September

 

September by Rosamunde Pilcher

Fiction

1990

Finished on September 12, 2024

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

50 years is a long way to look ahead, but looking back it doesn’t seem any time at all. Makes you wonder what life’s all about.

Publisher's Blurb:

Perhaps once in a generation, a novel seemingly comes out of nowhere and explodes onto the bestseller lists. Such a book was Rosamunde Pilcher's The Shell Seekers. With well over the three million copies sold in the U.S. and Canada, and close to four million worldwide, it was a publishing phenomenon, on national bestseller lists for two years! 

An audience of millions has awaited Rosamunde Pilcher's new novel, and with September they will not be disappointed. Rich and involving, it teems with memorable and above all human characters coping with universal human difficulties and experiences. Set in Mrs. Pilcher's native Scotland, the novel begins in May as invitations are being written for a party in September. September is an extraordinary month in Scotland, when a brief but glorious summer is ending and the long, gray winter has yet to begin. It is a time of almost frenzied rounds of parties and houseguests and reels. September is a month when marriage is proposed and marriages break up, when even normally reticent Scots, Londoners, and Americans drink a little too much, dance a little too late into the night, when promised are made, hearts are broken, and long-buried family secrets can come to light. 

With consummate skill, Rosamunde Pilcher draws more than a dozen major characters from London, New York, Scotland, and Spain to the little town of Strathcroy. The occasion is to be a twenty-first birthday party, but as May becomes June and the summer commences, the reader can almost feel the tug of inexorable fate propelling Pilcher's marvelous characters to their inevitable--and often surprising--destinies. 

September is a novel to be savored, a curl-up-under-the-covers kind of old-fashioned read hardly anyone knows how to write anymore. It is a book to be savored and cherished--not just in September, but in any month of any year.

Earlier this year, two of my blogging friends and I decided on a buddy-read of Rosamunde Pilcher's hefty novel, September. We didn't start reading it in the month of September, but close enough! This was my second reading of the novel, but most (if not all!) of the details were long forgotten from that first encounter. I read the hardcover edition that I purchased many years ago, and discovered that books over five hundred pages are very difficult to read in bed. I was tempted to download the audio version, but felt more inclined to read the print edition, so I toughed it out. 

As mentioned in the publisher's blurb, Pilcher peoples this particular novel with numerous characters, and I was forced to start a cheat sheet with each character's traits and relationships to others in the story. As one would expect, it wasn't long before I no longer needed to glance at that list, but it did come in handy during the early chapters. 

Readers familiar with Rosamunde Pilcher's works know what a comfortable reading experience she brings to the page. Her descriptions of the homes, as well as the surrounding locations, are rich with domestic details, making this reader consider a trip to Scotland.

As Isobel, worn out with the daily demands of her busy life, retreated from time to time to the linen room, so her husband found solace in his workshop. This was the basement of Croy, an area of stone-flagged passages and dimly lighted cellars. The old boiler lived down here, a brooding, smelly monster that looked large enough to drive a liner, and demanded constant and regular attention and enormous quantities of coke. As well, one or two other rooms were still employed —to store unused china, unwanted items of furniture, the coal and the logs and a much-diminished wine cellar. But mostly, the basement stood deserted, hung with cobwebs, and invaded each year by families of field mice.

And 

Sunday morning. Overcast, very still, very quiet, hushed with the weekly inertia of a Scottish Sabbath. It had rained during the night, leaving puddles by the roadside and gardens dripping with moisture. In Strathcroy, cottages slumbered, curtains stayed drawn. Slowly the occupants stirred, rose, opened doors, lit fires, made cups of tea. Plumes of peat-smoke rose, straight, from chimney-pots. Dogs were walked, hedges clipped, cars washed. Mr. Ishak opened up his shop for the sale  of morning rolls, milk, cigarettes, Sunday newspapers, and any other commodity that a family might need to get through the empty day. From the tower of the Presbyterian church, the bell tolled.

In addition to September, I have read all of Pilcher's full-length novels (The Shell Seekers, Winter's Solstice, and Coming Home) at least once, as well as several of her novellas. I prefer her longer novels to her shorter works, and will most likely re-read the former again in the coming years. 

Thanks for the nudge, JoAnn and Tina, to read this family saga once again. While not my favorite (that may be Coming Home or Winter's Solstice), it didn't disappoint! A satisfying read. Highly recommend!

Coming Home

Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher

Fiction

2017 Thomas Dunne Books (first published in 1995)

Finished on January 15, 2023

Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding!)

Publisher's Blurb:

Against the backdrop of an elegant Cornwall mansion before World War II and a vast continent-spanning canvas during the turbulent war years, this involving story tells of an extraordinary young woman's coming of age, coming to grips with love and sadness, and in every sense of the term, coming home...

In 1935, Judith Dunbar is left behind at a British boarding school when her mother and baby sister go off to join her father in Singapore. At Saint Ursula's, her friendship with Loveday Carey-Lewis sweeps her into the privileged, madcap world of the British aristocracy, teaching her about values, friendship, and wealth. But it will be the drama of war, as it wrenches Judith from those she cares about most, that will teach her about courage...and about love.

Teeming with marvelous, memorable characters in a novel that is a true masterpiece, Rosamunde Pilcher's Coming Home is a book to be savored, reread, and cherished forever.

Since the late 1980s, I've read and reread most of Rosamunde Pilcher's novels, and several of her novellas. Coming Home has been on my shelves for many years, and I have started it on more than one occasion, but never got very far. The small print in the mass market made it difficult for me to read at night, so I eventually bought the trade paperback and vowed to try again. I began reading the book in December and it took me a little over three weeks to complete. I am now mourning the end of this great reading experience.

As always, I went into the book completely cold, with no knowledge of its timeline, which spans a full decade (1935-1945), taking place in the years prior to, during, and shortly after World War II. This is one of my favorite time periods for historical fiction, and Pilcher's attention to detail suggests well-researched knowledge and care for the accuracy of the war efforts. In addition to the usual historical points (the invasion of Poland, the Battle of Britain, air raids & blackout curtains, the evacuation of Dunkirk, etc.), we learn about the role of the WRNS, the POW camp in Changi (Singapore), and the construction of the Bangkok-Burma Railway (also known as the Death Railway), to name just a few.

In addition to this particular period, I am a big fan of epistolary works, and while this book isn't specifically an epistolary novel, it's filled with letters from Judith to her parents, assorted relatives, and close friends, giving the reader a more intimate view of Judith's thoughts and feelings toward those she loves. In addition to Judith's point-of-view, Pilcher shifts voice to other characters, allowing the reader further access to the relationships between friends and lovers. We watch Judith grow from a young girl of fourteen into a self-assured and independent young adult of twenty-four. (An aside: I always laugh when I read a Pilcher novel and an adult of fifty is considered, if not elderly, at least old. Ha!) 

Pilcher's characterizations and settings are so well done and descriptive that I felt like I not only knew her characters, caring deeply about their situations, but would also recognize the villages and various locations in which they reside. 

While some might consider Pilcher's novel a romance (and, at one time, she did write romance novels under the name Jane Fraser), I would argue that life is full of love and loss, and while Coming Home includes romantic themes, it also touches on more serious topics, such as sexual assault, PTSD, and the casualties and destruction of war. 

Published in 1995, politically incorrect labeling of an Asian's face coloring, and an off-hand comment about a summer tan, ("It will feel funny having yellow Chinese faces around you, instead of black Tamil faces" and "go home black as a little Indian," respectively) was jarring to read. Reflective of the times during the 1930s, perhaps Pilcher was attempting to portray society's attitudes to the world at large, but I found that it didn't enhance the narrative, and was unnecessary.

That solitary quibble aside, I loved this book. There were moments in which I had to will myself to not skip ahead and sneak a peek to see what was about to happen; the suspense was building, and I wanted to make sure all was alright with the involved characters. There were also moments in which I was certain of the outcome, only to be taken by surprise (and on an occasion, filled with relief). 

I first came across The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher's beloved book (which is also set in Cornwall), in the late 1980s. This evocative novel became one of my all-time favorite reads. I reread it last year and it lived up to my original reaction. Having now read Coming Home, I must say that I loved it even more than The Shell Seekers. While not necessarily lyrical, the lush detail of domestic life, and the countryside setting of Cornwall, makes for one of those delightful stories that will stay with me for years to come. If you are put off by the size of this book, don't be. If it weren't for the busy holiday season, I could have read it much more quickly. My only regret is that it wasn't any longer; I would have been happy to read another thousand pages! 

Highly recommend.

The Shell Seekers

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Fiction

1987 Thomas Dunne Books

Finished on April 27, 2022 (first read in 1988)

Rating: 5/5 (Excellent!)

Publisher's Blurb:

An instant bestseller when it was first published, The Shell Seekers is an enduring classic that has touched the hearts of millions of readers worldwide. A novel of connection, it is the story of one family--mothers and daughters, husbands and lovers--and of the passions and heartbreak that have held them together for three generations. This magical novel--the kind of reading experience that comes along only once in a long while--is the perfect read, whether you are returning to it again or opening the cover for the first time.

At the end of a long and useful life, Penelope Keeling's prized possession is The Shell Seekers, painted by her father, and symbolizing her unconventional life, from bohemian childhood to wartime romance. When her grown children learn that their grandfather's work is now worth a fortune, each has an idea as to what Penelope should do. But as she recalls the passions, tragedies, and secrets of her life, she knows there is only one answer... and it lies in her heart.

I was not yet thirty when I first discovered Rosamunde Pilcher's beloved classic, The Shell Seekers. Not my typical genre (my nightstand stack usually included John Grisham, Stephen King and Sidney Sheldon), I wonder what prompted me to read a novel centered around the life of a divorced woman, sixty-four years old, an elderly woman in my twenty-six-year-old's mind. (And now I'm a mere four years shy of Penelope's age...). But I found such a wonderful story that spoke to me more deeply than anything I'd ever read. Recently remarried and raising my young daughter, I found happiness in the simple pleasures of creating a comfortable home, appreciating the beauty and peace found in nature, all of which was inspired by Pilcher's lyrical prose; the sort of which I had yet to discover in my usual reading. The simple act of preparing a cup of tea, enjoying it as I read the daily mail, or tending to my rose garden in the quiet hours of a Saturday morning, brought me joy. 

The Shell Seekers made its way to my list of lifetime favorites and for over thirty years, I longed to read it again, but I was concerned it wouldn't live up to my first impressions. Last year, I decided to reread Winter Solstice (another wonderful novel by Pilcher) and enjoyed it immensely. I convinced myself that I would have a similar reaction with a reread of The Shell Seekers and I was right. It was a marvelous read and such a joy to revisit Penelope's story after all these years. 

One of the joys of rereading an old favorite, particularly after the passage of more than thirty years, is that the book feels both familiar and new at the same time. I was surprised that while I remembered Penelope Keeling, her cozy cottage called Podmore's Thatch (in Gloucestershire, a county in South West England) and the young gardener she hired after her heart attack, I had long forgotten most of the details of the book, giving it the feeling of a new book of which I'd only read a synopsis.  Another reason that I kept putting off a reread is due to the heft of the novel, which is over 600 pages (in paperback). It took me a little over two weeks to read, but it was time well spent. I enjoyed every page, never feeling impatient to finish, and eager to curl up with it each evening, anxious to learn more about Penelope's life in Cornwall and the Cotswolds.

The Shell Seekers has twice been adapted to film. A Hallmark Hall of Fame television production, starring Angela Lansbury, was nominated for an Emmy in 1989, and in 2006, a mini-series was developed starring Vanesa Redgrave. I have not watched either and don't think I will since books-to-movies are typically disappointments.

Readers of family sagas and historical fiction are sure to love this popular novel. I've returned it to a bookcase devoted to my favorites, and I look forward to revisiting it again when I'm in need of a comfort read. I love escaping into a big, fat book and I'm already looking forward to reading Coming Home, the only novel by Rosamunde Pilcher I've yet to read.

I have the trade paperback of The Shell Seekers, but I love the cover art for the original hardcover, which I used to own. I wonder whatever happened to that edition...

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

Fiction

2000 Thomas Dunne Books

Finished on January 4, 2022

Rating: 5/5 (Excellent)

Publisher's Blurb:

For millions of readers around the world, a new Rosamunde Pilcher novel is a cause for celebration. Her clear-eyed and sharply observed stories have captivated readers for a generation, and with Winter Solstice she proves herself to be at the height of her powers by creating people and places so real, we feel we have known them for years.

The December solstice is a turning point. For some it represents a time of darkness, the shortest day of the year. But for others this events--just a few days before Christmas--is about hope, renewal, and rebirth. In a story both deceptively simple and effortlessly complex, Rosamunde Pilcher brings together five very different people, ranging in age from the teens to the mid-sixties, each of whom must confront very different challenges or losses. 

When Elfrida Phipps abandons London for a quaint country village, she settles in quickly. She has a tiny cottage, her faithful dog, Horace, and the friendship of good neighbors, Oscar, Gloria, and their little girl. Perhaps, at last, she can exorcise the pain of the past and find peace.

But it is not to be.

Tragedy upsets Elfrida's newfound tranquility, and she takes refuge in a rambling house in the north of Scotland called Corrydale. Almost like a magnet, Corrydale attracts various waifs and strays, each of them escaping difficult personal pasts. As the holidays approach and the weather turns foul, the scene seems set as a perfect recipe for disaster.

But somehow the group proves to be greater than the sum of its ill-suited parts, and as the solstice passes and Christmas approaches, the healing power of love, even on the most troubled human spirit, begins to work its magic.

Once again, Rosamunde Pilcher reminds us all that friendship, compassion, loyalty, and love can come together and renew us all--even when the days seem darkest.

Oh, what a wonderful book. When Diane (Bibliophile By the Sea) first mentioned that she was going to listen to the audiobook in December, I considered reading it as well, but I was in the middle of another novel and didn't give Winter Solstice another thought, especially since it's one I'd already read. Well, I finished the aforementioned book on December 21st and took that as a sign to begin Pilcher's novel on the winter solstice. I was a little distracted with our holiday preparations, so it took me a few chapters to finally get interested in the story. However, once I acquainted myself with the cast of characters, I couldn't stop reading. As I mentioned, this is one that I've previously read, but I don't know when that was and I've yet to locate that journal entry. When I do, I will be sure to link back to this review for comparison.

I have read several books by Rosamunde Pilcher, the first of which was The Shell Seekers, which I absolutely adored. I have always intended to read it again, but worried that it might not be as enjoyable as the first time I read it. Having now reread Winter Solstice, I should not let that concern me. I believe Pilcher's novels are marvelous comfort reads, which stand the test of time. I loved this book!

The End of Summer

The End of Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher
Fiction
1971 St. Martin's Paperbacks
Finished on September 11, 2015
Rating: 2/5 (Don't Recommend)





Publisher's Blurb:

When you read a novel by Rosamunde Pilcher you enter a special world where emotions sing from the heart. A world that lovingly captures the ties that bind us to one another--the joys and sorrows, heartbreaks and misunderstandings, and glad, perfect moments when we are in true harmony. A world filled with evocative, engrossing, and above all, enjoyable portraits of peoples lives and loves, tenderly laid open for us...

After years in the United States, Jane returns to the tranquil Scottish estate, Elvie, where she spent a magical childhood. Memories of Elvie had always summoned the image of Sinclair, the rakish man Jane had once dreamed of marrying, but now that she is home, she finds Sinclair a different man. His charm has a purpose, and Jane can no longer trust him... or herself.

Rosamunde Pilcher has been one of my favorite authors since I first discovered her famous novel, The Shell Seekers, back in the early '90s. I've read several of her shorter novels, but none have provided me with anything close to the great enjoyment I've experienced in reading her longer sagas. I continue to read these novellas, however, ever hopeful that one will surprise me. Unfortunately, The End of  Summer isn't the one. I was terribly disappointed in the story and probably shouldn't have wasted my time, as I was eager to finish and move on to something else.

Final Thoughts:

If you haven't tried any of Rosamunde Pilcher's books, I strongly recommend The Shell Seekers, as well as September and Winter Solstice. Sadly, I can't recommend any of her short stories, including The End of Summer.

The Empty House

The Empty House by Rosamunde Pilcher
Fiction
1973 St. Martin's Press
Finished 3/11/10
Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)




Product Description

When you read a novel by Rosamunde Pilcher you enter a special world where emotions sing from the heart. A world that lovingly captures the ties that bind us to one another-the joys and sorrows, heartbreaks and misunderstandings, and glad, perfect moments when we are in true harmony. A world filled with evocative, engrossing, and above all, enjoyable portraits of people's lives and loves, tenderly laid open for us...
At twenty-seven, Virginia Keile had been through the most intense experiences life had to offer-a magical first love ending in heartbreak, a suitable marriage, motherhood, and widowhood. All she wanted now was to take her daughter and son to a seaside cottage and help them recover. But Virginia's true love was there, waiting, hoping, praying that this time she would be strong enough to seize happiness.

After reading a couple of grim novels about World War II, I decided it was time for something a bit lighter. Earlier this month, Robin mentioned The Empty House and after a quick scan of my shelves, I found my unread copy. This novella is a quick read and was just the ticket to lift my spirits after finishing Skeletons at the Feast.

The Shell Seekers and Winter Solstice remain my favorites (I prefer her lengthier novels to her novellas), but I always enjoy revisiting Pilcher's cozy world of Cornwall.



The building which housed the solicitors' office stood at the top of the hill which led out of Porthkerris, but even so Virginia was taken unawares by the marvellous view which leapt at her as soon as she walked into the room. Mr. Williams's desk stood in the middle of the carpet and Mr. Williams was, even now, getting to his feet behind it. But, beyond Mr. Williams, a great picture-window framed, like some lovely painting, the whole jumbled, charming panorama of the old part of the town. Roofs of houses, faded slate and whitewashed chimneys, tumbled without pattern or order down the hill. Here a blue door, there a yellow window; here a window-sill bright with geraniums, a line of washing gay as flags, or the leaves of some unsuspected and normally unseen tree. Beyond the roofs and far below them was the harbour, at full tide and sparkling with sunshine. Boats rocked at anchor and a white sail sped out beyond the shelter of the harbour wall, heading for the ruler line of the horizon where the two blues met. The air was clamorous with the sound of gulls, the sky patterned with their great gliding wings and as Virginia stood there, the church bells from the Normal tower struck up a simple carillon and clock chimes range out eleven o'clock.

I've already begun to forget the details of The Empty House, but its gentle story provided me with a few hours of peace.

Final thoughts: The guilty pleasure of a fluffy romance.

Wonder if I can talk my husband into a vacation here!