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drannieg's review
2.75
Horribly clichéd, but saved by Vaughan's writing. Her second book I think? V much still finding her voice- slightly worse than Baking Bind, but Anatomy is much better.
jo_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I rather foolishly thought when I picked up this book that I was going to get a book which fitted into the women's fiction category that sort comes under the terrible sub genre of chick-lit one of those books which you can read and then pass on, it was an enjoyment reading it but that is about it, it does not necessarily stay with you much after that.
What I got was a story with much more depth and in one of my favourite plot devices, dual narrative.
Evacuees Will and Alice are placed at Skylark farm in Cornwall, as far from London as they can get. To them it is on the edge of the world out in front of them the vast expanse of the Atlantic. Behind them, freedom they never knew existed.
They fit into family life on the farm with parents Evelyn and Joe and their daughter Maggie.
As war rages away far from Cornwall, it seems that nothing is going to touch this beautiful idyll. One summer though, everything changes and the consequences of actions are still felt some seventy years later.
Lucy's life it seems is falling apart. An error she makes at work, leads to her taking a leave of absence at the same time as she discovers her husband has been cheating on her. Lucy returns home to Skylark Farm. Her life in London a far cry from the sanctuary of home and the farm she left some years before.
She returns to a farm that is struggling and starts to learn about the past as she discovers herself amongst the cows grazing in the field and the waves as the crash against the shore.
Of course these two narratives are intrinsically linked and as the past is brought up and resettled, it helps the future and those that will continue to farm at Skylark.
This is a strong story and it does not shy away from the harsher aspects of life and farming, nothing remotely romantic about seeing you future go up in flames, whether it is with the discovery of foot and mouth or catching your husband having an affair.
There was something quite poetic in the way the author has described the Cornwall of the Nineteen forties and that of the present day, whilst the surroundings may have altered very little, the way life moves on has changed. Despite the tinges of sadness in both the narrative there is something hopeful about the story and the fact that everything is cyclical and it can all be reborn, even if it does take a number of years to achieve.
I highly recommend this book, it will affect you in many different ways, if nothing else it will take you to Cornwall and you can experience the magic of the place almost as if you were there.
What I got was a story with much more depth and in one of my favourite plot devices, dual narrative.
Evacuees Will and Alice are placed at Skylark farm in Cornwall, as far from London as they can get. To them it is on the edge of the world out in front of them the vast expanse of the Atlantic. Behind them, freedom they never knew existed.
They fit into family life on the farm with parents Evelyn and Joe and their daughter Maggie.
As war rages away far from Cornwall, it seems that nothing is going to touch this beautiful idyll. One summer though, everything changes and the consequences of actions are still felt some seventy years later.
Lucy's life it seems is falling apart. An error she makes at work, leads to her taking a leave of absence at the same time as she discovers her husband has been cheating on her. Lucy returns home to Skylark Farm. Her life in London a far cry from the sanctuary of home and the farm she left some years before.
She returns to a farm that is struggling and starts to learn about the past as she discovers herself amongst the cows grazing in the field and the waves as the crash against the shore.
Of course these two narratives are intrinsically linked and as the past is brought up and resettled, it helps the future and those that will continue to farm at Skylark.
This is a strong story and it does not shy away from the harsher aspects of life and farming, nothing remotely romantic about seeing you future go up in flames, whether it is with the discovery of foot and mouth or catching your husband having an affair.
There was something quite poetic in the way the author has described the Cornwall of the Nineteen forties and that of the present day, whilst the surroundings may have altered very little, the way life moves on has changed. Despite the tinges of sadness in both the narrative there is something hopeful about the story and the fact that everything is cyclical and it can all be reborn, even if it does take a number of years to achieve.
I highly recommend this book, it will affect you in many different ways, if nothing else it will take you to Cornwall and you can experience the magic of the place almost as if you were there.
_stephp's review against another edition
4.0
Les histoires croisées d'une famille, profondément attachée à cette ferme de Cornouailles. Inévitablement, on y revient. Impossible de ne plus vivre dans cet endroit qui est dans la famille depuis des générations.
Les protagonistes y ont construit leur vie, connu la guerre, la faim, la peur, rencontré l'amour, ils ont vécu au rythme de la nature, des saisons, de cette temporalité propre à la vie proche de la nature.
On s'y reconstruit aussi, trouve le pardon, répare ses erreurs et prend un nouveau départ.
Ce livre, c'est tout ça...
Les protagonistes y ont construit leur vie, connu la guerre, la faim, la peur, rencontré l'amour, ils ont vécu au rythme de la nature, des saisons, de cette temporalité propre à la vie proche de la nature.
On s'y reconstruit aussi, trouve le pardon, répare ses erreurs et prend un nouveau départ.
Ce livre, c'est tout ça...
literationforthenation's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book as part of Goodreads Giveaways.
I received the book and didn't want to read it straight away, but save it for my holidays. I really enjoyed it, it's a good story and very readable. Not too descriptive, but doesn't scrimp on content. It made you feel a range of emotions, and also got you thinking about life in general. I would definitely read another book by Sarah Vaughan, and would recommend this book to friends.
I received the book and didn't want to read it straight away, but save it for my holidays. I really enjoyed it, it's a good story and very readable. Not too descriptive, but doesn't scrimp on content. It made you feel a range of emotions, and also got you thinking about life in general. I would definitely read another book by Sarah Vaughan, and would recommend this book to friends.
portybelle's review against another edition
5.0
From the prologue of this book describing the farm and its setting high above the sea on the north coast of Cornwall, I knew I was going to love it. And I was right, it was such a wonderful read. Sarah Vaughan weaves together three generations of women in stories of Cornwall past and present. At the beginning of the Second World War, Will and Alice are evacuated to Skylark Farm, properly Polblazey Farm, where Will works on the land. Maggie is the farmer’s daughter and forms close bonds with both Will and Alice. Then one summer, Will and Maggie’s relationship develops into something stronger and when her mother finds out Will is sent away, devastating Maggie. In the present day, Lucy, Maggie’s granddaughter, returns reluctantly to her childhood home. She needs time and space to consider the future of her marriage and career but the farm holds so many memories of her beloved late father, she has always found it difficult to return. The farm, like many, is struggling to survive yet her grandmother is determined to stay and resists attempts by her son Richard to sell to developers. Why is she so insistent on staying?
The Farm at the Edge of the World is such a beautifully written book. Sarah Vaughan’s way of writing makes her characters seem so real. I found my thoughts turning to them even when not reading. In particular, I was drawn to Maggie. The love she felt for Will came through so strongly and I could empathise with her anguish when he left and she had no way to contact him. Her further heartbreak throughout the intervening years was clear in the Maggie we meet in the present. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her to live with such sadness all her life, concealing it from her family and yet still clinging on to a small shred of hope. Alice too, must have experienced a lot of guilt over the years at the thought of her part in what happened, though as a young teenager, could hardly be blamed.
Almost a character in itself is Cornwall. This isn’t a romanticised version of Cornwall with sunny skies and blue seas all the time. This is a place which feels real. Sarah Vaughan writes evocatively of the sea in all its moods, whether dark and stormy or blue and tranquil. She does not shy away from the realities of life working on the land. Farming is shown as hard work, relentless, often with despair when crops fail or are ruined by the weather and where illness can decimate the livestock. This is a place where the residents are at the mercy of the elements and life can be harsh.
The Farm at the Edge of the World is a book which had me entranced and reading late into the night to find out what would happen to the characters. It is an exquisitely written story of love, betrayal, heartbreak but also of hope and forgiveness. I loved it from the evocative prologue right to the last pages.
The Farm at the Edge of the World is such a beautifully written book. Sarah Vaughan’s way of writing makes her characters seem so real. I found my thoughts turning to them even when not reading. In particular, I was drawn to Maggie. The love she felt for Will came through so strongly and I could empathise with her anguish when he left and she had no way to contact him. Her further heartbreak throughout the intervening years was clear in the Maggie we meet in the present. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her to live with such sadness all her life, concealing it from her family and yet still clinging on to a small shred of hope. Alice too, must have experienced a lot of guilt over the years at the thought of her part in what happened, though as a young teenager, could hardly be blamed.
Almost a character in itself is Cornwall. This isn’t a romanticised version of Cornwall with sunny skies and blue seas all the time. This is a place which feels real. Sarah Vaughan writes evocatively of the sea in all its moods, whether dark and stormy or blue and tranquil. She does not shy away from the realities of life working on the land. Farming is shown as hard work, relentless, often with despair when crops fail or are ruined by the weather and where illness can decimate the livestock. This is a place where the residents are at the mercy of the elements and life can be harsh.
The Farm at the Edge of the World is a book which had me entranced and reading late into the night to find out what would happen to the characters. It is an exquisitely written story of love, betrayal, heartbreak but also of hope and forgiveness. I loved it from the evocative prologue right to the last pages.
abbeylewis's review
2.0
Started off ok but went downhill fast. Need to stop reading books about British people
wendy458's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tinareynolds's review against another edition
4.0
Melancholy. I found it hard to put down but not sure if I enjoyed it very much because it was so sad. Well written and worth reading.
sassenak's review against another edition
2.0
Des choses intéressantes mais trop lent et trop long et des personnages que je n'ai pas forcément appréciés. Et puis, c'est un peu trop "romance" pour moi !