Cynthia harrod eagles goodbye piccadilly farewell
Goodbye Piccadilly
The book starts in the month before The First World war commences and centres around two families: The middle-class Hunters, and the upper-class Wrougtons. We are introduced to them and alongside are the large supporting cast of servants, friends, acquaintances and trades-people and others who make up life in a village in early 20th century England.
The village is just 20 miles from London, and whilst rural at heart, it has strong connections to the city through the railways and road links to trade and industry, and means both the Hunter and Wroughton families commute or visit: Mr Hunter senior is a well-respected bank manager, and has family in the Capital, whilst Earl and Countess Dene i.e. Lord and Lady Wroughtons, also have family there and are an "old" name known and part of Society.
As war comes events start to challenge and change their lives with soldiers being a normal sight and men (and boys) volunteering for service; after all the war will be over before Christmas.
The book ends at Christmas 1914, as the war continues and the community of Northcote village are doing their bit.
What I really liked about the writing by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is the links in the story to real events and people, as well as aspects of life that happened in many villages and towns. Examples being: horses being requisitioned for the army; the place of Germans or those thought to be German in society; the worries about food and supplies; the worries about jobs, stock markets and how women could help; the early arrival of Belgian refugees and English towns being shelled by the German Navy, and of course, the impact on the families and their friends, especially those who are serving or join the colours. Amongst all this too, are the relationships between the characters and others, some old and some new, as well as the ever-present divisions, behaviours and expectations of pe
Goodbye Piccadilly
In 1914, England faces a new kind of war. For Edward and Beatrice Hunter, their children, servants and neighbours, life will never be the same again.
For David, the eldest son, war means a chance to do something noble; but enlisting will break his mother’s heart. His lovely sister Diana, nineteen, longs for marriage, but has set her heart on Charles Wroughton, son of an earl, who will surely never be allowed to marry a banker’s daughter. Below stairs, Cook and Ada, the head housemaid, grow more terrified of German invasion with every newspaper atrocity story. Ethel, under housemaid, can’t help herself when it comes to men. Now soldiers add to temptation; yet there’s more to this flighty girl than meets the eye.
The once-tranquil village reels under an influx of khaki volunteers, wounded soldiers and Belgian refugees, the requisition of it horses and motor-cars, and the loss of its sons to Kitchener’s armies. The Hunters and their neighbours must find a way to adapt to a changing world of uncertainty and danger.
Goodbye, Piccadilly is the first book in the War at Home series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, author of the much-loved Morland Dynasty novels. Set against the real events of 1914 at home and on the Front, Goodbye, Piccadilly is extraordinary in scope and imagination and is a compelling introduction to the Hunter family.
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Great War 100 Reads
The Great War 100 Reads book lists continue to grow as new books are published and I find more to read. Many thanks to those of you who have made suggestions. One of these days, I will try to organize it to make it more useful than a long alphabetical list.
Linda Abbott, The Tin Triangle
Richard Aldington, Death of a Hero
Lyn Alexander, The Officer’s Code
Rose Allatini (as AT Fitzroy), Despised and Rejected
Judith Allnatt, The Moon Field
Lyn Andrews, Liverpool Angels
Patricia Anthony, Flanders
Katherine Arden, The Warm Hands of Ghosts
Addison Armstrong, The War Librarian
Antonia Arslan, Skylark Farm
Terri Arthur, Fatal Decision: Edith Cavell WW1 Nurse
Avi, The Button War
Jo Baker, The Picture Book
Henri Barbusse,Under Fire – Le Feu
Rachel Barenbaum, A Bend in the Stars
Pat Barker, Regeneration
Pat Barker, The Eye in the Door
Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
Pat Barker, Life Class
Pat Barker, Toby’s Room
Sebastian Barry, A Long Long Way
Lorraine Bateman, At Midnight in a Flaming Town
Rosalind Belben, Our Horses in Egypt
John Bemrose, The River Twice
Francis Marion Beynon, Aleta Dey
Juliet Blackwell, The Vineyards of Champagne
William Boyd, An Ice-Cream War
William Boyd, Waiting for Sunrise
Joseph Boyden, Three Day Road
John Boyne, The Absolutist
Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye
John Buchan, The Thirty-Nine Steps
John Buchan, Greenmantle
Cathy Marie Buchanan, The Day the Falls Stood Still
J. L. Carr, A Month in the Country
Roch Carrier, La guerre, yes sir!
Gabriel Chevallier, Fear — La Peur
Jennifer Chiaverini, Canary Girls
Jennifer Chiaverini, Switchboard Soldiers
Philip Child, God’s Sparrows
Adrienne Chinn, Love in a Time of War
Philippe Claudel, Grey Souls — Les Âmes grises — By a Slow River
Paulo Coelho, The Spy
e.e. cummings, The Enormous Room
Alan Cumyn, The Sojourn
Stephen Daisley, Traitor
Annabel Davis-Goff, The Fox’s Walk
Louis de Bernières, Birds Without Wings
Da
Farewell to Burracombe
The Bells of Burracombe
- By: Lilian Harry
- Narrated by: Nicolette McKenzie
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
Overall
Performance
When Stella Simmons comes to the Devonshire village of Burracombe to start her teaching career, she is alone in the world. Orphaned as a child and brought up in a children's home, she was separated from her sister, Muriel, and has never been able to trace her. Stella is soon caught up in the life of the village, especially in the plans for celebrating the Festival of Britain. With the help of artist Luke Ferris, she tries to find Muriel. But Luke has his own troubles - notably the relationship he once had with Val Tozer, daughter of a local farmer.