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The Archers: Ambridge At War
‘Intriguing, comforting and endearingly familiar’ Katie Fforde
‘The BBC’s most downloaded radio show’ The Guardian
‘Incredible legacy’ The BBC
‘Longest running drama in the world’ The i News
'a gripping plot full of love affairs, deceit, loss and more' Radio Times
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of The Archers hitting the radio waves.
It’s 1940 and war has broken out. It is midnight at the turn of the year, and Walter Gabriel speaks the same line that opened the very first radio episode – 'And a Happy New Year to you all!' For Ambridge, a village in the heart of the English countryside, this year will bring change in ways no one was expecting.
From the Pargetters at Lower Loxley to the loving, hard-working Archer family at Brookfield Farm, the war will be hard for all of them. And the New Year brings the arrival of evacuees to Ambridge, shaking things up in the close-knit rural community.
As the villagers embrace wartime spirit, the families that listeners have known and loved for generations face an uphill battle to keep their secrets hidden. Especially as someone is intent on revealing those secrets to the whole village . . .
Beautifully produced, with stunning endpapers, this is the perfect read for all Archers fans.
‘The BBC’s most downloaded radio show’ The Guardian
‘Incredible legacy’ The BBC
‘Longest running drama in the world’ The i News
'a gripping plot full of love affairs, deceit, loss and more' Radio Times
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of The Archers hitting the radio waves.
It’s 1940 and war has broken out. It is midnight at the turn of the year, and Walter Gabriel speaks the same line that opened the very first radio episode – 'And a Happy New Year to you all!' For Ambridge, a village in the heart of the English countryside, this year will bring change in ways no one was expecting.
From the Pargetters at Lower Loxley to the loving, hard-working Archer family at Brookfield Farm, the war will be hard for all of them. And the New Year brings the arrival of evacuees to Ambridge, shaking things up in the close-knit rural community.
As the villagers embrace wartime spirit, the families that listeners have known and loved for generations face an uphill battle to keep their secrets hidden. Especially as someone is intent on revealing those secrets to the whole village . . .
Beautifully produced, with stunning endpapers, this is the perfect read for all Archers fans.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
31 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 9, 2020
Really, really wanted to enjoy this, the latest in The Archers novelisations. Contrary to the hype, this is not the first novel to explore the world of Ambridge before the Archers began; novels have been appearing based on Radio 4's behemoth since the 1950s and several exploring the history of the eponymous family were published in the 70s and 80s by Jock Gallagher amongst others.
The novel opens at the turn of the year from 1939 to 40. Life in the village is already radically altered, Jack Archer has been called up, father Dan is in charge of the War Ag and Alec Pargetter is having an affair with the widow of an old friend.
Having read a lot of the available Archers novels, what I found odd about this was that it didn't feel like Ambridge in the same way some of the previous ones did. For one, there is a lot of sex in this (even Dan and Doris which made me feel slightly queasy; surely Jack, St Phil and Aunty Cardboard were conceived via immaculate conception?), along with implied domestic violence, snobbery and several anachronistic uses of language.
Interestingly, Catherine Miller chooses to focus on the inhabitants of Lower Loxley, although, from what I recall, the local big wigs in the early days were the Lawton-Hope family who resided much closer to the village than the Pargetters. She also omits the Grundy clan, the Larkins and a host of Doris' own siblings, one of whom, Tom became an integral part of the village as gamekeeper, although we do encounter her declining mother, Lisa. Even the immortal Walter Gabriel merits barely an appearance beyond burying his father and catching the writer of poison pen letters.
A lot of new characters have been invented, although as a devotee of the whole Archers oeuvre, I would have also enjoyed reading more about the older generations of those I am already familiar with and who have, on the whole, resided in Ambridge for centuries (see Jennifer Aldridge and John Tregorran's History of Ambridge).
This is an easy read and one I am sure many will enjoy, although it does attempt to be contemporary in its discussion of certain issues. However, The Archers itself is an anachronism, no matter what The BBC may claim. Ambridge is the daily escape for many, and whilst such issues certainly matter and should be covered, sometimes, all we want is a little bit of farming fantasy.
The novel opens at the turn of the year from 1939 to 40. Life in the village is already radically altered, Jack Archer has been called up, father Dan is in charge of the War Ag and Alec Pargetter is having an affair with the widow of an old friend.
Having read a lot of the available Archers novels, what I found odd about this was that it didn't feel like Ambridge in the same way some of the previous ones did. For one, there is a lot of sex in this (even Dan and Doris which made me feel slightly queasy; surely Jack, St Phil and Aunty Cardboard were conceived via immaculate conception?), along with implied domestic violence, snobbery and several anachronistic uses of language.
Interestingly, Catherine Miller chooses to focus on the inhabitants of Lower Loxley, although, from what I recall, the local big wigs in the early days were the Lawton-Hope family who resided much closer to the village than the Pargetters. She also omits the Grundy clan, the Larkins and a host of Doris' own siblings, one of whom, Tom became an integral part of the village as gamekeeper, although we do encounter her declining mother, Lisa. Even the immortal Walter Gabriel merits barely an appearance beyond burying his father and catching the writer of poison pen letters.
A lot of new characters have been invented, although as a devotee of the whole Archers oeuvre, I would have also enjoyed reading more about the older generations of those I am already familiar with and who have, on the whole, resided in Ambridge for centuries (see Jennifer Aldridge and John Tregorran's History of Ambridge).
This is an easy read and one I am sure many will enjoy, although it does attempt to be contemporary in its discussion of certain issues. However, The Archers itself is an anachronism, no matter what The BBC may claim. Ambridge is the daily escape for many, and whilst such issues certainly matter and should be covered, sometimes, all we want is a little bit of farming fantasy.
January 8, 2025
One or two familiar characters, but for the most part it is too far removed from today's Archers, it felt a bit like catching up on the soap having missed years, which is basically what it was. I liked it though, and will continue with the series.
January 20, 2021
Loved reading about well known Ambridge families during the war. Look forward to more in this series.
December 26, 2020
Review to come
October 29, 2020
Like so many, growing up, Sunday mornings were given over to listening to The Archers’ omnibus on Radio 4. As soon as the iconic music came on, everyone would fall silent: my mother wouldn’t allow anyone to speak while we were whisked away to the quintessentially English world of Ambridge. Years later, I still listen to The Archers, although now admittedly most often via BBC Sounds, and its familiarity, its characters, the fact it’s been running since 1950, broadcasting more than 19,000 episodes in that time, are all supremely comforting. It’s a safe world, enshrined in British culture. So, I’m delighted to say Catherine Miller has done a fine job of honouring all that in The Archers: Ambridge at War.
Opening at New Year in 1940, in a nation at war, the book captures all that is magical about the series: the minutiae of country life, of living in a place where everyone knows everyone’s business (or do they?), the wonderful eccentricities of the characters who live and inform Ambridge and that truly British attitude of being able to keep calm and carry on when faced with adversity. Here we meet the Pargetters of Lower Loxley, the Archers of Brookfield Farm, and a host of others, in a world well before the radio series was first broadcast on a local level in 1950. And the residents of Ambridge are not just dealing with the everyday pressures of country life, but the outer stresses of a global conflict, the menfolk going off to fight and strangers arriving, in the form of evacuees, to spice things up. Throw in a Machiavellian someone intent on airing long-kept secrets and you’ve got a great read.
To be frank even if you haven’t heard of The Archers and have never listened to an episode, this would be an enjoyable book. It’s also very beautiful, with a gorgeous illustrative cover and, my personal favourite, colourful maps on the front and endpapers. Gosh, I’m such a book nerd. That apart, I hope, if you haven’t caught up with Ambridge before, Miller’s novel will be the hook for you to go off and stream an episode, tune in live or listen to the omnibus on a Sunday morn. It’s worth it. And if you’re a diehard fan, well, it goes without saying The Archers: Ambridge at War is definitely the book for you.
Recommended.
See: https://www.theliteraryshed.co.uk/rea...
This review was originally published as part of the publisher virtual book tour. Many thanks to them for supplying a review copy. All opinions are our own. All rights reserved.
Opening at New Year in 1940, in a nation at war, the book captures all that is magical about the series: the minutiae of country life, of living in a place where everyone knows everyone’s business (or do they?), the wonderful eccentricities of the characters who live and inform Ambridge and that truly British attitude of being able to keep calm and carry on when faced with adversity. Here we meet the Pargetters of Lower Loxley, the Archers of Brookfield Farm, and a host of others, in a world well before the radio series was first broadcast on a local level in 1950. And the residents of Ambridge are not just dealing with the everyday pressures of country life, but the outer stresses of a global conflict, the menfolk going off to fight and strangers arriving, in the form of evacuees, to spice things up. Throw in a Machiavellian someone intent on airing long-kept secrets and you’ve got a great read.
To be frank even if you haven’t heard of The Archers and have never listened to an episode, this would be an enjoyable book. It’s also very beautiful, with a gorgeous illustrative cover and, my personal favourite, colourful maps on the front and endpapers. Gosh, I’m such a book nerd. That apart, I hope, if you haven’t caught up with Ambridge before, Miller’s novel will be the hook for you to go off and stream an episode, tune in live or listen to the omnibus on a Sunday morn. It’s worth it. And if you’re a diehard fan, well, it goes without saying The Archers: Ambridge at War is definitely the book for you.
Recommended.
See: https://www.theliteraryshed.co.uk/rea...
This review was originally published as part of the publisher virtual book tour. Many thanks to them for supplying a review copy. All opinions are our own. All rights reserved.
June 6, 2021
Not having listened to the Archers on the radio, or being familiar with any characters, I was curious to read this and learn more.
Generally, the book paints a charming and interesting picture of rural life, with stalwart villagers and petty crimes and secrets that become magnified because they are set in a small community. To add spice, a malicious poison pen writer publicly exposes some of these secrets, from affairs to medical surprises. The backdrop of war adds challenges to the characters’ lives and you feel for the hopes and aspirations of the community.
As a new reader, though, it’s quite confusing. There is a list of characters at the start of the book which would be helpful - only many significant characters (Jimmy and Bob Little, Eugene and Jez, Whitey White) are all missing from the list, which means you spend quite a lot of time trying to remember who’s who.
The book also needs better structuring. It jumps from character scene to character scene very quickly, often from sentence to sentence with no separate paragraph or spacing. This is great at the end for some fast-paced denouements (once you’ve finally worked out who’s who) but at the beginning it’s all a bit frenzied.
All in all I’m looking forward to the next instalment in the series.
Generally, the book paints a charming and interesting picture of rural life, with stalwart villagers and petty crimes and secrets that become magnified because they are set in a small community. To add spice, a malicious poison pen writer publicly exposes some of these secrets, from affairs to medical surprises. The backdrop of war adds challenges to the characters’ lives and you feel for the hopes and aspirations of the community.
As a new reader, though, it’s quite confusing. There is a list of characters at the start of the book which would be helpful - only many significant characters (Jimmy and Bob Little, Eugene and Jez, Whitey White) are all missing from the list, which means you spend quite a lot of time trying to remember who’s who.
The book also needs better structuring. It jumps from character scene to character scene very quickly, often from sentence to sentence with no separate paragraph or spacing. This is great at the end for some fast-paced denouements (once you’ve finally worked out who’s who) but at the beginning it’s all a bit frenzied.
All in all I’m looking forward to the next instalment in the series.
November 3, 2020
During lockdown, the producers of the radio programme have struggled to keep the episodes coming but despite changes to the format, not all well received, they have succeeded. They've shown a wartime spirit! I have listened to the programme for many years, so I picked up the novel with some trepidation. Would it capture the rural community with all its quirks and quiet strengths? Would the characters ring true? I can tell you that opening the book and stepping into the story felt beautifully familiar and reassuring. Set ten years before the first episode was broadcast, it imagines an Ambridge where the fires are blazing on the Home Front and the villagers are struggling to keep the food production coming.
One of the aspects of the programme I love is the depth of characters all set in a rigid class system. You are shown all strata from the well to do Pargetters at Loxley Hall, through the gentleman farmers, to the tenant farmers and down to the workers, some of whom have a foot either side of the law. This novel has kept true to that picture. It is full of small details and nuance as the characters interact.
My absolute favourite part of the book has to be the wonderful Minutes of the Winter Pageant Committee, with all their wit and humour. Chaired of course by a Pargetter, the Lady of the Manor, they are such an echo of the Ambridge calendar where seasonal events are featured each year, such as the Flower and Produce Show and the dreaded Christmas Panto.
If you have ever listened to the programme and wondered what some of the older characters mentioned might have been like in their youth, you will enjoy this imagined prequel. If you have never heard of the programme, never mind! There is enough detail and characterisation, tied up with a mystery, for you to enjoy it for its own sake.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book.
One of the aspects of the programme I love is the depth of characters all set in a rigid class system. You are shown all strata from the well to do Pargetters at Loxley Hall, through the gentleman farmers, to the tenant farmers and down to the workers, some of whom have a foot either side of the law. This novel has kept true to that picture. It is full of small details and nuance as the characters interact.
My absolute favourite part of the book has to be the wonderful Minutes of the Winter Pageant Committee, with all their wit and humour. Chaired of course by a Pargetter, the Lady of the Manor, they are such an echo of the Ambridge calendar where seasonal events are featured each year, such as the Flower and Produce Show and the dreaded Christmas Panto.
If you have ever listened to the programme and wondered what some of the older characters mentioned might have been like in their youth, you will enjoy this imagined prequel. If you have never heard of the programme, never mind! There is enough detail and characterisation, tied up with a mystery, for you to enjoy it for its own sake.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book.
November 4, 2020
There's nothing more reassuring than hearing that familiar theme tune and settling down with a cup of tea to listen to the latest episode of The Archers on BBC Radio 4. What's so wonderful about Ambridge at War is that it conjures the same feeling of comfort and stability as the radio programme. However, for those who haven't followed any of the radio programme it's a lovely opportunity to get to know some of the background to the village and the people who call the place home.
The story opens on New Years Eve in 1940 when the country is about to go into its first full year of wartime and for the village of Ambridge, and its inhabitants, there will be some changes to be made into how things are done. There's no doubt that various adjustments have to be made in order to keep everything ticking over and for some residents there are unsettled times ahead. Of course there are petty squabbles and the same local animosities, but generally the wartime spirit kicks in and everyone starts to do their bit for the wartime effort.
It’s been huge fun to travel through 1940 with the inhabitants of Ambridge, learning their dirty little secrets, discovering their insecurities, and celebrating their small victories and moments of joy. The characterisation is delightful and so well described that I could picture everyone quite clearly, from the Pargetters at Lower Loxley, to the Archers at Brookfield Farm and everyone in between, both the village of Ambridge, and the people, come gloriously alive.
When The Archers was first broadcast in 1951 it was described as a story of country folk and that’s exactly what this is all about. Beautifully written, with a fine eye for quirky detail, the ethos of The Archers is well and truly alive in a lovely story, which warmed my heart and made me smile, and in this tough year that’s worth its weight in gold.
The story opens on New Years Eve in 1940 when the country is about to go into its first full year of wartime and for the village of Ambridge, and its inhabitants, there will be some changes to be made into how things are done. There's no doubt that various adjustments have to be made in order to keep everything ticking over and for some residents there are unsettled times ahead. Of course there are petty squabbles and the same local animosities, but generally the wartime spirit kicks in and everyone starts to do their bit for the wartime effort.
It’s been huge fun to travel through 1940 with the inhabitants of Ambridge, learning their dirty little secrets, discovering their insecurities, and celebrating their small victories and moments of joy. The characterisation is delightful and so well described that I could picture everyone quite clearly, from the Pargetters at Lower Loxley, to the Archers at Brookfield Farm and everyone in between, both the village of Ambridge, and the people, come gloriously alive.
When The Archers was first broadcast in 1951 it was described as a story of country folk and that’s exactly what this is all about. Beautifully written, with a fine eye for quirky detail, the ethos of The Archers is well and truly alive in a lovely story, which warmed my heart and made me smile, and in this tough year that’s worth its weight in gold.
November 8, 2020
Ambridge at War takes us back to the 1940s in the village made famous by The Archers. I love books that are written as prequels to well-known and well-loved series and I also couldn't resist what might be described as a saga as it's a genre I love. The fact that I have never listened to The Archers did not matter a jot but I can imagine that long-term fans of the show would relish the chance to go further back and see what the village was like in the war years.
The Archer family and the Pargetter family are at the centre of the story but there are plenty of other characters playing their part alongside them. Dan and Doris Archer run Brookfield Farm and along with family difficulties Doris has to deal with the two young men who have come to help out on the farm. Meanwhile, Alec Pargetter at Lower Loxley is living quite a different life, with far fewer signs that the war is affecting him and his family, but he has his own challenges to deal with.
The central plot is one of poison pen letters, revealing the villagers' secrets and I thought this was a brilliant plot device to also reveal them to the reader. I loved the sense of camaraderie amongst the villagers, combined with a touch of cattiness on behalf of the women and stoic friendship on behalf of the men. There are some fantastic characterisations in this novel and they really stepped off the page for me and put me right there in Borsetshire with them.
The story takes us through 1940 month by month, through love affairs, deceit, a pageant, rivalry, and loss. Quite frankly, Ambridge is a seething hotbed of gossip and I veered from wishing I lived there and feeling relieved I didn't! Ambridge at War is such a gentle story though, and a complete delight. It's the first in a planned trilogy and I definitely want to know what happens to the characters next.
The Archer family and the Pargetter family are at the centre of the story but there are plenty of other characters playing their part alongside them. Dan and Doris Archer run Brookfield Farm and along with family difficulties Doris has to deal with the two young men who have come to help out on the farm. Meanwhile, Alec Pargetter at Lower Loxley is living quite a different life, with far fewer signs that the war is affecting him and his family, but he has his own challenges to deal with.
The central plot is one of poison pen letters, revealing the villagers' secrets and I thought this was a brilliant plot device to also reveal them to the reader. I loved the sense of camaraderie amongst the villagers, combined with a touch of cattiness on behalf of the women and stoic friendship on behalf of the men. There are some fantastic characterisations in this novel and they really stepped off the page for me and put me right there in Borsetshire with them.
The story takes us through 1940 month by month, through love affairs, deceit, a pageant, rivalry, and loss. Quite frankly, Ambridge is a seething hotbed of gossip and I veered from wishing I lived there and feeling relieved I didn't! Ambridge at War is such a gentle story though, and a complete delight. It's the first in a planned trilogy and I definitely want to know what happens to the characters next.
January 1, 2021
The Archers might not be something the younger generations will recognise, although they may have heard their grandmothers or parents talk about this infamous long-running radio show and audio soap opera of its day. It has a solid loyal audience.
Listening to the radio seems to be a little bit of a lost art. I mean really listen to a story or something like the fictional world of The Archers, as opposed to songs, ads and just for the popular breakfast DJ. One of my guilty pleasures as a child was listening to The Whistler late at night, both shows are precursors to the modern audiobook.
If you have never listened to an episode of The Archers before then perhaps this delightful book can be seen as an open invitation to join them. Even with no prior knowledge it's a read steeped in delightfully quirky and eccentric rural village life. Everyone knows everyone else's business, and yet there always seems to be a secret or two. In a world that is once more dealing with the frustration, pain and destruction of war a little semblance of normality, even the village kind, can bring people closer together.
I shall end this review with the highest praise for Catherine Miller for being able to immerse herself so completely in the fictional world that has been listened to by so many since the 1950s and being able to to give readers the Archers we know so well, in this story set before that radio time period. The Archers before we came to love and expect to hear their voices - a prequel to the 19000 strong episode story. She has absolutely captured the world of The Archers accurately.
*I received a courtesy copy*
Listening to the radio seems to be a little bit of a lost art. I mean really listen to a story or something like the fictional world of The Archers, as opposed to songs, ads and just for the popular breakfast DJ. One of my guilty pleasures as a child was listening to The Whistler late at night, both shows are precursors to the modern audiobook.
If you have never listened to an episode of The Archers before then perhaps this delightful book can be seen as an open invitation to join them. Even with no prior knowledge it's a read steeped in delightfully quirky and eccentric rural village life. Everyone knows everyone else's business, and yet there always seems to be a secret or two. In a world that is once more dealing with the frustration, pain and destruction of war a little semblance of normality, even the village kind, can bring people closer together.
I shall end this review with the highest praise for Catherine Miller for being able to immerse herself so completely in the fictional world that has been listened to by so many since the 1950s and being able to to give readers the Archers we know so well, in this story set before that radio time period. The Archers before we came to love and expect to hear their voices - a prequel to the 19000 strong episode story. She has absolutely captured the world of The Archers accurately.
*I received a courtesy copy*
October 7, 2021
It is a sweet pleasant happy read. I haven’t heard the bbc series and this was my introduction to the Archers and Ambridge. I must say it was a pleasant ride.
It is 1940. Walter Gabriel starts and ends this story with the famous lines “And a Happy New Year to you all!” The book is about the year that passes between the pages.
The Second World War has broken out. Men have left for the war. Those left behind remain to tell this story. This is a story about a small county and it’s inhabitants where everybody knows everybody (or at least that’s what they think) and everyone’s business is everybody’s business.
It is a story about love, hopes and dreams. The strength people exhibit, the roles they play and the determination to live well with what they got. A bit of a village mystery in the background, a love story to go with it and lots of odds and end that one can imagine would be part of a place like Ambridge. It is a comforting, endearing, and sometimes-heartbreaking tale of 1940.
Catherine Miller transports the readers to this small village of Ambridge in its everyday way. The characters are interesting and each one significant. You love some, you hate some but you need them all to make this story.
It is 1940. Walter Gabriel starts and ends this story with the famous lines “And a Happy New Year to you all!” The book is about the year that passes between the pages.
The Second World War has broken out. Men have left for the war. Those left behind remain to tell this story. This is a story about a small county and it’s inhabitants where everybody knows everybody (or at least that’s what they think) and everyone’s business is everybody’s business.
It is a story about love, hopes and dreams. The strength people exhibit, the roles they play and the determination to live well with what they got. A bit of a village mystery in the background, a love story to go with it and lots of odds and end that one can imagine would be part of a place like Ambridge. It is a comforting, endearing, and sometimes-heartbreaking tale of 1940.
Catherine Miller transports the readers to this small village of Ambridge in its everyday way. The characters are interesting and each one significant. You love some, you hate some but you need them all to make this story.
September 11, 2024
Did not finish. Couldn't get into it, despite trying for over a third of the book. Very dull and shallow gossip storylines: someone having an affair, someone turned down a proposal due to a disabled sister, evacuees arrived and it's mentioned that war organisations have been set up, but very little of meaning has happened and it's so slow!! Too many characters to attempt to keep up with, perhaps easier if you're well-versed in the Archers already. No more than fan-fiction with characters apparently made up all over the place.
Perhaps this just wasn't for me (admittedly it is an outlier to my usual choice) but I just don't see how such a shallow book where nothing really seems to happen could be a good read.
Perhaps this just wasn't for me (admittedly it is an outlier to my usual choice) but I just don't see how such a shallow book where nothing really seems to happen could be a good read.
January 14, 2021
I listen to the Archers which is why this was given to me as a present. The story is told over the twelve months of 1940 which is ten years before the programme started on the radio. It has the back drop of Ambridge so including the affect the war is having in the country during the full year of the Second World War. The story is about people who have their secrets revealed to the village in poison pen letters. Good character development and trying to work out who the letter writer is. (It is not necessary to know the Archers but some of the characters are from families still in the programme.)
June 30, 2021
A surprisingly cynical and hilarious Archers novel. Excellent characterisation of every single female character; barely any characterisation for the male characters, with the exception of one man who is cheating on his wife. The worst casualty of this is Dan Archer, who is here an inept and rather stupid man (at least until he develops a rather sweet side in the very last page). It's superbly plotted though, and its roving narrative voice is simultaneously a comfort and an incendiary new curator of Ambridge stories: after all, who was expecting to find a sentence like 'she gave his penis a playful flick' in this book?!
September 24, 2021
I am a real Archers fan and was looking forward to reading this book. I had little except perhaps some intrigue as to what some of the back-stories might be. I am very much aware that writing a book is a challenge at the best of times, especially more so when it carries the expectations of
a nation of fans, and I really don’t want to decry the author’s efforts but alas this book does disappoint. It is not very well written, as
in the text doesn’t flow too well and some of the language is far too modern; people
In rural England in the 1940s would not usé
Some of the expressions.
Hay ho… well done for having the courage to write it nevertheless.
a nation of fans, and I really don’t want to decry the author’s efforts but alas this book does disappoint. It is not very well written, as
in the text doesn’t flow too well and some of the language is far too modern; people
In rural England in the 1940s would not usé
Some of the expressions.
Hay ho… well done for having the courage to write it nevertheless.
November 21, 2020
A highly entertaining novel based around the lives of those living in Ambridge in 1940. As a fan of the Archers, I enjoyed it from that point of view, but also found it moving, realistic and thought provoking as a novel in its own right. It covers difficult subjects such as dementia, infidelity and illness with great compassion and made me think.
I throughly enjoyed this book, and it gave me just a small glimpse of what life might have been like in a Wartime country village. I would recommend this, both to fans of the Archers and those who enjoy historical fiction.
I throughly enjoyed this book, and it gave me just a small glimpse of what life might have been like in a Wartime country village. I would recommend this, both to fans of the Archers and those who enjoy historical fiction.
January 18, 2024
Mildly entertaining book, but what a pity Miller chose to invent her own cast instead of researching the well-documented archive of the characters "actually in Ambridge" at the time. The Lawson-Hopes, with whom Doris had been in service; Tom and Prue Forrest, the Larkins and the Grundys - Martha Woodford and Zebedee Tring -only a few of the missing. Earlier Archers novels filled in the history of familiar characters. This one didn't have a flavour of Ambridge at all, just a few characters with familiar names.
December 29, 2020
In its own right a good read and it was interesting to discover some of the back history of the residents of Ambridge before the radio serial began. The stories draw you in and are well resolved with strong characterisation, notwithstanding the slightly odd choice of vocabulary here and there. By chance, I had read Agatha Christie’s ‘Moving Finger’ (1943) the week beforehand and was strongly reminded of it in the plotting of some of this story set in 1940. Coincidence? I wonder! I hope there will be a volume 2.
May 11, 2021
Reasonable wartime saga novel.
Compared to the Emmerdale books, I preferred the format of monthly chapters in this book (as opposed to the large time jump in the other series) but found the large amount of characters cluttered the story too much and I struggled to keep up with all of the little storylines.
I enjoyed the Alec and Kitty affair the mystery letters plot but it didn't feel very wartime compared to the Emmerdale series.
Compared to the Emmerdale books, I preferred the format of monthly chapters in this book (as opposed to the large time jump in the other series) but found the large amount of characters cluttered the story too much and I struggled to keep up with all of the little storylines.
I enjoyed the Alec and Kitty affair the mystery letters plot but it didn't feel very wartime compared to the Emmerdale series.
July 10, 2021
This book was a Christmas gift. It is obviously targeted at Archers fans, of which I am one.
Having said that, I think you could read it without knowing much about the long running radio series.
It is a gentle tale of country life during the second world war.
I quite enjoyed it, but it is far from being a page turner. I think the author's anxiety about upsetting the Archers fanclub caused her to devise a fairly bland storyline.
Having said that, I think you could read it without knowing much about the long running radio series.
It is a gentle tale of country life during the second world war.
I quite enjoyed it, but it is far from being a page turner. I think the author's anxiety about upsetting the Archers fanclub caused her to devise a fairly bland storyline.
January 5, 2021
Village life.
Thanks to Catherine Miller for an excellent read with the Archers never a dull moment in ambridge. Life during war time evacuees and goings on in the village its all there can recommend.
Thanks to Catherine Miller for an excellent read with the Archers never a dull moment in ambridge. Life during war time evacuees and goings on in the village its all there can recommend.
October 15, 2021
Gave up on page 186. Doesn’t flow, it is as dull as dishwater, depressing and I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere. It was a book club choice (not mine) and I can’t waste anymore of my life reading it.
June 17, 2022
I discovered this book in a charity shop. I’ve been a fan of The Archers for years, but don’t know much of the history of the characters - this felt like a cosy seat by a fireside and a tale of how the villagers of Ambridge kept the home-fires burning. I loved it.
January 15, 2023
Interesting to read about family members I have only heard about having joined the radio listenership in the early 90s.
Intriguing plot and an enjoyable read despite there being a couple of obvious errors I'm surprised weren't picked up in the proofread.
Intriguing plot and an enjoyable read despite there being a couple of obvious errors I'm surprised weren't picked up in the proofread.
November 22, 2020
Quite racy by Archers standards.
December 14, 2020
I enjoyed this wartime Ambridge novel. Dastardly deeds and intrigue abounds.
January 8, 2021
Great book loved all of the characters and their different personalities. Fun, daring and romantic
February 13, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book. Hope there is more to follow.
February 28, 2021
Disappointing. Should be sub-titled Fifty Shades of Grey Gables!
April 23, 2021
I know little about The Archers, but a friend lent me this book and I thought it was a very enjoyable read.
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