Although Peace Breaks Out begins by returning to Anne Fielding, now almost 19, who was Miss Bunting’s student in the last book, it spends a lot of time with the Leslie family, whom we have encountered in several of the books. Anne has just met Sylvia Halliday, a beautiful, golden girl a few years older, and shortly thereafter, both girls come to the attention of David Leslie.
At 37, David should have toned down his tricks, but he hasn’t, so Anne is smitten while the older Sylvia’s reaction is a bit harder to ascertain. Anne’s being smitten puts her friend Robin Dale in a funk, which is good because he was tending to take her for granted. And David seems to be almost seriously considering her as a wife.
For the first time, we get a true sense of how tired the British are with the living conditions of the war. This is expressed by being upset about the peace, which makes conditions even worse.
In this novel, readers meet or hear of almost all of the main characters from the previous novels. Rose Fairweather, in all her beautiful idiocy, reappears from America, and more importantly, Rose Bingham, a Leslie cousin who we saw a bit of on the occasion of the other Rose’s wedding, returns from the continent.
It’s really been useful for me to have begun reading these novels in order. I only wish I had started out making charts of characters’ relationships, what books they appeared in, and some notes about each one.
whatmeread 
Lovely review. Yes, I wish I’d done that, too, and taken notes. Are you carrying on through? If so, I will wish you farewell, as I stopped with this one!
Yes, I am, although I think everyone has fallen out. If you keep making comments I can at least list your name in the mark-up. Or, you could read a few that are coming up! But I guess you’re saying you’re not doing that. The next one, Private Enterprise, is still pretty good. I like finding out what happens to everyone, which, as they continue, is mostly what the books seem to be about. Trying to explain the plot gets harder and harder.
Yes, I made the decision last year based on what Virago had re-released in the uniform (ish) edition and the feedback I’d read on the later ones to stop at this one. I hope you enjoy them going onwards and I’ll keep an eye out for your reviews!
Thanks!
Reread this one a couple of nights ago. All in all, I think this book is worthy portrayal by an author of the times about the war-weariness and irritation of the British people. I can’t think of another book that shows/tells how many “normal” Brits felt about the rationing and the many other hardships they were called upon to withstand. I’m very glad that the xenophobic and anti-female commentary hasn’t been edited out, as this is an historical document of sorts.
It seemed to me that Thirkell was also tired and worn out, and-perhaps-not quite up to turning out a “frothy, light-hearted” portrayal of middle and upper-class British life. There were several times in the novel where her sentences went on for a page or more: usually when she was on a tear about something–which, for me, made the book all the more visceral. There are hundreds of books about the hardships of the French and the Germans and the Jews, but comparatively few about the hardships endured by the English.
One thing I particularly noticed in this one: her romantic plots are very definitely getting repetitive. David Leslie came off as a selfish lout, we have the obligatory shy girl testing/finding her wings, as well as the obligatory shining burnished gorgeous girls. I was put off by the sudden portrayal of John and Mary Leslie as dull and worthy: they were perfectly acceptable when she first introduced them. The ending was too pat: Rose gets David under control in two pages, Anne and Robin get together in two pages, and Sylvia and what’s his name bond over the birth of a calf in two pages. I mean, one tea party took six pages!
However, I’m not really reading this series for the romances per se, but for a historical picture of the times. And, that, I think, Thirkell did quite well.
I’m looking forward to “Private Enterprise.”
I’m glad to hear you’re continuing on with me. For some reason this ended up in my spam queue but your other message didn’t. Anyway, I’m glad I found it. I think your comment about the picture of the times is a good one. I haven’t gotten tired of the tropes, and actually the romances are just a soft focus for the novel but not really as important as in the earlier books. I think I am continuing for two reasons, for the picture of the times but also just because I’m determined to read the entire series.
Iâm glad you found it, too. Is it okay with you if I continue using emails to contribute?
I canât quite figure out how your website changed, but it seems to require that I âjoinâ either through twitter, facebook, or wordpress. I honestly donât remember whether these have always been the way to contribute; Iâve been away for a couple of months. I donât do facebook or twitter. . .
As far as I know, nothing changed, but they don’t consult us when they make changes to the site.
Below is my comment about “Peace Breaks Out.”
I had some trouble navigating your website. I don’t do Facebook or other social media, so I hope this works for you.
Peace Breaks Out by Angela Thirkell
Reread this one a couple of nights ago. All in all, I think this book is worthy portrayal by an author of the times about the war-weariness and irritation of the British people. I can’t think of another book that shows/tells how many “normal” Brits felt about the rationing and the many other hardships they were called upon to withstand. I’m very glad that the xenophobic and anti-female commentary hasn’t been edited out, as this is an historical document of sorts.
It seemed to me that Thirkell was also tired and worn out, and—perhaps–not quite up to turning out a “frothy, light-hearted” portrayal of middle and upper-class British life. There were several times in the novel where her sentences went on for a page or more: usually when she was on a tear about something–which, for me, made the book all the more visceral. There are hundreds of books about the hardships of the French and the Germans and the Jews, but comparatively few about the hardships endured by the English.
One thing I particularly noticed in this one: her romantic plots are very definitely getting repetitive. David Leslie came off as a selfish lout, we have the obligatory shy girl testing/finding her wings, as well as the obligatory shining burnished gorgeous girls. I was put off by the sudden portrayal of John and Mary Leslie as dull and worthy: they were perfectly acceptable when she first introduced them. The ending was too pat: Rose gets David under control in two pages, Anne and Robin get together in two pages, and Sylvia and what’s his name bond over the birth of a calf in two pages. I mean, one tea party took six pages!
However, I’m not really reading this series for the romances per se, but for a historical picture of the times. And, that, I think, Thirkell did quite well.
Those are some insightful comments. Thirkell may be getting tired of the little romances that were probably popular with her contemporary readers.
I just happened to remember that two of my favorite WWII books are also about the folks at home in England during WW II, and their author pretty much corroborates what Thirkell says in her books. The books are Henriettaâs War, and Henrietta Sees It Through by Joyce Dennys. They are a series of columns written as letters between a doctorâs wife and her childhood friend who is now a major in France. There is no romance, just a very fine portrait of how the folks back home were trying to keep life as normal as possible against great odds. The âlettersâ were actually published as bi-weekly reads during the war, and Dennys was quite well-known for them.
Those sound really good.
By the way, I feel funny just calling you Historical Fiction is Fiction when that’s probably just the first words you used on your first comment to my blog. Do you have a blogging name or some other name I can use instead?
My name is Sue; but the moniker was coined when I was ticked off with some historical novel that transferred 21st century behavior/emotions to an earlier period. I’m sure, as much as you read, you’ve run into this anachronistic problem.
Oh yes.