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Coming Home Part 2 of 2
This is firstly the story of Judith Dunbar but also tells the story of a wonderful family the Carey-Lewises. The characters are so real that by the time I finished this book they were all like friends. While reading it I laughed and I cried, never before has one novel made me do both.My 84 year old Nan read this and loved it, my 58 year old Dad read this and loved it so when it was passed on to me, at the time an 18 year old, I did not expect to get beyond the end of chapter one. Three days later as I closed the book I was sorry it was over.This book is fantastic. The UK paperback edition is 1016 pages long and yet it felt as though it was over in no time. I have read this book twice and that is not something I have done with many of the thousands of books I have read. I would recommend that anyone who likes to read, read this book. You'll have a wonderful time and make some new friends along the way.
Coming Home Part 2 of 2
This was the first book by Pilcher I ever read. Strangely, I have very mixed feelings about this book. Pilcher fans will certainly love it. The author does a wonderful job to get you acquainted with her characters. By the end, I truly felt that I had personally met all the characters in this book. It felt as though I had made new friends. I will likely never forget Judith, the heroine, and all the many people she meets during those years described in the book. Pilcher's way of describing (often in excruciating detail) every scene, room, mood, the weather, clothes, food, etc. allowed me to actually be right there with her characters. In that sense, this novel will stay with me forever. On the other hand, Pilcher seems to struggle somewhat when attempting to describe her characters' feelings and thoughts. Often, I was unsure why a character behaved a certain way and why he or she felt a certain way about others. Pilcher does a great job describing the war years from the British perspective. I really felt like I was living these horrible war years with them. I often felt tempted to make myself a nice cup of tea because tea seems to be the British answer to everything (loss, grief, joy, relaxation, etc.). However, there were points in this novel where I played with the thought of abandoning it. Too little seemed to happen to justify the pages and pages of text. But this I could not do. I felt compelled to wait it out with Judith and the others and see what life (or Pilcher) had in store for them. That is why I was so disappointed in the end. It seemed as though Ms. Pilcher finally got bored with her characters and abruptly felt the need to just bring it all to a conclusion. After all the heartbreak, longing, joys, losses and disappointments, the end seemed irritatingly flat. Too bad, I wish I could have felt rewarded for sticking it out with Judith and her friends. Read this if you have a lot of free time and are a very patient reader. You will fall in love with Judith, her family, the Carey-Lewis family and all the others. Once you're done, you will feel as though you made new friends. You may be disappointed in the conclusion and your patience will be tried along the way but, maybe, getting to know these characters will make it all worthwhile for you. Oh, and don't be surprised if you develop the habit of drinking tea instead of coffe and if you find yourself booking a vacation to the English seashore.
Coming Home Part 2 of 2
I had read this book a few years ago, but decided to check it out from my library last Saturday before a snowstorm arrived. What a great book to be snowed in with.In addition to being a good love story involving several couples, it is a great book on life as it was before and during WW II in Great Britain. The hardships the people endured are told in great, and sometimes amusing, detail. No matter how bad things become people just carry on. A good cup of tea seems the answer to everything! Descriptions of food and houses are thorough.I would hope that younger women would read this for the historical value. It is a way of life that will never return.
Coming Home Part 2 of 2
I've read the book 3 times, so I must find it worthwhile. Some very good characterizations: Judith, Gus, Jess and some very interesting relationships that I wish had been developed more fully. Unfortunately, there were some central casting characters as well: Diana is straight out of a 1930's MGM movie. But many of the scenes Pilcher writes (especially Judith's reunions with Jess and Gus) seem true to life and that's what you'll remember. My I recommend Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet Chronicles to any of you who liked this book? Starting with "The Light Years", this series of 4 books tells the story of an English family from 1938 to 1947. An excellent work!
Coming Home Part 2 of 2
I first read "Shell Seekers" and have been reading everything she writes ever since. "Coming Home" is a beautifully written look back at the time just before WW2, during and after. Living in America we sometimes don`t realize what the English endured for such a long time. Pilcher makes you live all the joy and sadness her characters go through. The second reading was just as satisfying as the first.
Coming Home Part 2 of 2
Oh wow! This is such a delightful book and I just adored every word. Coming Home is the first Pilcher novel I have read and I will be reading lots more! This book tells such a compelling, wonderful story that it is a very quick read. Pilcher's attention to detail allows her readers to really experience the story, not just read it. Take it on your next vacation and dive into Pilcher's tale of a young girl's coming of age in misty Cornwall, England.