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The Marble Staircase
Looking back she could not remember when she had settled down to mere existence, no longer expecting any changes in the pattern-let alone something as extraordinary as Mrs. Gamalion’s legacy. Charlotte Moley, long brow-beaten by her rather stodgy grown daughter Alison and very traditional mother, has been brought to the coastal town of Nything by an unexpected inheritance. The flamboyantly larger-than-life Mrs. Gamalion, who many years before had swept into the newly-widowed Charlotte’s recuperative holiday on Lake Como (“bursting through the little crowd as if she were made of a harder, more penetrating substance”) and transformed it, has bequeathed her ramshackle, overcrowded house to Charlotte. Alison dismisses her mother’s impractical desire to visit the house, but once there Charlotte finds the past returning—particularly that liberating time in Italy—and wonders if the pattern of her life might after all be changed. The Marble Staircase , an elegant tale of second chances and the ways in which the past can echo and inspire the present, was written in the late 1950s but never published. Long thought to have been lost, it was rediscovered by Elizabeth Fair’s heirs in 2021, and Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press are thrilled to finally make it available, along with the six novels published in Fair’s lifetime. “Miss Fair’s understanding is deeper than Mrs. Thirkell’s and her humour is untouched by snobbishness; she is much nearer to Trollope, grand master in these matters.” Stevie Smith
210 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2022
54 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Fair
14 books70 followersElizabeth Mary Fair was born in 1908 in Haigh, Lancashire, a small village not far from Wigan.] Her father was the land agent for the 10th Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, whose family seat, Haigh Hall, was nearby. Elizabeth and her sister were educated by a governess. Her father died in 1934 and the family moved to Hampshire, where they had a small house and a large garden in New Forest.
During World War II Fair served for five years as an ambulance driver in the Civil Defence Corps in Southampton. In 1944 she joined the Red Cross and spent eighteen months in Ceylon, India, and Belgium.[3]
After returning to England in 1947, she moved to Boldre in Hampshire.
Fair wrote six novels of English village life that humorously and gently dissected the "polite social politics" of village denizens while managing to incorporate a romance or two. Reviewers typically compare her work to that of Margery Sharp or Angela Thirkell, with Stevie Smith and other reviewers noting that her work has affinities with Trollope. Of her novel All One Summer, the author wrote that it was meant for people like herself who "prefer not to take life too seriously". Writer Compton Mackenzie said of this novel that it was "in the best tradition of English humour".
Fair's third novel, The Native Heath (1954) was published with a jacket design by Shirley Hughes.
Fair published her last novel in 1960 and died in 1997 (Taken from Author Bio in her books, added in other information from online resources)
During World War II Fair served for five years as an ambulance driver in the Civil Defence Corps in Southampton. In 1944 she joined the Red Cross and spent eighteen months in Ceylon, India, and Belgium.[3]
After returning to England in 1947, she moved to Boldre in Hampshire.
Fair wrote six novels of English village life that humorously and gently dissected the "polite social politics" of village denizens while managing to incorporate a romance or two. Reviewers typically compare her work to that of Margery Sharp or Angela Thirkell, with Stevie Smith and other reviewers noting that her work has affinities with Trollope. Of her novel All One Summer, the author wrote that it was meant for people like herself who "prefer not to take life too seriously". Writer Compton Mackenzie said of this novel that it was "in the best tradition of English humour".
Fair's third novel, The Native Heath (1954) was published with a jacket design by Shirley Hughes.
Fair published her last novel in 1960 and died in 1997 (Taken from Author Bio in her books, added in other information from online resources)
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 3, 2022
I've really enjoyed the novels of hers that I've read so I was quite excited to learn that a previously unpublished manuscript of hers had been found and was to be published; however, I'll admit that I did start it with a little trepidation, after all, she hadn't sent it to publishers and I don't know why, perhaps she didn't feel it was up to standard. It turned out I needn't have worried and I loved this one.
Charlotte Moley was a young widow when she was sent to Italy to recover from her grief, leaving her daughter behind with her mother. While there she meets Mrs Gamalion, an English lady abroad who collects others like herself around her, and organises them. She then regularly goes back to Italy to holiday with her, and then corresponds with her when the Italian holidays are no longer possible. Back at home, she is dominated first by her mother, Mrs Fields and later by her daughter, who has grown up in the same mould as Mrs Fields. When Mrs Gamalion leaves her her house in her will, Charlotte heads up to see it and quickly decides to stay and get out from the oppressive influence of her daughter. I loved reading about Charlotte beginning to thrive in her surroundings, she quickly takes to village life and brings her dilapidated house back to a home, while meeting some lovely characters along the way. Thoroughly enjoyable and lovely to see this finally published.
Charlotte Moley was a young widow when she was sent to Italy to recover from her grief, leaving her daughter behind with her mother. While there she meets Mrs Gamalion, an English lady abroad who collects others like herself around her, and organises them. She then regularly goes back to Italy to holiday with her, and then corresponds with her when the Italian holidays are no longer possible. Back at home, she is dominated first by her mother, Mrs Fields and later by her daughter, who has grown up in the same mould as Mrs Fields. When Mrs Gamalion leaves her her house in her will, Charlotte heads up to see it and quickly decides to stay and get out from the oppressive influence of her daughter. I loved reading about Charlotte beginning to thrive in her surroundings, she quickly takes to village life and brings her dilapidated house back to a home, while meeting some lovely characters along the way. Thoroughly enjoyable and lovely to see this finally published.
July 7, 2022
Charlotte Moley has inherited a house. It's in Nything, a seaside town distant from where she lives with her grown daughter. It's in poor repair. And it's full of an old woman's mementos. No one expects Charlotte to live there. And yet that is precisely what she decides to do.
To make a life for herself in Nything, Charlotte has to face down a lifetime's habits of meekly subsiding into the persona other people foist upon her. Her mother painted her as a pitiable widow whose only reason for living was her child. And her child, Alison, grew up into a most efficient young lady forever managing Charlotte into doing things the "right" way.
Indeed, Charlotte's periodic holidays in Italy became the flash of color in an otherwise monotone routine. It was in Italy that she met Mrs. Gamalion - the woman who would one day bequeath her the house.
As Charlotte tries to clear the literal cobwebs in her new home with the help of her new neighbors, she also dusts off her memories of Italy: Mrs. Gamalion's entourage of middle-class British ladies. The gallant Prince Charming. The snake in the grass "friend." Her present and her past intertwine in this story as she settles the question of who she really is.
This book, a previously unpublished manuscript just now seeing the light of day, is a gentle, slightly melancholic look at a life where the past looms large. Multiple characters play on themes of decay and nostalgia. It all feels very autumnal. The handling of some of the relationships is a bit vague, and yet there are delightful moments of wit and insight that remind one that yes, this is from the pen of Elizabeth Fair.
I think that fans of Elizabeth Von Arnim's "Enchanted April" or E.M. Forster's "A Room With a View" might find echoes in this book - echoes of the Italian "escape," and what it means to have your own identity.
I appreciate the publisher, Dean Street Press, for making this title at last available to the public, and for a digital review copy! It goes on sale in August.
To make a life for herself in Nything, Charlotte has to face down a lifetime's habits of meekly subsiding into the persona other people foist upon her. Her mother painted her as a pitiable widow whose only reason for living was her child. And her child, Alison, grew up into a most efficient young lady forever managing Charlotte into doing things the "right" way.
Indeed, Charlotte's periodic holidays in Italy became the flash of color in an otherwise monotone routine. It was in Italy that she met Mrs. Gamalion - the woman who would one day bequeath her the house.
As Charlotte tries to clear the literal cobwebs in her new home with the help of her new neighbors, she also dusts off her memories of Italy: Mrs. Gamalion's entourage of middle-class British ladies. The gallant Prince Charming. The snake in the grass "friend." Her present and her past intertwine in this story as she settles the question of who she really is.
This book, a previously unpublished manuscript just now seeing the light of day, is a gentle, slightly melancholic look at a life where the past looms large. Multiple characters play on themes of decay and nostalgia. It all feels very autumnal. The handling of some of the relationships is a bit vague, and yet there are delightful moments of wit and insight that remind one that yes, this is from the pen of Elizabeth Fair.
I think that fans of Elizabeth Von Arnim's "Enchanted April" or E.M. Forster's "A Room With a View" might find echoes in this book - echoes of the Italian "escape," and what it means to have your own identity.
I appreciate the publisher, Dean Street Press, for making this title at last available to the public, and for a digital review copy! It goes on sale in August.
May 30, 2024
One of my #24in2024 books! It was so fun to read another Elizabeth Fair novel. Dean Street Press published her original six novels back in 2017 and those were the first Furrowed Middlebrow novels I ever bought. This means that: A) They have a special place in my heart because I was just beginning to discover the riches of 19th and 20th century Brit lit then, and B) I really need to re-read those six novels because I knew so little about 20th century British culture when I first read them; I think I likely underrated them. The Marble Staircase is my favorite Elizabeth Fair (though I wonder how much of that is due to the aforementioned lack of knowledge).
Whatever the truth of the matter is, this is a delightful novel that is reminiscent of The Enchanted April. Charlotte Moley, the middle-aged heroine, reminds me of Lottie Wilkins in that they have both tried to conform to the societal roles that their families have put them into while longing to live with more freedom. Both Lottie and Charlotte find that freedom in lovely ways. In this novel, a character from Charlotte’s past enables her to decide for herself what she wants the second half of her life to be. We get flashbacks to Charlotte’s relationship with this woman, the redoubtable Mrs Gamalion, and I thought Elizabeth Fair’s weaving of past and present was done very well. There are some amusing side characters in this but I love that the attention always comes back to the lovable, levelheaded, wry Charlotte.
Whatever the truth of the matter is, this is a delightful novel that is reminiscent of The Enchanted April. Charlotte Moley, the middle-aged heroine, reminds me of Lottie Wilkins in that they have both tried to conform to the societal roles that their families have put them into while longing to live with more freedom. Both Lottie and Charlotte find that freedom in lovely ways. In this novel, a character from Charlotte’s past enables her to decide for herself what she wants the second half of her life to be. We get flashbacks to Charlotte’s relationship with this woman, the redoubtable Mrs Gamalion, and I thought Elizabeth Fair’s weaving of past and present was done very well. There are some amusing side characters in this but I love that the attention always comes back to the lovable, levelheaded, wry Charlotte.
August 8, 2023
3.5🌟 I liked this slow and somewhat quiet story, but it wasn't my favorite Elizabeth Fair novel. I kept switching between loving this book to being bored or confused by it. The sense of place in this book is wonderful, though. The reader only get snippets of both Italy and Mrs. Gamalion's decrepit mansion, but they're both very vivid and interesting.
The parts I liked best about The Marble Staircase were the descriptions and conversations of Mrs. Gamalion and her old home. I thought that the main character of Caroline was very droopy, unmotivated and bland. I wanted to dip her into a bath of ice water (like a head of lettuce) to liven her up. It was annoying how her young daughter Alison was so bossy and controlling, although I was glad that this relationship changed a little at the end.
None of the characters were strong, passionate or fun to read about...except for the recently deceased Mrs. Gamalion. Robert (Mrs. Bateman's clergyman son) was a good, solid character as well and I liked him. Otherwise, I felt a bit frustrated by the rest of the characters in this novel. They weren't eccentric enough to be funny and not "good" enough to be likeable.
Overall, I wanted to love this book (and I did in some parts), but I simply liked it. There was a lot of inner dialogue, musing and reminiscing of by-gone days in Italy. I only wish there were more descriptions of their trips to Italy each year and not just single moment thrown in here or there. I'm not sure I would read it again, but the book is worth reading if you have enjoyed Elizabeth Fair books in the past.
The parts I liked best about The Marble Staircase were the descriptions and conversations of Mrs. Gamalion and her old home. I thought that the main character of Caroline was very droopy, unmotivated and bland. I wanted to dip her into a bath of ice water (like a head of lettuce) to liven her up. It was annoying how her young daughter Alison was so bossy and controlling, although I was glad that this relationship changed a little at the end.
None of the characters were strong, passionate or fun to read about...except for the recently deceased Mrs. Gamalion. Robert (Mrs. Bateman's clergyman son) was a good, solid character as well and I liked him. Otherwise, I felt a bit frustrated by the rest of the characters in this novel. They weren't eccentric enough to be funny and not "good" enough to be likeable.
Overall, I wanted to love this book (and I did in some parts), but I simply liked it. There was a lot of inner dialogue, musing and reminiscing of by-gone days in Italy. I only wish there were more descriptions of their trips to Italy each year and not just single moment thrown in here or there. I'm not sure I would read it again, but the book is worth reading if you have enjoyed Elizabeth Fair books in the past.
July 27, 2022
I was very surprised that this never before published novel would be so good. So great that Dean Street Press and Furrowed Middlebrow are releasing it now. You can read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2022/07/2...
September 14, 2022
“The Marble Staircase”, de la británica Elizabeth Fair es un libro tranquilo, pausado y muy reflexivo que hará las delicias de todos aquellos que aman las descripciones y la psicología de personajes. La historia lleva dos líneas temporales, una en “presente” y la otra en un pasado no demasiado lejano.
La trama cuenta que Charlotte Moley hereda una casa en la costa de su vieja amiga y compañera de viaje, la señora Gamalion. Charlotte fue una vez una joven viuda con una hija que se vio obligada a volver a la casa de su madre para cuidarla. Tanto la señora Field como su nieta Alison tienen una personalidad muy fuerte y están muy seguras de si mismas, lo que contrasta con el temperamento tranquilo, sosegado y acomodaticio de Charlotte. Cuando vivía, la señora Field siempre era quien decidía lo que se debía hacer y manejaba a su hija según sus propios criterios. Esta manera de ser, aunque con un mayor grado de independencia, lo ha heredado Alison, quien no se lo piensa dos veces en acudir a Nything, donde su madre desea residir, un caserón antiguo, abandonado y con muchas cosas por arreglar, con la firme determinación de hacerle cambiar de idea. Pero Charlotte, ya madura, cree que Alison necesita su propio espacio y que, con el buen trabajo que tiene y su vida, no la necesita más.
La línea temporal del pasado habla de los viajes anuales a Italia que la entonces joven viuda realizaba con su amiga, la señora Gamalion, una mujer mayor con muchísima vitalidad, energía y de carácter fuerte, pero no manipulador. Junto a esta buena mujer y sus variadas y variopintas amistades y muchachas protegidas, Charlotte encuentra un resquicio de libertad en el que poder ser ella misma durante algunas semanas al año. Sin su madre, sin su hija… siendo ella quien decide sobre sí misma y para sí misma. Esta reminiscencia del pasado por parte de Charlotte es muy nostálgia, pero no tiene nada de romántico. Es muy real, las descripciones son en ambas líneas temporales minuciosas, como si todo se grabara tal cual fue y tal cual es en la memoria de la protagonista.
Una casa, un pueblo, una decadencia casi otoñal, vecinos peculiares pero amables y generosos. Una vida nueva es lo que supone Nything para Charlotte, pero para poder ser feliz tendrá que imponer sus propios deseos a los requerimientos de su hija.
En cierto sentido, esta pequeña obra es un canto a la sencillez de las pequeñas cosas, a la amistad, a la cotidianeidad, así como a la necesidad de romper con la rutina de vez en cuando.
Asimismo es una declaración al derecho a tener una segunda oportunidad en la vida, una puerta que se abre de nuevo al camino de la felicidad. En este sentido el libro tiene cierta semejanza con “Un abril encantado”, de Elizabeth von Arnim, más que a Trollope, cosa que aseveran anteriores lectores. De lo que no cabe duda es de que se trata de una lectura muy interesante que, a pesar de no maravillarme, no puedo menos que recomendar.
La trama cuenta que Charlotte Moley hereda una casa en la costa de su vieja amiga y compañera de viaje, la señora Gamalion. Charlotte fue una vez una joven viuda con una hija que se vio obligada a volver a la casa de su madre para cuidarla. Tanto la señora Field como su nieta Alison tienen una personalidad muy fuerte y están muy seguras de si mismas, lo que contrasta con el temperamento tranquilo, sosegado y acomodaticio de Charlotte. Cuando vivía, la señora Field siempre era quien decidía lo que se debía hacer y manejaba a su hija según sus propios criterios. Esta manera de ser, aunque con un mayor grado de independencia, lo ha heredado Alison, quien no se lo piensa dos veces en acudir a Nything, donde su madre desea residir, un caserón antiguo, abandonado y con muchas cosas por arreglar, con la firme determinación de hacerle cambiar de idea. Pero Charlotte, ya madura, cree que Alison necesita su propio espacio y que, con el buen trabajo que tiene y su vida, no la necesita más.
La línea temporal del pasado habla de los viajes anuales a Italia que la entonces joven viuda realizaba con su amiga, la señora Gamalion, una mujer mayor con muchísima vitalidad, energía y de carácter fuerte, pero no manipulador. Junto a esta buena mujer y sus variadas y variopintas amistades y muchachas protegidas, Charlotte encuentra un resquicio de libertad en el que poder ser ella misma durante algunas semanas al año. Sin su madre, sin su hija… siendo ella quien decide sobre sí misma y para sí misma. Esta reminiscencia del pasado por parte de Charlotte es muy nostálgia, pero no tiene nada de romántico. Es muy real, las descripciones son en ambas líneas temporales minuciosas, como si todo se grabara tal cual fue y tal cual es en la memoria de la protagonista.
Una casa, un pueblo, una decadencia casi otoñal, vecinos peculiares pero amables y generosos. Una vida nueva es lo que supone Nything para Charlotte, pero para poder ser feliz tendrá que imponer sus propios deseos a los requerimientos de su hija.
En cierto sentido, esta pequeña obra es un canto a la sencillez de las pequeñas cosas, a la amistad, a la cotidianeidad, así como a la necesidad de romper con la rutina de vez en cuando.
Asimismo es una declaración al derecho a tener una segunda oportunidad en la vida, una puerta que se abre de nuevo al camino de la felicidad. En este sentido el libro tiene cierta semejanza con “Un abril encantado”, de Elizabeth von Arnim, más que a Trollope, cosa que aseveran anteriores lectores. De lo que no cabe duda es de que se trata de una lectura muy interesante que, a pesar de no maravillarme, no puedo menos que recomendar.
August 7, 2022
I enjoyed this complex novel by Elizabeth Fair, written in the late 50's to early 60's and published now for the first time. It is difficult to describe without spoiling the plot. I enjoyed an "older" (middle aged/probably about 47 year old) heroine, trying to re-make her life after a lifetime of being molded by expectations from others, especially her mother and daughter.
Readers of Elizabeth Fair's six novels published in her life time will not be surprised that there is a lot of focus on houses, the house that Charlotte inherits and many others. But it is the characters that make this novel special.
An enjoyable read and a book that will certainly repay re-reading several times to find further layers of meaning.
Readers of Elizabeth Fair's six novels published in her life time will not be surprised that there is a lot of focus on houses, the house that Charlotte inherits and many others. But it is the characters that make this novel special.
An enjoyable read and a book that will certainly repay re-reading several times to find further layers of meaning.
May 25, 2024
It was a slow read, but my heart is so so full.
***
It is very slow. But I was quickly moved by Charlotte’s strive for independence at the very beginning. There were indeed times where I found the progression a tad tedious. However, my trust in Elizabeth Fair is great; I knew I’d be rewarded, and I was. All the relationships were vivid and interesting. And I’m so glad for Charlotte to have someone like Mrs. Gamelion in her life.
Also for once I didn’t find the ending abrupt. Maybe I’m at this age, Charlotte and Robert’s relationship (and how it came to be) totally makes sense.
And I absolutely love that Charlotte was indignant for Robert (that Mrs Batesman considered Robert potentially a burden) and decided that Mrs Batesman cannot “have her cake and eat it”, but not in an vindictive way.
I love Charlotte for her growth, for her clarity (that Harley is of the past) and for her recognizing Mrs Gamelion’s kind intentions.
***
It is very slow. But I was quickly moved by Charlotte’s strive for independence at the very beginning. There were indeed times where I found the progression a tad tedious. However, my trust in Elizabeth Fair is great; I knew I’d be rewarded, and I was. All the relationships were vivid and interesting. And I’m so glad for Charlotte to have someone like Mrs. Gamelion in her life.
Also for once I didn’t find the ending abrupt. Maybe I’m at this age, Charlotte and Robert’s relationship (and how it came to be) totally makes sense.
And I absolutely love that Charlotte was indignant for Robert (that Mrs Batesman considered Robert potentially a burden) and decided that Mrs Batesman cannot “have her cake and eat it”, but not in an vindictive way.
I love Charlotte for her growth, for her clarity (that Harley is of the past) and for her recognizing Mrs Gamelion’s kind intentions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2023
I almost always enjoy the Dean Street Press / Furrowed Middlebrow offering but I really loved this one. The sense of nostalgia / regret / optimism / searching which fills the entire story caught my heart. It's really a shame that this wasn't published in the author's lifetime but what a treat to be able to read it now. (Does make you wonder how many wonderful stories might just be sitting in people's attic trunks, doesn't it?)
dnf
October 20, 2022Reached 36% and then gave up - this was just too dull for me.
June 12, 2025
Update: Changed to 4 stars. I emailed DSP about the typos and the new head of the press, Victoria Eade, responded personally. While she can't change the large back catalog, she is determined that new titles will be better proofed. I appreciate their mission to bring great writers to new readers, so best wishes to them.
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Am I the only one who notices the tremendous number of typos in Dean Street Press books?? This is not the first book of theirs that has this. This one would have been 4 stars, but the typos jerk me out of the story every time. I would guess that they are using OCR and don't proof afterward. "Eight" instead of "night," "though" instead of "through," could be OCR issues. Although I'm not so sure about "Heptane" instead of "Neptune," and "eighteen" instead of "nineteen."
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Am I the only one who notices the tremendous number of typos in Dean Street Press books?? This is not the first book of theirs that has this. This one would have been 4 stars, but the typos jerk me out of the story every time. I would guess that they are using OCR and don't proof afterward. "Eight" instead of "night," "though" instead of "through," could be OCR issues. Although I'm not so sure about "Heptane" instead of "Neptune," and "eighteen" instead of "nineteen."
October 24, 2025
This is the 11th Furrowed Middlebrow novel I have read from Dean Street Press and I know I will carry on collecting them.
The main character (Charlotte) finds herself existing in the past and the present and we are witness to the changes in her life and character. The unexpected inheritance gives her time to think over her life's journey and to decide she needs to make changes. I didn't identify with Charlotte because she allowed herself to be bullied first by her mother and then by her daughter. I was delighted that she found the strength to stand up to her daughter at the beginning but could have strangled her when she was about to allow herself to revert to her old submissive role.
Several other characters have to react to the changes brought by time. One by trying to hang on to the past, another by trying to let go of past attitudes (not totally successfully) and some by planning for future changes in a way that limits their present or casts a shadow over their present. The internal 'action' is perhaps more important than the external events of the novel.
To me, this book has a melancholy air but not in a bad way - perhaps like a sad song that brings back a time in your life long past. There is no nostalgia here just a looking back to a different time when you were a different person. You have more control over the emotions you once felt so strongly, you can reflect on past joys (even lost joys and lost people) without being overwhelmed. You can find contentment and even new joys by transforming sadness into a rational contemplation.
If you are like me, you will find yourself doing the same.
The main character (Charlotte) finds herself existing in the past and the present and we are witness to the changes in her life and character. The unexpected inheritance gives her time to think over her life's journey and to decide she needs to make changes. I didn't identify with Charlotte because she allowed herself to be bullied first by her mother and then by her daughter. I was delighted that she found the strength to stand up to her daughter at the beginning but could have strangled her when she was about to allow herself to revert to her old submissive role.
Several other characters have to react to the changes brought by time. One by trying to hang on to the past, another by trying to let go of past attitudes (not totally successfully) and some by planning for future changes in a way that limits their present or casts a shadow over their present. The internal 'action' is perhaps more important than the external events of the novel.
To me, this book has a melancholy air but not in a bad way - perhaps like a sad song that brings back a time in your life long past. There is no nostalgia here just a looking back to a different time when you were a different person. You have more control over the emotions you once felt so strongly, you can reflect on past joys (even lost joys and lost people) without being overwhelmed. You can find contentment and even new joys by transforming sadness into a rational contemplation.
If you are like me, you will find yourself doing the same.
April 12, 2023
I think it's interesting that the main character, Charlotte, in this book moves to Nything which sounds a bit like nothing. Because nothing really happens here. It's a small sea side town without much action or adventure. Charlotte doesn't have a lot of activity in her life. She's mostly been controlled by her daughter and now she's on her own but still feeling a bit controlled. In breaking away from this she still seems a bit out of sorts. She meets an old flame and needs to decide what to do with him. And she meets her neighbors, Mrs. Bateman and her son, Robert. He's a quiet, calm and helpful fellow. It's funny. I had quite a hard time seeing him as any love interest. This book is kind of slow and tedious. I've read her other books and have to say I liked those much better. But if all you want is a calm, serene and scenic book that reminisces a lot you may like it.
October 29, 2025
I expected that more of the story would be based in Italy based but it is set in a coastal town in England with some reminiscences about the heroine holidays in Italy as a young widow in her twenties and her encounters with Mrs.Gamalion.
I would have liked more of Mrs Gamalion who is a great character.
Enjoyable read and the attending is both predictable and surprising as there is a twist that I was not expecting.
I have now read 3 of Elizabeth Fair’s books and have found them all to be pleasant , easy reads with good female characters.
I would have liked more of Mrs Gamalion who is a great character.
Enjoyable read and the attending is both predictable and surprising as there is a twist that I was not expecting.
I have now read 3 of Elizabeth Fair’s books and have found them all to be pleasant , easy reads with good female characters.
January 7, 2023
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I honestly felt like I was slogging through it for the first half, and then it picked up a bit and I enjoyed it a little more.
I kept seeing reviews where Elizabeth Fair was compared to Angela Thirkell favorably, but to me Thirkell is far and away more interesting and enjoyable.
I'm going to try to read another of her novels, because I feel like maybe I shouldn't have started with the last one that she left unpublished.
I kept seeing reviews where Elizabeth Fair was compared to Angela Thirkell favorably, but to me Thirkell is far and away more interesting and enjoyable.
I'm going to try to read another of her novels, because I feel like maybe I shouldn't have started with the last one that she left unpublished.
September 26, 2023
This is a lovely book. The characters are so realistic and Fair has a great knowledge of human nature. She explores how family members can influence each other and how as we get older we can be dominated by the past.
Charlotte is the rather mousy daughter of a formidable mother (now dead) and the mother of a go-getting energetic daughter. When she's left a house in far away Nything by an old friend, she has the chance to break away and begin a new life. This novel is a tale of second chances and examination of what makes life worth living as we age.
Charlotte is the rather mousy daughter of a formidable mother (now dead) and the mother of a go-getting energetic daughter. When she's left a house in far away Nything by an old friend, she has the chance to break away and begin a new life. This novel is a tale of second chances and examination of what makes life worth living as we age.
September 6, 2025
I very much enjoyed this quiet story that through the main character and her relations with family and friends explored how our ideas of ourselves and others can freeze us into a state of stasis. For Charlotte Moley, the main character, moving to a new place opens new perspectives for her -- freeing not just her but others in her life from a lockstep pinball of fixed responses.
November 4, 2022
Abrupt
The ending is abrupt, as though a chapter is missing. Fun book though, love the heroine's journey. Fair as always does a beautiful job of making people come alive.
The ending is abrupt, as though a chapter is missing. Fun book though, love the heroine's journey. Fair as always does a beautiful job of making people come alive.
August 16, 2023
3 1/2 stars
August 31, 2024
I’ve read other Elizabeth Fair books and enjoyed them, but this one should have remained unpublished. Boring, and utterly lacking in dramatic tension, it was a slog to get through.
October 10, 2022
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2022...
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2022...
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