First published 2000
The Radlett family inhabits a rarefied world of English nobility, where social expectations clash with individual desire. Fanny, the observant narrator, watches her cousin Polly and her friend Linda navigate the treacherous terrain of marriage, love, and personal freedom. Linda, especially restless, defies convention by pursuing passionate affairs and rejecting the arranged marriages expected of her class. As World War II looms, these young women must choose between familial duty and personal authenticity, testing the boundaries of their privileged society. Each decision carries profound consequences, threatening to upend the delicate social structures that have defined their lives.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, british-literature, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: London
Period: 1930s
493 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books