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A review by carosbookcase
Susan Settles Down by Molly Clavering
4.0
Originally published in 1936, Susan Settles Down is the first Molly Clavering book I’ve read. From the start I knew that I was going to get on well with this book. Molly Clavering’s writing has an effortless style that draws you in and allows you to just sit back and enjoy the experience.
Susan Parsons moves from London with her brother Oliver to a property he has inherited in the Scottish Highlands. While eager to support her brother’s excitement of being a landowner, Susan is less than optimistic about how they will get on in Easter Hartrigg. Met with a drunken cook and her useless daughter upon arrival at their new homestead, Susan has to take the situation in hand as soon as she’s through the door. But soon she’s befriending the daughter of the local vicar, cleaning house, and despite their very rocky start, she begins to almost like her brother’s new friend, Jed Armstrong, a farmer whose property abuts theirs. Not all the neighbours are friendly, though. The three Pringle sisters provide hilarity and frustration, as do the misunderstandings and romances.
I had a great time reading this book. It was funny, easy to digest, and charming. My only qualm is that I read in the introduction of the Dean Street Press edition that Susan is a writer. I kept waiting for this information to be imparted in the book. It wasn’t until about the half way point that Susan’s writing is mentioned and while I understand that looking after her brother’s home has been her main priority up until that point, it seemed very odd that it wasn’t at least mentioned earlier. If I hadn’t gone into the book knowing that Susan was a writer, perhaps this wouldn’t have bothered me. Of course, the fact that it isn’t mentioned earlier could be an indication of how serious Susan is about her profession.
The only reason I’m giving this 4.5 stars and not 5 is because I wanted a bit more at the end. Clearly, that’s preferable to being left wanting less! I’m very much looking forward to reading [b:Touch Not the Nettle|57455009|Touch Not the Nettle|Molly Clavering|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616112244l/57455009._SY75_.jpg|89958637] which carries on Susan’s story. Who knows? Maybe I will find what I was looking for at the end of Susan Settles Down in that book!
Susan Parsons moves from London with her brother Oliver to a property he has inherited in the Scottish Highlands. While eager to support her brother’s excitement of being a landowner, Susan is less than optimistic about how they will get on in Easter Hartrigg. Met with a drunken cook and her useless daughter upon arrival at their new homestead, Susan has to take the situation in hand as soon as she’s through the door. But soon she’s befriending the daughter of the local vicar, cleaning house, and despite their very rocky start, she begins to almost like her brother’s new friend, Jed Armstrong, a farmer whose property abuts theirs. Not all the neighbours are friendly, though. The three Pringle sisters provide hilarity and frustration, as do the misunderstandings and romances.
I had a great time reading this book. It was funny, easy to digest, and charming. My only qualm is that I read in the introduction of the Dean Street Press edition that Susan is a writer. I kept waiting for this information to be imparted in the book. It wasn’t until about the half way point that Susan’s writing is mentioned and while I understand that looking after her brother’s home has been her main priority up until that point, it seemed very odd that it wasn’t at least mentioned earlier. If I hadn’t gone into the book knowing that Susan was a writer, perhaps this wouldn’t have bothered me. Of course, the fact that it isn’t mentioned earlier could be an indication of how serious Susan is about her profession.
The only reason I’m giving this 4.5 stars and not 5 is because I wanted a bit more at the end. Clearly, that’s preferable to being left wanting less! I’m very much looking forward to reading [b:Touch Not the Nettle|57455009|Touch Not the Nettle|Molly Clavering|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616112244l/57455009._SY75_.jpg|89958637] which carries on Susan’s story. Who knows? Maybe I will find what I was looking for at the end of Susan Settles Down in that book!