Mary Wesley (1912–2002)

Mary Wesley writes odd little novels, firmly grounded in her very British-ness, but often with twists and ambiguities that set them apart. Her characters can be unlikeable but never unsympathetic, which is something of a feat in my opinion. This one is about an older woman whose plan to kill herself is thrown into disarray when she meets a younger man hiding from the police after killing his mother. It's about aging and family and how much we really know those closest to us. In these two show more characters, Wesley explores the misunderstandings and misperceptions of life, as well as its disappointments and quiet joys. This was my fourth novel by this underappreciated author, and I am glad I have several more sitting on my shelves. show less

A strange, sweet little novel about a young woman dealing with a terrible history and a recent tragedy and her inadvertent effect on an introspective man whose wife has just left him. This is a book full of well-sketched characters, wry humor, and unexpected wisdom. Wesley may not be a profound novelist but her exploration of the everyday and commonplace is spot on and surprisingly moving. Where some authors create the equivalent of minutely-detailed oil paintings, I tend to think of Mary show more Wesley as a watercolor artist who brings forth the outline of reality in a few simple strokes. show less

The story follows a middle-aged couple whose nephews and nieces spend summers with them at their home in Cornwall, location of the eponymous lawn. As war looms in 1939 the cousins realize this may be their last summer together. Although sexually uninhibited to the point of promiscuity, the characters are also repressed in many ways, an interesting but realistic contradiction. Just when it seems the action is going to be all sex and war, Wesley throws in some dark slapstick humour. Most of show more the story takes place in the war years then interspersed with passages forty years later when the now elderly characters and their offspring attend a funeral and reflect on their lives. For a story that wandered along, seemingly with little happening, the ending wrapped up everything very neatly. This was made into a movie that I will definitely seek out. show less

Ar first I thought this was a light period piece, a novel of manners set in that ever-enticing milieu -- the British upper class. But as it progresses it turns into something deeper, darker, and certainly sexier. Most of the book is set in England during WWII, though the main narrative is interspersed with scenes around a funeral in the mid-1980's. It follows a dozen people; five young cousins, three men with whom they are involved, their aunt and uncle, and a pair of Jewish refugees. The show more permutations and combinations within this group are many, various, and sometimes startling. And so are the ways they confront the desperate perils of the war, and the more gradual pains of growing older. A terrific read: makes me want to read more by the same author. show less