The Musgraves

by D.E. Stevenson

The charm of the Cotswold countryside is fully matched by the charm of this delightful novel which is in the true D.E. Stevenson vein.

The gentle Esther Musgrave has been left a widow with three daughters to look after. But while the fate of Delia and Rose, the two unmarried daughters, forms the main part of the story, it is rich in counterplots which together gives us a complete picture of an English country village at its best.

No one can read this book without making many new friends and as the tale progresses you will find yourself involved in a story which glides smoothly to an unexpected end...

Genres: Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Cozy, Audiobook, 20th Century, Classics

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

There 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.

Reviews

[Melindam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vintage & light D.E. Stevenson

The Ingredients?

- cosy, feel-good factor √
- lovely English countryside √
- village life & community in conformity with lovely English countryside √
- tea consumption √
- amiable protagonists √
- troubles to overcome √
- happy (& realistic) ending √


This has been my first book outside the Miss Buncle-series, which I just loved, and I was a bit apprehensive, but I shouldn't have worried, D.E. Stevenson just knows her stuff. The story flows easily and is totally engaging in her "typically" warm & cosy style with skilled characterisation and the indispensable feel-good factor where -even though some dark clouds seem to be gathering on the horizon for the characters- everything is set to right in the end satisfactorily, but in a realistic way nevertheless.

After the death of her beloved husband, Esther Musgrave has her hands full with moving into a new home and three grown-up or almost grown-up daughters.

Delia is the eldest and, opposed to psychological studies, the most difficult to deal with. She is 26 and so far the purpose of her life seems to be carrying round a big chip on her shoulders & showing everyone how heavy it is, trying to make everyone else suffer for it. (As far as I was concerned, she did not have many saving graces, the most that I can say of her that she became kind of bearable.)

Sunny, sensible Margaret is happily married to trustworthy, kind Bernard. The only thing missing is a baby that does not seem to want to come.

Pretty & naive Rose, the youngest, has just returned from school and her girlish imagination is set alight by meeting their neighbour's, Lady Steyne's stepson, the handsome Edward, who is older and much more experienced than her, but appears to need comfort as his fiance suddenly left him for another man.

To this mix comes Walter Musgrave, Esther's stepson, who disappeared from their lives almost 25 years ago and whom they thought to be dead.

This is the premise of the story and D.E. Stevenson leads us & the characters through with a dexterous and practiced hand with satisfaction guaranteed.

Kudos also to the narrator, Ann Dover, who did a great job & enhanced the experience.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful slice of village life from D.E. Stevenson. I was almost reluctant to finish it and leave these characters behind.

[K.J. Charles]

Rather an odd one, this. It's more slice of life and very little actually happens to the titular Musgraves: instead the apparent baddie femme fatale strolls in and steals the plot but, disappointingly, is not in fact a baddie femme fatale really. There's a couple of potential plot lines that peter out in a rather pointless fashion. Very much not her best.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did she ever write a bad book?! I highly doubt it!

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esther Musgrave worries about her family of three daughters. And with good reason.

“How strange it was to have three daughters, all completely different! They had all been brought up in the same way with the same background, and in outward appearance they were not unlike, but inwardly there was no resemblance at all: Delia so prickly and difficult; Meg so sweet-natured and sensible; Rose so gay and happy and young!”

Could there ever be three sisters in one family more different than the Musgraves?

Delia is touchy and easily provoked (there’s one in every family!) The oldest is often more responsible and ambitious, but not in Delia’s case. Having felt pushed aside from a young age to make room for her younger siblings, Delia yearns for fulfillment and her frustrations are easily transferred to those around her. Alienating her fellow actors and actresses in a small village play is just one of Delia’s outlets. When a new neighbor moves in next door, Delia finds a way to ingratiate herself with Eulalie Winters. Delia very quickly (and not very prudently) enmeshes herself in her new friendship and is greatly influenced by her older, more sophisticated friend... but is Eulalie everything she seems?

Margaret, the middle child, is happily married to Bernard and has everything she wants... well, almost everything. She loves being a homemaker and creating a place of safety for her husband, giving him comfort foods when he returns from his demanding job at the law firm. Bernard is saddled with running his mother-in-laws estate and his lawyer background is perfect for the job, but it isn’t always an easy task (especially when Delia so outspokenly objects to his methods).

Rose is young, naïve and pretty. Just finished with school, she is also seeking her place in life and is ripe for plunging into in an unwise relationship. Will she be rescued in time?

I picked up The Musgraves looking for a quiet, gentle comfort read and as usual DE Stevenson’s writing hit the spot. Her characters are on-target and human, and I had to laugh when Mrs. Bloggs decides to take her dog for a long walk on an uncomfortably hot day all in the pursuit of rescuing a damsel in distress! (I loved that chapter!)

“Soon after the arrival of Puggy (their dog), the Bloggses bought a ‘telly’; (it was essential to have one, because all their neighbours had ‘tellies’) but none of them liked it much. The fact was they were all great talkers and they found it more interesting to exchange news of their daily doings and the gossip of Shepherdsford than to look at and listen to the daily doings of the outside world, and they soon discovered that it was more comfortable to sit and talk quietly than to shout and bellow at each other with the ‘telly’ turned on full blast. Of course they turned it on full blast when a neighbour dropped in to see them because that was the right thing to do, but neighbours often brought news – interesting news about other neighbours – which the Bloggses wanted to hear."

Perhaps others don’t get as much pleasure out of this author as I do. Her language and cultural references are a little outdated at times with uncomplicated plots, but for me, that simply adds to her charm. DE Stevenson, long a favorite of mine, never disappoints.

[Abigail Bok · Rating 2 out of 5]

All of D. E. Stevenson’s novels rely heavily on charm, but the best of them come with an undercurrent of seditiousness. Her most memorable heroines gently undercut what society expects of them without ever losing their air of respectable conformity.

Sadly, this book is not one of her best novels, perhaps in part because there is no clear central character. As its title implies, there’s a whole family (widowed mother, three grown daughters, and long-lost stepson) for Stevenson to wrangle—and apparently she found them as uninspiring as I did because the only characters who give the story any life are two sophisticates on the periphery who keep trying to steal the spotlight. They end the story laughing at how trivial are the concerns of a village they have left behind, and I can’t blame them.

This book was published in 1960, but only those two sophisticates appear to know it. The mores of the rest are imported from an earlier age that probably never existed. One young woman is desperately ashamed that she has been meeting a young man privately to . . . hold long conversations and draw; he’s considered a bad boy but he never even makes a proper pass at her, he simply uses her to talk about himself. Another young woman is blissfully happy in her marriage but plagued by a vague wistfulness until, you guessed it, she gets pregnant.

Stevenson seems to have forgotten the forced modernization that took place in British life during World War II, even though she has sensitively acknowledged it in earlier works. There’s talk of young women getting jobs, but the jobs envisioned appear not to extend beyond cooking and keeping house. This book was so retro-sentimental it made me cringe, and I have a high tolerance for retro sentimentality.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I picked this audiobook up but I was very surprised that I ended up really enjoying the story. My first book by D.E Stevenson but definitely not my last!

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy, lovely and satisfying! Another wonderful story by D.E. Stevenson that was perfect to read while sipping tea and sitting under a handmade blanket.

Although the ending was a little vague in some way, I still enjoyed every minute of this book. This is another somewhat obscure title and I always wonder why I don't hear more about it.

I loved the characters (especially Ethel and Meg) and the Cotswold setting—so charming! Stories about every day family life are my favorites! There's even a short section about setting up house, which is one of my favorite topics in books.

Highly recommended, particularly if you are adore stories about families, daughters, and domestic details 😍

NOTE: There was one offensive word mentioned in this book (as in Young Mrs. Savage), which I hated to read, but I let it go at the time.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely! Just lovely! How I wish there was a sequel.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though not in my top ten of Stevenson's novels, it is always good to "visit" the little communities that she creates. A very pleasant read.

[Carol Bakker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't mean 2 stars disparagingly: it fulfilled the light-fiction, cotton-candy hankering I had.

Rose was like her mother in many ways. They had the same gaiety of heart, the same interest in their fellow creatures and they enjoyed the same sort of jokes.

I'm pretty sure this is a thumbnail sketch of D.E. Stevenson herself.

It fascinates me how some children are naturally (or habitually) melancholic and broody while others seem naturally light-hearted. The Musgraves have three daughters. One is downright difficult. The other two are buoyant and ebullient. The book could have been titled: How Do We Solve the Problem of Delia?

Vocabulary builder: façon de parler (manner of speaking) / cicerone (guide to sightseers)

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another charmer from D.E. Stevenson. Esther Musgrave worries about the welfare of her three grown daughters, but in spite of a few rough patches along the way, everybody finds contentment and a place to belong by the end.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn’t feel quite as enjoyable or cohesive as a normal DE Stevenson for me, but there were still some great scenes and delightful characters (especially the Bloggs!!). I must say that the ending was so funny and quite perfect.

[Bookworman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sort of sequel to “The Tall Stranger”. It was a nice story but not one of my favorites.

[Bookworman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! A delightful ending to a wonderful series of books by one of my favorite authors.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Musgraves" is the story of widowed Esther Musgrave and her 3 attractive daughters. It’s a book from 1960, so the lives of these 4 women are very different from what would happen nowadays. Meg is happily married and enjoys taking care of her own little household, without servants. Delia is bored with village life, and expresses her frustration by being prickly and short-tempered with everyone. Her only distraction is her participation in the village play and her burgeoning friendship with the glamorous Mrs. Winter. Rose has just left school but is quite young for her 17 years. She is ensnared in an innocent flirtation by a much worldlier neighbor and comes close to having her heart broken. Then, out of the blue, appears Walter, their much older half-brother, who disappeared 25 years ago after a family quarrel. Now the manager of an African fruit farm, he brings excitement into the lives of the Musgrave girls.

In the end, all comes right, of course. Meg’s secret sorrow is resolved, Delia gets to fulfill her dream of traveling the world, and Rose recovers from her first romantic setback. All of this takes place in the purely domestic sphere - even a visit to London is considered a big expedition. It’s interesting how, even in these lighthearted novels, there was evidence of the world changing. For instance, it was considered normal that Delia, the oldest daughter, would stay at home until she was married. But everyone, especially Meg’s practical lawyer husband, acknowledges that this was a mistake - she should have been trained for a job. The family is determined not to repeat this mistake with Rose. In this book, Africa is still a colonial outpost where white folks could live a comfortable life with plenty of local servants - the bloody wars of independence were still years in the future. And finally, I was amused by the attitude that the working-class Bloggs family has towards their newly acquired TV : they actually don’t enjoy it much, because they prefer conversation. But they consider it only proper that they should switch it on when a neighbor visits, because that’s the thing to do when you have just become the proud possessor of such an important status symbol.

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed something sleepy for a Sunday napternoon, and this proved an effective soporific. The story, characters, and writing were all rather dull. I'll think I'll give it a just OK.

ETA: Oh...just remembered something else I wanted to flag. A character references Prester John, noting (not in a very self-aware or sin-aware way) that it shaped her own attitude about blacks.

Narrator was fine.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw DE Stevenson's books were being republished I jumped at the chance and bought this hard-to-find copy of "The Musgraves". Just as good as the first time I read it (some years back!) DE Stevenson didn't write complicated plots or characters but she is just the author to go to when you want something light and entertaining.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread as audio book.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Musgraves" by D.E. Stevenson is set in the same village as part of Stevenson's earlier book, "The Tall Stranger," and features a couple of the same characters. Most Stevenson novels are not a particularly difficult read, and I finished the entire thing -- 256 well-spaced pages of a (used) pocket-sized paperback -- in two nights.

Stevenson's novels are generally short on plot but long on character -- and this is probably one of her slighter novels (that I've read, anyway), plot-wise. The story (first published in 1960 -- and reflecting its era) revolves around Esther Musgrave, a widow with three daughters to worry about. There's Delia, the oldest at 26, prickly and bored. She joins the local drama club and wins a role in its forthcoming production of "The Mulberry Coach." Middle daughter Margaret is married to the wise and steady Bernard... but something is missing from her happy little home. (Just guess...!!) And youngest daughter Rose is home from school with no idea of what she wants to do with her life. Their lives are thrown into upheaval when their stepson/stepbrother Walter arrives from South Africa after years of absence -- with a startling proposition for Delia.

It's all a tempest in a teapot -- but it's an easy, gentle, pleasant read, and (surprise! -- not a spoiler, I think...!) everyone gets a happy ending. :) The literary equivalent of comfort food, or perhaps a nice cup of tea. Three stars.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the Musgraves is a standalone book, it brings back characters from previous books in minor roles, notably Edward Steyne whose engagement to Barbie French in The Tall Stranger was rescinded after she learns of his lies. He hasn’t changed.
Set in the lovely Cotswolds, after her husband’s death, Mrs. Ethel Musgrave moves from his huge ancestral home to a much more manageable little house in town with two of their three daughters. Charles’ son Walter disappeared from their lives after his father remarried. Mrs. Musgrove tends house with her eldest, unhappy always disgruntled Delia and delightful, affectionate, cheerful youngest daughter Rose comes home from school. Middle daughter Meg has married solemn, respectable solicitor Bernard Warren, who also manages the Mustave Estate. Enter Walter Musgrave from Cape Town Africa, young Mrs. Winter who has quite a history, the Dramatic society, and Edward Steyne. Intrigues, gossip, romance, and a rosier future ahead.

[Tuesdayschild · Rating 3 out of 5]

2024: repeat late night listen. This still sits at 3⭐️ for all the reason's mentioned below.

2021: 3-⭐️
At 40% of the way through the audiobook I made this comment: "Not sure if I’m going to stick with this book to the end, it’s not panning out as a cozy, gentle read, so much nastiness... and listening late at night makes it feel worse. One n-bomb so far."
Fortunately, the later portion of the book had Delia (a jealous, manipulative troublemaker) removed from Esther's home, the mystery of Eulalie unfold, Meg's unhappiness settled, and, a village mum of two daughters and her dog Puggy help Rose.
Admittedly, listening to the rest of the audiobook during the daytime helped salvage this from hitting the abandoned list.

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ultimate fluffy read, The Musgraves is characteristic of its time in that everything is a little odd in the pacing, nothing really seems to happen, but what does happen is nicely tied up with a ribbon. It's an England of Yesteryear, and sometimes it's fun escaping into a fantasy world workd where light romance and militant descriptions of food are de rigueur. Not bad at all for a truly random library find!

[Sonia Gensler]

If you like cozy family dramas where all the loose ends are neatly tied up in the end, you'll like this. (And Anne Dover's voice performance--available on Audible.com--is quite good!) The first chapter is a bit meh, but the story picks up quite nicely after that. And there are amateur theatricals, yay! Not as funny and charming as Stevenson's Miss Buncle books, but still quite entertaining.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy and charming family drama that hints at several possible plot stirrings. A typical DES, yet still a good weekend. It was rather fun to come across character mentions from other books; it was especially humorous having characters of this book present a novel written by a DES character as a play--a bit of metafiction.

[Nicci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful feel-good glimpse into an English family’s every day life. Just the kind of pleasant story I wanted to read (listen to) right now :) This was my first DE Stevenson and will definitely not be my last!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good solid 4+ rating for a light read with just enough substance!

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel somewhat bad rating this so low, but I never cared that much about any of the characters.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

not my favorite D.E. Stevenson, but still good bed time reading

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this much more than I expected to from a combination of being in a really good mood (the autumn weather has been lovely) and low expectations having skimmed less than stellar reviews prior. This is very different from many by Stevenson but I enjoyed it for what it was.

There are a lot of things I could criticize, such as the classism. Some of the humor came from the working class family demonstrating they can't be expected to know Gossip is Bad, and their silliness in having the TV on and then turning it up too loud when company comes over because they think that's what they are supposed to do. There is also one glaring racist sentence which was an unpleasant surprise.

There are some unlikable characters but one turned out to be my favorite by the end. Eulalie is presented as someone we assume is bad since she is hiding something from her past and appears to be very shallow and self-centered. After hearing her story I think she is Cinderella while the son and daughter in law of her former employer Mrs Frome are the evil stepmom/sisters. I think she was a fascinating character and she might deserve someone better than Freddy but it's hard to tell. He is not fully developed at all. Anyway, she is not so much self centered (as she appeared in the beginning) but someone finally and deservedly enjoying her life. .

I found humor in the "bad" character who reveals what a lazy dilettante he is “I’d like to be a farmer,” continued Edward dreamily. “It would be a grand life: getting up early and going to look at the cows being milked .......imagine thinking this was being a farmer, watching others work!


Near the end I literally laughed out loud when I read Delia hadn't bothered to tell anyone she was leaving town despite being the lead in a play that was just about to open! At that moment I realized Eulalie would take her part and save the day, but the predictability doesn't bother me at all. And I couldn't have guessed earlier in the book.

I also really enjoyed the ending for Delia, who wasn't someone at all likable but I think she was maybe a little bit like me (my worst parts!) so I was glad she is having a happy ending. I'd love a sequel to know how it went for her living and working in South Africa.