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Marling Hall

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Marling Hall

By: Angela Thirkell
Narrated by: Elaine Claxton
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'You read her, laughing, and want to do your best to protect her characters from any reality but their own' New York Times

Mr Marling, of Marling Hall, has begun to accept - albeit reluctantly - that he will probably never be able to pass his wonderful old estate on to his children. The Second World War is bringing an end to so many things, but the Marlings carry on as best they can in the face of rationing and a shortage of domestic help.

Into their world arrive Geoffrey Harvey and his sister Frances, who have been bombed out of their London home. Bohemian and sophisticated, they rent a local house, and it is not long before they begin to have an effect on their neighbours. Geoffrey begins to court Lettice, the Marlings' widowed daughter, but he finds he has rivals for her affections in dashing David Leslie and Captain Barclay. Observing everything and quietly keeping events on an even keel is the Marlings' sage old governess, Miss Bunting.

'The novels are a delight, with touches of E. F. Benson, E. M. Delafield and P. G. Wodehouse' Independent on Sunday©2026 The Estate of Angela Thirkell (P)2026 Little, Brown Book Group Limited Classics Friendship Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Small Town & Rural
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Critic reviews

You read her, laughing, and want to do your best to protect her characters from any reality but their own
The novels are a delight, with touches of E. F. Benson, E. M. Delafield and P. G. Wodehouse
Charming, very funny indeed. Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself
All stars
Most relevant
I found the last book in this series a bit tedious with too many new characters who I didn’t really warm to but this one was much better. As well as some new characters old ones also appeared who it was interesting to catch up with. The references to the continuing war were interesting and also sad. The narration was very good.

Very enjoyable.

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