<div>International Bestseller: A novel of youthful love and loss and &ldquo;a powerful evocation of the war years&rdquo; in England (The Guardian). On a hot August evening in 1939, cousins Oliver, Calypso, Polly, Walter, and Sophy spent one last night together, celebrating the end of summer, at the home of their aunt and uncle. Now, forty years later, as the motley cast of characters drive to the funeral of one of their own, they recall how important that night truly was&mdash;and all that came after. From Oliver, whose desperation to prove himself in war ended up as his downfall, to Calypso, whose flirtations landed her in an unlikely marriage with even less likely results, to Sophy, whose secrets from that night haunted her for the rest of her life, each of them recalls the twisted paths of love and betrayal they walked as the country came apart around them under the coming shadow of World War II. Mary Wesley masterfully interweaves tragedy and humor in this &ldquo;extraordinarily accomplished and fast-moving&rdquo; novel, presenting a tale of both the world at large and the dalliances, allegiances, and losses of her expertly crafted characters (Financial Times). </div>

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The Camomile Lawn

<div>This &ldquo;engaging and memorable novel,&rdquo; set in post-WWI England and France, takes a wise, witty look at love, growing up, and class differences (Publishers Weekly). For the British families who vacation there, the shore town of Dinard, France, is a getaway from the ills of modern life. But when Flora Trevelyan visits with her self-absorbed parents in 1926, it&rsquo;s not an escape she finds&mdash;instead, it&rsquo;s a doorway into a different world, a different life, that she never knew existed. As the years pass, Flora embarks on a journey of discovery, from falling for three very different young men to understanding the follies of an upper class society of which she will never quite be a part to uncovering the difference between true friends and fair-weather companions. Along the way, her own life and those of her new acquaintances will be upended, and as the shadows of World War II fall over Europe, Flora will have to decide what kind of person she wants to be&mdash;and whether being sensible makes sense. Praised by the Daily Telegraph as &ldquo;delicious,&rdquo; Mary Wesley&rsquo;s sharply humorous coming-of-age story weaves a tale of an unloved, neglected child who turns into a fiercely independent woman, both an entertaining romp and an astute glimpse into British society between the two World Wars. </div>

Overdrive

A Sensible Life

<div>A young single mother funds her son&rsquo;s education in a most unusual way in this &ldquo;delightfully lighthearted&rdquo; novel from a beloved bestselling author (Kirkus Reviews). Ever since a pregnant and unmarried Hebe was forced to leave her grandparents&rsquo; home in disgrace, she has put the needs of her son, Silas, first. Paying his tuition to an elite prep school comes before everything, and she will do whatever it takes to make ends meet&mdash;even offering some quite singular services to the sons and sons-in-law of the wealthy women she cooks for. But Hebe&rsquo;s plans soon go awry when her son winds up in an uncomfortable situation with the family of a school friend, her lucrative side business of is awkwardly interrupted&mdash;and her hopefully forgotten past reappears at the most inconvenient time . . . A delightful look into the love between mothers and sons, friends and relatives, lovers and spouses, Harnessing Peacocks is a warm and witty look at relationships that will amuse as it inspires.</div>

Harnessing Peacocks

<div>A &ldquo;quirky, sad, and very funny&rdquo; novel about suicide, matricide, and an unlikely love, from one of England&rsquo;s best-loved authors (The Guardian). Determined to end it all after the death of her husband, Matilda Poliport&rsquo;s carefully laid plans to kill herself are derailed when she comes to the rescue of another potential bridge jumper&mdash;a notorious young man on the run for having murdered his mother. Faced with the choice of either turning him in to the police or continuing on with her suicide attempt, Matilda makes the obvious decision and takes Hugh Warner home to stay with her while they both sort out what to do next. As Hugh and Matilda find surprising comfort in each other, secrets about Matilda&rsquo;s deceased husband are revealed, leaving Matilda to face some very uncomfortable facts about her life. And as the pair plot to help Hugh escape the law, they will both need to face the truth about themselves and how far they are willing to go for each other. This &ldquo;virtuoso performance of guileful plotting, deft characterizations, and malicious wit&rdquo; showcases the talents of Mary Wesley at her caustic and comical best (The Times, London).</div>

Jumping the Queue

<div>From the bestselling author of The Camomile Lawn comes the &ldquo;amusing&rdquo; story of a widow reflecting on her past as she looks toward a new future (Publishers Weekly). Rose Peel had never loved her husband. Their marriage had simply made sense, being built on honor and respect and mutual needs. But love was not a part of their union&mdash;for Rose has always kept that part of herself for Mylo Cooper, whom she was forbidden to marry. Upon the death of her husband, Rose suddenly finds herself free after almost fifty years of marriage. But as she reflects on her life&mdash;her passionate adoration of Mylo, the promises she made to her husband, the lies they both told each other, the tragedies she survived, and the joy she shared&mdash;she finds herself unsure of her next step, or what she truly wants. A finalist for the Sunday Express Book of the Year Award, Not That Sort of Girl is an unforgettable and emotional triumph of Wesley&rsquo;s one-of-a-kind insight and vivid characterization. </div>

Not That Sort of Girl

<div>From the beloved British novelist, &ldquo;a love story that&rsquo;s simply, grandly, satisfying&rdquo; (Kirkus Reviews). While traveling home to London, divorc&eacute; Sylvester Wykes witnesses a most unusual event: A woman leaps off a locomotive to rescue a sheep in distress. The mystery woman disappears, but Wykes cannot get her out of his head&mdash;and is soon caught up in the kind of romance he never thought he&rsquo;d have again. Ever since losing her husband and child in one catastrophic night, Julia Piper has been consumed by guilt and loneliness. Her neighbors find her a bit odd&mdash;and after her daring attempt to save a sheep, she must somewhat agree. But as she strives to piece herself back together while taking on a job tending house for an enigmatic man, she comes to realize that perhaps her chance at finding happiness is not yet out of reach. &ldquo;Wesley&rsquo;s dialogue still comes bouncing off the page&rdquo; in this charming, cynically romantic novel about the emotions, frailties, and desires that drive us, and the search for that one person who can make us whole (Publishers Weekly). &ldquo;A complex, multilayered, love story . . . vintage Wesley.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews </div>

An Imaginative Experience

<div>A young woman is forced to decide for herself just who she wants to be&mdash;and who she wants, period&mdash;in this &ldquo;high-spirited and inventive&rdquo; witty romance (The Daily Telegraph). Poppy Carew is at a crossroads. Her longtime boyfriend, Edmund Platt, has just left her. Her father has just passed away, leaving her a substantial sum of money he made betting on the ponies. And the undertaker for the funeral is showing an alarming amount of interest in her, as is a local farmer and a would-be author. In all, Poppy is having a strange time of it. When her father&rsquo;s funeral ends with Poppy being whisked off to North Africa by Edmund&mdash;who wants her back&mdash;Poppy realizes that she must finally take charge of her life and sort through the inheritance, the suitors, and her own flighty feelings, or risk being adrift for good. Wesley&rsquo;s winking look at female independence, family ties, infatuation, and love is a &ldquo;fast and surprising&rdquo; ride peopled with remarkable characters and unforgettably hilarious situations, proving that Wesley is a genius when it comes to smart romantic comedy (The Times Literary Supplement).</div>

The Vacillations of Poppy Carew

<div>Britain&rsquo;s beloved bestselling author delivers &ldquo;a droll comedy of manners&rdquo; in a story of desire and dalliances in a provincial English town (Los Angeles Times). Laura Thornby is the kind of woman every man wants&mdash;despite their better judgment. Urbane, seductively aloof, and charmingly intrusive, she is the older woman every younger man dreams of bedding, if not wedding. When Claud Bannister meets Laura at a concert, he cannot get her out of his mind. And she cannot resist the chance to interfere in his life. As Laura begins molding Claud into a new man, from finding him a new place to live to orchestrating his attempts to become a novelist, her influence over him is undeniable. But his impact on her is underestimated. As the situation slowly spirals out of Laura&rsquo;s carefully constructed control, both of them will discover more about themselves&mdash;and their connection to each other&mdash;than they ever realized before. Crackling with wit, and sizzling with romance, this &ldquo;mordantly humorous take on upper-middle-class British life has a sharp and entertaining edge&rdquo; only Mary Wesley could hone (Publishers Weekly).</div>

Second Fiddle

<div>A &ldquo;darkly comic, wise and irresistible&rdquo; novel of friendship, romance, and the chaos in between, from one of Britain&rsquo;s bestselling authors (Publishers Weekly). When Henry Tillotson comes back from the war with a mysterious new bride from Egypt, everyone is intrigued. But intrigue turns to outright confusion when his new wife retreats to her room and refuses to leave her bed, much less the house, stranding poor Henry in a loveless marriage. Antonia and Barbara are captivated by Henry and his lavish country estate, Cotteshaw, from the very first time they are asked to visit for a dinner party with their boyfriends. Drawn by his charm, his wife&rsquo;s madness and beauty, and his unusual lifestyle, they cannot help but be intrigued by their host. But as time passes, their relationships grow and change, bringing weddings, engagements, children, and even the occasional illicit liaison&mdash;as the strange heritage of Cotteshaw begins to affect all who pass through its doors. Wesley once again proves herself a master of the modern novel of manners in this energetic tale that is simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny, outrageously irreverent, and poignant. &ldquo;As always, the dialogue snaps with vigor. . . . Another bright and biting novel.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews </div>

A Dubious Legacy

<div>A smart, sharply written novel from a talent whose &ldquo;fresh and original&rdquo; works made her one of England&rsquo;s most beloved authors (The New York Times). Abandoned by her mother and betrayed by the men she thought she loved, Juno Marlowe is alone. So alone that when the air raid sirens ring out, she has nowhere to hide until a kind but frail man offers to take her in for the night. Her sad story inspires him to write her a letter of introduction to his family&mdash;a caring gesture that will turn out to mean more than she could have imagined. With nowhere to call home, she seeks out the man&rsquo;s father, Robert Copplestone, who lives on a quiet Cornwall estate where Juno is able to earn her keep by helping him tend to his animals. And she soon finds that the strong, handsome widower is more of a friend than she&rsquo;s ever had and more like family than anyone she&rsquo;s ever known. But when Juno&rsquo;s fractured past catches up with her, the fragile and unlikely bond Robert and Juno have formed may be in danger of breaking under the strain. This &ldquo;heartwarming story of May-December love&rdquo; is a gentle look at the folly of humanity, weaving a tale of friendship, love, and healing (Publishers Weekly). &ldquo;An elegant, satisfying entertainment.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews </div>

Part of the Furniture

<div>Three touching contemporary British novels of love, loss, and humor from the international bestselling &ldquo;virtuoso&rdquo; (The Times, London). Jumping the Queue: This masterpiece of wit, humor, and psychological suspense tells the story of a middle-aged widow who has had it with life. She puts her papers in order, gives away her pet goose, packs a picnic lunch, and heads to the beach to drown herself&mdash;only to meet a criminal on the run who has the same idea. Together they set out on adventure in this novel about the hidden costs of love and death. The Camomile Lawn: In this international bestseller, several cousins reunite after forty years to lay one of their own to rest. Together they recall their last carefree summer&mdash;and one hot August night in 1939 before the war began. They also reflect on the chaos that followed . . . and how it changed their lives forever. Harnessing Peacocks: Single mother Hebe juggles numerous lovers while working as a manor house chef to pay for her son&rsquo;s schooling. When her two worlds collide, a secret from the past leads to a final showdown with a man who&rsquo;s in search for his lost love in this captivating and sensual novel.</div>

The Collected Novels Volume One

<div>Three touching contemporary British novels of love, romance, and humor from the &ldquo;high-spirited and inventive&rdquo; international bestselling author (The Daily Telegraph). The Vacillations of Poppy Carew: Poppy embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery after inheriting her father&rsquo;s fortune. Traveling from England to Africa and back again, she must choose her future from a band of eccentric suitors. Not That Sort of Girl: Rose falls in love with penniless Mylo but trades love for security by marrying wealthy Ned. Although Rose vows to never leave Ned, Mylo is never far from her thoughts. As time carries on she wonders what she&rsquo;d risk to be with man she loves . . . Second Fiddle: Forty-ish and fiercely independent, Laura is used to manipulating artistic men, but things change when she meets Claud, a twenty-three-year-old struggling writer. Haunted by a secret that prevents her from committing to a man, Laura must soon confront the one thing she never expected: falling in love.</div>

Mary Wesley

Books By Mary Wesley (12 Books)