Customer Reviews

A Summer in the Country

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
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If you are a fan of Rosamunde Pilcher or if you enjoyed Marcia Willett's first American release, A WEEK IN WINTER, do not hesitate to pick up a copy of her latest release. You'll find the same "aga saga" settings filled with cozy descriptions of the countryside, loving characters you come to truly care about, and a story that moves at a leisurely pace allowing you to enjoy every delicious moment of this satisfying tale.

At the heart of this story are four strong female characters: Brigid, the owner of a delightful longhouse with two guest cottages she rents; Louise, a cottage guest with a past that threatens to breaks her spirit; Frummie, the mother who abandoned Brigid as a child but who is in desperate need of a place to live at present; and Jemima, Brigid's estranged half-sister who skips happily through life until a great romance upsets her emotional equilibrium.

Following the lives of these four women gives the reader interesting insights on the nature of the mother/daughter relationship. What is the genetic instinct that keeps daughters tied to their mothers, even negligent mothers, and why do they spend a lifetime longing for the mother's approval? What are the secrets we bury that wreck our mental health and destroy our relationships? What are the circumstances that lead a mother to abandon her child? And can the after-effects of such an abandonment ever be truly put in the past?

Pour yourself a cuppa and settle down with this engrossing trip to the moors of England and the opportunity to meet four memorable women.

"A summer in the Country" is UK author Marcia Willett's second offering for the U.S. market, and like her first, "A Week in Winter," it's a keeper!

In a style similar to Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy, and yet uniquely her own, Willett once again weaves a tale that draws the reader in on the very first page, and never lets go. The plot concerns a small group of very likeable people whose lives and problems intertwine in the most interesting ways...

Bridget is the very attractive, 50-something owner of a bed-and-breakfast business just on the edge of England's moor country. The business consists of a number of cottages on an estate she has inherited from her late father. Bridget's husband of 30 years, Humphrey, is an officer in the navy, and so away for many months at a time--and Bridget values her privacy as much as she loves her husband.

Into this serene and lovely mix comes Bridget's gadabout mother, Frummie (short for Freda), well into her 70s, but still the young flirt she used to be--at least in her mind. Frummie needs a place to live, and Bridget, who has never gotten along with her mother, has grudgingly given her one of the cottages. The issue between Bridget and her mother is Jemima, the daughter born to Frummie after she left a young Bridget and her father to flee with a lover.

Bridget's mixed feelings about her younger sister Jemima (who is a wonderfully portrayed free spirit and just irresistable) and her mother, combined with a secret she cannot reveal, make up a large part of the book--but not all.

We also meet Louise, a regular boarder at the bed and breakfast who has become friends with Bridget--and who seems dangerously near to a breakdown over a secret of her own. We don't know what it is, but we start to worry about Louise as much as the rest of the characters do.

Hilarious comic relief to the sometimes heavy plot is provided by Frummie and her equally old but equally vampish longtime friend, Margo. The interplay between the two old harridans is truly inspired.

In short, this is a simply delicious book--the second wonderful surprise from Willett. Read it and see!

I bought this book while delayed in the airport figuring it'd be a throw away since I don't make good decisions amidst airline debacles. It was a bit confusing at the beginning since there are quite a few characters and their names are a bit wacky. The author being English served up a lot of unfamiliar names and expressions for things too.

Let me tell ya, once into it I could not put it down. But I did because it's one of those books that you never want to end. I say it was one long therapy session because the experiences were ones that many of my friends or I have lived and the author did such a great job of helping everyone come to grips with their lives and the decisions they made. They all helped each other do this and I learned so much that helped me personally. I would love to quote some lines here but IMO it would ruin your discovering all this for yourself.

I think the absolute best part was that everyone got a second chance. I don't know about you, but my second chances have been sorely lacking. There was a happy ending for everyone.

I've started reading A Week In Winter and it promises to be just as much fun and insightful as this one. Now that I'm familiar with her writing style and the English words and expressions, it's easy reading.

If you want enjoyment and a bit of therapy, this is a good read.

I enjoyed this book. I stumbled upon this book as well at the library, it being in the new books section. I am so glad I did! I still however would like to know what an aga is! It had wonderful characters, everyone with their own story to tell and live. I loved the relationships and the understandings of them. I look forward to reading more by Marcia Willett.

If you are looking for a cozy, leisurely read, A Summer in the Country is a perfect choice. The comparisons of Marcia Willett's writing style to that of Rosamunde Pilcher are accurate. She writes great imagery and deep characters.

In A Summer in the Country, Willett paints a beautiful setting of the English country side as the background for her story.

Brigid Foster has inherited a set of cottages that she rents out as holiday escapes to tourists. Foxhole becomes the center of several different story lines, revolving around Brigid and her family and friends. The story lines include themes of family resentment and forgiveness, grief and loneliness, friendship and love. The story moves at a leisurely pace, so this is a book to read when you want to savor imagery and take your time.

If you are a fan of Marcia Williett as I am, and if you have been purchasing books from Amazon UK, you may already own this book. It was originally published as FORGOTTEN LAUGHTER, but the American edition was given a new title.

Author Marcia Willett has an uncanny ability to see deeply into her characters and to communicate their essence to the reader. In this book Brigid is a woman who has always resented her mother for deserting her as a child, but who always adored the father who raised her. Upon his death, she inherited his estate and converted it into guest cottages which she and her husband rent out. Despite her resentment towards her mother, Frummie, she allows her to live in one of the cottages. She also resents her half-sister Jemima who lives nearby and who seems utterly irresponsible to Brigid. Brigid's husband Humphrey is in the navy and is gone most of the time, but they still manage to have a loving marriage. Humphrey has a difficult relationship with his father Alexander, who remarried very soon after Humphrey's beloved mother died. Alexander comes to stay for a few weeks and he proves to be the catalyst to healing relationships between Brigid, Frummie, and Jemima. Another important character is Louise, a boarder, who has become good friends with Brigid. She is trying to heal from a painful family experience and finds the quiet English countryside a good place to do so. Willett's strength lies in the development of deep characters and their interaction with one another. The book moves somewhat slowly at the beginning, but the pace picks up a bit as the reader comes to know the characters better. This is a very good read for those who like books about relationships.

After you read all Pilcher, Karon and Binchy's books, you need to find another great author with the same style -- well, you have found it in this author. I loved this book!

I just love Marcia Willett. This was the first book of hers that I read and was impressed with the way she drew her characters. You live their lives for the short while the book lasts and you relive it afterwards. I thought it was most enjoyable and can't wait to read her others.

I happened across Marcia Willett and this novel at a Barnes & Noble store. Saw Rosamonde Pilcher's name on the cover and it caught my eye. I miss her British writing a lot.

But I was very pleased with both this author and the story. She captured the English countryside perfectly and her characters...I hated to leave them at the end of the story. I highly recommend this book....great women's fiction. And I'm now about finished with "A Week in Winter".....which is just as enjoyable. Willett has perfectly crafted characters and I feel I'm back in England.