The light years / Elizabeth Jane Howard.

This book is not universally loved, but it is a real favorite of mine. It is the first volume in the five book series The Cazalet chronicle and I have read four in the series, all of which I have enjoyed. It resembles Downton Abby in the way it follows a wealthy English family, the Cazalets, their changing circumstances and the lives of their servants. The book opens after the First World War. One of the three sons, Hugh Cazalet, lost an arm during the war and the family discusses with dread the prospect of another conflict. At the end of the book, they are relieved to read that British Prime Minister Chamberlain has signed a peace agreement with Hitler to avoid another war between the two countries.

Most of the book has Hugh, his two brothers and sister, and their spouses, children and servants, spending the summer with their elderly parents at the family compound. Edward, who works with his father in the family business, is cheating on his wife, Villy. Villy is fond of "retail therapy" and the owner of the dress shop she frequents knows just what to say to cause her customer to leave the shop with more clothing than she first intended to purchase. Rupert is remarried to a much younger woman after his wife died. Beautiful Zoe enjoys being the focus of his attention and resents any time he gives to his children even when his children have a crisis. Zoe points out that servants are available to tend to the youngsters. Grown daughter Rachel lives with her parents and has a relationship with another woman, but its intimate nature has to remain a secret from the family. The grandfather is mildly eccentric and involved in the business, while grandmother has her hands full dealing with the servants and a houseful of people.

With the unexpected turns that some peoples' lives take, the fortunes of the family business and the interactions between all these characters, it is a very entertaining tale. I haven't heard if the stories are dramatized, but it would be wonderful for T.V. or as a movie since it has interesting characters and events, along with the lovely setting of the large family house and grounds.

This post was edited by stacey_mb on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 17:19