Anna and Her Daughters

pick

I enjoyed this one immensely. I needed the soothing rhythm of Stevenson even though the circumstances the daughters are in were hardly soothing. I was disappointed in the loss of Anna as a character once she remarried. The tidy far too convenient way we reached the happy ending. And after rereading the passage, I‘m irked we aren‘t told what exactly was wrong with Helen? And I missed the witty acerbic Augusta Millard. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, Cathythoughts, CatLass007, jlhammar, Ruthiella, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Ruthiella Helen died of the novelistic disease of being “no better than she ought to be”. 9mo

LeahBergen Right?? Helen just faded away like a Regency woman who got her feet wet. 9mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella 😆😆 9mo

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Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen @Ruthiella 😂 I‘m going to need to see the ICD-10 medical billing codes for those conditions. That was really the part of the book that irritated me. I couldn‘t figure out if Stevenson was insinuating something due Helen‘s lifestyle, or was it a congenital condition that she didn‘t keep up on treatments, or was Stevenson at a loss herself how to end it so let‘s blame the French language barrier in Jane and the reader never knowing. 9mo

rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella 🤣🤣🤣 9mo

rubyslippersreads Were we supposed to think Helen had TB? 9mo

willaful @Jess_Read_This 🤣 9mo

jlhammar Agree about wanting more Anna. She was such a interesting character in the first part of the book. 9mo

kwmg40 Good points in your review! I really enjoyed the book too but was also bothered by some of the things you mentioned. 9mo

CarolynM I thought consumption too @rubyslippersreads but I prefer @Ruthiella ‘s diagnosis🤣 9mo

rubyslippersreads @CarolynM @Ruthiella Me too. 🤣 9mo

41 likes11 comments

Jess_Read_This

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

A dramatic scene that broke my heart for Rosalie! And left me wondering what exactly the timely “little red pill” was provided by Mother.

I‘m finishing this #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub read at the eleventh hour! Then will backtrack to the discussion! 🥴

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, Cathythoughts, CatLass007, jlhammar, Ruthiella, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Aimeesue Just the generic little red pill 😂 9mo

Ruthiella It‘s the‘50s. No doubt tranquilizers were prescribed freely! 😬 9mo

Jess_Read_This @Aimeesue 😂 indeed! 9mo

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Jess_Read_This @Ruthiella Such a different time! I found it so interesting how casually it was mentioned. But like you said, freely prescribed back then. 9mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella Probably big ol‘ over-the-counter horse tranquilizers. 😆 9mo

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen @Ruthiella Well, after Anna‘s talk about horses and blinders, you might not be far off 🤣 (edited) 9mo

LeahBergen 😆😆 9mo

quietjenn Good old Mother's Little Helpers 😉 9mo

batsy Yes! All those "little pills" back in the day. 9mo

25 likes9 comments

rubyslippersreads

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

I enjoyed this, but like other Littens, I didn‘t really care for the direction the second half took. I loved Mrs. Millard, Margaret, and Miss Smith and her dolls. Val improved once he met Chairley. I thought it was odd that Anna almost completely disappeared from the story, even though her name is in the title.

But I sure didn‘t think Ronnie was the prize all the sisters thought he was. 😏

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads @elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @quietjenn @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @batsy @catebutler @elkeOriginal @tamra @kimzey @jess_read_this @MrsK @jhammar @julieclair @kwmg40 @Lizpixie @Aimeesue @Teresereading 9mo

jlhammar Yes, agree completely! Fun to see the different covers. I hadn‘t seen the one on the left yet. 9mo

Ruthiella No, Ronnie was no prize! I would have preferred Jane finding a new love. Everything else could have happened. 9mo

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rubyslippersreads @jlhammar I think that cover kind of gives away the plot. 😏 9mo

rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella It was like the author thought her readers would expect a “romantic” ending. 9mo

julieclair I agree about the cover giving away the plot. That always annoys me! 9mo

CarolynM You‘ve summed it up so well👏 9mo

batsy Was wondering about the vanishing of Anna, too 😆 And Ronnie is definitely no prize. Those covers are lovely! 9mo

LeahBergen Just how I felt! I was a bit over Ronnie by the end. 😆 9mo

Jess_Read_This @batsy @LeahBergen The allure of Ronnie was lost on my by the end too. He couldn‘t make up his mind on Helen. He is in the U.K. And sees Jane but it‘s a short visit and can‘t make the time to see his son, plus the way he treats the African staff was wrong. He is no prize. 9mo

Jess_Read_This @Ruthiella Agree!! I just wrote something similar. Too bad things didn‘t work out with Jane‘s American stargazer beau. 9mo

Ruthiella @Jess_Read_This So many romantic possibilities…all wasted! 😆 9mo

rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella @Jess_Read_This And all because of Ronnie. ☹️ 9mo

54 likes13 comments

kwmg40

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

This month's #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub book was a very enjoyable read. I liked that the plot wasn't totally predictable (at least not to me), and I thought Mrs. Millard was a great character.

@Aimeesue @batsy @CarolynM @catebutler @Cathythoughts @CatLass007 @elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @Jess_Read_This @jlhammar @julieclair @Kimzey @LeahBergen @Lizpixie @MrsK @quietjenn @rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella @Tamra @Teresereading @willaful

kwmg40 #MarvellousMarch @Andrew65
#192025 #1958 @Librarybelle
#gottacatchemall @PuddleJumper (prompt 69, Lapras: Set somewhere you'd like to visit)

#52bookclub24 (prompt 37, Palindrome on the cover)
@Kristy_K @LaraReads @KarenUK @Hooked_on_books @BarkingMadRead @Crazeedi @brittanyreads @Magpiegem, @BookBelle84, @Larkken @jenniferw88 @julesG @Deblovestoread @MidnightBookGirl @Librarybelle @triplem80 @Tove_Reads @Read4life @Bluebird @Barb 9mo

Ruthiella Mrs. Millard was very intriguing! Such a good character. 9mo

julieclair The plot was not predictable to me, either. And I loved Mrs. Millard. I‘d like to read a book devoted to her! 9mo

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CarolynM Yes, loved Mrs Millard! 9mo

Aimeesue Another cheer for Mrs. Millard! I enjoyed her. 9mo

Librarybelle I‘m tempted to try one of these Furrowed Middlebrow books one of these days… 9mo

LeahBergen Mrs. Millard was great! She was just happy the way she was, wasn‘t she? 9mo

LeahBergen @Librarybelle I think you‘d like them! 😊 9mo

Librarybelle @LeahBergen 😁 9mo

batsy Adding to the Mrs Millard love! Enjoyed her interactions with Jane. 9mo

rubyslippersreads I loved Mrs. Millard, and was glad her pearls were “cured.” 9mo

Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 9mo

kwmg40 @Ruthiella @julieclair @CarolynM @Aimeesue @LeahBergen @batsy @rubyslippersreads Nice to see so much love for Mrs. Millard. I feel as if I could have used a Mrs. Millard in my life in my younger days! 9mo

kwmg40 @Librarybelle Most of the ones I've read have been light and heartwarming books but with enough substance to make them interesting. I've also been enjoying reading books from the 40's and 50's and learning more about everyday life in those times. 9mo

kwmg40 @Andrew65 Thanks for stopping by! 9mo

Jess_Read_This @Ruthiella @julieclair @CarolynM @Aimeesue @LeahBergen @batsy @rubyslippersreads Here Here to an Augusta Millard spin off book! Though I have to think she‘d tell the lot of us she never wanted to see us again. And jaunt off to Pompeii in research of her next book. 😂 9mo

Ruthiella @Jess_Read_This 😂😂😂 9mo

Aimeesue @Jess_Read_This oh, she absolutely would. We could expect nothing less. 9mo

rubyslippersreads @Jess_Read_This Great idea! 9mo

julieclair @Jess_Read_This I‘d like to follow her to Pompeii! 🤣 9mo

kwmg40 @Jess_Read_This You're exactly right! I'm sure August Millard wouldn't have the patience for a spin-off book no matter how much we wanted her in it! 😂 9mo

55 likes1 stack add21 comments

julieclair

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

A lovely, calm, relaxing read. So civilized and satisfying. Perfect with a cup of tea on a quiet afternoon. Another pleasant #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub pick.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, jlhammar, Ruthiella, MrsK

Ruthiella Glad you enjoyed it! Stevenson seems to be quite dependable for light romance. 9mo

LeahBergen “Pleasant” is a perfect descriptor for her novels! 9mo

jlhammar Agree, very pleasant read. 9mo

CarolynM Yes, a very pleasant read 🙂 I love your cover, too. 9mo

Jess_Read_This Yes! The perfect afternoon read with a cup of tea! ☕️ 9mo

39 likes5 comments

batsy

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

so-so

I'm sorry to be a bit cranky about this #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub but I enjoyed the first half & loved the bits about Jane finding herself & becoming a writer. I also liked her relationship with Mrs Millard & was hoping for more of it. The 2nd half got a bit too silly at points, & maybe sort of escaped reality altogether (though I understand that's the point of a fluffy feel-good book like this one!) I found it pleasant enough but not quite a pick.

batsy Just a tad twee. Anna got her man with big feet 😳 (okay, mum!) but then sort of vanished from the narrative. Helen was a bit too awful; no one ever set her right, then she just died & we didn't hear about how it affected Anna or Rosalie. The narrative bizarrely shrunk to make the story wholly Jane's. I like Jane & don't mind that, but it just felt oddly developed after the start. Was there supposed to be some backstory with Anna & Mrs Millard? 9mo

batsy @Aimeesue @CarolynM @catebutler @Cathythoughts @elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @Gissy @Jess_Read_This @jlhammar @julieclair @Kimzey @kwmg40 @LeahBergen @MrsK @quietjenn @rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella @Sparklemn @Tamra @Teresereading @willaful 9mo

Cathythoughts Lovely cover all the same ♥️ 9mo

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batsy @Cathythoughts I wasn't able to purchase this FM title on Kindle, and thought I wouldn't be able to read it. Then found it in my Kindle library with this cover, with no recollection of having bought it 😆 9mo

jlhammar Love your cranky review 😆 I enjoyed it more than you did, but had many of the same thoughts/issues. 9mo

Ruthiella I couldn‘t get the FMB cover/edition for this one on Kindle either. A conspiracy! 😆 I agree with your criticism. The first half was fun enough for me to give it a 👍 overall, but it was odd that Stevenson went in the direction she did when the field was wide open. 9mo

batsy @jlhammar Thank you! It wasn't bad, it's just that we've read some good FMs that set the bar high 🙂 9mo

batsy @Ruthiella Yes! She was pretty prolific so perhaps felt tired writing this one 😆 9mo

elkeOriginal Great point about not even hearing how Helen‘s death affected Anna - especially since no one even travelled to the funeral! She was ONLY her daughter🤦🏼‍♀️ (edited) 9mo

Aimeesue I liked this one more than you did, but I agree that there were quite a few WhatTheHeck? moments! 😂 I think I‘m less critical of these light romances in general because I know what the ending‘s going be anyway, so I like to look at what the author had to do to her characters to get them there. 🤣 9mo

LeahBergen Yes to all your points! The first half was super enjoyable and then it went off the rails a bit. I just wanted Jane to stay a spaniel-breeding author in that nice little cottage. 😆 9mo

quietjenn @batsy Yes, to all this, but especially the point about Anna and Mrs. Millard. Why were they both so keen not to meet each other?!? 9mo

quietjenn @batsy @Ruthiella I am so curious - but I guess not curious enough to have read it yet - about The Empty World, which is apocalyptic science fiction? Talk about wanting to write something different! 9mo

Ruthiella @quietjenn Well you hooked me! I just bought it for $3.99 on Kindle. 9mo

quietjenn @Ruthiella oops! Sorry? That said, I'm pretty sure I've also bought it for the Kindle at some point, so if you want to read together, just let me know. 9mo

batsy @elkeOriginal Exactly! Thought that was a bit of a glaring plot hole towards the end. 9mo

batsy @Aimeesue That's definitely the best way to approach these books! On that level, somewhat amusing about how some characters are dispensed with 😅 9mo

batsy @LeahBergen Yes, me too! That was so engaging. She and Mrs Millard pottering about their research for yet another juicy, scandalous biography and falling down a bizarre rabbit hole... I think I was hoping for a Doris Langley Moore novel 😆 9mo

batsy @quietjenn Right?? I for sure thought their very overt avoidance of each other was leading up to some revelation 😆 The Empty World sounds fascinating. Unfortunately Malaysia doesn't have a regional Amazon so we use the US one and this one (like quite a few number of Kindle editions) isn't available to purchase for me, based on location. Boo 😕 @Ruthiella 9mo

CarolynM Great review. It did go off in an odd direction. I was expecting Helen to die in order to clear the way for Jane & Ronnie (why did we not hear about his feet?) but I wasn‘t expecting her disgrace & apparent excommunication from the family. But Val was sweet so maybe Ronnie was worth it @LeahBergen ? How could I resist buying that book on Kindle too @quietjenn @Ruthiella ? 🤣 9mo

batsy @CarolynM "Why did we not hear about his feet?" Exactly ? I agree, Val seems like a sweet little guy and hopefully redeems "I'm so awestruck by beauty I can't think straight and who knows I might do it again Jane lol just kidding" Ronnie. 9mo

CarolynM All that “he couldn‘t help it” made me sick. And , yes, I thought there was the distinct possibility he‘d do it again. (edited) 9mo

monalyisha It‘s my first time encountering the #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub tag. Can you tell me more about it? 🤓 9mo

elkeOriginal @batsy @CarolynM I agree about Val! SO glad he turned into a sweet guy after having such a shit mother and being so weird on first meeting him. He was a highlight in the end. 9mo

batsy @monalyisha We pick a book from the Furrowed Middlebrow imprint and read one every other month! The members each post a choice of books and everyone votes on it. I'll try to find the post of the list of titles for 2024 and tag you 🙂 9mo

rubyslippersreads @batsy @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella It seems like some DES Kindle books have a different publisher, at least in the US. I‘ve gotten quite a few for free, but not the FM editions. (edited) 9mo

rubyslippersreads @elkeOriginal @batsy @CarolynM I credit Chairley with a lot of the change in Val. 😄 9mo

batsy @rubyslippersreads He deserves that credit! Every Val needs a Chairley lol 9mo

batsy @rubyslippersreads Ah! I have to use Amazon via the main site (US) so it's entirely possible I grabbed this when it was a free offer for my location (free or discounted for locations outside of the US are becoming rare these days, sadly) 9mo

rubyslippersreads @batsy It looks like The Empty World is in the US store, although since I apparently got it free a couple of years ago, maybe it‘s just showing it to me for that reason. 😏 9mo

rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @Ruthiella @CarolynM @batsy I realized I have The Empty World on Kindle, so if you‘re doing a group read, I‘d be interested. 🪐 9mo

Jess_Read_This All cranky musings on this book are entirely accurate in my opinion. The first half was great. I think because I liked that half so well, it made me forgiving in my review 😂 9mo

batsy @Jess_Read_This It's cute overall, but it just got a bit structurally loose towards the end! I think I'm partial to the "young writer comes of age" angle and would have loved more of that and less of Ronnie ? 9mo

79 likes33 comments

elkeOriginal

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

This month‘s #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub read was a gentle, comfy DE Stevenson read about Jane and her sisters. It very much was a 2 parter where the 1st half was a nice resettling of the fam to a cottage in Scotland & everyone finding their way. Part 2 was a rushed fairly hot mess. A year abroad covered in a few paragraphs! Anyhoo, loved our MC and just wanted the best for her. Many characters fell quickly into happy endings. Cute but not her best.

elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @batsy @catebutler @elkeOriginal @tamra @kimzey @jess_read_this @MrsK @jlhammar @julieclair @kwmg40 @Lizpixie @Aimeesue @Teresereading 9mo

elkeOriginal And as @Aimeesue noted a reference in this to Miss Buncle, I laughed at the at least 2 references to DE‘s famous cousin Robert Louis! 9mo

Ruthiella I think it‘s a law that all Scottish writers have to reference RLS in their novels, whether they are related or not! 😂 Beautiful old edition you have there! 😍 9mo

See All 16 Comments

jlhammar You all have me very excited to read more of her work! Lovely edition. 9mo

Leftcoastzen Nice edition! 9mo

elkeOriginal @jlhammar Must reads are Miss Buncle‘s Book along with the Mrs Tim series. SO good! Thankfully she wrote tons and I have many more yet to read 📚 9mo

elkeOriginal @Leftcoastzen One of my lockdown coping methods was ordering vintage DE Stevenson books because she is so cozy in tough times. 9mo

Leftcoastzen That was a good plan! 👏😄 9mo

LeahBergen @elkeOriginal @Aimeesue I also noticed a reference to a hotel that features in Mrs Tim Gets a Job and a reference to Celia‘s House. I liked the frequent RLS references, too! 😆 9mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella He‘s quoted a lot in O. Douglas books, too. 😆 9mo

LeahBergen I like your edition, too. 😍 9mo

batsy I just started and I'm liking Jane quite a bit. Love that edition 😍 9mo

quietjenn Such fun Easter eggs. I noticed some of them, but not all of them. Love you edition. 9mo

elkeOriginal @LeahBergen I thought that might be the Mrs Tim hotel! But was too lazy to check. That was my fave Mrs Tim book. (edited) 9mo

CarolynM Great review. I thought the 2 line dismissal of year long world trip was really odd🤷🏻‍♀️ 9mo

elkeOriginal @CarolynM SO weird! Especially when the book started on page 1 with a detailed description of 1 dinner 🙁 9mo

42 likes1 stack add16 comments

quietjenn

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

This was a warm, easy, and engaging read, as practically all D.E. Stevenson books are, but I wouldn't say it was her most satisfying! There were lots of bits that I loved and a lot of bits that I found very frustrating (details in comments). Overall, I'd say pleasant but uneven, I think. #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub
p.s. having tons of trouble tagging today, so will try to add them later

quietjenn Some things I loved: the premise and initial move to Scotland, the cottage, Jane's work, her adventures with Margaret. Some things I didn't: that no one ever called Helen on her behavior, Anna's disengagement once they get to Scotland, a romance that was lukewarm (at best).
9mo

Ruthiella Totally agree with your review. There was so much potential at the start. But still an easy, entertaining read. 9mo

jlhammar Fantastic review! Yes, it was so interesting that we were meant to pity Helen somewhat for being someone who lives “with blinders on.” She was pretty terrible. 9mo

See All 8 Comments

LeahBergen Your likes and dislikes mirror mine exactly with this one. And yet I couldn‘t help but keep turning the pages. 😆 9mo

Aimeesue Yes! Helen, grrrrrrrr! She was fun to hate though! 😄 9mo

CarolynM Uneven! Yes, very much so! Helen really was awful and Ronnie was a very uninspiring hero. 9mo

elkeOriginal Agree this is definitely not top quality DE. The second half was weird and rushed. (edited) 9mo

batsy Now that I've finished I completely agree with your assessment. I also find it weird how Helen was just dispensed with. I get that she was a problematic character but oh dear. 9mo

65 likes8 comments

CarolynM

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

I‘m going to retitle this one Jane and Her Family, since Jane is the narrator & the star of the show. I admired her ability to toss off a first novel and makes revisions in the space of a few days (with apparently no further revisions required by her publisher) & also the way she found daily life at home in Scotland more worthy of detailed report than a year long trip around the world. The romances were… interesting? ⬇️

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

CarolynM ⬆️ I had to laugh about Andrew‘s enormous feet & Sir Edward‘s silly little feet. I wonder how Ronnie‘s feet measured up. 9mo

Ruthiella Your title is superior! 👍 I liked the first plot twist with Ronnie and his flirtation with all three girls, but the end was a bit icky, IMO. 9mo

CarolynM @Ruthiella Yes, I sort of hoped the “some day” would be far away, but soon would be nice for Val. 9mo

See All 11 Comments

LeahBergen I think that‘s a much better title, too. 😆 And this really did have some “interesting” romances (that depart from her usual ones, anyway). 9mo

LeahBergen And we have the same edition! 👯‍♀️ 9mo

batsy Lovely photo! (will come back to all the reviews when I'm done :) 9mo

Cathythoughts That is a gorgeous photo 🥰 I‘d love to be sitting on that bench x 9mo

quietjenn Ah, you've phrased things very nicely. And your photo is ideal. 🙂 9mo

jlhammar So lovely. I‘d love to read away the afternoon in that spot. And yes to your title! 9mo

batsy Having just finished I totally agree with your title 😆 And yes my favourite bits were about Jane and her work. I would have liked more of Mrs Millard as mentor/prickly elder! 9mo

rubyslippersreads That‘s a much better title. Gorgeous cover! 😍 9mo

76 likes11 comments

Ruthiella

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

Anna and her grown daughters must downsize and leave their upper middle class London lifestyle. She decides to take a small cottage near to where she grew up in Scotland. Spoiled Helen is outraged and weak willed Rosalie agrees. Only bookish Jane sees the practicality of it. The first half of the book is delightful. The second half veers off into a predictable and slightly squicky direction. Still, overall enjoyable. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, kwmg40, jlhammar, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Tamra Such lovely pics! 💙 9mo

Ruthiella Thanks! 🙏 9mo

CarolynM Heather😍 The story didn‘t go where I was expecting, that‘s for sure! 9mo

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Ruthiella @CarolynM I was hoping that like Rosalie, Jane would find someone else who really appreciated her… But once Helen ran off, I thought, “oh, here we go…🙄” 9mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella Well, no one could help themselves around Helen. 🙄 Love your photo collage! 9mo

quietjenn Fabulous collage. I'd move to Timble Cottage in a heartbeat! 9mo

Ruthiella @LeahBergen I guess she was aptly named! 9mo

Ruthiella @quietjenn The coziness of the cottage was definitely appealing! 9mo

jlhammar Beautiful! I thought Timble Cottage and Jane‘s cozy attic sounded heavenly. Helen‘s aversion to the bird wallpaper was quite amusing “I never saw anything so hideous in all my life. They would give me the jim-jams.” 😆 9mo

Ruthiella @jlhammar I‘m not sure what the jim-jams are. 😂 Maybe the heebie jeebies? (edited) 9mo

Cathythoughts Nice review 👍🏻❤️ I‘m sorry I‘m not reading it now. I‘ll stack it up anyway 😁 9mo

Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Save it for when you need a quick break from heavier books! 👍 9mo

rubyslippersreads @jlhammar I would have much rather stayed in the cottage than end up with Ronnie. 😆 9mo

79 likes3 stack adds13 comments

julieclair

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

Aaahhhh.... #HyggeHourReadathon ... the perfect way to end a weekend! #HyggeHour #LitSolace #Naturalitsy
@AllDebooks @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88 @TheBookHippie

TheBookHippie ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 9mo

Chrissyreadit 💛💛💛💛💛 9mo

CarolynM Enjoy! 9mo

LeahBergen Lovely! 9mo

AllDebooks Lovely x 9mo

46 likes5 comments

jlhammar

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

Quick, charming read. I found myself wishing it would have ended before Jane‘s trip to Kenya and all that followed. Sharing a cottage with Margaret and pups, writing and traveling seems the happier ending (for Jane) to this particular reader. Still really enjoyed and look forward to reading more Stevenson.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

LeahBergen I was thinking that, too, and I was kind of peeved that she had to end up with her sister‘s “sloppy seconds” (as we used to oh so prosaically call them 😂😂). I mean, Ronnie wasn‘t THAT much of a catch. 9mo

Aimeesue @LeahBergen @jlhammar Completely agree - the ending was so abrupt! 9mo

Ruthiella Yes, the second part was a such a different tone and Ronnie didn‘t deserve her. Ugh! 😂 9mo

See All 10 Comments

willaful I definitely found the ending disappointing from a romance standpoint. 9mo

CarolynM @LeahBergen @Aimeesue @Ruthiella @willaful I am totally with you. I got excited when Mrs Millard‘s son was mentioned, only to have my hopes dashed almost immediately. I wouldn‘t trust Ronnie not to take off with the next beauty who looked his way, after all, “he couldn‘t help it”🙄🤢😡 9mo

LeahBergen @CarolynM Well, he never did have a go at the third sister… yet. Give him time. 😆 9mo

elkeOriginal I totally agree with your vision of a better ending. 9mo

rubyslippersreads I found the whole trip to Kenya rather cringey, and you‘re right, @Ruthiella that Ronnie didn‘t deserve Jane. 9mo

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen @Carolyn I don‘t know; Rosalie seems pretty happy with her tiny-footed husband. 🤣 9mo

Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads 😂😂😂 9mo

80 likes10 comments

LeahBergen

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

pick

Anna and her three daughters are left with very little money after the death of their husband and father. They must pull up stakes and leave their posh London life for a small cottage in Scotland (as one does). It starts off with this very Sense and Sensibility type plot but moves on into the familiar world we come to expect from DE Stevenson.

I thoroughly enjoyed it but liked the first half a wee bit more than the last.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra Lovely review! Hoping to start this weekend. 😊 9mo

jlhammar Wow, love your edition! I‘m also hoping to start this weekend. 9mo

CatLass007 Would you please remove me from your tag list. 9mo

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Ruthiella Ooh! I didn‘t even think about the S&S parallel. I‘m barely 1/4 of the way through but quite enjoying it! 😃 9mo

LeahBergen @CatLass007 No problem! 👍 9mo

LeahBergen @Tamra It‘s a speedy read! 9mo

LeahBergen @jlhammar Thanks! You‘ll have to tell me who you think is each character on this cover. 😂 9mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella And just like S&S, I‘m looking at this “little cottage” (on the cover of my edition) and thinking “that‘s not so small”. 😆 9mo

CatLass007 Thank you. 9mo

quietjenn I read the first chapter or two at the beginning of the month, then set it aside because I wanted to read it straight through and couldn't at that point. But this weekend is supposed to be another rainy one, so ... Will definitely be on the lookout for those parallels! 9mo

rockpools 😍 These covers! 9mo

rubyslippersreads Gorgeous! 😍 9mo

BarbaraBB Are these children books? 9mo

erzascarletbookgasm I‘m in love with these covers! I envy your collection 😍 9mo

LeahBergen @quietjenn I felt the same way when I first picked it up. First person narration works for me that way sometimes! 9mo

LeahBergen @rockpools @rubyslippersreads @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks! I always seem to like the colour palette on covers from this era. 😊 9mo

LeahBergen @BarbaraBB No, these are vintage editions of an author reprinted by Furrowed Middlebrow Press (I can‘t remember if you‘ve read any of these with us? 🤔). She writes light, mid-20th century romantic fiction, primarily set in Scotland. Very cozy type reads! 9mo

LeahBergen @BarbaraBB Oh, and Persephone Books has republished a few of her novels as well.

Miss Buncle�s Book

9mo

BarbaraBB I know her only from Miss Buncle but will certainly check these out, thanks! 9mo

batsy Will come back to the review once I've read it but just echoing all of the cover love 😍 9mo

julieclair Not finished yet, so will come back to the review, but those covers make me want to become a collector! 9mo

rubyslippersreads @julieclair @LeahBergen is the best enabler. 😂 9mo

Jess_Read_This Lovely cover! I‘m looking forward to this one. I need some D.E. comfort reading this weekend! 9mo

elkeOriginal As one does! 9mo

LeahBergen @batsy @julieclair Thanks, you two! I‘m looking forward to your reviews. 😘 9mo

LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads Buy ALL the books, I say!! 😆 9mo

LeahBergen @Jess_Read_This This definitely ticks the “comfort read” box! 9mo

LeahBergen @elkeOriginal Naturally! 😆 9mo

Cathythoughts Fabulous covers 🥰🥰🥰 9mo

jlhammar Okay, my guess upon finishing...Anna is in the forefront with the pink coat (looks too mature to me to be Helen and Helen and Rosalie are said to resemble her, right?) and Jane in the yellow coat. Helen & Rosalie in the background near the cottage. What do you think? 9mo

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Aren‘t they? 😘 9mo

LeahBergen @jlhammar That was my guess, too! 👍 9mo

CarolynM I didn‘t think of S&S, but you are right! For me, though, this one was a bit more fun. Looks like your dust jacket is in a bit better condition than mine😆 9mo

LeahBergen @CarolynM And just like in the movie version of S&S, I was thinking here, “Hey, that cottage doesn‘t look too small and shabby to me” 😆 9mo

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CarolynM

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

#WondrousWednesday

I‘m reading Anna and Her Daughters for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub. The story began in London but quickly moved to an imaginary town in Scotland named Ryddelton, not far from Edinburgh.

I‘ve been to a lot of settings for books I‘ve read. My favourite example is the park bench by the roundabout in the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen which plays a part in The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters.

Thanks for the tag @Andrew65

Eggs

Eggs Oh love your descriptions especially Copenhagen 👌🏼❤️👏🏻 9mo

Bookwomble Gosh, Mrs. B and I might have sat on that same bench in the Tivoli Gardens! 😄 9mo

47 likes2 comments

Aimeesue

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

Oh, D.E. Stevenson, you made me laugh! So pleased to have come across someone who knows Miss Buncle! 😂

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Ruthiella Nice reference! I‘m not that far yet but really loving it so far! It feels a little “I Captured the Castle”-ish lite. I‘m enjoying disliking Helen too. 😂 9mo

batsy Clearly I need to move Miss Buncle up the list! I haven't started this yet but this excerpt is charming 🙂 9mo

LeahBergen Oh, Miss Buncle! 😆 9mo

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CarolynM I love how quickly and easily Jane writes and then rewrites her novel🤣 If only! 9mo

Aimeesue @Ruthiella Oh, definitely! Helen was made to be hated! SO infuriating. 9mo

Aimeesue @batsy Miss Buncle is so much fun! 9mo

Aimeesue @LeahBergen I love these little Easter eggs in books 🐣 9mo

Aimeesue @CarolynM Right? Jane‘s just churning them out! Must be nice 9mo

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Ruthiella

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

Hiya #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub friends! It‘s time for our next bi-monthly read, this time a title by fan favorite D.E. Stevenson. I‘ve only read her Miss Buncle books and a previous group read “The English Air”. I‘m looking forward to diving in. As usual, read at your own pace, post at will, and tag the group if you do! 😃

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, CatLass007, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

willaful I read this one recently, so will bow out for this round. 10mo

Ruthiella @willaful Catch you in May then! 😃 10mo

LeahBergen Yay! 👏👏 10mo

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batsy Woohoo! 10mo

quietjenn Hurrah! 10mo

Tamra 😃 (edited) 10mo

catebutler Can‘t wait!! 10mo

julieclair I‘m really looking forward to this one! 10mo

erzascarletbookgasm I‘m sitting out on this, look forward to see everyone‘s posts 10mo

jlhammar This will be my first Stevenson. Probably won't start until next weekend. Looking forward to it! 10mo

rubyslippersreads Looking forward to it. 10mo

Kimzey I read it and loved it! 😍 Will post my review once I recover from my work deadline. 10mo

CarolynM Just getting started today🙂 10mo

Jess_Read_This Oh! Thanks for the reminder and tag. I‘ll start this weekend! 9mo

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Kimzey

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

For our March 2024 #Furrowedmiddlebrowclub selection, we had an even split of eight votes apiece, so I spun the wheel. Anna and Her Daughters came up the winner! However, I‘m sure I‘ll be adding Charlotte Fairlie to my library also. It was a tough choice!

Kimzey By the way, both are available on Audible. 13mo

Tamra I just downloaded it on Kindle. 😃 13mo

Kimzey @Tamra Yay! I‘m going to buy the paperback. I‘m developing a nice collection of the DSP books. Nine so far. 13mo

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Tamra @Kimzey I love the cover art on them all, but my bank account balks at the paper price when there is such a difference. 😩 13mo

Ruthiella @Tamra @Kimzey I usually opt for the $2.99 kindle edition too for reasons of economy. But I do own a handful paperback editions and really appreciate the beautiful covers. 😍 (edited) 13mo

jlhammar Wonderful! 13mo

rubyslippersreads In the US, libraries carry some of the FM ebooks (on Libby and.or Hoopla). 13mo

Jess_Read_This Oh nice! This is the one I would vote for. I haven‘t read it yet! 13mo

LeahBergen @Kimzey Thanks! I‘ll make up a handy graphic for our whole year of reading once we‘ve decided on all six. It‘s nice to have it all planned out ahead of time. 😆 13mo

CarolynM It was a toss-of-the-coin choice for me, so I appreciate a spin-the-wheel final decision 🙂 13mo

elkeOriginal Yay! I own it. Whew. 😅 13mo

julieclair Both looked SO good! Choosing was tough. I‘m not surprised there was a tie. 13mo

elkeOriginal I had to go look for this spin-the-wheel app - FUN! 13mo

Kimzey @elkeOriginal I love the app. I use it to decide on everything from which cleaning chore to do next to which author to read. Helps with decision fatigue when the stakes aren‘t high and adds a little fun. 13mo

Kimzey @Tamra @Ruthiella Wise decision! If I could train myself to read more on my Kindle, I‘m sure I‘d save $$. I tend to not finish books on Kindle, though. Prefer audio and hard copies. Maybe I just haven‘t adapted. 13mo

Tamra @Kimzey I prefer paper too. 13mo

Ruthiella @Tamra @Kimzey ebooks do take some getting used to, for sure. 13mo

34 likes17 comments

Verity

Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson

A bit old fashioned and melodramatic in places, but this is very, very readable. Sensible daughter Jane watches as her selfish sister Helen barrels her way through life, taking what she wants and hang the consequences with her other sister Rosalie trailing in her wake.

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