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The Happy Prisoner
The Happy Prisoner | Monica Dickens
1 post | 1 to read
It is the end of WW II and the household of Mrs. North, a well-to-do widow with a country cottage, is very busy. War circumstances brought both of her daughters home: loud but good-hearted tomboy, Violet, and highly-strung and over sensitive Heather with her two small children. Mrs. North is also taking care of her young niece, Evelyn, a lively child who loves to play on the local farm and has a great passion for animals. But at the center of all this is Oliver, Mrs. North's only son who lost his leg during the war service abroad. Recovering from his injuries, bed-ridden Oliver has nothing better to do but observe the busy lives of the people around him. Treated as a hero and a confidant by all the women in his family, Oliver begins to enjoy his new role as a self-proclaimed counselor. Due to his advice, Violet, an independent spinster, unexpectedly accepts the marriage proposal from a local farmer. Her wedding is a success and Violet finds a new happiness in her marriage, but soon Oliver's meddling in his family affairs goes too far. Will his risky instructions save or ruin Heather's marriage, which is at the brink of crisis, when her husband comes back from Australia after a few years of separation? Will Oliver learn to accept his new circumstances? Will he finally face to the reality and start to rebuild his own life? In this compendium plot, Monica Dickens, with her typical attention to detail, humor and talent for creating vivid characters, explores complicated life stories of the close-knit family and their friends at the end of the war. The Happy Prisoner was first published in 1946.
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Jess_Read_This
The Happy Prisoner | Monica Dickens
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Saturday morning coffee, baklava, and the Raising the Middlebrow bookclub (on GR) July selection. Which I‘m told the cover of this book is atrocious in keeping with the plot. And a fellow member observed Dickens portrayal of post war life is very different than Panter-Downes‘ portrayal in One Fine Day (June read). All of which makes me eager to dive to see what it‘s all about. Has anyone else read this one? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Ruthiella Love that cover, even if it doesn‘t match the content. I‘ve not read any Monica Dickens but I‘ve heard good things and that she wrote very much from her own experiences. 1y
Jess_Read_This @Ruthiella 😂 I liked the cover too. But I‘ve got some questions about a literal bleeding onion and fly. I didn‘t know that about her- writing from her own experiences. Which would be a fascinating comparison to Panter-Downes One Fine Day since I‘m guessing she wrote from hers. So perhaps two vastly different life experiences? Purely speculating since I haven‘t read it. But you‘ve sparked the research bug in me! 1y
LeahBergen I haven‘t read her yet (but I‘ve somehow picked up a couple of her novels in my bookish wanderings 😆). 1y
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Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen 😂My wanderings are what brought me this edition. Someone on GR said it was one of her favorites of Dickens books which I was glad to hear since it‘s my first reading experience with her. 1y
rubyslippersreads That cover is both beautiful and bizarre. 1y
jlhammar That is quite the cover! I haven't read her yet, but have been meaning to get to Mariana. Look forward to your thoughts. That baklava looks amazing! 1y
Jess_Read_This @rubyslippersreads I agree! I feel like cover artists in 1930/40s had so much artistic license? Nowadays it seems covers lean on fonts and color palettes 1y
Jess_Read_This @jlhammar I am raving to anyone who will listen to me about this baklava. Actual pieces of pistachio and dripping in honey. I guess I‘ve never had good authentic baklava until today and it‘s life changing 😂 1y
quietjenn It's *such*an odd cover - but striking! I do have this on my Kindle and will try to get to this month, although I'm pretty awful at participating in the GR group. I loved Mariana though and bought a few of her memoirs as well. 1y
Jess_Read_This @quietjenn Lauren from bookclub said she‘s read Mariana and really liked it. I am such a Monica Dickens newbie I didn‘t realize she has memoirs too. Hopefully you can participate this month! I‘d love to chat about it with you. But no worries if you can‘t, I know how it is to have too many books and too little time! 😂 1y
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