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Fenny
A gorgeously rich coming of age novel that sees young English governess Ellen fall head over heels for Tuscany after taking a job as a governess in 1933, even in the face of unrequited love and political tension.
With a foreword by Jennie Godfrey
‘The strange city through which they drove was the scenery of a dream . . .’
Yorkshire teacher Ellen Fenwick has never been abroad.
But when her mother dies, this young woman finds herself taking a position as governess to an English girl in Florence in the summer of 1933.
Little does Ellen realise how this girl, Juliet, and her family will claim her.
For as the summer passes, Ellen falls so in love with Italy and her new home that she cannot bear to leave – even when her own hopes of love are cruelly thwarted.
Even when the shadow of war falls across the country, she doesn’t flee but clings on – for her friends, for those she loves more than herself.
Ellen – selfless, big-hearted, accepting – cannot know what is coming. Yet, she will not face it alone . . .
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1953
41 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Lettice Cooper
36 books21 followersLettice Ulpha Cooper began to write stories when she was seven. She studied Classics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford graduating in 1918.
She returned home after Oxford to work for her family's engineering firm and wrote her first novel, 'The Lighted Room' in 1925. She spent a year as associate edtior at 'Time and Tide' and during the Second World War worked for the Ministry of Food's public relations division. Between 1947 and 1957 she was fiction reviewer for the Yorkshire Post. She was one of the founders of the Writers' Action Group along with Brigid Brophy, Maureen Duffy, Francis King and Michael Levy and received an OBE for her work in achieving Public Lending Rights. In 1987 at the age of ninety she was awarded the Freedom of the City of Leeds.
She never married and died in Coltishall, Norfolk at the age of 96.
From Wikipedia
She returned home after Oxford to work for her family's engineering firm and wrote her first novel, 'The Lighted Room' in 1925. She spent a year as associate edtior at 'Time and Tide' and during the Second World War worked for the Ministry of Food's public relations division. Between 1947 and 1957 she was fiction reviewer for the Yorkshire Post. She was one of the founders of the Writers' Action Group along with Brigid Brophy, Maureen Duffy, Francis King and Michael Levy and received an OBE for her work in achieving Public Lending Rights. In 1987 at the age of ninety she was awarded the Freedom of the City of Leeds.
She never married and died in Coltishall, Norfolk at the age of 96.
From Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 4, 2021
This is my third novel by Lettice Cooper and was published in 1953. It is set primarily in Italy from 1933 to 1949. Ellen Fenwick (known as Fenny) is a young teacher from the north of England. Following the death of her mother she decides to take a summer job as a governess in Tuscany. The novel is split into four parts: 1933/4, 1938/9, 1945, 1949. It is not an autobiographical novel, but it does contain some of Cooper’s enduring concerns. The North/South division is explored in a different way; class is also a factor and as always this is well written and reads easily. The time jumps leave a lot of gaps in the narrative which makes the reading interesting and leaves some loose ends and unresolved plot lines. This may irritate some, but suited me fine, because it felt more realistic.
These days Cooper is mostly out of print and this is the virago edition. The novel charts a journey from youth to middle age and like Cooper, Fenny remains single. There is also the backdrop of world events, which begin to be marked in the second part with the build up to war. In the first two parts Fenny is a governess. She spends the war in an internment camp in Italy. In the last two parts she is living independently doing a variety of teaching work.
Part of the strength of the novel is Cooper’s clear love of the landscape:
‘Every evening the sun set in splendour over the town of Florence, and as the red faded to rose and the last stain of rose died from a sky the colour of old turquoise, the sombre green cypresses became hard black shapes against the deepening blue and the appearing stars.’
It is written in the third person and is an interesting character study. The two main female Italian characters are rather negative with some predictable tropes in place. The whole is an interesting exploration of character, some of the endings are a little predictable but Fenny herself is likeable.
These days Cooper is mostly out of print and this is the virago edition. The novel charts a journey from youth to middle age and like Cooper, Fenny remains single. There is also the backdrop of world events, which begin to be marked in the second part with the build up to war. In the first two parts Fenny is a governess. She spends the war in an internment camp in Italy. In the last two parts she is living independently doing a variety of teaching work.
Part of the strength of the novel is Cooper’s clear love of the landscape:
‘Every evening the sun set in splendour over the town of Florence, and as the red faded to rose and the last stain of rose died from a sky the colour of old turquoise, the sombre green cypresses became hard black shapes against the deepening blue and the appearing stars.’
It is written in the third person and is an interesting character study. The two main female Italian characters are rather negative with some predictable tropes in place. The whole is an interesting exploration of character, some of the endings are a little predictable but Fenny herself is likeable.
December 14, 2018
In a writing career which spanned over sixty years, it is a real shame that the majority of Lettice Cooper’s books are out of print, and that most prove quite difficult, or at least rather expensive, to procure. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1968, and had much praise bestowed on her for her services to literature. Of her work, I had read only The New House, which I very much enjoyed, before finding an inexpensive copy of Fenny - the 264th title on the Virago Modern Classics list - online. The green-spined edition features an introduction by Cooper’s peer, Francis King. He notes the high quality of Cooper’s writing, which has ‘a consistency of style, of moral outlook’.
First published in 1953, Fenny is a much later novel than 1937’s The New House As its predecessor, it enticed me from the very beginning. It focuses on a young woman named Ellen Fenwick, who has worked at a school in her native Yorkshire for several years. She is offered a summer post in Tuscany, in a secluded setting quite near to Florence, as the governess to an eight-year-old girl named Juliet Rivers, the granddaughter of a famous actress whom Ellen very much admires. The entire situation thus presents a ‘dazzling prospect’ for her. It seems ‘far removed from the fireside teas and prize-givings’ which her current job includes, and Italy promises a ‘dreamlike setting for the new life she anticipates’.
Accepting the post, Ellen soon finds herself journeying to Italy. When she arrives at the Villa Meridiana, she finds freedom of a sort: ‘she tastes her first cocktail, cuts her hair, becomes “Fenny” - and falls in love.’ However, set as the novel is against rather a tumultuous period in history, she is ‘forced to come to terms with both emotional and political realities.’ The novel spans the period between 1933 and 1949, in which Ellen forges a new life for herself. Throughout, Cooper charts her growth into a woman of middle age, and the circumstances which surround her, causing her to examine herself and adapt accordingly. Ellen, throughout this, remains a believable character, constantly putting her own wellbeing behind that of those who surround her. Of Ellen, King writes in his introduction: ‘That, in the years ahead, she should suffer so many disappointments and yet never become embittered, never lose her faith in life, never (most important of all) lose her faith in herself, is what makes her such an admirable and appealing character.’ Indeed, I liked Ellen from the first, and was so interested in the new life which she forged for herself, as well as learning about what she had left behind.
Through Ellen’s movement to mainland Europe, Cooper was able to explore one of her favourite tropes - the differences between North and South. The North is mentioned only briefly in the novel, but it is Ellen’s assimilation into an entirely new culture and way of life which is interesting. Added to this is the fact that before travelling to the Villa Meridiana, Ellen has never been abroad. Far before she reaches the final stop on the train, her excitement is palpable; Cooper writes: ‘… she had been sitting on the edge of the seat, a starter poised for a race…’. Upon arrival, Ellen is transfixed on her surroundings: ‘The strange city through which they drove was the scenery of a dream. She saw tall, flat-fronted houses with shuttered windows, stone facades lit by street lamps.’ Throughout, Cooper’s observations of character, and descriptions of place, are perceptive and sumptuous respectively. Italy has been used as a character in its own right here, its presence feeding into the relationships and decisions of each character within the novel. Soon after Ellen’s arrival, Cooper describes one of the endless lovely scenes which unfold over her surroundings: ‘Every evening the sun set in splendour over the town of Florence, and as the red faded to rose and the last stain of rose died from a sky the colour of old turquoise, the sombre green cypresses became hard black shapes against the deepening blue and the appearing stars.’
Fellow Virago author Storm Jameson called this ‘certainly Lettice Cooper’s finest novel’, and it is easy to see why. Fenny is both introspective and evocative. It believably charts the life of a single woman in circumstances which change, and cause her to change in consequence. Cooper has such an understanding and an awareness of her protagonist, and the things which others around her cause her to feel. In this manner, Fenny is a fascinating and insightful character study. Whilst, of course, the focus is upon Ellen, we do learn about the Rivers family, their friends who live not too far away, and another tutor, amongst others who are introduced later on. The third person perspective which has been used throughout works well, and Cooper’s prose is pitch perfect.
I found the extended timeframe in which Ellen’s story is told to be effective, and so much of Cooper’s commentary pertinent and applicable to today: ‘Of course I am interested in politics,’ a lecturer tells Ellen. ‘Life, it seems to me, is not divisible. One cannot disassociate oneself, especially in these days, even if one does not take an active part in them.’ I very much enjoyed reading Fenny, and whilst I did not find the final section as transporting, nor as realistic, as the previous ones, it is still a Virago publication which I treasure.
First published in 1953, Fenny is a much later novel than 1937’s The New House As its predecessor, it enticed me from the very beginning. It focuses on a young woman named Ellen Fenwick, who has worked at a school in her native Yorkshire for several years. She is offered a summer post in Tuscany, in a secluded setting quite near to Florence, as the governess to an eight-year-old girl named Juliet Rivers, the granddaughter of a famous actress whom Ellen very much admires. The entire situation thus presents a ‘dazzling prospect’ for her. It seems ‘far removed from the fireside teas and prize-givings’ which her current job includes, and Italy promises a ‘dreamlike setting for the new life she anticipates’.
Accepting the post, Ellen soon finds herself journeying to Italy. When she arrives at the Villa Meridiana, she finds freedom of a sort: ‘she tastes her first cocktail, cuts her hair, becomes “Fenny” - and falls in love.’ However, set as the novel is against rather a tumultuous period in history, she is ‘forced to come to terms with both emotional and political realities.’ The novel spans the period between 1933 and 1949, in which Ellen forges a new life for herself. Throughout, Cooper charts her growth into a woman of middle age, and the circumstances which surround her, causing her to examine herself and adapt accordingly. Ellen, throughout this, remains a believable character, constantly putting her own wellbeing behind that of those who surround her. Of Ellen, King writes in his introduction: ‘That, in the years ahead, she should suffer so many disappointments and yet never become embittered, never lose her faith in life, never (most important of all) lose her faith in herself, is what makes her such an admirable and appealing character.’ Indeed, I liked Ellen from the first, and was so interested in the new life which she forged for herself, as well as learning about what she had left behind.
Through Ellen’s movement to mainland Europe, Cooper was able to explore one of her favourite tropes - the differences between North and South. The North is mentioned only briefly in the novel, but it is Ellen’s assimilation into an entirely new culture and way of life which is interesting. Added to this is the fact that before travelling to the Villa Meridiana, Ellen has never been abroad. Far before she reaches the final stop on the train, her excitement is palpable; Cooper writes: ‘… she had been sitting on the edge of the seat, a starter poised for a race…’. Upon arrival, Ellen is transfixed on her surroundings: ‘The strange city through which they drove was the scenery of a dream. She saw tall, flat-fronted houses with shuttered windows, stone facades lit by street lamps.’ Throughout, Cooper’s observations of character, and descriptions of place, are perceptive and sumptuous respectively. Italy has been used as a character in its own right here, its presence feeding into the relationships and decisions of each character within the novel. Soon after Ellen’s arrival, Cooper describes one of the endless lovely scenes which unfold over her surroundings: ‘Every evening the sun set in splendour over the town of Florence, and as the red faded to rose and the last stain of rose died from a sky the colour of old turquoise, the sombre green cypresses became hard black shapes against the deepening blue and the appearing stars.’
Fellow Virago author Storm Jameson called this ‘certainly Lettice Cooper’s finest novel’, and it is easy to see why. Fenny is both introspective and evocative. It believably charts the life of a single woman in circumstances which change, and cause her to change in consequence. Cooper has such an understanding and an awareness of her protagonist, and the things which others around her cause her to feel. In this manner, Fenny is a fascinating and insightful character study. Whilst, of course, the focus is upon Ellen, we do learn about the Rivers family, their friends who live not too far away, and another tutor, amongst others who are introduced later on. The third person perspective which has been used throughout works well, and Cooper’s prose is pitch perfect.
I found the extended timeframe in which Ellen’s story is told to be effective, and so much of Cooper’s commentary pertinent and applicable to today: ‘Of course I am interested in politics,’ a lecturer tells Ellen. ‘Life, it seems to me, is not divisible. One cannot disassociate oneself, especially in these days, even if one does not take an active part in them.’ I very much enjoyed reading Fenny, and whilst I did not find the final section as transporting, nor as realistic, as the previous ones, it is still a Virago publication which I treasure.
December 2, 2017
This books was perfect reading for a day sick at home. English woman goes off to be a governess in Tuscany from 1933 to after the war. It is feel good but with plenty of grit and not at all twee.
February 19, 2012
“Fenny (first published in 1953), is the story of a young English school teacher who, after the death of her mother, for whom she was the sole carer, decides to take the opportunity to travel to Florence for a six month post as governess to an English family and their only daughter. At Villa Meridiana Fenny’s world temporarily expands but can she grow with it? The backdrop of the Tuscan landscape, the Italian character, the growth of fascism and the threat of war are all interwoven in this simpatico portrait of a gradually emerging self-awareness”
“Fenny” is a deeply charming, enormously readable novel, which opens with the Fenny of the title (Ellen Fenwick) a young English school teacher coming to Italy as a governess to the granddaughter of an actress that she admires. The Fenny who arrives at Villa Meridiana in the summer of 1933 having recently lost her mother, has endured seven years teaching at a Yorkshire high school and is ripe for change. For a while Ellen – who soon becomes Fenny -finds acceptance and peace in the beauty of her surroundings. However Fenny must soon face emotions which are completely new to her, as she falls in love and finds that the relationships of people around her are not always what they seem. Fenny and Juliet the child to whom she is governess, very quickly develop a close and touching relationship, but there are changes and upheavals for the family and they leave Italy. Fenny deciding to stay in Italy pledges to keep in touch with young Juliet. Three years later Ellen is working for another family she had first encountered while working at Villa Meridiana. She is drawn to wanting to help Shand, the teenage son of her employer whose deep unhappiness and longing to get back to America concerns her. The backdrop to the story of Fenny and the families she works for is the terrifying rise of fascism in Italy and the coming of war. There comes a time when Fenny must really face up to what is happening, and make decisions about her own safety.
Fenny’s relationship with her two charges continues over many years. While she herself faces hardship and fear during the war years, she learns things about life which she can pass to the adult children she loves so deeply. In the course of the novel we see Fenny develop from an inexperienced young woman with much to learn, into a strong mature woman who survived the turbulent war years in Italy.
The novel spans the years of 1933 to 1949 and through these years we see the changes that occur in Italy as the fascist party takes firmer hold, and war looms on the horizon. There is one particular short scene – witnessed by Fenny and young Shand - of a middle aged clerk being dragged off by a group of black shirts that I thought was beautifully and frighteningly described. Throughout the novel it is easy to see the affection that Lettice Cooper had for Italy and for Florence in particular. For me this was the perfect reading experience, I loved the setting, the characters are marvellous creations – although two of the Italian women Fenny encounters are horribly selfish and manipulative – but fascinating for all that. Fenny is a real joy of a read.
“Fenny” is a deeply charming, enormously readable novel, which opens with the Fenny of the title (Ellen Fenwick) a young English school teacher coming to Italy as a governess to the granddaughter of an actress that she admires. The Fenny who arrives at Villa Meridiana in the summer of 1933 having recently lost her mother, has endured seven years teaching at a Yorkshire high school and is ripe for change. For a while Ellen – who soon becomes Fenny -finds acceptance and peace in the beauty of her surroundings. However Fenny must soon face emotions which are completely new to her, as she falls in love and finds that the relationships of people around her are not always what they seem. Fenny and Juliet the child to whom she is governess, very quickly develop a close and touching relationship, but there are changes and upheavals for the family and they leave Italy. Fenny deciding to stay in Italy pledges to keep in touch with young Juliet. Three years later Ellen is working for another family she had first encountered while working at Villa Meridiana. She is drawn to wanting to help Shand, the teenage son of her employer whose deep unhappiness and longing to get back to America concerns her. The backdrop to the story of Fenny and the families she works for is the terrifying rise of fascism in Italy and the coming of war. There comes a time when Fenny must really face up to what is happening, and make decisions about her own safety.
Fenny’s relationship with her two charges continues over many years. While she herself faces hardship and fear during the war years, she learns things about life which she can pass to the adult children she loves so deeply. In the course of the novel we see Fenny develop from an inexperienced young woman with much to learn, into a strong mature woman who survived the turbulent war years in Italy.
The novel spans the years of 1933 to 1949 and through these years we see the changes that occur in Italy as the fascist party takes firmer hold, and war looms on the horizon. There is one particular short scene – witnessed by Fenny and young Shand - of a middle aged clerk being dragged off by a group of black shirts that I thought was beautifully and frighteningly described. Throughout the novel it is easy to see the affection that Lettice Cooper had for Italy and for Florence in particular. For me this was the perfect reading experience, I loved the setting, the characters are marvellous creations – although two of the Italian women Fenny encounters are horribly selfish and manipulative – but fascinating for all that. Fenny is a real joy of a read.
August 5, 2016
A young school teacher from the North of England takes a short-term job as a governess in Italy, and her life veers in unexpected directions. From reviews online, I was expecting a more romantic tale in the tradition of Enchanted April and A Room with a View, but this story is realistic and down to earth as its heroine. Sometimes there's no recovery from a wrong turn, only a learning that a different way is possible.
August 24, 2017
This book has it all--A perfect plot, well-developed and interesting characters, deep psychological insights about patterns in our lives, and a fascinating historical setting(the rise and fall of the Fascists in Italy). It should be a 20th century classic, but because it deals with "women's issues" (children, relationships, self-discovery), it has not gotten the critical attention it deserves. I was totally engrossed in the world Cooper creates here and wanted more. I will definitely be checking out her other novels!
December 31, 2008
Strangely moving. I'm surprised it is so rarely read.
July 3, 2018
Corren los años 30 cuando Ellen Fenwick, joven institutriz originaria de Yorkshire, llega a la bella Florencia. Fenny, apelativo cariñoso con el que empiezan a conocerla, ha aceptado hacerse cargo de la educación de una niña británica de buena familia, y muy pronto empieza a enamorarse de su país de acogida. Bajo el sol toscano, entre viñas, cipreses, olivos y la belleza cálida que la rodea, Ellen empieza a descubrir una nueva vida. En los jardines de Villa Meridiana, la propiedad de sus empleadores, Ellen empieza a crear fuertes lazos con la pequeña Juliet y con el resto de la familia; hace nuevas amistades y termina enamorándose por primera vez.
Pero, como en tantas ocasiones, las apariencias pueden llevar a engaño, y las relaciones y afectos del acaudalado grupo de expatriados que la rodean, distan de ser tan perfectas como parecen. Mientras Fenny sufre sus primeros desengaños y lucha por encontrar su lugar, un peligro (aún más amenazador) se cierne en el horizonte. El cerco del fascismo italiano es cada vez más estrecho y, la guerra, una promesa cada vez más cercana...
Ambientada antre los años 1933 y 1949, Fenny es ante todo una encantadora novela de aprendizaje. A lo largo de sus páginas somos testigos de la transformación de Fenny: una joven tímida e inexperta que termina convirtiéndose en una mujer valiente, dispuesta a sacrificarse por sus convicciones. Las localizaciones de la novela son bellísimas, y es un auténtico placer perderse entre las descripciones de Florencia y los bellos pueblecitos que la rodean. Pese a todo, no esperéis una fábula edulcorada en la que triunfa el amor y la belleza. "Fenny" es una novela que avanza a ras del suelo, con realismo y coraje.
Pese a todas sus virtudes, me apena decir que la parte final de la novela no mantiene el interés de la primera mitad. Quizá no hubiese sido necesario alargar tanto la trama, que termina resultando repetitiva (al menos en en lo que concierne al personaje de Fenny). Pero como sirve para poner el broche final a la encantadora historia de una pareja de personajes secundarios, el fallo queda perdonado.
Pero, como en tantas ocasiones, las apariencias pueden llevar a engaño, y las relaciones y afectos del acaudalado grupo de expatriados que la rodean, distan de ser tan perfectas como parecen. Mientras Fenny sufre sus primeros desengaños y lucha por encontrar su lugar, un peligro (aún más amenazador) se cierne en el horizonte. El cerco del fascismo italiano es cada vez más estrecho y, la guerra, una promesa cada vez más cercana...
Ambientada antre los años 1933 y 1949, Fenny es ante todo una encantadora novela de aprendizaje. A lo largo de sus páginas somos testigos de la transformación de Fenny: una joven tímida e inexperta que termina convirtiéndose en una mujer valiente, dispuesta a sacrificarse por sus convicciones. Las localizaciones de la novela son bellísimas, y es un auténtico placer perderse entre las descripciones de Florencia y los bellos pueblecitos que la rodean. Pese a todo, no esperéis una fábula edulcorada en la que triunfa el amor y la belleza. "Fenny" es una novela que avanza a ras del suelo, con realismo y coraje.
Pese a todas sus virtudes, me apena decir que la parte final de la novela no mantiene el interés de la primera mitad. Quizá no hubiese sido necesario alargar tanto la trama, que termina resultando repetitiva (al menos en en lo que concierne al personaje de Fenny). Pero como sirve para poner el broche final a la encantadora historia de una pareja de personajes secundarios, el fallo queda perdonado.
August 12, 2017
Lovely book
I'm enjoyed this book so much! I think that I have found a new favorite Author. When I read the Last page it felt like I was telling a good friend goodbye.
I'm enjoyed this book so much! I think that I have found a new favorite Author. When I read the Last page it felt like I was telling a good friend goodbye.
February 2, 2020
This book moves into my favorite top ten Virago Modern Classics. Many terrific reviews provide details so I will just rate it a 4.65!
August 28, 2025
I loved this tale of “Fenny”, a young governess who takes a job in Tuscany.
May 8, 2017
I am giving this a 4 star rating despite the fact that I had some major difficulties with it. I just can't bring myself to give it anything less than that because the writing is so spot on and the story so absorbing that I would be doing it an injustice to give it a 3.
That being said, I would be doing YOU an injustice not to tell you that this should've been 2 books or just 1 book with the entire last half dropped. I often have this complaint about novels and this is no exception. It was like Cooper couldn't decide when to stop writing. Stop. Stop it now.
The novel spans from 1933-1949 and takes place in Italy with a cast of English and American characters. All the players are there--a single and somewhat adrift English nanny (Fenny), the glamorous rich people she works for, angry young man/suitor who sort of pursues her, poor little rich children caught in the middle. Then of course the ugly specter of war and fascism rear their ugly heads and we have another host of things to deal with. It is an engaging read and I was quite transfixed by it.
Then, it just kept going on and on and I found myself just a tad sick of Fenny and her damn life.
I would recommend reading it but just know that you might loose steam the farther you go.
That being said, I would be doing YOU an injustice not to tell you that this should've been 2 books or just 1 book with the entire last half dropped. I often have this complaint about novels and this is no exception. It was like Cooper couldn't decide when to stop writing. Stop. Stop it now.
The novel spans from 1933-1949 and takes place in Italy with a cast of English and American characters. All the players are there--a single and somewhat adrift English nanny (Fenny), the glamorous rich people she works for, angry young man/suitor who sort of pursues her, poor little rich children caught in the middle. Then of course the ugly specter of war and fascism rear their ugly heads and we have another host of things to deal with. It is an engaging read and I was quite transfixed by it.
Then, it just kept going on and on and I found myself just a tad sick of Fenny and her damn life.
I would recommend reading it but just know that you might loose steam the farther you go.
December 2, 2021
"Fenny" is one of those marvelous discoveries which I spotted on the dusty shelves of a secondhand bookstore, in this case, Halper's Books in Tel Aviv, Israel. Published by Virago Modern Classics, the novel opens as Ellen Fenwick "sits on the edge of her seat, a starter poised for a race," as her train pulls into the station in Florence in 1933, where she is to begin her new position as a governess.
"Fenny" is one of the most sympathetic literary characters I have come across. Even in the face of many disappointments, she acts ethically and empathically. Lettice Cooper's descriptions of Florence are so beautiful and vivid I almost felt as if I was there. Especially gripping are the ways in which this novel is set in the backdrop of the slow but inevitable arrival of war, and the cruel torture and imprisonment of those who speak out against Fascism in Italy.
"Fenny" deserves to be better known. I read it in the space of a day - beginning on Friday night, and ending on Saturday evening. It is utterly engrossing.
"Fenny" is one of the most sympathetic literary characters I have come across. Even in the face of many disappointments, she acts ethically and empathically. Lettice Cooper's descriptions of Florence are so beautiful and vivid I almost felt as if I was there. Especially gripping are the ways in which this novel is set in the backdrop of the slow but inevitable arrival of war, and the cruel torture and imprisonment of those who speak out against Fascism in Italy.
"Fenny" deserves to be better known. I read it in the space of a day - beginning on Friday night, and ending on Saturday evening. It is utterly engrossing.
August 13, 2017
An excellent story well-told!
Fenny is an an honest and engaging heroine, someone I would like to know. Lettice Cooper has given her just the right amount of optimism and wisdom gained by experience to leave a pleasant glow in the mind of the reader.
Fenny is an an honest and engaging heroine, someone I would like to know. Lettice Cooper has given her just the right amount of optimism and wisdom gained by experience to leave a pleasant glow in the mind of the reader.
December 6, 2017
Well written classic story with a beginning, middle and end.
January 28, 2018
Un roman superbe, authentique, émouvant et maîtrisé de la première à la dernière page. J'ai adoré et lirai sans aucun doute les autres écrits de cette romancière anglaise injustement méconnue.
March 24, 2023
Another good read from Virago Modern Classics from an author I had never heard of. It appears to me one of the reasons they reissued this was that she had just turned 90. The person who wrote the Introduction, a novelist who had won several literary awards, Francis King, said this:
• This novel is published to celebrate Lettice Cooper’s ninetieth birthday. One can only wish her many happy returns of her novels in further editions, to delight generation after generation of readers.
Well, it worked because her novel delighted me. And luckily when reading up on her, I became intrigued about another novel of hers, ‘The New House’. That book describes one day in the life of a family. It brought to mind another book in which the events of one day made up the theme of a novel, “If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things” by Jon McGregor. I am really getting off track here....my apologies. 🤪
Fenny is a nickname for Miss Ellen Fenwick. We join her life when she is 21 and becomes governess to Juliet, whose parents on the surface seem normal and happy but as we all know things aren’t often what they seem. They have taken an extended holiday in Italy in 1933, when Mussolini is first becoming into power. The novel goes from 1933 to 1949, from some years before World War Two to some time afterwards. The novel is to a large extent about the personal life of Fenny but it certainly is contextual.
This was one of those novels in which I had no plans to be reading throughout a good deal of the day, but I had to finish it. What happened to Ellen? I read the ~300-page book in one day. At first I thought it was going to be boring, but Lettice Cooper certainly knows how to tell a story...
Notes:
• Fenny is available for free from the Open Library! 🙂 https://openlibrary.org/books/OL61430...
• Persephone has re-issued The New House (1936 original publication date) and National Provincial (original publication date 1938).
• Biography of Lettice Cooper from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettice...
Reviews
• https://theliterarysisters.wordpress....
• https://karensbooksandchocolate.blogs...
• https://www.librarything.com/work/75937
• This novel is published to celebrate Lettice Cooper’s ninetieth birthday. One can only wish her many happy returns of her novels in further editions, to delight generation after generation of readers.
Well, it worked because her novel delighted me. And luckily when reading up on her, I became intrigued about another novel of hers, ‘The New House’. That book describes one day in the life of a family. It brought to mind another book in which the events of one day made up the theme of a novel, “If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things” by Jon McGregor. I am really getting off track here....my apologies. 🤪
Fenny is a nickname for Miss Ellen Fenwick. We join her life when she is 21 and becomes governess to Juliet, whose parents on the surface seem normal and happy but as we all know things aren’t often what they seem. They have taken an extended holiday in Italy in 1933, when Mussolini is first becoming into power. The novel goes from 1933 to 1949, from some years before World War Two to some time afterwards. The novel is to a large extent about the personal life of Fenny but it certainly is contextual.
This was one of those novels in which I had no plans to be reading throughout a good deal of the day, but I had to finish it. What happened to Ellen? I read the ~300-page book in one day. At first I thought it was going to be boring, but Lettice Cooper certainly knows how to tell a story...
Notes:
• Fenny is available for free from the Open Library! 🙂 https://openlibrary.org/books/OL61430...
• Persephone has re-issued The New House (1936 original publication date) and National Provincial (original publication date 1938).
• Biography of Lettice Cooper from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettice...
Reviews
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• https://karensbooksandchocolate.blogs...
• https://www.librarything.com/work/75937
October 1, 2023
In parts sad, enlightening and always engaging. I enjoyed reading about the often lonely life of an English governess living in Italy before and during World War 2. Her resilience and generosity were heart warming.
April 7, 2019
Not for me
I’m so sorry I just couldn’t get into this book. To me it jumped around a bit. Perhaps later on I’ll try it again
I’m so sorry I just couldn’t get into this book. To me it jumped around a bit. Perhaps later on I’ll try it again
May 9, 2024
This novel is set in Italy just before the outbreak of the Second World War moving to post wartime at its conclusion. All the beauty and passion Italy is woven into the story.
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