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Spring Magic
Frances was free. She had enough money for her holiday, and when it was over she would find useful work. Her plans were vague, but she would have plenty of time to think things out when she got to Cairn. One thing only was certain—she was never going back to prison again.
Young Frances Field arrives in a scenic coastal village in Scotland, having escaped her dreary life as an orphan treated as little more than a servant by an uncle and aunt. Once there, she encounters an array of eccentric locals, the occasional roar of enemy planes overhead, and three army wives—Elise, Tommy, and Tillie—who become fast friends. Elise warns Frances of the discomforts of military life, but she’s inclined to disregard the advice when she meets the dashing and charming Captain Guy Tarlatan.
The ensuing tale, one of D.E. Stevenson’s most cheerful and satisfying, is complicated by a local laird with a shady reputation, a Colonel’s daughter who's a bit too cosy with Guy, a spring reputed to guarantee marriage within a year to those who drink from it, and a series of misunderstandings only finally resolved in the novel’s harrowing climax.
Spring Magic, first published in 1942, is here reprinted for the first time in more than three decades. Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press are also reprinting four more of Stevenson's best works—Smouldering Fire, Mrs. Tim Carries On, Mrs. Tim Gets a Job, and Mrs. Tim Flies Home. This new edition includes an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.
“The author tells of what befell a young woman who, while on a seaside holiday in Scotland, enters the social life surrounding a battalion of troops and of how she found personal happiness. Lively and charming.” Sunday Mercury
“The cheeriest company . . . charmingly told” Sunday Times
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1942
174 people are currently reading
536 people want to read
About the author
D.E. Stevenson
65 books604 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
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May 13, 2023A rather good Stevenson with a charming quiet heroine finding her feet, a very likeable hero, a great remote Scotland location, really interesting wartime setting, and a particularly plausibly nasty villain to add edge. Hugely readable.
June 6, 2025
I enjoyed this re-read and buddy read with Lisa and Libby so much! It is a darker DES story in some ways, in part because of how it involves WWII, but it's also got DES's humor and excellent characters and enjoyable plot. I love the romance in it, too, because it's a bit harder won than some of her other stories.
Original review (very succinct!): Quite delightful!
Original review (very succinct!): Quite delightful!
October 8, 2019
I thought that I didn't like Stevenson's books during the war years, but I may need to revise that opinion. Published in 1942, it incorporates all the uncertainty of its time. And the war does have an oppressive presence that is omnipresent, not least because the main story includes an army camp being created next door to Cairn and the plot revolves around characters brought in as a result.
I thought I'd be more impatient with Frances at the start—mainly because she's so passive and has let herself be hidden away for so long. But the story starts with her asserting her freedom and taking a holiday of indeterminant length in a place she knows only from a picture. Once there, she finds active things to do with "quietly reading" being her comfortable fallback. In other words, the perfect vacation and the magic of it is that Stevenson makes it both appealing and interesting. And I really loved seeing Frances develop friendships with the officers' wives and the villagers and local laird and, eventually, with the officers as well. I think putting her growth as the main through-line of the story makes this more of a historical chick-lit novel than a romance, but that's probably just me being clever.
The one sour note of the story is the Tommy plot. Tamara (Tommy) is a tragic figure and one . She's one of those "interestingly" tragic women who is effervescent and a little different/strange who has to deal with some . . . thing. In this case, though, while the tragedy isn't made by her, we eventually learn that she is fully invested in its perpetration and thus not wholly an innocent victim. She frustrated me so much because the way out was clear and she had support and love to fall back on. So her dedication to self-immolation bugged me.
I found discussions of the war particularly interesting. None of that inevitablism you sometimes get in stories written after the war, the people in the story were hopeful but not obtuse; aware of tragedy and horror but not yet overwhelmed by them. Stevenson doesn't immerse us in the war or its effects, but we do have a few brushes with the bombing in and around London and see the destruction and cost of the war in situ. And I was particularly intrigued by a discussion of the Americans and how America's entry into the war was such a beacon of hope for the beleaguered nation. Their trust that America would not only manufacture critical supplies in sufficient quantity but that they'd be determined and faithful enough to get them through the U-boat-infested Atlantic was striking. And the hope for a future Anglosphere alliance was fascinating. These were mere character moments in throw-away conversations but I found them extremely interesting, personally.
Anyway, my engagement lived on how much I enjoyed Frances and her journey to autonomy and happiness. This wasn't quite as good as some of Stevenson's best, but it was worth every moment. The Tommy idiocy drags it down to four stars, but it's a solid four, I think.
A note about Chaste: Guy was a supremely honorable man and at this time that means he didn't tempt fate by pressing amorous attentions on his lady love. So while we have a kiss or two, there are no explicit scenes. Not that I can even imagine Stevenson writing explicit sex scenes, really. Did she ever? Anyway, this is very chaste, as you'd probably expect.
I thought I'd be more impatient with Frances at the start—mainly because she's so passive and has let herself be hidden away for so long. But the story starts with her asserting her freedom and taking a holiday of indeterminant length in a place she knows only from a picture. Once there, she finds active things to do with "quietly reading" being her comfortable fallback. In other words, the perfect vacation and the magic of it is that Stevenson makes it both appealing and interesting. And I really loved seeing Frances develop friendships with the officers' wives and the villagers and local laird and, eventually, with the officers as well. I think putting her growth as the main through-line of the story makes this more of a historical chick-lit novel than a romance, but that's probably just me being clever.
The one sour note of the story is the Tommy plot. Tamara (Tommy) is a tragic figure and one . She's one of those "interestingly" tragic women who is effervescent and a little different/strange who has to deal with some . . . thing. In this case, though, while the tragedy isn't made by her, we eventually learn that she is fully invested in its perpetration and thus not wholly an innocent victim. She frustrated me so much because the way out was clear and she had support and love to fall back on. So her dedication to self-immolation bugged me.
I found discussions of the war particularly interesting. None of that inevitablism you sometimes get in stories written after the war, the people in the story were hopeful but not obtuse; aware of tragedy and horror but not yet overwhelmed by them. Stevenson doesn't immerse us in the war or its effects, but we do have a few brushes with the bombing in and around London and see the destruction and cost of the war in situ. And I was particularly intrigued by a discussion of the Americans and how America's entry into the war was such a beacon of hope for the beleaguered nation. Their trust that America would not only manufacture critical supplies in sufficient quantity but that they'd be determined and faithful enough to get them through the U-boat-infested Atlantic was striking. And the hope for a future Anglosphere alliance was fascinating. These were mere character moments in throw-away conversations but I found them extremely interesting, personally.
Anyway, my engagement lived on how much I enjoyed Frances and her journey to autonomy and happiness. This wasn't quite as good as some of Stevenson's best, but it was worth every moment. The Tommy idiocy drags it down to four stars, but it's a solid four, I think.
A note about Chaste: Guy was a supremely honorable man and at this time that means he didn't tempt fate by pressing amorous attentions on his lady love. So while we have a kiss or two, there are no explicit scenes. Not that I can even imagine Stevenson writing explicit sex scenes, really. Did she ever? Anyway, this is very chaste, as you'd probably expect.
November 18, 2014
One of D.E Stevenson's good ones... she's not always consistent in the quality of her books, and I'd hit a few I wasn't thrilled with, but this is a rather nice return to form.
Frances Field has been living with her uncle and aunt for most of her life, and she is an invisible, colorless sort of person. She is a slave to her aunt's whims, until one day a doctor casually reveals that her aunt is not really ill, just lazy, and Frances really should go away on holiday and find some time to enjoy herself. Suddenly Frances wants nothing more, and before you know it she's packed her bags for Cairn, Scotland, a place she saw once in a picture. (That's all it takes in books like these... an inkling of a good idea, and voilà! kindred spirits must follow!)
Cairn is a very quiet coastal village... until, that is, a battalion of soldiers shows up. (This is the middle of World War II.) They set up camp, and their wives follow. Frances makes friends with a few of the women, and suddenly finds herself in the middle of more excitement than she's ever known before. Some of it's good, some of it's stressful. Frances has an enjoyable voice as one who mostly observes and is only just beginning to participate in life. Overall this is a very enjoyable, relaxing, fast read.
Frances Field has been living with her uncle and aunt for most of her life, and she is an invisible, colorless sort of person. She is a slave to her aunt's whims, until one day a doctor casually reveals that her aunt is not really ill, just lazy, and Frances really should go away on holiday and find some time to enjoy herself. Suddenly Frances wants nothing more, and before you know it she's packed her bags for Cairn, Scotland, a place she saw once in a picture. (That's all it takes in books like these... an inkling of a good idea, and voilà! kindred spirits must follow!)
Cairn is a very quiet coastal village... until, that is, a battalion of soldiers shows up. (This is the middle of World War II.) They set up camp, and their wives follow. Frances makes friends with a few of the women, and suddenly finds herself in the middle of more excitement than she's ever known before. Some of it's good, some of it's stressful. Frances has an enjoyable voice as one who mostly observes and is only just beginning to participate in life. Overall this is a very enjoyable, relaxing, fast read.
August 8, 2021
The first third drew me in with its description of coastal Scotland and the story of a young woman venturing out of her sheltered (and somewhat stifling) life. I found the middle third less enjoyable since it focused on misunderstandings and messes caused by the selfish behavior of a couple side characters. Thankfully, the ending more than made up for it. It was both exciting and charming.
I also enjoyed reading a story set during the height of WWII from the perspective of an author that lived through it and was a military wife herself.
I also enjoyed reading a story set during the height of WWII from the perspective of an author that lived through it and was a military wife herself.
June 16, 2019
A sweet, splendid little book. Though at times falling into the trap of Janetta Walters' style of storytelling the characters gently mock at in this book, it was a delight to read. The descriptions of life in Cairn, the scenic waters, and the characters' lives during wartime was interesting. It's a story that is tidily packaged to the point of saccharine sweetness at times but Stevenson also brings in darker elements such as infidelity, adultery, and jealousy. It's not as wonderful as her Mrs. Tim books, but still a pleasant read. It lacks that dry, witty humor that can be found in the Mrs. Tim books. Spring Magic's Frances Field is naive, wide eyed and hopelessly innocent of the ways of the world. Which can be refreshing too.
May 19, 2021
As one reviewer put it, Stevenson's books are the literary equivalent of a warm scone. They bring comfort with their lovely language, interesting characters and happy endings.
Frances Field has had a rough upbringing and decides to take a break from her overbearing relatives. She escapes to the village of Cairn and meets a host of endearing people, most of whom are there with the military. (The story takes place during WWII and a camp has been set up to protect the borders from Nazi invasion.)
Frances experiences various trials before achieving her happily ever after. A very satisfying story.
Frances Field has had a rough upbringing and decides to take a break from her overbearing relatives. She escapes to the village of Cairn and meets a host of endearing people, most of whom are there with the military. (The story takes place during WWII and a camp has been set up to protect the borders from Nazi invasion.)
Frances experiences various trials before achieving her happily ever after. A very satisfying story.
January 21, 2020
Well worth reading. Maybe not one of her best, but reading a D E Stevenson novel is always like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket on a cold day.
April 15, 2019
3.5 stars
”It was odd that she had reached the age of twenty-five without having decided what sort of person she was - or wanted to be. It was because she had never had a chance to follow her own inclinations nor to develop her personality. Her nature was gentle and yielding and she had a horror of “scenes,” so her one idea had been to keep the peace, to propitiate her uncle an daunt, and to keep things smooth and pleasant. All her energies had been directed to this end, and she had scarcely been aware of her own existence until the old doctor’s words had set her thinking.”
Twenty-five year old Frances Field is the heroine of this novel, and at the beginning of the novel she is as bland and dormant as any fairy tale character who has been sleeping until the moment that her “prince” kisses her. Having been resigned to a life of dull middle-class servitude - she is housekeeper in the place of her lazy aunt, who fancies herself an invalid - Frances is shaken up by the advent of World War II. A bomb explodes near her home in London; her aunt decides to decamp to the countryside; and, after seeing a painting of a Scottish landscape in the Royal Academy, Frances decides that she needs a holiday in the village of Cairn. With one dramatic exception, the rest of the novel takes place in and around Cairn - where Frances begins to mingle with the wives and officers of an Army regiment in training.
Although Frances, and her inevitable romantic storyline, provide the frame and impetus for the narrative, most of the detail is provided by her friendship with three officers’ wives and a few of the local characters. Two of the important characters have spent their lives following the drum (so to speak) - first as children in India, and later on various postings around the world. This type of British Army colonial would have been common enough in 1942, when the book was written, but seems a more exotic creature now. Although the book has a light touch, the author does shade in some of the difficulties of that way of life.
Once I got all the characters straight - and the three officers’ wives are quite deliberately muddled at the beginning - I did enjoy this pleasant story. However, despite the usual misunderstandings, the romance itself didn’t inspire much emotional engagement.
”It was odd that she had reached the age of twenty-five without having decided what sort of person she was - or wanted to be. It was because she had never had a chance to follow her own inclinations nor to develop her personality. Her nature was gentle and yielding and she had a horror of “scenes,” so her one idea had been to keep the peace, to propitiate her uncle an daunt, and to keep things smooth and pleasant. All her energies had been directed to this end, and she had scarcely been aware of her own existence until the old doctor’s words had set her thinking.”
Twenty-five year old Frances Field is the heroine of this novel, and at the beginning of the novel she is as bland and dormant as any fairy tale character who has been sleeping until the moment that her “prince” kisses her. Having been resigned to a life of dull middle-class servitude - she is housekeeper in the place of her lazy aunt, who fancies herself an invalid - Frances is shaken up by the advent of World War II. A bomb explodes near her home in London; her aunt decides to decamp to the countryside; and, after seeing a painting of a Scottish landscape in the Royal Academy, Frances decides that she needs a holiday in the village of Cairn. With one dramatic exception, the rest of the novel takes place in and around Cairn - where Frances begins to mingle with the wives and officers of an Army regiment in training.
Although Frances, and her inevitable romantic storyline, provide the frame and impetus for the narrative, most of the detail is provided by her friendship with three officers’ wives and a few of the local characters. Two of the important characters have spent their lives following the drum (so to speak) - first as children in India, and later on various postings around the world. This type of British Army colonial would have been common enough in 1942, when the book was written, but seems a more exotic creature now. Although the book has a light touch, the author does shade in some of the difficulties of that way of life.
Once I got all the characters straight - and the three officers’ wives are quite deliberately muddled at the beginning - I did enjoy this pleasant story. However, despite the usual misunderstandings, the romance itself didn’t inspire much emotional engagement.
April 9, 2025
This book wasn't what I expected - and that made it even better! I thought from the description it would be a nice, quiet story of a young woman taking a vacation from her boring life and falling in love. And yes, those things did happen. But I reckoned without Stevenson's magic! I knew things were taking a different turn when three young Army wives shouldered their way into the little community, and into Francis' life.
Though the story remained focused on her, adding in these young women who are so very different from her in some ways, their husbands and friends, in addition to the folks from the time hamlet of Cairn, expanded the story in a lovely way. And what could have been a simple story became something bigger and deeper - a reflection on love and marriage, good and bad; on war and it's effects on the men who fight and the men and women who don't; and on choices taken and not taken.
I swept through this story in one cold, rainy spring day, and loved pretty much every page of it. I'm a big fan of the Mrs. Tim books, partly because of Stevenson's insight into Army life during the war, but this novel takes those books a step further in depth and story telling, and I loved it!
Though the story remained focused on her, adding in these young women who are so very different from her in some ways, their husbands and friends, in addition to the folks from the time hamlet of Cairn, expanded the story in a lovely way. And what could have been a simple story became something bigger and deeper - a reflection on love and marriage, good and bad; on war and it's effects on the men who fight and the men and women who don't; and on choices taken and not taken.
I swept through this story in one cold, rainy spring day, and loved pretty much every page of it. I'm a big fan of the Mrs. Tim books, partly because of Stevenson's insight into Army life during the war, but this novel takes those books a step further in depth and story telling, and I loved it!
May 1, 2018
Frances Field has never really lived in all her 25 years. She's been a slave to her hypchonriach aunt since childhood. When her aunt's doctor reveals the truth, Frances decides to take a holiday to Cairn, Scotland. Why Cairn? She saw it in a painting at the Academy and it looked like a place she would like to be. In the small fishing village Frances is a curiosity. The locals can't believe a smart Londoner like herself wouldn't want more activity and entertainment than Cairn can provide. Frances is content to poke around the seashore and woods. Then the Home Guard arrive along with their wives and Frances is drawn into the lively, loving circle with new friends and new flirts. Captain Guy Tarlatan finds Frances charming but when then the Colonel's lovely, vibrant daughter Angela arrives, she turns heads and nothing will ever be the same again.
I really liked the first part of this novel. The local color is exceptional and I could picture the quaint village, hear the locals and smell the sea. I loved learning the history of the area from the Laird and everything about Cairn. It is so charming. The second half of the book turns into a sappy, silly love story with a stupid misunderstanding. I didn't care for the love story at all. I was expecting a different kind of love story considering Frances resembles Fanny Price in the beginning of this novel. Sadly, this turned into drivel pretty quickly. I just didn't feel the romance between the characters at all. The third part of the novel switches to Guy's point-of-view. While I appreciated knowing what he was thinking, I didn't like the wartime drama. The last two parts (2 and 3) have too much wartime reality for my personal tastes.
Even though Frances is rather a Mary Sue sort of character, I quite liked her and was rooting for her. She can't help being an orphan slave to her demanding aunt, thus making Frances very naive and sweet. I was rooting for Frances to stay in Cairn and find true love there. I liked the friendships she made and how she learned to live but the romantic journey didn't appeal to me.
The Home Guard wives are an interesting lot. It took me awhile to remember who was who. I liked cheerful Tommy and hoped her problems would be resolved by the end of the novel. I REALLY didn't like the decision she made at the end. It's not even a decision based on the time and place because other characters disagree with her. She constantly sets herself up for unhappiness. Midge appears to be an awful husband. He's boorish, temperamental and everyone walks on eggshells around him. Elise and Ned are a better example of a healthy couple. They are very sweet together. I liked Elise a lot and felt the loneliness and isolation she experienced as a child when she told her story. She seems to be a loving mother and is a good friend. She's my favorite of the three wives. Tillie is a silly, nervous woman who doesn't have good parenting skills. Miss Cole, her nanny, is truly awful. I liked little Winkie. He is the sort of boy Anne Shirley would like in Anne of Avonlea. Winkie is too precocious and sensitive to be socialized in the brutal masculine manner of the British Army tradition. I hate precocious brats in novels but he is very sweet and charming. Dolly, on the other hand, is a spoiled, precocious toddler who knows how to get attention. Angela, the Colonel's daughter, is Dolly grown up. She's fast and she's trouble.
As for the men, I liked Alec the fisherman a lot. He seemed like he was going to be a good friend for Frances. He's calm, laid back and good with small boys. I also really liked the Laird in the first part of the novel. His knowledge of history is incredible and fascinating but then in the second half he gets so boring. His cousin is horrid and initially I wanted Frances to get together with the Laird but after meeting his cousin, I thought she should NOT marry him. I did not like Guy either. He was too flirtatious and charming, then he turned into a jealous jerk and then into an idiot. I did not think he was a good match for Frances.
This is not D.E. Stevenson's best work, in my opinion, but it's a far cut above what passes for romance novels these days. I'm not sorry I picked this up at the library book sale but it's not staying on the keeper shelf. It's going into the box marked for
I really liked the first part of this novel. The local color is exceptional and I could picture the quaint village, hear the locals and smell the sea. I loved learning the history of the area from the Laird and everything about Cairn. It is so charming. The second half of the book turns into a sappy, silly love story with a stupid misunderstanding. I didn't care for the love story at all. I was expecting a different kind of love story considering Frances resembles Fanny Price in the beginning of this novel. Sadly, this turned into drivel pretty quickly. I just didn't feel the romance between the characters at all. The third part of the novel switches to Guy's point-of-view. While I appreciated knowing what he was thinking, I didn't like the wartime drama. The last two parts (2 and 3) have too much wartime reality for my personal tastes.
Even though Frances is rather a Mary Sue sort of character, I quite liked her and was rooting for her. She can't help being an orphan slave to her demanding aunt, thus making Frances very naive and sweet. I was rooting for Frances to stay in Cairn and find true love there. I liked the friendships she made and how she learned to live but the romantic journey didn't appeal to me.
The Home Guard wives are an interesting lot. It took me awhile to remember who was who. I liked cheerful Tommy and hoped her problems would be resolved by the end of the novel. I REALLY didn't like the decision she made at the end. It's not even a decision based on the time and place because other characters disagree with her. She constantly sets herself up for unhappiness. Midge appears to be an awful husband. He's boorish, temperamental and everyone walks on eggshells around him. Elise and Ned are a better example of a healthy couple. They are very sweet together. I liked Elise a lot and felt the loneliness and isolation she experienced as a child when she told her story. She seems to be a loving mother and is a good friend. She's my favorite of the three wives. Tillie is a silly, nervous woman who doesn't have good parenting skills. Miss Cole, her nanny, is truly awful. I liked little Winkie. He is the sort of boy Anne Shirley would like in Anne of Avonlea. Winkie is too precocious and sensitive to be socialized in the brutal masculine manner of the British Army tradition. I hate precocious brats in novels but he is very sweet and charming. Dolly, on the other hand, is a spoiled, precocious toddler who knows how to get attention. Angela, the Colonel's daughter, is Dolly grown up. She's fast and she's trouble.
As for the men, I liked Alec the fisherman a lot. He seemed like he was going to be a good friend for Frances. He's calm, laid back and good with small boys. I also really liked the Laird in the first part of the novel. His knowledge of history is incredible and fascinating but then in the second half he gets so boring. His cousin is horrid and initially I wanted Frances to get together with the Laird but after meeting his cousin, I thought she should NOT marry him. I did not like Guy either. He was too flirtatious and charming, then he turned into a jealous jerk and then into an idiot. I did not think he was a good match for Frances.
This is not D.E. Stevenson's best work, in my opinion, but it's a far cut above what passes for romance novels these days. I'm not sorry I picked this up at the library book sale but it's not staying on the keeper shelf. It's going into the box marked for
February 5, 2019
Londres, 1941. Frances Field tiene veinticinco años pero apenas ha comenzado a vivir. Atrapada en una vida monótona y gris, en la casa señorial de sus tíos, ve pasar los días sin ilusiones ni esperanzas. Es entonces cuando, bajo consejo médico, decide tomarse unas vacaciones para explorar el mundo por sí misma. Ha visto el pueblecito escocés de Cairn en una pintura y allí es donde decide instalarse. El mismo día de su llegada encuentra una habitación en el acogedor hotel Bordale Arms y allí, en este refugio de la costa escocesa plagado de pintorescos lugareños, Frances empieza a sentirse como en casa. Y aún más con la llegada de un regimiento del ejército británico y de las esposas de sus oficiales. Un grupo de mujeres que trabaran amistad con Frances, mostrándole los placeres de la vida y un sinfín de nuevas oportunidades.
Spring Magic, publicada en 1942 y ambientada en los primeros años de la II, es una encantadora novela de iniciación que hará las delicias de todos los fans de D.E. Stevenson. Cairn el (ficticio) pueblecito pesquero en el que transcurre la accion d Spring Magic (y que a mi me recordó a Portree, en la isla de Skye) es un lugar encantador. Las descripciones de sus pequeñas calles y tiendas, la vista del pueblo y el juego de las mareas. El bosque de abetos que rodea el pueblo por tierra y los acantilados que lo limitan hacia el mar...todos ellos crean una atmósfera cálida y acogedora de la que es imposible no enamorarse, incluso en los días de lluvia, niebla y tormenta.
Me ha encantado la relación de Frances con los lugareños, las pinceladas históricas que apare en el los primeros compases dela novela y, por encima de todo, la relación de amistad que crea con Tommy, Elise y Tilly, las mujeres de los oficiales que se instalan en Cairn. Más que la parte romántica de la historia, agradable pero no excepcional, es esta relación de camaradería entre mujeres la que me han hecho disfrutar al máximo de esta historia. Esas escenas llenas de complicidad, comprensión y cariño mutuo. Y es que, pese al tono amable de la novela, las protagonistas también deben hacer frente a momentos complicados.
En la contraportada de mi edición se bautiza a D.E. Stevenson como la "reina de la novel ligera" y ¡vaya si lo es! Si buscáis un refugio literario en el que desaparecer de vez en cuando, no lo dudéis.
Spring Magic, publicada en 1942 y ambientada en los primeros años de la II, es una encantadora novela de iniciación que hará las delicias de todos los fans de D.E. Stevenson. Cairn el (ficticio) pueblecito pesquero en el que transcurre la accion d Spring Magic (y que a mi me recordó a Portree, en la isla de Skye) es un lugar encantador. Las descripciones de sus pequeñas calles y tiendas, la vista del pueblo y el juego de las mareas. El bosque de abetos que rodea el pueblo por tierra y los acantilados que lo limitan hacia el mar...todos ellos crean una atmósfera cálida y acogedora de la que es imposible no enamorarse, incluso en los días de lluvia, niebla y tormenta.
Me ha encantado la relación de Frances con los lugareños, las pinceladas históricas que apare en el los primeros compases dela novela y, por encima de todo, la relación de amistad que crea con Tommy, Elise y Tilly, las mujeres de los oficiales que se instalan en Cairn. Más que la parte romántica de la historia, agradable pero no excepcional, es esta relación de camaradería entre mujeres la que me han hecho disfrutar al máximo de esta historia. Esas escenas llenas de complicidad, comprensión y cariño mutuo. Y es que, pese al tono amable de la novela, las protagonistas también deben hacer frente a momentos complicados.
En la contraportada de mi edición se bautiza a D.E. Stevenson como la "reina de la novel ligera" y ¡vaya si lo es! Si buscáis un refugio literario en el que desaparecer de vez en cuando, no lo dudéis.
February 24, 2022
These are gentle books, very fitting for times of uncertainty and conflict. Some books can be prescribed for anxiety—these are in that category. And it is an honourable and important one. — Alexander McCall Smith in the Introduction.
I would put this in the middle of D.E. Stevenson's novels. Not the best, not the worst. It seems odd to call a book a coming-of-age when the protagonist is 25, but in this instance Frances Field was so simultaneously sheltered and exploited by her guardian aunt and uncle that she had never ventured beyond their perch.
So she sets off on a solitary trip to a touristy fishing village in Scotland. Stuff happens. The war plays a secondary role, but it interests me that this was written in 1942.
Currently, I am mired in some hefty books—both by weight and by subject—and needed a light and gentle read for a break. I'm kind of running out of free DES books. I hope more are added to my digital library sites. (In true Celtic custom, I hate to spend money on fluff.)
I would put this in the middle of D.E. Stevenson's novels. Not the best, not the worst. It seems odd to call a book a coming-of-age when the protagonist is 25, but in this instance Frances Field was so simultaneously sheltered and exploited by her guardian aunt and uncle that she had never ventured beyond their perch.
So she sets off on a solitary trip to a touristy fishing village in Scotland. Stuff happens. The war plays a secondary role, but it interests me that this was written in 1942.
Currently, I am mired in some hefty books—both by weight and by subject—and needed a light and gentle read for a break. I'm kind of running out of free DES books. I hope more are added to my digital library sites. (In true Celtic custom, I hate to spend money on fluff.)
March 17, 2019
World War II is underway as a young woman takes her first vacation, heading to Cairns, a small village on the coast of Scotland. Frances hopes to find herself as well as a way she can serve her country. When she meets three soldiers’ wives from a battalion coming to Cairns, she makes her first friends and begins to find her own way in life. This is perhaps not one of D. E. Stevenson’s best novels, but it is quite interesting with its many career military characters who reflect the author’s own experience and who almost take over the story
June 19, 2022
Todos los libros que he leído de D.E. Stevenson hasta ahora (y han sido unos cuantos) eran historias de entreguerras y, sobre todo, de posguerra. Sin embargo “Spring Magic” sucede en pleno bombardeo de Londres durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Es este bombardeo lo que permite a nuestra protagonista, Frances, escapar de sus tíos quienes la recogieron cuando murieron sus padres, siendo ella muy pequeña, y que, aprovechándose de la naturaleza dulce y callada de su sobrina, la tuvieron como una especie de empleada sin sueldo. Pero gracias a la astucia del médico de la familia consigue unas merecidisimas vacaciones en Escocia mientras sus tíos huyen al campo.
Frances se enamoró de un cuadro del pueblecito de Cairns que vio en la Royal Academy y por eso decidió que este era su destino. Al poco de llegar traba conocimiento con las pintorescas gentes del lugar y con las esposas de tres oficiales del ejército que acampa en en los alrededores no mucho después de la llegada de la propia Frances. Con la guerra de fondo, este destacamento consigue que sus miembros más jóvenes salgan del entorno belicoso dado que Escocia está muy lejos de Londres y aún más de Bélgica y Francia, pero en cualquier momento la ofensiva alemana podría llegar aún tan al norte y, por supuesto, no pueden bajar la guardia. Es una paz a medias para ellos. Así anda la situación en la zona cuando Frances conoce al capitán Guy Tarlatan, un atractivo oficial que aún está soltero, aunque se dice muy solicitado por la hija de un coronel. Eso no impide que nazca una amistad entre los dos, ya que en principio no entra en la cabeza de Frances el matrimonio… pero cerca de la posada donde se aloja hay un manantial “magico” (lo que da nombre al título, spring significa manantial además de primavera) cuya leyenda dice que la muchacha casadera que beba de sus aguas se casará antes de que termine el año.
Me maravilla que, libro tras libro, Stevenson sea capaz de crear tantos personajes tan diferentes entre si. Como sus historias mundanas particulares les hacen únicos y cómo nacen y mueren amistades y amores entre las páginas de sus libros. A pesar de que siempre vemos el mundo a través de la experiencia vital de una protagonista absoluta, casi siempre ceden la luz a otros personajes, como si fueran meras espectadoras y en “Spring Magic” este aspecto también se cumple.
Una vez más D.E. Stevenson nos regala un relato chispeante, agradable y capaz de conseguir que el lector se evada de su propia realidad, que al fin y al cabo ese era su objetivo. Un abanico de personajes pintorescos, extravagantes, divertidos, amables y misteriosos pueblan Cairns con sus casitas de pescadores y sus gentes sencillas. Frances y el batallón llegan allí como un vendaval pero se integran muy bien con los habitantes del pueblecito y el resultado es una comedia romántica en más de un sentido y ligera, cuyas páginas vuelan. Antes de que el lector se de cuenta, el libro se termina y deja un sabor agradable al paladar literario. DE Stevenson es, la mayor parte de las veces, un lugar feliz. Una amiga que nos acompaña y nos cuenta historias preciosas y encantadoras como solo ella puede. Un soplo de vida para quien más lo necesite, siempre.
D.E. Stevenson se casó en 1916 con el Mayor James Reid Peploe, quien sobrevivió a la Primera Guerra Mundial. Cuando la Segunda Guerra estalló, el matrimonio se mudó a Moffat, en Escocia. Por tanto no sería de extrañar que la autora pusiera mucho de su propia experiencia en este libro, tanto por ser esposa de militar (tema tratado en el libro) como el recogerse en un pueblecito remoto.
Frances se enamoró de un cuadro del pueblecito de Cairns que vio en la Royal Academy y por eso decidió que este era su destino. Al poco de llegar traba conocimiento con las pintorescas gentes del lugar y con las esposas de tres oficiales del ejército que acampa en en los alrededores no mucho después de la llegada de la propia Frances. Con la guerra de fondo, este destacamento consigue que sus miembros más jóvenes salgan del entorno belicoso dado que Escocia está muy lejos de Londres y aún más de Bélgica y Francia, pero en cualquier momento la ofensiva alemana podría llegar aún tan al norte y, por supuesto, no pueden bajar la guardia. Es una paz a medias para ellos. Así anda la situación en la zona cuando Frances conoce al capitán Guy Tarlatan, un atractivo oficial que aún está soltero, aunque se dice muy solicitado por la hija de un coronel. Eso no impide que nazca una amistad entre los dos, ya que en principio no entra en la cabeza de Frances el matrimonio… pero cerca de la posada donde se aloja hay un manantial “magico” (lo que da nombre al título, spring significa manantial además de primavera) cuya leyenda dice que la muchacha casadera que beba de sus aguas se casará antes de que termine el año.
Me maravilla que, libro tras libro, Stevenson sea capaz de crear tantos personajes tan diferentes entre si. Como sus historias mundanas particulares les hacen únicos y cómo nacen y mueren amistades y amores entre las páginas de sus libros. A pesar de que siempre vemos el mundo a través de la experiencia vital de una protagonista absoluta, casi siempre ceden la luz a otros personajes, como si fueran meras espectadoras y en “Spring Magic” este aspecto también se cumple.
Una vez más D.E. Stevenson nos regala un relato chispeante, agradable y capaz de conseguir que el lector se evada de su propia realidad, que al fin y al cabo ese era su objetivo. Un abanico de personajes pintorescos, extravagantes, divertidos, amables y misteriosos pueblan Cairns con sus casitas de pescadores y sus gentes sencillas. Frances y el batallón llegan allí como un vendaval pero se integran muy bien con los habitantes del pueblecito y el resultado es una comedia romántica en más de un sentido y ligera, cuyas páginas vuelan. Antes de que el lector se de cuenta, el libro se termina y deja un sabor agradable al paladar literario. DE Stevenson es, la mayor parte de las veces, un lugar feliz. Una amiga que nos acompaña y nos cuenta historias preciosas y encantadoras como solo ella puede. Un soplo de vida para quien más lo necesite, siempre.
D.E. Stevenson se casó en 1916 con el Mayor James Reid Peploe, quien sobrevivió a la Primera Guerra Mundial. Cuando la Segunda Guerra estalló, el matrimonio se mudó a Moffat, en Escocia. Por tanto no sería de extrañar que la autora pusiera mucho de su propia experiencia en este libro, tanto por ser esposa de militar (tema tratado en el libro) como el recogerse en un pueblecito remoto.
April 19, 2023
Stevenson never aspired to be Austen great (at least, I don't think she did). She knew what kind of stories she could write and she wrote a lot of them. They are usually populated by likeable characters living in realistic places (generally in Scotland) and undergoing, for the most part, "normal" lives.
But this particular story had a strong suggestion of Austen for me. First, there's the Anne Elliot like protagonist. Frances has been raised (if you can call it that) by people who take her and her abilities for granted. They don't care about her soul or her life. (They are not monsters, but selfish and thoughtless.)
So, she makes a break for it (inspired by the local doctor) to a backwater of Scotland.
And the British Army is setting up a camp there too, because this story is set in the early 1940s (published in 1942) and the UK is in the thick of the war. (Again, shades of Austen, except in Austen's day it was Napoleon or The French who were threatening England.)
So now we have men that look like movie stars who are Willoughby or Wickham types. We have local gentry. We have honorable men who try to do the right things but forget to explain their motivations to their confused love interests. There's comic relief too, mostly in the form of the locals but also in the little boy nicknamed Winkie who ends up playing a pivotal role.
There's a sympathetic female sisterhood depicted alongisde women who make the wrong choices despite all their friends trying to help them not to.
The war permeates the story, and it's important to remember that the outcome wasn't known when Stevenson wrote it. How she managed to infuse her story with such a sense of hope, purpose, and life during such a dark, uncertain time is truly compelling.
But this particular story had a strong suggestion of Austen for me. First, there's the Anne Elliot like protagonist. Frances has been raised (if you can call it that) by people who take her and her abilities for granted. They don't care about her soul or her life. (They are not monsters, but selfish and thoughtless.)
So, she makes a break for it (inspired by the local doctor) to a backwater of Scotland.
And the British Army is setting up a camp there too, because this story is set in the early 1940s (published in 1942) and the UK is in the thick of the war. (Again, shades of Austen, except in Austen's day it was Napoleon or The French who were threatening England.)
So now we have men that look like movie stars who are Willoughby or Wickham types. We have local gentry. We have honorable men who try to do the right things but forget to explain their motivations to their confused love interests. There's comic relief too, mostly in the form of the locals but also in the little boy nicknamed Winkie who ends up playing a pivotal role.
There's a sympathetic female sisterhood depicted alongisde women who make the wrong choices despite all their friends trying to help them not to.
The war permeates the story, and it's important to remember that the outcome wasn't known when Stevenson wrote it. How she managed to infuse her story with such a sense of hope, purpose, and life during such a dark, uncertain time is truly compelling.
February 13, 2019
Gentle and comforting, Spring Magic is also an interesting snapshot of popular women's fiction from 1942, the year it was originally published.
February 24, 2019
This novel is vintage Stevenson set in the regimental milieu that would be entirely familiar to Mrs. Tim and her readers. The magic is everywhere, physically in the spring or fountain that is reputed to ensure those who drink from it will marry within a twelvemonth, and spiritually in the magical wonder of Spring in the pretty Scottish seaside town where the heroine of the fairy tale is set down to begin her journey.
Naive and wholesome, Frances is presented as a blank page waiting to be written: "she was crystal clear. You could see right down to the bottom". The Army wives she meets are not so much older than she is, but having travelled the world, they have so much more life experience to draw upon. Stevenson does such a sterling job of bringing them to life on the page that Frances is almost eclipsed next to them in her banal lack of life experience but she learns to trust her own instincts and recognise her own value.
The leitmotiv of the fairy tale recurs throughout with a selfish aunt, a villainous rogue and a kindly avuncular magician mixed into the plot. As she is drawn into the lives of others, Frances realises that she must make changes in her own life, and she is inevitably rewarded, as the best fairy tale characters are, by a happy marriage to a good man.
A comforting and thoroughly enjoyable read in the hands of a first rate storyteller.
Naive and wholesome, Frances is presented as a blank page waiting to be written: "she was crystal clear. You could see right down to the bottom". The Army wives she meets are not so much older than she is, but having travelled the world, they have so much more life experience to draw upon. Stevenson does such a sterling job of bringing them to life on the page that Frances is almost eclipsed next to them in her banal lack of life experience but she learns to trust her own instincts and recognise her own value.
The leitmotiv of the fairy tale recurs throughout with a selfish aunt, a villainous rogue and a kindly avuncular magician mixed into the plot. As she is drawn into the lives of others, Frances realises that she must make changes in her own life, and she is inevitably rewarded, as the best fairy tale characters are, by a happy marriage to a good man.
A comforting and thoroughly enjoyable read in the hands of a first rate storyteller.
July 31, 2019
I love D. E. Stevenson and have read enough of her books to pretty much know what to expect from them. DES tends to walk right up to a plot or character stereotype (the ones we'd find in a pleasant rom-com today); then she does something just a little different and manages to circumvent total stereotype. I love that about her books. However, I didn't love this one. The main character felt a bit flat and the plot just wasn't my favorite.
The most interesting thing about all this book's war talk was that DES wrote (and published) this in the middle of the war. I'm always interested in how WWII fiction written mid-war has a different tone than ones written post-war. It can serve as a valuable reminder that people living through the war didn't know how it would turn out; that a Nazi invasion of the UK was a looming and undeniable threat; that an Allied victory was by no means guaranteed.
In all, Spring Magic is still a highly readable DES; just not my favorite.
The most interesting thing about all this book's war talk was that DES wrote (and published) this in the middle of the war. I'm always interested in how WWII fiction written mid-war has a different tone than ones written post-war. It can serve as a valuable reminder that people living through the war didn't know how it would turn out; that a Nazi invasion of the UK was a looming and undeniable threat; that an Allied victory was by no means guaranteed.
In all, Spring Magic is still a highly readable DES; just not my favorite.
December 22, 2019
I first fell in love with DE Stevenson's books about Mrs Tim, who also "follows the Drum". Mrs Tim books are funny and very enjoyable, however, they do not tell much about how they met and fell in love.
Spring Magic is not about Hester and Tim, but it is the story of before - how a soldier met his love and married her. Guy Tarlatan reminds me very strongly of Tony of the Mrs Tim series, which makes me very happy, because I've always longed for Tony to have his own happy ending.
I read this book in a few hours' time because I simply could not put it down. I think I like this book better than Charlotte Fairlie!
My recommendation: Read it if you loved Mrs Tim.
Spring Magic is not about Hester and Tim, but it is the story of before - how a soldier met his love and married her. Guy Tarlatan reminds me very strongly of Tony of the Mrs Tim series, which makes me very happy, because I've always longed for Tony to have his own happy ending.
I read this book in a few hours' time because I simply could not put it down. I think I like this book better than Charlotte Fairlie!
My recommendation: Read it if you loved Mrs Tim.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2019
3 and a half stars really. It may not be as good as others of her books, but I found it quite interesting because it's one of her war books (and not a Mrs Tim book, those really got me bored).
Worth reading
Worth reading
April 10, 2021
I loved it. Reminded me of the stories serialised in the Woman and Home magazine my mother used to subscribe to which I couldn't wait to read the minute the magazine arrived.
October 4, 2019
Rather more along the lines of The Four Graces than Miss Buncle’s Book, this charming tale of an insecure and somewhat oppressed-by-duty young woman who at last strikes out on her own and takes a holiday in the Scottish Highlands is pure confectionery fluff, but delightful for all that.
It’s all very pleasant, as Frances settles into the rural life and makes friends with locals, friends with some lovely young officers’ wives who take up residence in the small town, and even when its not pleasant, when affairs are uncovered and character is tested and found wanting, it is still a holiday for the brain as refreshing as is Frances’s holiday to her.
And then! Her new lease on life! Her determination to help with the war effort! And her gentle romance with a man she quite thought almost despised her. Delicious!
It’s all very pleasant, as Frances settles into the rural life and makes friends with locals, friends with some lovely young officers’ wives who take up residence in the small town, and even when its not pleasant, when affairs are uncovered and character is tested and found wanting, it is still a holiday for the brain as refreshing as is Frances’s holiday to her.
And then! Her new lease on life! Her determination to help with the war effort! And her gentle romance with a man she quite thought almost despised her. Delicious!
September 26, 2021
Loved this story! I listened to it with my daughter Bella (13). She loved it so much she didn’t want me to pause long.
April 30, 2019
D. E. Stevenson's books are what I usually refer to as cozy reads. They generally entail life in a cozy village without a lot of action and adventure. While she is one of my favorite authors, I've read a few of her books that were just okay and others that have been really funny that I really enjoyed. Spring Magic, written in 1942, doesn't fit into either of these categories. It didn't have the humor that I have enjoyed in some of her other books, but the story was so sweet and I absolutely loved it. It ranks up there with the Miss Buncle books and Mrs. Tim of the Regiment books as my favorites that I have read so far by D. E. Stevenson.
Frances Field was orphaned at a young age and grew up in the care of her uncle and aunt. She was treated as little more than a servant by her aunt and led to believe that her aunt was quite ill. When a kindly doctor informs her that there is nothing wrong with her aunt, she is stunned, but, more importantly, she finally feels free to live her own life. She decides to holiday in a small village called Cairn in Scotland before deciding what to do with the rest of her life. It's a quaint and quiet village until the army sets up a camp nearby. Frances' life is completely changed as she is befriended by three army wives.
Frances Field was orphaned at a young age and grew up in the care of her uncle and aunt. She was treated as little more than a servant by her aunt and led to believe that her aunt was quite ill. When a kindly doctor informs her that there is nothing wrong with her aunt, she is stunned, but, more importantly, she finally feels free to live her own life. She decides to holiday in a small village called Cairn in Scotland before deciding what to do with the rest of her life. It's a quaint and quiet village until the army sets up a camp nearby. Frances' life is completely changed as she is befriended by three army wives.
April 22, 2024
Por fin me he aproximado a una autora que tenía muchas ganas de conocer. Dorothy Emily Stevenson fue una autora escocesa de novela romántica de la que no tenemos demasiados libros traducidos (el más conocido es „El libro de la señorita Buncle“).
Frances, la protagonista perdió a sus padres cuando era una niña y se ha criado con sus tíos, que sinceramente, se han aprovechado de ella. Hasta que un día Frances decide que ya está bien y que necesita unas vacaciones por su cuenta. Y así llega a Cairn, una pequeño pueblo costero escocés. Junto a Frances vamos a conocer a los lugareños de Cairn, cuyas vidas pausadas se verán interrumpidas por la llegada de las esposas de los soldados ingleses buscando alojamiento mientras los militares hacen maniobras.
Uno de los aspectos que más me ha gustado de este libro es conocer cómo vivían las familias de los soldados y el estilo de vida tan nómada que se les imponía. La autora nos muestra a personajes muy diferentes entre sí que conforman un núcleo muy cerrado y muy próximo. Son familias que se ayudan mutuamente, ya que nunca llegan a establecerse del todo en ninguna parte, y las inevitables discusiones y roces que conlleva esa convivencia tan particular . Un gran contraste para Frances, que no ha salido nunca de su casa familiar y nunca se ha planteado el tipo de vida que quiere llevar. La protagonista ve abrirse ante sus ojos todo un mundo de posibilidades que hasta ahora nunca se ha planteado y decide evaluar su vida hasta ahora y lo que quiere de ella.
Todo aderezado con una leyenda escocesa de un arroyo encantado, un terrateniente excéntrico, la hija de un coronel algo ligerita de cascos y rencillas varias entre los soldados.
Este libro me ha dado justo lo que necesitaba: sosiego, romance, mar y paseos por los bosques escoceses. Toda una delicia.
Frances, la protagonista perdió a sus padres cuando era una niña y se ha criado con sus tíos, que sinceramente, se han aprovechado de ella. Hasta que un día Frances decide que ya está bien y que necesita unas vacaciones por su cuenta. Y así llega a Cairn, una pequeño pueblo costero escocés. Junto a Frances vamos a conocer a los lugareños de Cairn, cuyas vidas pausadas se verán interrumpidas por la llegada de las esposas de los soldados ingleses buscando alojamiento mientras los militares hacen maniobras.
Uno de los aspectos que más me ha gustado de este libro es conocer cómo vivían las familias de los soldados y el estilo de vida tan nómada que se les imponía. La autora nos muestra a personajes muy diferentes entre sí que conforman un núcleo muy cerrado y muy próximo. Son familias que se ayudan mutuamente, ya que nunca llegan a establecerse del todo en ninguna parte, y las inevitables discusiones y roces que conlleva esa convivencia tan particular . Un gran contraste para Frances, que no ha salido nunca de su casa familiar y nunca se ha planteado el tipo de vida que quiere llevar. La protagonista ve abrirse ante sus ojos todo un mundo de posibilidades que hasta ahora nunca se ha planteado y decide evaluar su vida hasta ahora y lo que quiere de ella.
Todo aderezado con una leyenda escocesa de un arroyo encantado, un terrateniente excéntrico, la hija de un coronel algo ligerita de cascos y rencillas varias entre los soldados.
Este libro me ha dado justo lo que necesitaba: sosiego, romance, mar y paseos por los bosques escoceses. Toda una delicia.
January 12, 2019
I usually enjoy Stevenson's WWII novels and her Scottish novels, and this book combines both. There are a lot of characters in this book, and a lot of couples, but I felt that she did a good job of fleshing out each character; I never had a problem remembering who was who. The interplay between the main character and the three military wives was good, and I wanted to give Winkie a hug. The war scenes were vividly written; I felt like I was in the middle of the bombing along with the characters. There were a few characters, particularly Alec, that I wanted to know more about, so I'm hoping that they turn up in some of her other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2019
My second reading of this book was even better than the first. Spring Magic was both written and set in the midst of WWII. Stevenson essentially provides a first-hand account of civilian and military life at this time on the British mainland. I love the way DES fleshes out so many "real" characters in their ordinary day-to-day existence, and in extraordinary little twists and turns of the plot. Time well spent!
June 9, 2021
When Frances realizes her life of catering to her not-sick-but-lazy aunt has left her isolated and without experience, she insists on a vacation, and spends it in a Scottish village she chose on a whim. There she meets the locals and the military men who are stationed there and their wives. And she gets the chance to choose between her aunt, a challenging new job, and an opportunity for love.
This World-War-2 era novel has the old-fashioned charm one expects from D E Stevenson, but it is not awash in treacle. The military wives deal with health problems, money problems, problems with children, and problems with marriages. Each character has a unique approach, and while some of these POVs make my modern sensibilities cringe, I recognize that there are still people today with these same attitudes. DES does not disappoint
This World-War-2 era novel has the old-fashioned charm one expects from D E Stevenson, but it is not awash in treacle. The military wives deal with health problems, money problems, problems with children, and problems with marriages. Each character has a unique approach, and while some of these POVs make my modern sensibilities cringe, I recognize that there are still people today with these same attitudes. DES does not disappoint
April 23, 2022
My Interest
I’m still going on with some seasonal reading. This one, with “Spring” in the title fit the bill nicely. Add to it that it is yet another Dean Street Press/Furrowed Middle Brow, title and you have my interested zeroed in.
The Story
Frances Field has led a life almost unimaginable today. Raised in the home of her aunt and uncle in London, she was taught exclusively at home by a governess and had almost no contact with anyone outside her household. She became the household drudge cum servant–not much of a life. Now in her mid-20s, Frances has never “lived.” When the family doctor mentions a holiday and the Blitz sends her aunt and uncle scurrying to the relative safety the country home of other relatives, Frances remembering a lovely picture, decides to visit Cairn in Scotland for a holiday. This is where an blurb writer would insert, “the rest, as they say, is history….”
For in Cairn an Army regiment has just arrived for training. The quiet hotel where Frances is staying is invaded by a group of Army wives who prefer to follow their husbands around the country rather than sit home waiting for the posting to be over. Among these are the wife of an officer and her brother who serves in the same regiment. Another wife, besotted with her husband and desiring to have him all to herself for once takes a house lacking in what those in the UK today call “mod cons” (a phrase not used in the US)—including a bathroom. Nonetheless, she is thrilled with the place which Frances has found for her.
Frances begins to live, to decide things for herself, to come into her own at last.
My Thoughts
This may be my very favorite Dean Street Press/Furrowed Middle Brow book! I adored this story. Frances’ life takes turns unimaginable the year before the War and all are for the good. There is nothing saccharine or precious here, just believable everyday life. That is what makes these books such a joy to read. I would love to learn there is a sequel, but I doubt there is.
My Verdict
4.0
I’m still going on with some seasonal reading. This one, with “Spring” in the title fit the bill nicely. Add to it that it is yet another Dean Street Press/Furrowed Middle Brow, title and you have my interested zeroed in.
The Story
Frances Field has led a life almost unimaginable today. Raised in the home of her aunt and uncle in London, she was taught exclusively at home by a governess and had almost no contact with anyone outside her household. She became the household drudge cum servant–not much of a life. Now in her mid-20s, Frances has never “lived.” When the family doctor mentions a holiday and the Blitz sends her aunt and uncle scurrying to the relative safety the country home of other relatives, Frances remembering a lovely picture, decides to visit Cairn in Scotland for a holiday. This is where an blurb writer would insert, “the rest, as they say, is history….”
For in Cairn an Army regiment has just arrived for training. The quiet hotel where Frances is staying is invaded by a group of Army wives who prefer to follow their husbands around the country rather than sit home waiting for the posting to be over. Among these are the wife of an officer and her brother who serves in the same regiment. Another wife, besotted with her husband and desiring to have him all to herself for once takes a house lacking in what those in the UK today call “mod cons” (a phrase not used in the US)—including a bathroom. Nonetheless, she is thrilled with the place which Frances has found for her.
Frances begins to live, to decide things for herself, to come into her own at last.
My Thoughts
This may be my very favorite Dean Street Press/Furrowed Middle Brow book! I adored this story. Frances’ life takes turns unimaginable the year before the War and all are for the good. There is nothing saccharine or precious here, just believable everyday life. That is what makes these books such a joy to read. I would love to learn there is a sequel, but I doubt there is.
My Verdict
4.0
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