A romance which begins in London in 1941, when a 17-year-old girl is caught in an air raid, and is given shelter by a middle-aged man who later dies, but not before he has given her a letter to take to his father in the country.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The heroine of Mary Wesley's latest novel, Part of the Furniture, is 17- year-old Juno Marlowe, a girl possessed of both extraordinary innocence and remarkable courage. We first meet Juno during the World War II blitz of London; she is suffering the twin effects of rape and having to sleep next to a dead stranger during an air raid. Other novelists might have chosen to plumb these traumatic events for several chapters at least, but Wesley gives them no more time than she thinks they deserve and then moves quickly on to the heart of her story, which takes Juno far away to the western corner of England to deliver a letter from the dead man to his family. Here Juno meets the stranger's father, a man considerably older than herself, and finds her soulmate.
If there's such a thing as a steely-eyed romantic, Mary Wesley is one. On the one hand, she deals with death, rape, and other horrors with unsentimental straightforwardness and humor as black as a coal cellar; on the other, she is a firm believer in love's ability to heal even the deepest wounds. The pleasure of reading Part of the Furniture is observing this surprising marriage of love and pragmatism, as well as the unexpected twists and turns Wesley throws into her tale of loving during wartime. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA. Set in England during World War II, this story has some of the charm of Maeve Binchy's writing, but with more of a bite to it. Juno Marlowe is an innocent 17 year old. Her cold and remote mother has already fled to Canada and her daughter is to follow, all arrangements made. However, plans change when Juno goes to London with two neighborhood boys to see them off to war. Caught up in the excitement of enlistment departure, they take easy advantage of the teen's affectionate enthusiasm and both make love to her. Then off to war they go, leaving her in the midst of an air raid and, as it turns out, pregnant. A kindly acquaintance provides Juno with a letter of introduction to an estate owner, where she settles into the role of Land Girl. The sketchy, frenetic scenes in London yield to more thoughtfully paced views of a James Herriot-like farm and readers sense in Juno strengths that had not been revealed in her distraught flights and loveless upbringing. Her happy and amusing experiences with the animals and the kindly folk of the village gradually restore her spirits and feelings of self-worth. Change in and development of a strong character, combined with a vital re-creation of the gallantry of the Brits of World War II and a happy romance, make this an appealing historical novel.?Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
World War II Fairy Tale,
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This review is from: Part of the Furniture (Paperback)
The only negative thing anyone can say about Mary Wesley's novels is that there are so few of them! Not one of England's most prolific authors, Wesley is nonetheless one of its most unique writers. Each novel is a gem! (Harnessing Peacocks is my all-time favorite.) This bittersweet fairy tale concerns the intrepid Juno, who, betrayed by her girlhood heroes (a pair of beastly cousins off to fight WWII) in the worst way imaginable for a young, impressionable woman, goes on to survive and prosper, surrounded by love and affection. A triumph of the human spirit, it's a May-December romance readers will hold dear to their hearts.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming,
By
This review is from: Part of the Furniture (Paperback)
Juno Marlowe is a very young and innocent 17 year old in the early days of WW2. As a child, she tagged along behind two older boys, cousins, like an adoring puppy and when she came with them to London when they were called up to enlist, accepted that these two arrogant youths had the right to rape her, one after the other, as their introduction to sex. Left alone on a London street during an air raid, she is rescued by Evelyn Copplestone who offers her shelter in his home but who dies of natural causes before she leaves the next day. He had given her an introductory letter to his father who lives on a large farming estate in Cornwall, and is happily accepted as an extra farm hand. When it becomes evident that she is pregnant, it is generally accepted the Evelyn was the father of her expected baby, and so his father is happy to keep her on at the farm.Juno is enchanted by country life and develops a great rapport with the farm hands and neighbours who all accept that she never speaks of the father of her unborn child. The book is filled with wonderful descriptions of local characters and animals and covers the year between the beginning of the story and its' conclusion, with gentleness and understanding without delving too deeply into unnecessary angst and violence. It's a charming, gentle book, just perfect for when one is in the mood for a gentle read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Part of the Furniture (Paperback)
It is so nice to read a wonderful romance novel without all the hot detailed sex scenes that American authors seem unable to write without. The was my first Wesley novel -- but it won't be my last.
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