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The Camomile Lawn
The Camomile Lawn: A Novel | Mary Wesley
15 posts | 16 read | 18 to read
Mary Wesleys sprawling novel of wartime Englandand the loss of innocence It is August 1939. At an elegant manor house high above the sea, five cousins gather for their annual holiday. As Calypso, Walter, Polly, Oliver, and ten-year-old Sophy explore the limits of blood, friendship, and their blossoming sexualities, war looms on the horizon. This will be the last summer that they spend together; it is a season marked by the heady joys of self-discovery, the agonizing pain of betrayal, and a world on the edge of conflict. A novel of dazzling breadth and scope, The Camomile Lawn journeys from the end of childhood to the slings and arrows of old age with the humor and insight readers have come to expect from the beloved Mary Wesley.
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Bookbuyingaddict
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Pickpick

What a surprise what an amazing romp. “books to cheer you up in dull dark Jan.and that it certainly did .Very similar tothe wonderful cazalet chronicles and everyone jumping into bed with each other which may or may not have happened who knows ? I wish I knew my grandparents now as an adult and not just as a child and I‘d have asked them and laughed . Great book fabulous writing wonderful dialogue fantastic characterisation it whips along Lovedit

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twinkletoes74
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Pickpick

This is a book that I happily read again and again.

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jenniferw88
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If I'm a bit quiet on here on Sunday it's because I will be celebrating my gran's 90th birthday!

I've got her the tagged book (she was born in 1929 & lived in Cornwall for a while), along with a daffodils bookmark (she ❤ the poem by Wordsworth) & some notebooks for shopping lists!

readordierachel Happy birthday to her! 🎈🎉 6y
Birdsong28 It's my 30th as well!!! Hope she has a good day 🎉🎊📖📖 6y
jenniferw88 @Birdsong28 happy birthday for Sunday! 6y
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SW-T Happy birthday to your gran. Hope everyone enjoys the celebration 😊🎉 6y
Oldschool_millenial Here's to another year! 6y
dragondrool Happy birthday to your Gran! 6y
89 likes1 stack add6 comments
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batsy
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Thank you for the package of books @LapReader ! Thanks for picking The Camomile Lawn off my TBR; that's a blame it on @Centique addition 😁 & sounds like just the kind of novel to sink into during the hols. Love the bookmark and the soap!

Thank you so much for organising the #FavoritePoetSwap @LazyDays ❤️

Tanisha_A Such goodies! 😍 6y
LazyDays How awesome! Thanks for joining!💗💗 6y
Mimi28 That‘s soo cool!! ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
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TrishB Lovely gifts 💕 6y
LapReader I love Mary Wesley. Hope you do too. That brand of Australian soap is one of my favourites. 6y
Kalalalatja Lovely! 6y
merelybookish What a great collection! I love Sheila Heti so will be interested to hear what you think of her!! 6y
RohitSawant That's so awesome! 6y
LazyDays How do you paint a poem. That looks really cool! 6y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻❤️❤️❤️ 6y
batsy @LapReader Can't wait to use the soap! And I'm looking forward to discovering Wesley. Thank you so much! 6y
Centique Yay! Hope you like it. Not quite as sunny inside as the cover appears! 😂 6y
RaimeyGallant Nice! 6y
erzascarletbookgasm 👍 very nice! The tagged book sounds good, look forward to your thoughts. And I love lemongrass scent! 💛 6y
80 likes14 comments
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zsuzsanna_reads
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Pickpick

A great book about a group of young upper middle class people coming of age during WWII in London and Cornwall and the way the war enabled them to lead unconventional lives. The characters are sympathetic and their stories are quirky. A surprisingly light hearted book about WWII.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Completely recommended. I'll definitely re-read this. Stack it already! 😉

I definitely want to read another book by Mary Wesley.

Contd. ⬇️

zsuzsanna_reads I would love to plant a chamomile lawn, but the RHS website tells me it is not suitable for heavy clay soil, which my garden has. 😢 https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=281 6y
Dragon Okay stacking! 😀🐉👍 6y
Ye_Mighty_Andy_Spare BBC (I think) did a version of it a few years ago. Starred Tara Fitzgerald if I remember rightly. It's possibly available on Amazon 6y
zsuzsanna_reads @Ye_Mighty_Andy_Spare I have such a clear image in my mind of the characters, I feel a screen version would ruin it 😄 6y
36 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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Peggyherself
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Pickpick

Set during WWII this was a wonderful story of family relationships and how the war changed lives. I had a hard time putting the book down. There was a lot of everyone sleeping with everyone but no sex described. The movie version is on Acorn right now.

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Centique
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Pickpick

This modern classic is a WWII in England story but it‘s different to any I‘d read. Mary Wesley was 72 when writing this - it feels like she was writing about what she saw. You expect something gentle from the title? Well Mary starts saying “f#%k” from Page 2. 😂 There are 5 cousins who stay with an aunt and uncle in Cornwall every summer. We follow them, the neighbour boys, the aunt and uncle and a refugee couple through the war. ⬇️

Centique We predominantly see it from the women‘s POV. And war is an opportunity to break free from ALL the moral conventions. Sex is liberally applied in all sorts of situations. Some may find a few characters cold or unlikeable. Wesley is observing rather than engaging you deeply with their emotions. But it felt very fresh and interesting to me. 6y
CarolynM I love Mary Wesley's books. It is hard to remember that she wrote them so late in life. Her take on the war years is fascinating and obviously comes from her experiences and the benefit of time to process it all. Have you read any of the others? 6y
Centique @CarolynM I haven‘t but I want to! What would you recommend? 6y
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SledgeReader Stacking it now! 6y
CarolynM Because it's quite a while since I read them, they've rather blended in to one another and I can't remember which was which. I think I particularly liked 6y
Centique @CarolynM stacked! I imagine they‘re all good anyway 😊 6y
Centique @SledgeReader hope you enjoy it! 6y
batsy You've convinced me, too! Stacked! 6y
Centique @batsy I‘ll be interested in your thoughts on it! Eventually. I know it will take some time 🙃#mounttbr 6y
batsy You get me 😂 6y
KarenUK I loved this one too👍💕 6y
RohitSawant Sold! Awesome review! 6y
LeahBergen I‘ve had this book stacked for ages and I‘ve been waiting for a nice copy to come along (you know how that is! 😆). Great review! 6y
Centique @KarenUK oh good! It would be such an interesting one to discuss but I know my book club would be a bit shocked 😱 6y
Centique @rohit-sawant thanks so much! 6y
Centique @LeahBergen oh yes, I bet there are some beautiful editions of this out there - and thanks! 😘 6y
AlaMich I‘ve had this on my Kindle for forever. *sigh* Really ought to get around to reading it... 6y
Centique @AlaMich I know the feeling! Just get to it when you‘re in the mood. Otherwise it will feel all wrong when you read it. I‘m trying to remember that myself! 6y
83 likes5 stack adds18 comments
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artkavanagh
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I always meant to read this — I enjoyed the tv series — but it slipped through the net. Nice to be reminded.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/in-praise-of-older-books-the-camomile-l...

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LapReader
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Pickpick

School holidays have commenced, the weather is fine & I have just come back from the Royal Day Spa downstairs in preparation for my 38th birthday celebration weekend. Nails are done & while I wait for my fake tan to cure I‘m indulging in a bit of Mary Wesley & drinking white wine from Naked Wines on my balcony overlooking the ocean. I‘ve these holidays all to myself. Kidlets are in Vanuatu & Stewy will be at work. Imagine all the reading I can do.

RachelAmphlett Fabulous that you‘re treating yourself - happy birthday! 🥂 7y
LapReader @RachelAmphlett It doesn‘t happen very often. I think this is the first time I have sat out here alone since I bought this apartment in 2013! Thankyou for the well wishes xo (edited) 7y
CarolynM Hope you enjoy your birthday weekend and your holiday solitude. Mary Wesley is good company, I find.💐 7y
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LapReader Yes @CarolynM. She is quite a character. I can‘t believe she writes such naughty stuff for a woman of a certain age. Thankyou. I will xo 7y
erzascarletbookgasm Happy birthday! Hope you‘ll have a wonderful birthday weekend. #selftreat 🍰🍷 7y
18 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Verity
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Tonight's TV... I'm sure a lot of you recognise Calypso... 😉 #prideandprejudice

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Verity
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Pickpick

Finished this this afternoon and it's fabulous. Can't think why it took me so long to read it. All the characters are complex and do some things you may not agree with but you're still rooting for (most of) then. There's some deeply dubious stuff going on here, but but you just can't put it down!

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Verity
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My current read after a trip to the secondhand bookshop after finding that book of Mary Wesley's letters the other day.

LeslieO I love all her books! 7y
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rockpools
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Mary Wesley was well into her #goldenyears when her writing career took off - her first novel (of 10!) was published when she was 71.

The Camomile Lawn is probably the most well-known (and the only one I've read) - the story of cousins, a long hot summer in Cornwall, 1939, and life in Wartime London.

#junetunz @Cinfhen

jenniferw88 Sounds like a book my Gran might like - thanks! 7y
rockpools @jenniferw88 👍Hope she enjoys it! 7y
batsy I love learning about "late bloomers"! They give us all hope ❤️ 7y
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rockpools @batsy It was quite funny googling 'older writers' - you tended to lists of people who first got published in their 30s 😑, or lists from care homes. 🤔But I think Mary Wesley managed to shock a few people in later life - definitely something to aspire to 😉 7y
batsy @RachelO Oh yes the media coverage of "older" writers tend to be about people just over 35 ? More power to Wesley that she went on to write a number of books ? 7y
Suet624 There's hope for me yet! 7y
goodbyefrancie Love the photo! 7y
Cinfhen Pretty pic and good for Wesley💛although 71 doesn't sound old..... (edited) 7y
rockpools @Cinfhen😊She was just getting warmed up at that point! 7y
rockpools @Suet624 Always! 7y
rockpools @goodbyefrancie Thank you 😊 7y
tpixie Interesting!! 7y
KarenUK Oh I love this book, and the tv series was good too 💕 7y
43 likes3 stack adds13 comments
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KarenUK
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#day16 #marchintoreading #greencovers on an accidental theme of lawns on the covers! Enjoyed all of these..... 😊

Cinfhen 💚😂 8y
78 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Theliterarystew
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Currently reading this one.

2 likes1 stack add