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A review by lory_enterenchanted
Mrs. Lorimer's Quiet Summer by Molly Clavering
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
I didn't get what I was expecting with this one, billed as the story of two female writers loosely based on the author and her friend, D.E. Stevenson. It would have been fascinating to have a glimpse into their writing lives, but instead the focus was firmly on domestic and family life, along with the traditions of the Scottish Border country where they lived. Mrs. Lorimer is the focus, an empty-nester who welcomes her four children and their families back for a brief visit, sorting out some of their difficulties before focusing on her younger son, Guy, and his romantic entanglements. It was a pleasant enough story, but Mrs. Lorimer's snobbishness spoiled it rather (she doesn't think Guy's ultimate choice of bride is good enough for him, although clearly she's worth ten of any of the local gentry, and is obsessed with her silly last name--really, who cares?) And it was depressing to see one of her daughters-in-law, who had flown airplanes in the war, reduced to being a do-nothing housewife who wasn't even good at ordering servants around. There was a missed opportunity for a really interesting character trajectory, but she was just a side note.
I didn't get what I was expecting with this one, billed as the story of two female writers loosely based on the author and her friend, D.E. Stevenson. It would have been fascinating to have a glimpse into their writing lives, but instead the focus was firmly on domestic and family life, along with the traditions of the Scottish Border country where they lived. Mrs. Lorimer is the focus, an empty-nester who welcomes her four children and their families back for a brief visit, sorting out some of their difficulties before focusing on her younger son, Guy, and his romantic entanglements. It was a pleasant enough story, but Mrs. Lorimer's snobbishness spoiled it rather (she doesn't think Guy's ultimate choice of bride is good enough for him, although clearly she's worth ten of any of the local gentry, and is obsessed with her silly last name--really, who cares?) And it was depressing to see one of her daughters-in-law, who had flown airplanes in the war, reduced to being a do-nothing housewife who wasn't even good at ordering servants around. There was a missed opportunity for a really interesting character trajectory, but she was just a side note.