A review by gracer
Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford

adventurous dark funny lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love this series. I loved reading The Pursuit of Love and this follow-up did not disappoint. Like the first book in the series, this one is about a love story that is borderline tragic. But that does not set the tone for the book: it is brisk, funny, insightful, quick, engaging, consuming. Mitford's writing is great, and the narrative framing is even better -- we love Fanny, of course, but she is just the eyes, and a pretty naive pair at that. The interweving of all of the different characters, their witness accounts to tell the story. It's an almost perfect reading experience.

This one does have a very awkward issue, which is that... well, let's just say grooming. It was a different time, but, yikes. Davey's constant defense of the man in question is... well, Davey is supposed to be such a likable character, but it's hard to read him that way, for that reason. Still, it isn't exactly glossed over like it's nothing, but a point of discussion, and a realistic look at one of the ways that happens. Honestly, though, I wouldn't be surprised if some misguided conservatives tried to ban this one.
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