The Pop Larkin Chronicles

An English junk dealer and his family get up to mischief and misadventure, in the first three novels of this “pulsing comedy of country manners” (Time).

The Darling Buds of May
Beneath the sunny skies of Kent, the Larkin family—Pop, Ma, and their six children—enjoy the simple pleasures of life. All of that could change, however, when Cedric Charlton from Inland Revenue appears on their farm. Cedric has come to inquire why the Larkins failed to file their income tax. But his plans hit a snag when the eldest Larkin daughter takes a liking to him—and he to her.

A Breath of French Air
Pop and Ma’s new son-in-law Charley regales them with stories of childhood vacations in Brittany, where the food and weather were delightful and everything was cheap. But when the Larkins decide to take a holiday in France, they soon discover it is vastly different from Charley’s memories. The Larkins normally find joy in the little things in life, but they have never dealt with a vacation like this . . .

When the Green Woods Laugh
When a wealthy couple from London go hunting for a country home in Kent, Pop Larkin knows just how much to overcharge them for an abandoned bungalow. But the money may not be worth it when Pop finds himself fending off unwanted advances. Soon, a rocking rowboat and a pair of misplaced hands have Pop before the local magistrate . . .