Turning for Home

by Sarah Challis

A cantankerous, elegant old woman sits in her beautiful Somerset house while her family secretly plots to evict her. In the garden is Lady Pamela's last loyal retainer, out at grass is her one remaining racehorse, and in London is the man she should have married - still her dearest friend. Maeve Delaney, streetwise and outrageous, and sole applicant for the job of companion to Lady Pamela, bursts into the old house like a firework. As open warfare settles into an wary truce between the two women, Maeve sets her heart on bringing the great racehorse, Irish Dancer, out of retirement, and everything changes.

Genres: Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2001

About the author

Sarah Challis, whose father is the distinguished cinematographer, Christopher Challis, travelled widely with film units as a child. She has since lived in Scotland and California but is now happily settled in a Dorset village with three rescued dogs and three chickens. She is married with four sons.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/s...

Reviews

[Caroline Southgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, really easy read. Fun story with a sad ending.

[Teresa A. Mauk · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like a 2+ rating. Although the story was mildly interesting (I found the horse racing parts to be the most interesting), the author's style threw me because the narrator changed so often without warning. The plot is about a wild child named Maeve who takes a job as a caretaker for an elderly woman, Lady P, and changes her life for the better along the way. She also brings together a disparate group of people who end up being close friends.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Challis is an amazing writer. Every page, every chapter, is so well written. All the characters play a roll in Maeve's life. I could visualize Irish Dancer and Sally on the race course. Don't hesitate, read this book.

[GWEN WATSON]

Delightful

[Nica · Rating 3 out of 5]

She might not know it but Maeve created the family.

[Deb Ausley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me to the English countryside, a home full of laughter and adventure brought to life by an Irish caretaker named Maeve. Thanks Mom for the recommendation- enjoy very much.

[Phair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! Very moving story that brought in a wide variety of characters to great effect. While I was drawn to the book by the 'horsey content' that aspect was not really central although the horse info presented was well done. Ending was surprising. The hardcover edition had really tiny print so this was a more substantial novel than the page count would indicate.

[Christina Rochester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Maeve was like a breath of fresh air, feisty and completely unrelenting. The way in which she stopped Lady Pamela being sent into sheltered housing was absolutely brilliant. A scene I would kill to see. However the last chapter is so upsetting. Not ashamed to say I shed more than a few tears.

[Margaret L · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is very well written, lots of twists and turns. The ending is quite surprising - and certainly not expected. The characters are very well developed - and believable.

Granted, I was reading this book while I needed some distraction - but it truly kept my attention, and at times was very hard to put down.

I can't wait to read more of her work.

[Elizabeth]

I like the book although the parts about horses and things were a bit too elaborate for me.
What I also did not get was the part where Lady P preached Sophie about her marriage, the twins, etc. She never knew Fergus and I was surprised that she knew his name. That she defended him even.
Anyway, rather unputdownable. The title should have been 'Maeve'.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again Challis tells a story which relates the views of many different characters in a Somerset village, as a zany Irish caregiver moves into the home of a senior citizen. Maeve's impact on her friends, new and old, is fascinating. I'm going to read all of Challis' booklist now.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got started I just wanted to keep reading - so much so that nothing else got done this weekend - good storyline and characters with personality - sort of sad at the end.

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite books of 2003...

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good read. Interesting play between an old lady and a young woman, two very different characters.

[AnthouG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Η πρωταγωνίστρια Μεβ συνοδός λαίδης, κυνική, ντόμπρα, αναιδής. Ιπποδρομίες με ιρλανδέζικο άλογο