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Darling
Marooned in a sprawling farmhouse in Norfolk, teenage Linda Radlett feels herself destined for greater things. She longs for love, but how will she ever find it? She can't even get a signal on her mobile phone. Linda's strict, former rock star father terrifies any potential suitors away, while her bohemian mother, wafting around in silver jewellery, answers Linda's urgent questions about love with upsettingly vivid allusions to animal husbandry.
Eventually Linda does find her way out from the bosom of her deeply eccentric extended family, and moves to London to become a model. She knows she doesn't want to marry 'a man who looks like a pudding', as her good and dull sister Louisa has done, and marries the flashy, handsome son of a UKIP peer instead. But her new life is unromantic: darker, wilder and more complicated than she expected.
Then one day, at her lowest ebb, Linda spontaneously boards the Eurostar to Paris. There she is swept up in a feverish love affair that will upend her life completely.
Eventually Linda does find her way out from the bosom of her deeply eccentric extended family, and moves to London to become a model. She knows she doesn't want to marry 'a man who looks like a pudding', as her good and dull sister Louisa has done, and marries the flashy, handsome son of a UKIP peer instead. But her new life is unromantic: darker, wilder and more complicated than she expected.
Then one day, at her lowest ebb, Linda spontaneously boards the Eurostar to Paris. There she is swept up in a feverish love affair that will upend her life completely.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2022
259 people are currently reading
7712 people want to read
About the author
India Knight
35 books152 followersIndia Knight is a British journalist. Her novels have been translated into 28 languages.
Knight, a native French speaker, lived in Brussels until about the time she turned nine. After migrating to the United Kingdom, she was educated in London. She was awarded an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read Modern Languages from 1984-1987, before starting her career in journalism.
In addition to writing for and contributing to major British magazines and newspapers, India Knight writes a prominent weekly column for The Sunday Times. She is also a regular guest on British radio and television.
After writing an article in The Sunday Times about her daughter's special needs - her youngest child has DiGeorge syndrome.
Knight lives in London with her three children.
Knight, a native French speaker, lived in Brussels until about the time she turned nine. After migrating to the United Kingdom, she was educated in London. She was awarded an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read Modern Languages from 1984-1987, before starting her career in journalism.
In addition to writing for and contributing to major British magazines and newspapers, India Knight writes a prominent weekly column for The Sunday Times. She is also a regular guest on British radio and television.
After writing an article in The Sunday Times about her daughter's special needs - her youngest child has DiGeorge syndrome.
Knight lives in London with her three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 523 reviews
June 9, 2025
Well, this was a treat for dull, grey January!
I expect that most people who read it will know that this is a contemporary retelling of Nancy Mitford’s wonderful The Pursuit of Love. Knight manages to be faithful to that beloved comfort read whilst updating the setting and characters to the present (albeit still in a bohemian-aristo thoroughly English way). If you aren’t familiar with the original, you might find the protagonist - and her tendency to fall in love with various ‘Bottoms’ (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream - a bit puzzling. Even with modernising, Linda cannot be totally transformed into a modern woman. But if you adore the source material, I think you are likely to find loads of pleasure in this loving homage. Franny, the narrator, is even more inconsequential than in the original; but Knight has so, so much fun with Uncle Matthew, Davey and Jassy, who were always the best characters anyway. I actually snorted with laughter in several bits of it - particularly when Uncle Matthew and Davey get obsessed with Instagram. It might not be as timeless as the original, but it was perfect for my first read of 2023.
I expect that most people who read it will know that this is a contemporary retelling of Nancy Mitford’s wonderful The Pursuit of Love. Knight manages to be faithful to that beloved comfort read whilst updating the setting and characters to the present (albeit still in a bohemian-aristo thoroughly English way). If you aren’t familiar with the original, you might find the protagonist - and her tendency to fall in love with various ‘Bottoms’ (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream - a bit puzzling. Even with modernising, Linda cannot be totally transformed into a modern woman. But if you adore the source material, I think you are likely to find loads of pleasure in this loving homage. Franny, the narrator, is even more inconsequential than in the original; but Knight has so, so much fun with Uncle Matthew, Davey and Jassy, who were always the best characters anyway. I actually snorted with laughter in several bits of it - particularly when Uncle Matthew and Davey get obsessed with Instagram. It might not be as timeless as the original, but it was perfect for my first read of 2023.
July 22, 2024
Add the end of this book to the list of things uncle Matthew hates. Best dialogue I ever did read.
March 3, 2024
𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 | 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝐾𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 | 𝟒*
Okay readers, don’t judge me, we’ve all done it, but I requested this book solely on the basis of loving that simply gorgeous front cover.
And I have no regrets.
I knew nothing about this book going into it, I didn’t even read a blurb, I just climbed right in and found my feet stuck in the muddy fields of Alconleigh with Fran as she observes her free spirited cousin, Linda, on her journey to find love. Trouble is, Linda’s lived a very sheltered life and tends to see the best in people, even when people aren’t being their best.
So, this book is actually a retelling of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love. Never read it. But honestly, I didnt expect to be laughing so much, and I now need to read the original!
What struck me most was the sheer warmth of the writing. It was like being invited into a family, one that has their own idiosyncrasies, language, and being let in on their inside jokes as they make fun of people. Reading this book felt like curling up in front of a fireplace.
However, can we talk about that last chapter please?! I couldn’t believe what I was reading! I felt like my life had been ruined. I felt genuinely traumatised with the abrupt, matter-of-fact manner in which the story was tossed aside. I felt betrayed by man kind. I’ve spent all day trying to work through the shock and have self-diagnosed myself with c-PTRD (complex post traumatic reading disorder). I’m still not over it. I’m not sure if I will ever be able to trust again. Best pick up my next book and find out!
❥ 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮
❥ 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳/𝘟
❥ 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴
Okay readers, don’t judge me, we’ve all done it, but I requested this book solely on the basis of loving that simply gorgeous front cover.
And I have no regrets.
I knew nothing about this book going into it, I didn’t even read a blurb, I just climbed right in and found my feet stuck in the muddy fields of Alconleigh with Fran as she observes her free spirited cousin, Linda, on her journey to find love. Trouble is, Linda’s lived a very sheltered life and tends to see the best in people, even when people aren’t being their best.
So, this book is actually a retelling of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love. Never read it. But honestly, I didnt expect to be laughing so much, and I now need to read the original!
What struck me most was the sheer warmth of the writing. It was like being invited into a family, one that has their own idiosyncrasies, language, and being let in on their inside jokes as they make fun of people. Reading this book felt like curling up in front of a fireplace.
However, can we talk about that last chapter please?! I couldn’t believe what I was reading! I felt like my life had been ruined. I felt genuinely traumatised with the abrupt, matter-of-fact manner in which the story was tossed aside. I felt betrayed by man kind. I’ve spent all day trying to work through the shock and have self-diagnosed myself with c-PTRD (complex post traumatic reading disorder). I’m still not over it. I’m not sure if I will ever be able to trust again. Best pick up my next book and find out!
❥ 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮
❥ 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳/𝘟
❥ 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴
October 8, 2022
3.5 Stars
Well-written and replete with deadpan humour, sarcasm and irony it’s a banter-filled, yet poignant tale. So very English. So very satirical. I absolutely flew through it.
It’s a decent enough, weekend read. The final third was less engaging but that didn’t spoil the overall impression.
I haven’t read the original upon which it’s based - The Pursuit of Love - but will hunt down a copy to compare.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree for granting this e-ARC.
Well-written and replete with deadpan humour, sarcasm and irony it’s a banter-filled, yet poignant tale. So very English. So very satirical. I absolutely flew through it.
It’s a decent enough, weekend read. The final third was less engaging but that didn’t spoil the overall impression.
I haven’t read the original upon which it’s based - The Pursuit of Love - but will hunt down a copy to compare.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree for granting this e-ARC.
July 4, 2023
i just wanted linda to live happily ever after is that too much to ask for
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2023
4.5, rounded up. Review coming soon, if I remember.
For now… What was that ending?? That’s NOT FAIR
For now… What was that ending?? That’s NOT FAIR
September 4, 2022
I didn’t actually finish this. After a while I realised that this book was putting me off reading. Time to abandon it! I simply didn’t believe in the characters or story, nor did I care.
April 4, 2023
Screaming crying throwing up
December 17, 2022
Such a fun and witty read about the Radletts, mainly Linda Radlett, who feels herself destined for greater things in life. It’s about love, family, social class and more. Apparently, a 21st century version of ‘The Pursuit of Love’ (which I’d never heard of, oeps). But something I’m quite curious about now!
I adored the Radlett family vibe very much! :)
“‘She takes nothing seriously,’ Alfie said. ‘Or rather, she treats tiny little things as if they were international catastrophes and international catastrophes as if they were tiny little things. It’s a crazy way of looking at the world.’”
I adored the Radlett family vibe very much! :)
“‘She takes nothing seriously,’ Alfie said. ‘Or rather, she treats tiny little things as if they were international catastrophes and international catastrophes as if they were tiny little things. It’s a crazy way of looking at the world.’”
February 13, 2024
this was really bad. it tried too hard to be funny, eccentric and quintessentially british. it ended up being none of the above. the narrator being the main character’s cousin was strange and made no sense as a way of telling the story. the characters were shallow and not believable and the author tried far too hard to make me like the main character. the way the story was written with the huge time jumps meant the narrative didn’t ever have time to breathe. it was just a terrible book and i assume it has not done the original story any justice. it didn’t give the vibes i expected and was meant to be a fun little read. i don’t recommend
February 21, 2023
Actual rating 4,5
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: The Pursuit of Love walked so Darling could run!!
I loved this hug of a book, charming, hilarious and full of great writing.
What an extra treat to have read it right after having read the original Mitford‘s one, all the details India Knight wove in shone even brighter.
Also, any book that manages to make me laugh out loud (or snort) multiple times, has a special place in my heart.
So glad I bought this on a whim (read: based on the beautiful cover) when visiting John Sandoe Books in Chelsea!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: The Pursuit of Love walked so Darling could run!!
I loved this hug of a book, charming, hilarious and full of great writing.
What an extra treat to have read it right after having read the original Mitford‘s one, all the details India Knight wove in shone even brighter.
Also, any book that manages to make me laugh out loud (or snort) multiple times, has a special place in my heart.
So glad I bought this on a whim (read: based on the beautiful cover) when visiting John Sandoe Books in Chelsea!
February 28, 2023
Brilliantly done. A please to read. Uncle Matthew was a hoot.
January 30, 2024
Literally thought it was hilarious all the way through, really tickled me. Bizarre and jarring ending though so could’ve been demoted a star for that but I loved it enough to keep it 5 xox
October 30, 2023
3.5 stars.
This book was apparently a retelling of ‘The Pursuit of Love’, which I hadn’t read and didn’t even know about when picking this up. Yes, I’m not ashamed to say that I picked this up solely because of the book cover.
Linda Radlett grew up in a farm in Norfolk; basically in the middle of nowhere, where even mobile phone reception didn’t exist. This was despite of being a child of a super famous rock-star father and a bohemian mother. She was determined to escape the ordinariness of life, so she went to Paris, met some eccentric people, married some of them, and lived her life to the fullest.
This book had an interesting storytelling style, where the character at the central of the story (Linda) wasn’t the main narrator (Franny). Linda’s life story was rehashed to the smallest details, while the ‘I’, Franny, happily faded into the background, playing a secondhand character to Linda. Franny’s partner was only mentioned in passing, with no details of the love story itself.
The plot surrounding the Radletts family was fun. Yes, it was very British and the humour was very dry. There were a lot of sidetracked and half-completed conversations - I could picture them all talking while eating, cleaning the house, watching TV and doing a million other things at the same time. They were always distracted all the time!
All in all, it was entertaining but it didn’t blow my mind.
(Thanks to Penguin Books UK for a free copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
This book was apparently a retelling of ‘The Pursuit of Love’, which I hadn’t read and didn’t even know about when picking this up. Yes, I’m not ashamed to say that I picked this up solely because of the book cover.
Linda Radlett grew up in a farm in Norfolk; basically in the middle of nowhere, where even mobile phone reception didn’t exist. This was despite of being a child of a super famous rock-star father and a bohemian mother. She was determined to escape the ordinariness of life, so she went to Paris, met some eccentric people, married some of them, and lived her life to the fullest.
This book had an interesting storytelling style, where the character at the central of the story (Linda) wasn’t the main narrator (Franny). Linda’s life story was rehashed to the smallest details, while the ‘I’, Franny, happily faded into the background, playing a secondhand character to Linda. Franny’s partner was only mentioned in passing, with no details of the love story itself.
The plot surrounding the Radletts family was fun. Yes, it was very British and the humour was very dry. There were a lot of sidetracked and half-completed conversations - I could picture them all talking while eating, cleaning the house, watching TV and doing a million other things at the same time. They were always distracted all the time!
All in all, it was entertaining but it didn’t blow my mind.
(Thanks to Penguin Books UK for a free copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
November 17, 2022
The big question is WHY OH WHY? i.e. why bother retelling such a perfect book? What can be gained from doing this?
I’m guessing Nancy Mitford’s estate asked India to do this. I thought the original might be coming out of copyright next year, when it’s 50 years since Nancy died, but apparently it’s 70 years after her death when it expires so it’s not for that reason. I am at a loss therefore, especially as the modernisation of Shakespeare’s plays as books didn’t do too well.
Anyway, in this version, Uncle Matthew is a travesty, an anachronism in this modern age. There seems to be no reason why he has all his prejudices, and why people e.g. Sadie, put up with them too. However, Jassie is a much more interesting character this time, about the only thing better in the book, even if she didn’t run away. Everyone else just weren’t as good as in the original.
A big disappointment.
I’m guessing Nancy Mitford’s estate asked India to do this. I thought the original might be coming out of copyright next year, when it’s 50 years since Nancy died, but apparently it’s 70 years after her death when it expires so it’s not for that reason. I am at a loss therefore, especially as the modernisation of Shakespeare’s plays as books didn’t do too well.
Anyway, in this version, Uncle Matthew is a travesty, an anachronism in this modern age. There seems to be no reason why he has all his prejudices, and why people e.g. Sadie, put up with them too. However, Jassie is a much more interesting character this time, about the only thing better in the book, even if she didn’t run away. Everyone else just weren’t as good as in the original.
A big disappointment.
April 2, 2023
Boring and cliched
April 5, 2023
Don’t bother - stick with OG Nancy Mitford instead.
October 4, 2024
loved this ! no notes except the very last page made me genuinely furious 😡😡😡
August 31, 2024
I do love Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love but India Knight has created a novel equally as worthy as it's predecessor. A modern retelling of Mitford's novel, Knight has reimagined the Radlett family for a modern era. Perhaps her most brilliant reimagining is the character of Uncle Matthew. Knight has turned him into an aging, techonophobic former rock star and he is utter hilarity and perfection. Perhaps my favorite passages in the book are the endless lists of things Uncle Matthew hates. Let me give you just a sample...
If this made you chuckle, this is the book for you. I can't recommend this one enough. Don't feel you need to have read Pursuit of Love to appreciate this book, it can be read in it's own right though some parts may hit home more if you have read the Mitford novel first.
But none of this made a speck of difference to Uncle Matthew. As well as hating the posh, he also considered many 'posh' things intolerable, although again his interpretations of posh was in places individual to the point of eccentricity. Some of his pet hates were obvious enough: cravats, yellow corduroy, Little Englanders, loud braying voices, people who said 'shampoo' or 'fizz' for champagne ('Rather snobbish of you,' Aunt Sadie had once pointed out, to his fury). Some were less so: soap with a pump dispenser, cufflinks, thin socks, overcoats, which he considered both posh and effete, umbrellas, pugs, 'virtue signalling', Dijon mustard, scented candles, English nursery food, including, to our sorrow, mashed potato.
If this made you chuckle, this is the book for you. I can't recommend this one enough. Don't feel you need to have read Pursuit of Love to appreciate this book, it can be read in it's own right though some parts may hit home more if you have read the Mitford novel first.
February 29, 2024
3.5 - 4!
hello, uh, i have spent too much time on letterboxd and jstor (i HAVE been academic reading) after leaving all my MANY MANY fans hungry for a book review
recommend by my girl, gorgeous book, the descriptions were so lovely & the family dynamics and descriptors were so clear and it’s like nothing i’ve read before!
finished it and my heart sank tho, i said HOLDDDD ON
hello, uh, i have spent too much time on letterboxd and jstor (i HAVE been academic reading) after leaving all my MANY MANY fans hungry for a book review
recommend by my girl, gorgeous book, the descriptions were so lovely & the family dynamics and descriptors were so clear and it’s like nothing i’ve read before!
finished it and my heart sank tho, i said HOLDDDD ON
October 17, 2022
To truly appreciate just how good this retelling is, you have to have read The Pursuit of Love. India Knight practically embodies Nancy Mitford and brings the characters up-to-date in such a fitting way. I loved it!
September 23, 2024
Loved this. It was just the sort of read I needed. The family dynamic reminded me a bit of I Capture the Castle. It's made me want to read The Pursuit of Love now, but think I'll wait a bit before doing that.
August 15, 2024
3.5 stars! Beautiful characters who’s reactions were so true to themselves, they made me chuckle🫶
June 6, 2024
It's fine, it's well written, it's witty, but it's all been done before!
BUT! Go read Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love, and you'll get a 5* read!
BUT! Go read Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love, and you'll get a 5* read!
June 16, 2025
(⭑⭑⭑⭑)
i picked this book up on a whim, i decided it was time for me to start picking up books i’d never heard of before and that weren’t “booktok” or “booktube” famous. and ALSO books that weren’t completely fantasy! i usually don’t like contemporary books as the ones i have read bore me, however this was so full of warmth and life. i really felt like i knew these characters and felt so alive in their world. i genuinely laughed out loud multiple times, uncle matthew and auntie sadie have my heart! all the characters were so fun and gorgeous, linda was so conflicting and written well and i wanted the best for her through and through.
i did not realise upon picking this up that it’s actually a retelling of the pursuit of love! so in the future i definitely want to give that book a try as well.
the last chapter was absolutely devastating and is my only gripe as it felt super disconnected to the rest of the book and was so blunt! i felt betrayed, heartbroken and honestly traumatised. i don’t think i can ever trust another book ever again.
i picked this book up on a whim, i decided it was time for me to start picking up books i’d never heard of before and that weren’t “booktok” or “booktube” famous. and ALSO books that weren’t completely fantasy! i usually don’t like contemporary books as the ones i have read bore me, however this was so full of warmth and life. i really felt like i knew these characters and felt so alive in their world. i genuinely laughed out loud multiple times, uncle matthew and auntie sadie have my heart! all the characters were so fun and gorgeous, linda was so conflicting and written well and i wanted the best for her through and through.
i did not realise upon picking this up that it’s actually a retelling of the pursuit of love! so in the future i definitely want to give that book a try as well.
the last chapter was absolutely devastating and is my only gripe as it felt super disconnected to the rest of the book and was so blunt! i felt betrayed, heartbroken and honestly traumatised. i don’t think i can ever trust another book ever again.
September 13, 2022
Crazy, zany, madly eccentric, India Knight's 'Darling' is a lot packed into a small book.
'Darling' is a modernised, re-imagined version of Nancy Mitford's classic, 'The Pursuit of Love'. Linda Radlett's quest for love is narrated by her best friend, and cousin, Fran. Their unique, somewhat cloistered, childhood let their imaginations run rife; growing up is an adventure. Although Linda believes she wants to be free from the family confines, really she only dreams of romance and marriage.
India Knight does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Mitford's original story but brings overlays modernity that makes it more relatable for today. Knight's effervescence of language magnifies the eccentricities of the families to satirical levels. As crazy as things get, there are poignant moments scattered throughout which remind us that love is sometimes not what we imagined, but it can also come when we least expect it.
Thank you NetGalley and Fig Tree for the opportunity to read and review this book.
'Darling' is a modernised, re-imagined version of Nancy Mitford's classic, 'The Pursuit of Love'. Linda Radlett's quest for love is narrated by her best friend, and cousin, Fran. Their unique, somewhat cloistered, childhood let their imaginations run rife; growing up is an adventure. Although Linda believes she wants to be free from the family confines, really she only dreams of romance and marriage.
India Knight does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Mitford's original story but brings overlays modernity that makes it more relatable for today. Knight's effervescence of language magnifies the eccentricities of the families to satirical levels. As crazy as things get, there are poignant moments scattered throughout which remind us that love is sometimes not what we imagined, but it can also come when we least expect it.
Thank you NetGalley and Fig Tree for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 28, 2023
It took me more than half of the book to get into to the story, then I liked it pretty much until the last page/chapter wtf what on the world was that -no did not like that at all wtf
I’m just gonna pretend I haven’t read the last page
I’m just gonna pretend I haven’t read the last page
August 15, 2025
3.5 rounded up. This was heading for a solid four stars until THAT ENDING! Brutal after such an entertaining read and the dreamy cover. It’s a funny book in spite of (or perhaps on account of) all the boho-rah content. I need to go read Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love now, don’t I?
January 7, 2023
4.5 stars! Great fun and in the spirit of the original - but not Nancy!
January 7, 2024
I was not expecting that ending, especially after getting my hopes up for Linda finally getting her happily ever after 😢
Displaying 1 - 30 of 523 reviews