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Another delightful book from Stevenson-this was so heart-warming! I really enjoyed Nell's character and I am assuming there is a sequel so we know if she finds love at last. The siblings are so close even though as adults they have moved apart-great ending!
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4.5 stars for this lovely, absorbing, old-fashioned family saga set at the Scottish estate of the title. On the first page we learn the Amberwell estate has been passed down for generations in the Ayrton family, and tradition dictates each new caretaker makes some material improvement during his tenure.
The current Ayrtons settle on a lotus pond with a mermaid fountain; they are a very self-involved couple, and though they have five children - the two eldest boys from his first marriage, and thre ...more
The current Ayrtons settle on a lotus pond with a mermaid fountain; they are a very self-involved couple, and though they have five children - the two eldest boys from his first marriage, and thre ...more
This wasn't as "cozy" as some of the other DE Stevenson books I've read but instead it felt like a realistic view into life during the war. There was tragedy but also triumph. I loved it.
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Full of aching nostalgia, this romantic family saga is hugely absorbing. While reading it, I resented having to stop for things like meals and work! This was only the second book by D.E. Stevenson I'd read (the first was Mrs Tim Of The Regiment, which didn't grab me quite so much) but I'm now hooked and will definitely read many more.
Much of the book is set in the "summer between the wars", following a wealthy Scottish family, the Ayrtons, who live in splendid isolation on their country estate, ...more
Much of the book is set in the "summer between the wars", following a wealthy Scottish family, the Ayrtons, who live in splendid isolation on their country estate, ...more
Warning! Even when an author is one of your comfort reads, it is a mistake to pick one of her books for a few chapters at midnight. You will read the entire book and be very sleepy the next day! In this instance, I had to reread the whole series...
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20... ...more
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20... ...more
I just re-read this for the second time and I really loved it. I think it is one of those books that will hold up for future re-reads.
The five siblings this book is about, with the main focus on the youngest two girls, are well drawn and I felt their interactions with each other, their parents, Nannie, and the few other grown ups in their world are believable and absorbing.
Of course, it's hard to read how much less is given to the daughters of the house than the sons and their parents are (vie ...more
The five siblings this book is about, with the main focus on the youngest two girls, are well drawn and I felt their interactions with each other, their parents, Nannie, and the few other grown ups in their world are believable and absorbing.
Of course, it's hard to read how much less is given to the daughters of the house than the sons and their parents are (vie ...more
4.5 stars ... reminded me of The Silent Shore and other books in Ruth Elwin Harris's criminally underrated quartet, as well as The Cazalet Chronicles: Five Novels in One Collection and other stories about stiff families in Great Britain during the war years. Immediately bought Book 2 after finishing this.
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Amberwell is long and imperfect, but it contains so much life and truth about childhood, love, and relationships. It raises questions and provides answers, some less satisfying than others, but no less accurate.
Jun 27, 2016
Peggy
marked it as to-read
Oct 09, 2019
Jackie
marked it as to-read
May 24, 2020
Jacqueline
marked it as to-read
