Britannia Mews

This novel is perfection. It is a brilliant, bountiful story with unforgettable characters, written with heart by an author whose expertise is both meticulous and fluid. We follow the story of Adelaide Lambert ( née Culver) from her young childhood years in the 1800’s through to the last days of her l Leggi tutto

Every time I pick up one of Margery Sharp’s books I find both things that are wonderfully familiar and things that make each book feel quite distinctive. This particular book, that I plucked from the middle of her backlist, sets out the story of one remarkable woman and one London Street. It makes a Leggi tutto

Britannia Mews (1946) is my fourth Margery Sharp novel and probably my favourite so far. Beginning in the 1870s and taking us through to the 1940s, it follows the story of Adelaide Culver from childhood to old age. We first meet Adelaide as a curious ten-year-old exploring Britannia Mews, a London s Leggi tutto

This might be a 4.75. For much of the book I was delighted and couldn't wait to see what happened. But just a little bit towards the end I felt like it could have been tightened up a bit.

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Deb, for the loan of this one. It's not likely that I would have found it on my own, but it's a charming...I'm looking for the right description, and the best I'm managing is that it's a charming coming of age story...it actually takes us from childhood to old age with th Leggi tutto

At first I thought this was going to be a juvenile story, but thankfully it soon morphed into a sweeping tale of Adelaide, as fiercely independent in her girlhood as she is in old age. Set in London. It encompasses 2 world wars. I loved how the Mews was always a focus. Almost a character of the book Leggi tutto

Britannia Mews is the story of Adelaide Lambert – born Adelaide Culver – from childhood to very old age. Born into a prosperous Victorian family, as a child Adelaide would sneak round to the forbidden Britannia Mews tucked between the streets of conventional middle class homes. Here the coachmen fro Leggi tutto

Excellent story about headstrong Adelaide Culver, and the life-long impact of the rash decision she made in her youth. Well-written and engrossing, with many great character studies. Definitely a good read. I'll be on the lookout for "The Forbidden Street," the screen version of the novel.

I love the way blogs continue to survive the onslaught of mega-umbrella-sites. In this case, I'm thinking of Margery Sharp Day, initiated several years ago by the blog Beyond Eden Rock, and picked up by lots of readers who maintain their own blogs. Each has their own community of followers and comme Leggi tutto

This was an enjoyable read, but not as tautly written as Cluny Brown, the last Margery Sharp I read. Tracing the story of a woman born in the Victorian era through the Second World War, it covers a lot of ground. Sharp's heroines tend to have an independent streak, and Adelaide is no exception. She