Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
A Sensible Life
A Sensible Life: A Novel | Mary Wesley
2 posts | 3 read | 3 to read
This engaging and memorable novel, set in post-WWI England and France, takes a wise, witty look at love, growing up, and class differences (Publishers Weekly). For the British families who vacation there, the shore town of Dinard, France, is a getaway from the ills of modern life. But when Flora Trevelyan visits with her self-absorbed parents in 1926, its not an escape she findsinstead, its a doorway into a different world, a different life, that she never knew existed. As the years pass, Flora embarks on a journey of discovery, from falling for three very different young men to understanding the follies of an upper class society of which she will never quite be a part to uncovering the difference between true friends and fair-weather companions. Along the way, her own life and those of her new acquaintances will be upended, and as the shadows of World War II fall over Europe, Flora will have to decide what kind of person she wants to beand whether being sensible makes sense. Praised by the Daily Telegraph as delicious, Mary Wesleys sharply humorous coming-of-age story weaves a tale of an unloved, neglected child who turns into a fiercely independent woman, both an entertaining romp and an astute glimpse into British society between the two World Wars.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
TheSpineView
post image
Eggs Sounds unique 📚🤗👏🏻 4y
45 likes1 comment
review
Centique
post image
Pickpick

I read this book watching my family on the luge, with Queenstown below me. More #sceneryspam

I really enjoyed this although I‘m fond of the “loner child observes upper class English family” trope. Flora is a neglected child who falls in love with an entire family. Over the years they vary in their treatment of her. Wesley has a sharp eye for showing the flaws in characters without turning them into straight forward villains. ⬇️

Centique It would be fair to say this is a quiet novel - it captures some of life‘s bright moments that become favourite memories and then the quiet disappointments. In some ways a romantic ideology that gets replaced by a more “sensible” one. Wesley‘s writing, characters and setting kept me completely engaged. 4y
youneverarrived Great review and your photo is stunning 😍 4y
Cathythoughts Yes , great review! I‘ve never read anything by this author.... what would be a good one to start with ? Maybe this one ? ! 4y
See All 24 Comments
CarolynM Love Mary Wesley's books❤️ 4y
Hooked_on_books The area around Queenstown is gorgeous. I went hang gliding there. I highly recommend it! 4y
Freespirit Beautiful scenery! 4y
LeahBergen This sounds great! I have The Camomile Lawn waiting on my shelf. 👍🏻 4y
Centique @Cathythoughts thank you! I reckon start with The Camomile Lawn. You need to be in the mood for a meander, they‘re more character explorations than plot driven. Wonderful sense of the period though! 💕 4y
Centique @youneverarrived thank you! 😘 4y
Centique @CarolynM I figured I needed to try another one after The Camomile Lawn being one of my 2018 favourites. I think I‘m officially a fan as well! 4y
Centique @Hooked_on_books hang gliding sounds amazing! 4y
Jeg I‘ve loved her books. Someone recommended them to me years ago and I read all of her books. I could reread them. Just might! 😍 4y
Centique @Freespirit thank you! 😘 4y
Centique @LeahBergen I think you‘ll like it! It has that lovely period feel with a sharp bite at the end 😍 4y
Reggie Sounds The Rain adjacent which means stacked! 4y
Centique @Jeg that is so good to hear. I was wondering if it was worth reading all her books - sounds like she‘s consistently good! 4y
Centique @Reggie I have a type of book right? 🥰 4y
Reggie Totally! 😊 you really had me at “In some ways a romantic ideology that gets replaced by a more ‘sensible‘ one.” 4y
Texreader Great short review! 4y
Centique @Reggie and that sums up my life in many ways! 😂😂 4y
Centique @Texreader thank you! 4y
RohitSawant Wonderful review! Love the picture! 4y
batsy Great review and gorgeous photo! And like @Reggie I'm drawn to that sentence about ideology. I stacked The Chamomile Lawn after you posted about it and I have a copy thanks to @LapReader I *really* hope to get to it soon :) 4y
87 likes2 stack adds24 comments