The title says it all! The story set in the 1920s, follows Wilfred, an innocent chap, as he plies his trade in the Welsh village of Narbeth. When he becomes smitten with Grace, the local doctor's daughter, all that follows reflects the narrow minded morality of the era and the cost of keeping up appearances.
Gently told and with its gradual build-up of tension, this is a thought-provoking read reminding us of the importance of living with truth and honour.
This book was a lot deeper than first thought. Members thought it was going to be a very light book at first, but changed their minds quickly. Mt Maunganui 001
A quirky book with a fab title. Wendy Jones had a cast of characters with emotional and social problems. The social constraints and personal foibles created a great read. Now we want to read the next one! Auckland 271
A well-received book by all. A very lively and enjoyable discussion. Christchurch 012
Everybody really enjoyed this book. Found it easy to read and on the surface it may have seemed light but there was a lot of depth to it and plenty to think about and discuss. Would recommend it to everyone. Dannevirke 002
Although our group as a whole had reservations about the book at the beginning because of Wildfred's rash proposal, we soon became absorbed in the complex issues that accrued from this one impulsive action. Highly recommended and awaiting the sequel in keen anticipation. Motueka 001
Our group thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. Beautiful, descriptive writing, believable characters and a good plot. Nelson 023
Slow to start but definitely worth persevering with. Te Awamutu 003
We thought this was a "silly" book - uninteresting, poor character development and very disappointing. Auckland 216
WELL 020
07-03-2024
We all enjoyed this book and felt it spoke volumes about attitudes 100 years ago.
WELL 226
08-11-2022
We LOVED this book. Gentle, thought provoking, and dealing with difficult topics, but not done in a gruesome way. An absolute delight - we all wanted to own this book.
AUCK 307
08-02-2022
An excellent story depicting the social restrictions of the times, and the development of courage and honesty. Provoked animated discussion, and was enjoyed by all members.
ONAWE 001
25-05-2020
All our members enjoyed this book, Wilfred was such a delightfully innocent character, couldnt help but warm to him, perhaps it appealed to rural groups rather than urban folk The characters were so well painted, great descriptions of the surroundings & countryside of a small village in Wales. Great read, we read it just before lockdown so managed to get the sequel from our local library before the library closed its doors, so the sequel was able to be passed around remotely into members letterboxes. Loved by all who read it.
TEAWA 006
23-03-2020
Half the group loved the book. The other half felt it was a bit slow and hard to read.
NEWP 016
23-03-2020
Quick easy read - not a lot of depth to the story but it was well-written. Some are going to read the sequel. We were pleased with the ending.
TIMAR 015
23-03-2020
Most members enjoyed the book - though some found it hard to read.
CHCH 066
23-03-2020
It was written in a thoughtful style. Tender and charming. A joy to read. Some really serious themes that challenged our perceptions of society. Characters well developed, with interesting contrasts, e.g. the 2 mothers.
NELS 040
19-03-2018
A delightful quick read which sparked a good discussion about the damage done by narrow mindedness.
GREYT 004
19-03-2018
We enjoyed the book, and agree with the note writer that the cover really doesn't do it justice. A thought-provoking tale, tackling very serious matters with a light touch.
AUCK 133
19-03-2018
Everyone agreed it is a book of surprises. It's an easy read, but has so much depth and different issues to deal with. The 1920s expectations and social issues were very well portrayed.
TAUR 039
19-03-2018
Loved this one. A lovely read with a sinister twist!! Provoked a very good discussion with some disagreement about whether the dad knew if his son had done this to his daughter, or not!!!
CHCH 318
19-03-2018
Everyone in the group enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and the story was interesting. The situations in the story generated a lot of discussion that related to the readers' own lives growing up. We decided this was a book probably enjoyed more by women than by men. The comments made by Mr Auden eg. P99-100 were wise, sensible and worthwhile. We decided that small towns were hindered by gossip, but could also be very supportive.
RAWEN 001
19-03-2018
All but one of our group really enjoyed this book. At first it seems a simple story, but as it develops it covers a myriad of social and communication problems, incest, keeping up appearances, being honourable etc. It was very easy to connect with the setting of the book, and the characters were very realistic.
