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Die Elstern Im Garten
Fran returns to Old Swithinford only to discover that her childhood memories of placid village life have been transformed by discontent and a struggle between progress and tradition.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Sybil Marshall
48 books11 followersBorn Sybil Mary Edwards, she was educated at Ramsey Heights Elementary School, 1919-1923, Ramsey Grammar School
1924-1932, Exhall Grange Emergency Training College, Coventry, 1948-1949 and New Hall, University of Cambridge, 1960-1962. At Cambridge she gained English Hons. Class 2:1 (Tripos completed in 2 years).
She became a teacher and lecturer in primary education and wrote a variety of books on education as well as a collection of fiction and memoirs.
1924-1932, Exhall Grange Emergency Training College, Coventry, 1948-1949 and New Hall, University of Cambridge, 1960-1962. At Cambridge she gained English Hons. Class 2:1 (Tripos completed in 2 years).
She became a teacher and lecturer in primary education and wrote a variety of books on education as well as a collection of fiction and memoirs.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 5, 2015
That rare thing - a book too good to hurry.
Loved it but maybe that's because I've reached the age of nostalgia....am even wistful for things I'm too young to have experienced!
Lovely story with plenty of excellent women characters
Loved it but maybe that's because I've reached the age of nostalgia....am even wistful for things I'm too young to have experienced!
Lovely story with plenty of excellent women characters
October 8, 2017
A charming book, could seem a little old fashioned, but it is not, it it supposed to take place in the late 60'ies and catches that time perfectly.
July 30, 2023
"At eighty years of age, Sybil Marshall has written an extraordinary first novel. Brimming with the rich detail of human experience, A Nest of Magpies is a love story filled with compassion, tumult, and wisdom.
"Fran, who moves back to Old Swithinford to find the placid village life of her childhood memories, finds instead a maelstrom of discontent, sweeping from the stateliest mansion to the tiniest cottage. Just as the villagers are swept up in creeping modernization, Fran herself is swept away as her longtime friendship with William blossoms into romance. In the end, Fran and the residents of Old Swithinford learn that it is neither precedence nor progress that should direct them, but rather their own sense of possibility.
"Any first book by an author of Sybil Marshall's experience is an event of note. A novel of such singular scope and humanity as A Nest of Magpies is cause for celebration."
~~front flap
At 472 pages, this was a pretty weighty tome. I quite enjoyed the first part of the book, which dealt with the village and the villagers and the farmers roundabout, and the "cuckoo in the nest," whom Fran becomes entangled with when she boards with her until the renovations to Benedict House, her childhood home.
The plot begins to thicken, and become labyrinth as the book goes on and more and more characters are woven into the story. In the end, the book becomes a homily on acceptance of change while retaining what's valuable about the old ways, but a good many people are tragically hurt in the process, which made it a less than joyful read.
"Fran, who moves back to Old Swithinford to find the placid village life of her childhood memories, finds instead a maelstrom of discontent, sweeping from the stateliest mansion to the tiniest cottage. Just as the villagers are swept up in creeping modernization, Fran herself is swept away as her longtime friendship with William blossoms into romance. In the end, Fran and the residents of Old Swithinford learn that it is neither precedence nor progress that should direct them, but rather their own sense of possibility.
"Any first book by an author of Sybil Marshall's experience is an event of note. A novel of such singular scope and humanity as A Nest of Magpies is cause for celebration."
~~front flap
At 472 pages, this was a pretty weighty tome. I quite enjoyed the first part of the book, which dealt with the village and the villagers and the farmers roundabout, and the "cuckoo in the nest," whom Fran becomes entangled with when she boards with her until the renovations to Benedict House, her childhood home.
The plot begins to thicken, and become labyrinth as the book goes on and more and more characters are woven into the story. In the end, the book becomes a homily on acceptance of change while retaining what's valuable about the old ways, but a good many people are tragically hurt in the process, which made it a less than joyful read.
July 30, 2025
This was such a slooowwwwww read. There was a strong feeling of village-i-ness in the plot, characters, scenery, etc but sadly that made things drag a fair bit. I got quite sick of the long speeches written in dialectic voice and of Fran's (the main character) presumptiveness. I get that I'm not the main audience for this book about changing morality post war but I didnt think her views had aged in a reader-friendly way. Not sure I'll be going back to Marshall's work
January 20, 2026
2.5, meno 0.5 per la delusione.
La prima metà del libro mi aveva catturato e interessato, la seconda metà, però...
Le lezioncelle di (dubbia) moralità e certe melensaggini mi hanno gradualmente reso antipatica la lettura.
Peccato, l'ambientazione mi piaceva parecchio, come anche certi personaggi.
La prima metà del libro mi aveva catturato e interessato, la seconda metà, però...
Le lezioncelle di (dubbia) moralità e certe melensaggini mi hanno gradualmente reso antipatica la lettura.
Peccato, l'ambientazione mi piaceva parecchio, come anche certi personaggi.
January 1, 2020
Absolutely love the story.
Sybil’s has a first rate power description that draws you into the story.
Sybil’s has a first rate power description that draws you into the story.
December 12, 2023
A village tale, Miss Marple without the murders. The 1950s are giving way to the 1960s and even rural England is suffering the changes. A gentle but penetrating view of a bucolic past.
November 4, 2025
A lovely first novel written by an 80 year old author! Set in a British village- my favorite location.
November 19, 2023
This is a very good book but I have a very hard time following a story with too many characters. I do understand why there were so many characters, it was about an old village filled with people😏but it was a very well told story.
May 16, 2015
I loved this book - it's long, but well worth the read.
October 1, 2016
very good, fascinating time piece.
this gave us lots of insight regarding life in 1950s-70s and of East Anglia.
Characters well drawn, recommended
this gave us lots of insight regarding life in 1950s-70s and of East Anglia.
Characters well drawn, recommended
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews