and grass-fed butter. In that case, stick with it.
I like this author. Safe emotionally, yet thoughtful enough.
Yep, another old lady gives away a house. Where's my old Scottish Auntie I wonder? I want a sweet old house.
Lovely companion to "Celia's House." I was glad to see a few of the characters from that book again.
Beguiling, charming, well-done and satisfying comfort food. Instead of a green smoothie (that can be hard to get down but is very nutrient-dense and we should all have more of that, but just don't do it often enough, right?) this is more like homemade chicken pot-pie with wholesome veggies and lots of buttery crust. Still good for you, but perhaps not if it's all you lived on. Maybe. I'm sure there could be an argument there about the quality of ingredients and whether the crust is made with sprouted flour and grass-fed butter. In that case, stick with it.
I like this author. Safe emotionally, yet thoughtful enough.
Yep, another old lady gives away a house. Where's my old Scottish Auntie I wonder? I want a sweet old house.
September 14, 2018
In this old-fashioned romance/Cinderella story, a young woman is initially overshadowed by her parents and sister but gradually comes into her own with help from new friends and neighbors. Most of this enjoyable story is set in a charming, small town in Scotland during WWII, but the reader also gets a picture of London during the Blitz.
October 24, 2018
Such a gentle, comforting book--vintage D.E. Stevenson with its Scottish setting, family dynamics, and normal-with-a-backbone heroine. I always enjoy her World War II books, which are clearly so based on her own life and the stories she heard as a military wife.
Very glad that Sourcebooks has republished some of of Stevenson's books and hope they do more.
Very glad that Sourcebooks has republished some of of Stevenson's books and hope they do more.
January 1, 2016
Who doesn't love reading a cozy WWII novel in one sitting? Is there a better way to start a new year?
May 22, 2020
A cozy little book I couldn't put down till the end.
June 27, 2016
Another score from a small library near my son's house that hasn't tossed out all of its older books. I'm a huge fan of Stevenson's Mrs. Tim stories, I own them all, but it's hard to get her others if you don't want to buy them, and I'm trying to downsize my home library, not increase it. So I was very happy to see this book on the library shelf.
Unfortunately I didn't love this book like I do her Mrs. Tim and Miss Buncle stories, though I did basically enjoy it. The problem for me was the MC, a young woman who is very passive and easily overshadowed by those around her. I think the story was meant to show her blossoming, but it seemed to me that most of the time she was reacting to circumstances, not making choices for herself. And it's hard for me to enjoy a really passive heroine. Still, the book had some lovely detailed scenes of life in England during WWII, and I'd recommend it to fans of that time period.
I'm glad I read it, but it's not her best.
NB - The book is a sort of follow up to Celia's House, which I haven't read yet. I get the feeling the overlap a bit. I didn't feel that I was missing any important info not having read the first one.
Unfortunately I didn't love this book like I do her Mrs. Tim and Miss Buncle stories, though I did basically enjoy it. The problem for me was the MC, a young woman who is very passive and easily overshadowed by those around her. I think the story was meant to show her blossoming, but it seemed to me that most of the time she was reacting to circumstances, not making choices for herself. And it's hard for me to enjoy a really passive heroine. Still, the book had some lovely detailed scenes of life in England during WWII, and I'd recommend it to fans of that time period.
I'm glad I read it, but it's not her best.
NB - The book is a sort of follow up to Celia's House, which I haven't read yet. I get the feeling the overlap a bit. I didn't feel that I was missing any important info not having read the first one.
June 2, 2020
D.E. Stevenson never fails to bring delight when I am reading her books but putting a rating on them is most difficult. Listening Valley is listed as a Part Two of Celia's House, therefore, I decided to read them in that order. It really did not matter, the two books crossed over very little so it was not necessary to read them as a set. I have been pondering which one I enjoyed the most, and I decided I could not decide. Both of these books gave me several hours of late night reading pleasure.
Here is a lovely quote...
"...Here we are, two old ladies who sit and talk in the firelight. We have been friends all our lives, nearer than sisters. We have lived long and seen much. Some people might think our lives dull and uneventful but it does not seem so to us. We talked of this and agreed that it is not travel and adventure that make a full life. There are adventures of the spirit and one can travel in books and interest oneself in people and affairs. One need never be dull as long as one has friends to help, gardens to enjoy and books in the long winter evenings."
Now don't you want to read Listening Valley now?
Here is a lovely quote...
"...Here we are, two old ladies who sit and talk in the firelight. We have been friends all our lives, nearer than sisters. We have lived long and seen much. Some people might think our lives dull and uneventful but it does not seem so to us. We talked of this and agreed that it is not travel and adventure that make a full life. There are adventures of the spirit and one can travel in books and interest oneself in people and affairs. One need never be dull as long as one has friends to help, gardens to enjoy and books in the long winter evenings."
Now don't you want to read Listening Valley now?
September 29, 2020
I picked this up for the Spilling Tea book club and I really enjoyed this story. Louise and Antonia are born in Scotland to parents who view them as objects and a real inconvenience (if only one of them was a boy......). Thankfully they have their beloved Nanny to provide them some emotional care. Louise marries as fast as she can and moves to India leaving Tonia behind. Tonia seems to have a physical disability and possibly a seizure disorder (the nurse practitioner in me diagnosing her), but it is all handled as charming quirks by everyone other than her parents. The story then follows Tonia into adulthood during the beginning and into World War II. I liked this novel, but it took me a while to get into it as the childhood part was not for me. I am looking forward to discussing next week online, fingers crossed I can take a lunch hour at work and join.
May 3, 2020
Four stars for the gentle but thorough view of The War from a Scottish / English viewpoint.
This story is not a cohesive whole, but Tonia is an intriguing character and the sense of time and place is the biggest selling point. It rather reminded me of L.M. Montgomery's more grown-up work - the love of place, the desire for one's own home that belongs to you in every sense, the benevolent benefactor who smooths over difficulties so that you can live life just as you want it without worrying about trifles like money...Montgomery and Stevenson both used those elements frequently in their work.
I've read Celia's House but it's been a long time. This title stands alone fairly well, but it would probably be better read in sequence.
This story is not a cohesive whole, but Tonia is an intriguing character and the sense of time and place is the biggest selling point. It rather reminded me of L.M. Montgomery's more grown-up work - the love of place, the desire for one's own home that belongs to you in every sense, the benevolent benefactor who smooths over difficulties so that you can live life just as you want it without worrying about trifles like money...Montgomery and Stevenson both used those elements frequently in their work.
I've read Celia's House but it's been a long time. This title stands alone fairly well, but it would probably be better read in sequence.
December 28, 2019
Book: Because of the setting—World War II London during the Blitz and a town in Scotland during the war—this D.E. Stevenson book is darker than many of her other novels. (It's pertinent to note this was actually written and published during the war.) Even so Stevenson managed to tell the story with great emotion and tension but without being too distressingly graphic.
4.5 stars
Narration: The narrator's normal reading tone was fine unfortunately the voices she used for many of the characters were grating and affected. Not great but worth tolerating for the sake of the story.
2 stars
4.5 stars
Narration: The narrator's normal reading tone was fine unfortunately the voices she used for many of the characters were grating and affected. Not great but worth tolerating for the sake of the story.
2 stars
February 11, 2015
Another wonderful story set in WW2.
Set in Scotland.
Tonia is lost when her older sister marries and moves away.
She ends up marrying a much older man who helps her to enjoy life and to find herself.
After his death she moves back to Scotand and ends up with her child hood friend who she eventually marries.
A gentle story with wondeful characters that I couldn't put down.
So glad that these books are being republished.
Set in Scotland.
Tonia is lost when her older sister marries and moves away.
She ends up marrying a much older man who helps her to enjoy life and to find herself.
After his death she moves back to Scotand and ends up with her child hood friend who she eventually marries.
A gentle story with wondeful characters that I couldn't put down.
So glad that these books are being republished.
September 27, 2017
Re-read as audiobook.
October 30, 2021
I quite enjoyed this novel published in 1944 set in Scotland (mainly) and London before and during the years of World War II. As it was published before the end of the war, the events do have an immediacy and poignancy, with rumors of preparations for an imminent invasion of France. It tells the story of Antonia (Tonia) who has grown up under the shadow of her adored elder sister Lou in a household of highly selfish, neglectful, and seemingly uncaring parents in a genteel family. The girls are not part of a social set, and lead a fairly reclusive life. Antonia has a way of disappearing inside of herself to her "listening valley" which makes her parents think she is mentally deficient. Lou manages to escape by her own devices, which in that sort of family at that time, means by marriage, but leaves Tonia pretty much at the mercy of her parents. Tonia, pretty and perceptive, but shy and awkward, is rescued by an unexpected suitor, who helps build her self-confidence. Marriage and the war years ensue, with dramatic events in Tonia's life as well as the world around her. She ends up returning to Scotland and an old cottage that had been in her family that she had inherited, but in a village that is near an air force base where she knows no one. Soon Tonia has a new set of friends and new worries as she hears the bombers taking off for Germany at night.
Stevenson weaves a story that has parallels in Antonia's family's past, that is revealed through a diary she discovers at the cottage. The descriptions of the Scottish landscape are lovely. There is a bit of intrigue involving a young French woman engaged to an old friend of Tonia's. There are some difficult family dynamics for Tonia to maneuver through. We get glimpses of wartime rationing and doing without, but these don't seem to put much of a damper on Tonia's situation. My only quibble with this novel is about Tonia, who has been raised in a culture where women are dependent and not taught to be self-sufficient, and to leave all business dealings to men. It doesn't sit particularly well with me in this day and age that Tonia took no interest in the state of her finances and to how much money she had to live on. To her credit, she didn't really care about money and what it could buy (of course she was privileged), and was not a big spender and could live modestly. But willful ignorance of the kind that assumes you're too stupid to understand something as crucial as how much money you have just bothers me. I don't mind stories of young women characters who are naive and sheltered, but I want them, as they come of age and experience life, to not only grow in understanding and compassion for others, but in self-awareness and self-reliance. Tonia does this somewhat, but not as fully as I'd like. The novel, which starts off rather depressingly, ends on a happy note, but one that recognizes that, especially in war time, happy endings may not last forever.
Stevenson weaves a story that has parallels in Antonia's family's past, that is revealed through a diary she discovers at the cottage. The descriptions of the Scottish landscape are lovely. There is a bit of intrigue involving a young French woman engaged to an old friend of Tonia's. There are some difficult family dynamics for Tonia to maneuver through. We get glimpses of wartime rationing and doing without, but these don't seem to put much of a damper on Tonia's situation. My only quibble with this novel is about Tonia, who has been raised in a culture where women are dependent and not taught to be self-sufficient, and to leave all business dealings to men. It doesn't sit particularly well with me in this day and age that Tonia took no interest in the state of her finances and to how much money she had to live on. To her credit, she didn't really care about money and what it could buy (of course she was privileged), and was not a big spender and could live modestly. But willful ignorance of the kind that assumes you're too stupid to understand something as crucial as how much money you have just bothers me. I don't mind stories of young women characters who are naive and sheltered, but I want them, as they come of age and experience life, to not only grow in understanding and compassion for others, but in self-awareness and self-reliance. Tonia does this somewhat, but not as fully as I'd like. The novel, which starts off rather depressingly, ends on a happy note, but one that recognizes that, especially in war time, happy endings may not last forever.
June 24, 2019
This was a long story – not in terms of its page count but in terms of the time covered by the book. It follows a young woman Tonia from her unhappy early childhood to her mid-twenties in 1944.
Timid and dreamy and totally misunderstood by her family, Tonia was afraid of every shadow. She liked to retreat into herself, seeking refuge from her joyless life in her inner ‘listening valley’. Only her early marriage to Robert, a rich and wise financier, when she was seventeen, helped her break out of her self-imposed glass cage and learn to accept life, even ‘make friends with life’ to some degree. It would’ve been a romantic tale of self-discovery, if Robert wasn’t 40 years older than she.
Their love story was skewed, uneven from the first moment, and caused me to wince more than once. I’m glad this author refrained from sex scenes in all her books, because even imagining sex between those two felt like an exercise in obscenity.
Yes, they did love each other, but Robert viewed Tonia from the beginning as a despondent child in need of a rescue, and she regarded him as a hero larger than life who granted her every wish and finally taught her self-respect and self-reliance. Somewhat...
Midway through the WWII, Robert died of heart failure, thus freeing Tonia to actually start her adult life as an independent woman. She grieved for him, true, but not for long. Then she met a number of young military pilots, and the real and poignant love story of a real woman began, unfolding on the background of the devastating war, the food restrictions, and her friend-pilots sometimes not coming back.
Unfortunately, this second and most interesting part of the novel takes up less than half of its length, while its first part – Tonia’s childhood and her years with Robert – constituted about 60% of the book and was utterly boring. I even contemplated abandoning the book, when the saintly Robert finally died, and the story picked up, to my delight.
Timid and dreamy and totally misunderstood by her family, Tonia was afraid of every shadow. She liked to retreat into herself, seeking refuge from her joyless life in her inner ‘listening valley’. Only her early marriage to Robert, a rich and wise financier, when she was seventeen, helped her break out of her self-imposed glass cage and learn to accept life, even ‘make friends with life’ to some degree. It would’ve been a romantic tale of self-discovery, if Robert wasn’t 40 years older than she.
Their love story was skewed, uneven from the first moment, and caused me to wince more than once. I’m glad this author refrained from sex scenes in all her books, because even imagining sex between those two felt like an exercise in obscenity.
Yes, they did love each other, but Robert viewed Tonia from the beginning as a despondent child in need of a rescue, and she regarded him as a hero larger than life who granted her every wish and finally taught her self-respect and self-reliance. Somewhat...
Midway through the WWII, Robert died of heart failure, thus freeing Tonia to actually start her adult life as an independent woman. She grieved for him, true, but not for long. Then she met a number of young military pilots, and the real and poignant love story of a real woman began, unfolding on the background of the devastating war, the food restrictions, and her friend-pilots sometimes not coming back.
Unfortunately, this second and most interesting part of the novel takes up less than half of its length, while its first part – Tonia’s childhood and her years with Robert – constituted about 60% of the book and was utterly boring. I even contemplated abandoning the book, when the saintly Robert finally died, and the story picked up, to my delight.
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