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Miss Buncle #3
The Two Mrs. Abbotts
Nothing Goes Unnoticed in the Small Town of Wandlebury!
Much has changed in Wandlebury since Barbara Buncle (now Barbara Abbott) first moved to the charming English village. But as the mistress of her own home with two small children to look after, Barbara finds that she has distressingly little time to keep up with the goings-on of her friends and neighbors.
Luckily, Barbara's niece, Jerry Abbott, is more than willing to keep tabs on the news in Wandlebury. And with juicy tidbits of gossip about everything from inconvenient romantic entanglements to German spies hiding in the woods, there is plenty to keep the two Mrs. Abbotts busy in this humorous account of life in World War II England.
Much has changed in Wandlebury since Barbara Buncle (now Barbara Abbott) first moved to the charming English village. But as the mistress of her own home with two small children to look after, Barbara finds that she has distressingly little time to keep up with the goings-on of her friends and neighbors.
Luckily, Barbara's niece, Jerry Abbott, is more than willing to keep tabs on the news in Wandlebury. And with juicy tidbits of gossip about everything from inconvenient romantic entanglements to German spies hiding in the woods, there is plenty to keep the two Mrs. Abbotts busy in this humorous account of life in World War II England.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1943
About the author
D.E. Stevenson
61 books570 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
June 15, 2019
A nice summing up of the Miss Buncle books, the trilogy ends on a high note with just a bit of sadness since Jerry's Sam is in North Africa. World War 2 is still going strong, but it doesn't put much of a damper on the goings on in the little town. There is a fourth book called The Four Graces, which I don't believe has anything about Miss Buncle in it, although I may have heard wrong.
Miss Marks in this one is a wonderful character and is truly what could be considered quintessentially English. Miss Marks is poor, but not needy; she works hard to take care of herself and has a stiff upper lip. She is tough, but kind and looks out for others. She knows when to take charge if needed.
Miss Marks in this one is a wonderful character and is truly what could be considered quintessentially English. Miss Marks is poor, but not needy; she works hard to take care of herself and has a stiff upper lip. She is tough, but kind and looks out for others. She knows when to take charge if needed.
July 14, 2024
I think this is my least favourite book from the Miss Buncle series.
It was far from a nicely rounded up package that Miss Buncle's Book and Miss Buncle Married were.
There were too many dreary and boring characters dragging Barbara and Jerry down and quite a few of the storylines were left losely dangling at the very abrupt end.
It was far from a nicely rounded up package that Miss Buncle's Book and Miss Buncle Married were.
There were too many dreary and boring characters dragging Barbara and Jerry down and quite a few of the storylines were left losely dangling at the very abrupt end.
February 10, 2018
Once more, I’ve been charmed by D.E. Stevenson’s easy style. I don’t know why I waited so long to read this third instalment, especially since from the first page, I was transported to this fabulous little village peopled by such a colourful cast.
It is quite difficult to quantify what the author does. Nothing much actually Happens, and yet, I was more than happy to keep turning the pages. The first Mrs Abbott of the title is Barbara, née Buncle, main character of the previous two books, always a firm favourite. We find her living a contended lfe with Arthur, her publisher husband, and their two children. Somehow, the war hasn’t touched her too much. Yes, there are shortages and rations but otherwise, her husband still goes off to work and comes back at the end of the day. This is not the case for the second and younger Mrs Abbott, Jerry, who married Arthur’s nephew Sam, who has gone to war. In fact, all her ‘employees’ have left her stables, most of her horses taken away, resulting in the end of her business, and leaving her to run her large un-modernised house alone, with only the help of her former governess. Add to this troops billeted to her, odd evacuees, and paying guests... Life couldn’t me more different!
Most of the narration in fact focuses on Jerry and the people around her. Although I missed Barbara and her endearing personality, I ended up loving Markie. Such an amazing character! All of them in fact are so well drawn, even if there is some stereotyping.
The Two Mrs Abbotts is deceptively simple but in fact showcases Stevenson’s writing dexterity, full of humour and satire. Although the war is forever present in the background, it is ultimately a warm-hearted comedy. Perfect for a cosy afternoon.
It is quite difficult to quantify what the author does. Nothing much actually Happens, and yet, I was more than happy to keep turning the pages. The first Mrs Abbott of the title is Barbara, née Buncle, main character of the previous two books, always a firm favourite. We find her living a contended lfe with Arthur, her publisher husband, and their two children. Somehow, the war hasn’t touched her too much. Yes, there are shortages and rations but otherwise, her husband still goes off to work and comes back at the end of the day. This is not the case for the second and younger Mrs Abbott, Jerry, who married Arthur’s nephew Sam, who has gone to war. In fact, all her ‘employees’ have left her stables, most of her horses taken away, resulting in the end of her business, and leaving her to run her large un-modernised house alone, with only the help of her former governess. Add to this troops billeted to her, odd evacuees, and paying guests... Life couldn’t me more different!
Most of the narration in fact focuses on Jerry and the people around her. Although I missed Barbara and her endearing personality, I ended up loving Markie. Such an amazing character! All of them in fact are so well drawn, even if there is some stereotyping.
The Two Mrs Abbotts is deceptively simple but in fact showcases Stevenson’s writing dexterity, full of humour and satire. Although the war is forever present in the background, it is ultimately a warm-hearted comedy. Perfect for a cosy afternoon.
November 3, 2012
When I finished reading Miss Buncle Married – I felt I wanted to read the next book – The Two Mrs Abbotts right away. I found out that Persephone are probably publishing it at some point but I wasn’t sure I could wait. A quick look online revealed old copies fetching rather high prices – I know D E Stevenson books can be quite sort after these days. So I did a quick search on the Birmingham Library Catalogue – there was one book – I requested it. That was back in February – and I had almost forgotten all about it. Then I received an email while I was away in Devon, the week before last – saying the book was waiting to be collected. I went after work last Monday, knowing it would have to be my next read. I started it very late on Wednesday night, reading slowly the next two days after work, trying to savour it – but just gobbled up about 200 pages this afternoon to finish it.
Since the events of the second “Miss Buncle book” several years have passed. It is now 1942 and people are living with the everyday realities of wartime. Barbara Abbott – who was once Miss Buncle – now has two young children, Simon and Fay. She and her husband still live in Wandlebury – the faithful Dorcas still in attendance. Jerry (Jeronina) Abbott is married to Arthur Abbott’s nephew Sam, Sam is fighting the war in Egypt and Jerry must manage things on her husband’s estate Ganthorne with the help of her former governess Markie. These include a family of dirty London evacuees living in an estate cottage, soldiers billeted on the estate, and rumours of a German spy in the vicinity.
Meanwhile Barbara is drawn unwillingly into a rather regrettable love affair between Lancreste Marvell (who readers may remember from Miss Buncle married) and a fairly unpleasant girl called Pearl. There is also an adorable storyline involving a very successful romantic novelist, dominated by her sister.
Barbara Abbott – takes a bit of a back seat in this novel, we see far more of Jerry, Markie and the other characters. Fortunately they are all as lovely as Barbara, and although this novel is not quite as fabulous as Miss Buncle’s Book and Miss Buncle Married, it is wonderfully charming and hugely readable, and just absolutely hit the spot for me the last few days. D E Stevenson may not be a great literary talent, but I think her writing may be quite underrated she creates a charming yet believable world, and her characters are adorable. She can be very funny too, and really very observant of people, with a good ear for their voices.
I will definitely buy a copy of this if and when Persephone publish it – just to add to my collection – as I just know these are books I will come back to. I was rather bereft at finishing it today – which I think is exactly how I felt when I finished Miss Buncle Married.
Since the events of the second “Miss Buncle book” several years have passed. It is now 1942 and people are living with the everyday realities of wartime. Barbara Abbott – who was once Miss Buncle – now has two young children, Simon and Fay. She and her husband still live in Wandlebury – the faithful Dorcas still in attendance. Jerry (Jeronina) Abbott is married to Arthur Abbott’s nephew Sam, Sam is fighting the war in Egypt and Jerry must manage things on her husband’s estate Ganthorne with the help of her former governess Markie. These include a family of dirty London evacuees living in an estate cottage, soldiers billeted on the estate, and rumours of a German spy in the vicinity.
Meanwhile Barbara is drawn unwillingly into a rather regrettable love affair between Lancreste Marvell (who readers may remember from Miss Buncle married) and a fairly unpleasant girl called Pearl. There is also an adorable storyline involving a very successful romantic novelist, dominated by her sister.
Barbara Abbott – takes a bit of a back seat in this novel, we see far more of Jerry, Markie and the other characters. Fortunately they are all as lovely as Barbara, and although this novel is not quite as fabulous as Miss Buncle’s Book and Miss Buncle Married, it is wonderfully charming and hugely readable, and just absolutely hit the spot for me the last few days. D E Stevenson may not be a great literary talent, but I think her writing may be quite underrated she creates a charming yet believable world, and her characters are adorable. She can be very funny too, and really very observant of people, with a good ear for their voices.
I will definitely buy a copy of this if and when Persephone publish it – just to add to my collection – as I just know these are books I will come back to. I was rather bereft at finishing it today – which I think is exactly how I felt when I finished Miss Buncle Married.
September 18, 2016
I had hoped this would have the charm and delight I found in the first two of the series. Sadly, set in (and published during) WWII, there's a kind of pall cast over the whole that dragged it down horribly. It doesn't help that Stevenson threw in some really dreary people, even as she removed some of my favorites (who were off to war). I particularly hated the separation of Sam and Jerry. Yeah, we hear good things about him and are lead to expect he is thriving in his own way, but Stevenson is an excellent writer, so we also feel the quiet, steady, constant pain their separation provides Jerry, even as she copes in her own competent way.
Also, there's a good deal less of Barbara, and a lot of our time with her is while she's being badgered by some of the least-interesting characters. That Lancestre guy is just a mopey dork and his constant pestering for sympathy and assistance were annoying. And her kids are kind of dreadful, too, the more I think of them.
Anyway, this wasn't nearly as engaging as the prior two books and that made me sad. It's still engagingly written and there were enough folks to like for me to stay with it to the end. But I put it down with something like relief.
Also, there's a good deal less of Barbara, and a lot of our time with her is while she's being badgered by some of the least-interesting characters. That Lancestre guy is just a mopey dork and his constant pestering for sympathy and assistance were annoying. And her kids are kind of dreadful, too, the more I think of them.
Anyway, this wasn't nearly as engaging as the prior two books and that made me sad. It's still engagingly written and there were enough folks to like for me to stay with it to the end. But I put it down with something like relief.
Read
October 31, 2022Third Miss Buncle book, not that Miss Buncle features a great deal. The story is spread over Jerry coping without Sam, Jerry's brother's romance with a cheesy romance novelist, a rather snobby look at an evacuee East End family, and the general difficulty of wartime life. Not as good as the first two but still highly soothing.
August 17, 2021
The first time I read this book (original review below), it was difficult to come by and I could only get hold of the audiobook. Thankfully, D.E. Stevenson's books are now more available than ever, and The Two Mrs. Abbotts is now easy to get as an eBook.
It's a charming tale of Barbara Abbott (the Miss Buncle from two books previously) and her friend and next-door neighbor whose husband is away in the war. Lots of small domestic plots and subplots, which D.E. Stevenson really shines at. There's a famous authoress who is having a crisis of identity, a teenage girl who's discovered that she doesn't fit in at home, a whole camp of soldiers looking for a German spy, and one or two budding romances. All delivered in the best cozy style for a relaxing read.
Original review:
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Ah, D.E. Stevenson does it again. I had to listen to this as an audiobook during a free trial at Audible.com, because this book is ridiculously hard to get in hard copy, or even to buy. I didn't care for the narrator's voices for some of the characters, but D.E. Stevenson's particular brand of charm shone through anyway.
Anyone reading D.E. Stevenson's books should, I think, be aware that there is usually not an overpowering plot that runs through the whole novel. Her books tend to describe a few months in the life of one or more main characters. Things are tied up well enough by the end, but there may be a few loose ends, and any romances feel a bit like sidelines and don't always begin until more than halfway through the book.
With some writers the above characteristics would make for sleepy books. But D.E. Stevenson just writes so wonderfully well and her characters are mostly lovely people. They are a true pleasure to read about.
In this book World War II is happening, and it influences the routine of life, but the story is still very domestic and charming and often funny. This one is a sequel to Miss Buncle Married.
Unfortunately D.E. Stevenson's books are not old enough to be in the public domain, but they are too old and forgotten to be found in many libraries.
It's a charming tale of Barbara Abbott (the Miss Buncle from two books previously) and her friend and next-door neighbor whose husband is away in the war. Lots of small domestic plots and subplots, which D.E. Stevenson really shines at. There's a famous authoress who is having a crisis of identity, a teenage girl who's discovered that she doesn't fit in at home, a whole camp of soldiers looking for a German spy, and one or two budding romances. All delivered in the best cozy style for a relaxing read.
Original review:
-------------------------------------------------
Ah, D.E. Stevenson does it again. I had to listen to this as an audiobook during a free trial at Audible.com, because this book is ridiculously hard to get in hard copy, or even to buy. I didn't care for the narrator's voices for some of the characters, but D.E. Stevenson's particular brand of charm shone through anyway.
Anyone reading D.E. Stevenson's books should, I think, be aware that there is usually not an overpowering plot that runs through the whole novel. Her books tend to describe a few months in the life of one or more main characters. Things are tied up well enough by the end, but there may be a few loose ends, and any romances feel a bit like sidelines and don't always begin until more than halfway through the book.
With some writers the above characteristics would make for sleepy books. But D.E. Stevenson just writes so wonderfully well and her characters are mostly lovely people. They are a true pleasure to read about.
In this book World War II is happening, and it influences the routine of life, but the story is still very domestic and charming and often funny. This one is a sequel to Miss Buncle Married.
Unfortunately D.E. Stevenson's books are not old enough to be in the public domain, but they are too old and forgotten to be found in many libraries.
October 29, 2016
What can I say? I simply adore Barbara Buncle/Abbott. My only complaint about this book would be that there was not enough of Barbara featured in the novel. Thankfully the other characters were just as fun and charming to read about as Barbara herself.
From the opening page I found myself smiling and laughing and enjoying this book as much as I did the first Miss Buncle book. The lighthearted tone, charm and humor were all present and accounted for.
This 3rd and final book in the Miss Buncle series finds Barbara in the midst of World War II raising two children. Even with the war raging and duties of motherhood Barbara is able to find time to try her hand at matchmaking or undoing matches, as the case may be. All done in her innocent way of course.
Much of the book actually focuses on the second Mrs. Abbott, whom we met in Miss Buncle Married. Jerry Abbott's home is being taken over by a military regiment and war refugees and she has her hands full keeping up the home and like the other Mrs. Abbott, trying to play matchmaker. I felt that Jerry lacked some of the charm and subtlety that Barabra possessed but the other characters who make up her home are almost all delightfully fun to read about.
This book saw the return of many characters from the previous novel and even one from Miss Buncle's book. There were also new characters and plenty of matchmaking and hidden identities to create a very humorous and gentle look at life in this small English village during World War II.
I'm a little sad to have reached the end of the Miss Buncle books. Luckily for me D.E. Stevenson was a rather prolific writer and my library has a good selection of them on the shelf still. I think I will start in on the Mrs. Tim Christie series next.
From the opening page I found myself smiling and laughing and enjoying this book as much as I did the first Miss Buncle book. The lighthearted tone, charm and humor were all present and accounted for.
This 3rd and final book in the Miss Buncle series finds Barbara in the midst of World War II raising two children. Even with the war raging and duties of motherhood Barbara is able to find time to try her hand at matchmaking or undoing matches, as the case may be. All done in her innocent way of course.
Much of the book actually focuses on the second Mrs. Abbott, whom we met in Miss Buncle Married. Jerry Abbott's home is being taken over by a military regiment and war refugees and she has her hands full keeping up the home and like the other Mrs. Abbott, trying to play matchmaker. I felt that Jerry lacked some of the charm and subtlety that Barabra possessed but the other characters who make up her home are almost all delightfully fun to read about.
This book saw the return of many characters from the previous novel and even one from Miss Buncle's book. There were also new characters and plenty of matchmaking and hidden identities to create a very humorous and gentle look at life in this small English village during World War II.
I'm a little sad to have reached the end of the Miss Buncle books. Luckily for me D.E. Stevenson was a rather prolific writer and my library has a good selection of them on the shelf still. I think I will start in on the Mrs. Tim Christie series next.
January 29, 2008
This is the third book about Barbara Buncle. I love this series and reread it every year. Unfortunately D.E. Stevenson is disappearing from library shelves. Her writing is wonderful with humor and real understanding of human nature when influenced by a society of morality and ethics. I miss this foundation in current literature.
Barbara is a woman with many self-doubts who has learned how to put on a competent social facade. She tries to influence her family and friends, with humorous results.
Barbara is a woman with many self-doubts who has learned how to put on a competent social facade. She tries to influence her family and friends, with humorous results.
December 6, 2024
“Sarah!” said Barbara Abbott again.
“Yes, it’s me,” nodded Sarah (who although aware that one should say “it is I,” could never bring herself to utter the words because for some reason or other it sounded as if one were God).
We are introduced once again to Barbara Abbott, nee Buncle, and her niece Jeronina Abbott, (“Jerry for short. It’s rather a blot to be called Jerry these days but it was too much bother to make everyone change.”) We first met the younger Miss Abbott in the previous book, Miss Buncle Married. They are weathering the war years, Barbara happily married to her darling Arthur, and Jerry, missing her soldier husband, Sam, who is “somewhere in the desert.”As with the last two books in the series, this novel consists largely of stories and glimpses into the lives of their friends and acquaintances. Some are lovable and some not so lovable.
On the lovable side, we have “Dorky”, Barbara’s children’s elderly Nanny, Hard-working Archie, Jerry’s brother, Miss Janetta Walters, a lauded author of sappy romances, or “high-powered tushery” as Arthur calls them, a mysterious stranger in their midst, Jane Watt, and a young girl, Wilhemina Bowles, a diamond in the rough, who has taken refuge with Markie and Jerry from her slovenly and coarse family. My favorite is the wondrous Sophonisba Marks, “Markie,” Jerry’s beloved housekeeper and catcher of German Spies extraordinaire.
On the unlovable (but still very entertaining) side we have Helen Walters, Janetta’s domineering sister, Lancreste, Barbara’s hapless and silly neighbor, Mrs. Boles, the least said about her the better, and the very common and not very nice, Pearl, Lancreste’s almost fiance.
There are many other characters as well, all beautifully portrayed and interesting. Their personalities were enhanced by the quirky interpretation of the narrator, Patricia Gallimore. The stories we follow most closely as we weave our way in and out of the lives of the select denizens of Wandlebury are the romance and courtship of confirmed bachelor Archie with a newcomer to the village, and the crises and fates of Wilhelmina, Lancreste, and Markie. As these stories reach their satisfactory conclusions, we hate to leave the pretty English town and hope they all emerge from the war safely and happily. Especially Sam and Jerry.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
April 1, 2020
Third in the Miss Buncle trilogy, The Two Mrs. Abbotts was a fun enough read but it lacked the timelessness of Miss Buncle's Book or the tight plotting of Miss Buncle Married. And it is not necessarily the book's fault. It just feels much more like a product of its time. Written in 1943, the story gives into all the tropes one would expect from a book written during WW2: including a stirring scene where a woman whose husband is at war chastises a would-be shirker and another scene where someone captures a German spy.
Though the reader is reminded of "our boys at the front" in multiple little ways, the story really focuses on the people back home and how they "do their duty!" and handle rationing with good cheer. While this has potential to really give a taste of life in England during war, the forced cheeriness and low-key propaganda throughout makes the story feel very 1940s. Kind of like how you can always recognize 70s carpet, there is something blatant and uncomfortable about characters gushing over phrenology, women discovering the joys of housework, and mothers stressing because their cherubic babies only mind the nursemaids and won't listen to them.
And unlike the first two, several plot-lines introduced in the story don't get tied up at all, which surprised me considerably because from what I've seen so far, that is not Stevenson's style at all.
But less you think I truly disliked The Two Mrs. Abbotts, I didn't! Even amidst the over-the-top good cheer, the personalities of the characters strike true to life. It is the little things (tea parties getting too big and match-making married people and indignation over someone bringing a guest you don't like) that give this book its comfortableness. It is emotions I recognized and found funny to see displayed so well.
Not quite a satisfying wrap-up to the series, but still a delightful book to curl up with on a rainy day. (Or when stuck in your house for two week straight because social distancing.)
Though the reader is reminded of "our boys at the front" in multiple little ways, the story really focuses on the people back home and how they "do their duty!" and handle rationing with good cheer. While this has potential to really give a taste of life in England during war, the forced cheeriness and low-key propaganda throughout makes the story feel very 1940s. Kind of like how you can always recognize 70s carpet, there is something blatant and uncomfortable about characters gushing over phrenology, women discovering the joys of housework, and mothers stressing because their cherubic babies only mind the nursemaids and won't listen to them.
And unlike the first two, several plot-lines introduced in the story don't get tied up at all, which surprised me considerably because from what I've seen so far, that is not Stevenson's style at all.
But less you think I truly disliked The Two Mrs. Abbotts, I didn't! Even amidst the over-the-top good cheer, the personalities of the characters strike true to life. It is the little things (tea parties getting too big and match-making married people and indignation over someone bringing a guest you don't like) that give this book its comfortableness. It is emotions I recognized and found funny to see displayed so well.
Not quite a satisfying wrap-up to the series, but still a delightful book to curl up with on a rainy day. (Or when stuck in your house for two week straight because social distancing.)
March 22, 2017
Mrs. Barbara Abbott and Mrs. Jerry Abbott are always surrounded by adventures, including but not limited to: the welcoming of an old friend from Silverstream to Wandlebury; a soldier's calf-love for Jerry; the emo-warblings of Lancreste Marvell (talk about a supervillain name); the comings and goings (and comings) of the ill-fortuned Boles family; and LOVE.
1. This really wasn't as charming and fun as its predecessors, unfortunately. It suffers somewhat from the looming specter of the War, and somewhat from the patchy quality of its vignettes.
2. The vignettes themselves weren't all that great either. Some were fun, but too many of them were rather draining and dull. And the ones that were fun were too short, and the ones that were draining and dull just went on and on. (Much like this sentence.) Lancreste's moaning, for example, and the whiny Bobby, and the bad matchmaking, and the weird ridiculing of the Boles family: it was all pretty not great.
3. Even though it wasn't as good as the earlier two books, I still enjoyed it. A 3 stars, with the understanding that it's mostly from familiarity and residual joy.
1. This really wasn't as charming and fun as its predecessors, unfortunately. It suffers somewhat from the looming specter of the War, and somewhat from the patchy quality of its vignettes.
2. The vignettes themselves weren't all that great either. Some were fun, but too many of them were rather draining and dull. And the ones that were fun were too short, and the ones that were draining and dull just went on and on. (Much like this sentence.) Lancreste's moaning, for example, and the whiny Bobby, and the bad matchmaking, and the weird ridiculing of the Boles family: it was all pretty not great.
3. Even though it wasn't as good as the earlier two books, I still enjoyed it. A 3 stars, with the understanding that it's mostly from familiarity and residual joy.
July 27, 2013
Barbara Abbott nee Buncle is back in this third volume. World War II is raging but Wandlebury hasn't changed much. The young men are off to war, except for Archie Chevis-Cobbe who is running a farm single-handedly. Barbara has settled into domestic life with Arthur, their two young children and of course, Dorcas. Barbara is still as honest and trusting as ever, making everyone want to confide in her. Her latest, and most unwanted, confidant is Lancreste Marvell. Barbara dislikes the Marvells and doesn't know how to deal with Lancreste's relationship issues. Arthur's nephew Sam has joined up, leaving his bride Jerry behind. Sam is never far from Jerry's thoughts as she tries to run her horse farm, deal with horrible tenants and the regiment camped on her property. She has company in her old companion Markie and new friends come to stay. Jerry decides to play match maker for her still unmarried brother, though he has plans of his own.
Most of the story takes place in and around Wandlebury, but we do get to catch up on the inhabitants of Silverstream, thanks to a surprise visitor. I was unsure about reading this book since sequels are never good as the original, but I was delighted to discover that this book holds all the sweet charm of the first two books. Though it's not as funny as Miss Buncle's book, it's still charming. Most of the book is dedicated to Jerry and her sphere with Barbara making only occasional appearances. There's mystery, adventure and romance aplenty, sure to please any reader. I was sorry to see it end and want to know what happened next! The paperback reprint of this book will be available in January or you can get the original from your local library as I did.
March 8, 2024
4.5🌟 I liked 'The Two Mrs. Abbotts' the most out of the three books I've read so far! I was more even invested in the main characters this time. I also loved the extra cozy domestic descriptions, the family squabbles, the light romance, and especially, the interactions between Dorcas and the adorable (but too-clever-for-their-own-good) children.
I just adore Jerry Abbott (maybe even more than Barbara Buncle/Abbott) and her straight-forward, no-nonsense, appealing manner. It made me giggle every time she mentions or thinks about Lancreste and how much he annoys her. Loyal Markie even won me over in this book and I loved the way she handles the Mrs. and Mr. Boles situations!
This is a definite future re-read for me and, if you haven't ventured far into the Miss Buncle series so far, I urge you to give this one a try. Highly recommended!
I just adore Jerry Abbott (maybe even more than Barbara Buncle/Abbott) and her straight-forward, no-nonsense, appealing manner. It made me giggle every time she mentions or thinks about Lancreste and how much he annoys her. Loyal Markie even won me over in this book and I loved the way she handles the Mrs. and Mr. Boles situations!
This is a definite future re-read for me and, if you haven't ventured far into the Miss Buncle series so far, I urge you to give this one a try. Highly recommended!
February 3, 2015
I love all DE Stevenson and this is one of the better ones. Not as delightful as Miss Buncle's Book but better than Miss Buncle Married.
May 8, 2023
A warm, cozy read.
February 26, 2014
I've been reading a lot of "cozy" books lately: they are the literary equivalent to comfort food when one has a head cold. I've been alternating between D.E. Stevenson and Elizabeth Goudge. Both depict children well: funny, charming, imaginative, ornery.
I collect (in my head) favorite proposal scenes. Barbara Pym has a rich one. After reading this book I have one to add to my collection: "He read it [a newspaper article—too complicated to say why] carefully—and then he looked at Jane. There was a question in his eyes. Jane nodded."
As I sat in the dentist's chair getting my teeth cleaned, it occurred to me that dentist offices just don't get into many novels. That day—that very day, I tell you—I finished this book. The last chapter was "The Dentist's Waiting Room."
A jarring note of how much we have changed from 1943 when this was written came when I read this sentence: "Cigarette smoking is so universal that one is apt to forget it requires a certain amount of practice."
I'll close with my favorite paragraph:
"[Jerry, f.] and Barbara understood each other beautifully. They understood what each other was driving at with a minimum of language. One might have thought to listen to them talking, that they slipped from one subject to another illogically and without sequence—but it was not so. They merely left things out. Most people's conversation is like a local train that stops at every station and lingers there for a few moments to allow time for its passengers to embark, but when the two Mrs. Abbotts got together they roared along like an express, missing out all the small unimportant stations in the headlong career."
I collect (in my head) favorite proposal scenes. Barbara Pym has a rich one. After reading this book I have one to add to my collection: "He read it [a newspaper article—too complicated to say why] carefully—and then he looked at Jane. There was a question in his eyes. Jane nodded."
As I sat in the dentist's chair getting my teeth cleaned, it occurred to me that dentist offices just don't get into many novels. That day—that very day, I tell you—I finished this book. The last chapter was "The Dentist's Waiting Room."
A jarring note of how much we have changed from 1943 when this was written came when I read this sentence: "Cigarette smoking is so universal that one is apt to forget it requires a certain amount of practice."
I'll close with my favorite paragraph:
"[Jerry, f.] and Barbara understood each other beautifully. They understood what each other was driving at with a minimum of language. One might have thought to listen to them talking, that they slipped from one subject to another illogically and without sequence—but it was not so. They merely left things out. Most people's conversation is like a local train that stops at every station and lingers there for a few moments to allow time for its passengers to embark, but when the two Mrs. Abbotts got together they roared along like an express, missing out all the small unimportant stations in the headlong career."
July 19, 2015
Stevenson's books are like a cleansing breath in the midst of a chaotic world. They are charming and poignant yet full of humor and wise observations of human nature. And throughout there is a sense of calm and quiet.
This story is set during WWII. Life in the country goes on with some adjustments to the war effort. The focus shifts between Barbara Buncle's (now firmly Mrs. Abbott) home and her niece-by-marriage Jerry Abbot. Jerry's husband is serving in Egypt and her household has been opened to a company of soldiers as well as a refugee family from London. It's through her that most of the outside characters are introduced. The story becomes a series of snippets of ordinary lives during extraordinary times.
I am so happy these books are still available!
"...romance was a good thing in the right place. It was not the whole of life ... nor was it entirely foolish ... It was like chocolate cream, thought Archie, a certain amount of it was good for you and extremely palatable; too much of it made you sick."
This story is set during WWII. Life in the country goes on with some adjustments to the war effort. The focus shifts between Barbara Buncle's (now firmly Mrs. Abbott) home and her niece-by-marriage Jerry Abbot. Jerry's husband is serving in Egypt and her household has been opened to a company of soldiers as well as a refugee family from London. It's through her that most of the outside characters are introduced. The story becomes a series of snippets of ordinary lives during extraordinary times.
I am so happy these books are still available!
"...romance was a good thing in the right place. It was not the whole of life ... nor was it entirely foolish ... It was like chocolate cream, thought Archie, a certain amount of it was good for you and extremely palatable; too much of it made you sick."
November 8, 2016
This wasn't as fun as the first two in the series, and now I've left it long enough that I can't remember the details to say why. Some of it is likely that the secondary characters take over the story, and I don't love them as much as I do Barbara and Jerry. But the romance is satisfying, and I wasn't sorry to have read the book. (That's a very lackluster review, and I think the book is better than I made it sound. Just not by much.)
July 14, 2017
D.E. Stevenson’s The Two Mrs Abbotts was first published in 1943, and has been reissued by Persephone Books. Stevenson was an incredibly prolific author, and had over forty novels published during her writing career. The Two Mrs Abbotts is the third instalment in the books which feature Miss Buncle, both of which have also been published by Persephone. There has been no introduction included here; instead, readers are ‘referred’ to the first two volumes.
The Two Mrs Abbotts opens in Archway House in the village of Wandlebury in an unnamed county, where nursery nurse Dorcas – lovingly called ‘Dorkie’ by her young charges – is looking after Mrs Barbara Abbott’s children, Simon and Fay: ‘She was thinking how odd it was that children grew up so quickly and grown-up people remained much the same’. The Abbotts’ home has been partially turned into a school for wartime children, or ‘Vack-wees’, as Fay rather adorably calls them. Throughout, both children have been written about in such a way that their characters are built up in a believable manner. Simon, for example, professes that he is ‘Four years older than the war… I can even remember bananas – and cream’. Later on, he is found ‘hopping and skipping and talking hard as he always did except when he felt unwell’.
One of the first events in the book is the arrival of Sarah Walker, a lecturer travelling around the country on behalf of the Red Cross. Sarah is an old friend of Barbara’s, and they have not seen one another since the latter left the village under a cloud of sorts: ‘She had vanished in the night… She had been obliged to go, of course, because she had written two very amusing books all about her neighbours and their little peculiarities, and her neighbours had not appreciated their portraits – quite the reverse’. With these foundations, Barbara has gone on to marry her publisher, Arthur Abbott.
The family in their entirety is trying to cope as best they can in wartime. Arthur’s nephew is away fighting, and his house has been taken over by a whole battalion of soldiers ‘like a crop of dragon’s teeth’. His young wife Jerry – the other Mrs Abbott of the book’s title – has been left behind and tries to keep herself as busy as she possibly can, spending much of her time visiting Barbara and the children, and finding tenants for the small cottage which sits beside her house. The lives of all are filled with daily duties, such as hosting tea parties for acquaintances in the village, having evacuee families to stay, and finding innovative ways of making recipes, due to the majority of the correct ingredients having been made unobtainable due to Second World War rationing.
Stevenson’s writing is rather amusing throughout. A young man from the village who has joined the RAF and is currently at home on sick leave, is said to have ‘cultivated a small moustache which reminded one just a little of Hitler’. His lady friend Pearl Besserton, a woman whom nobody really likes, ‘looked as if she had stepped straight off the stage of a third-rate music hall without having taken the trouble to remove the greasepaint’. The novel is also, as one would expect, so very British. There is a chapter where Barbara goes to the village’s annual bazaar, to which she ‘had set out with the benevolent intention of buying something at every stall’. She then feels obliged to purchase a very ugly pair of vases which have been saved for her by a woman who is running one of the stalls, and muses over what she can possibly do with them. Many of the scenes which Stevenson has woven in are almost farcical, and there is one faux pas after another at many points in the novel.
The characters which Stevenson has created are all interesting and unpredictable, and there is not a dull person amongst them. Everyone is likeable, or at least admirable, in their different actions and mannerisms. It is rather refreshing to read a novel which veers off in unexpected directions as The Two Mrs Abbotts does, and the twists within its plot work marvellously. The arc of events throughout is well paced, as is the introduction of characters. Stevenson writes about social aspects rather wonderfully, from the importance of and reliance which one can have upon the wider community, to the problems which evacuees encounter when living away from home.
It is not necessary to have read the first two books which focus upon Barbara’s life, and no information which is important to the story within The Two Mrs Abbotts has been omitted. The entirety of the book is quaint, amusing and rather lovely. It is a light, easy read which is certain to appeal to anyone who enjoys fiction written or set within the first half of the twentieth century, and is certainly a great addition to the Persephone list.
The Two Mrs Abbotts opens in Archway House in the village of Wandlebury in an unnamed county, where nursery nurse Dorcas – lovingly called ‘Dorkie’ by her young charges – is looking after Mrs Barbara Abbott’s children, Simon and Fay: ‘She was thinking how odd it was that children grew up so quickly and grown-up people remained much the same’. The Abbotts’ home has been partially turned into a school for wartime children, or ‘Vack-wees’, as Fay rather adorably calls them. Throughout, both children have been written about in such a way that their characters are built up in a believable manner. Simon, for example, professes that he is ‘Four years older than the war… I can even remember bananas – and cream’. Later on, he is found ‘hopping and skipping and talking hard as he always did except when he felt unwell’.
One of the first events in the book is the arrival of Sarah Walker, a lecturer travelling around the country on behalf of the Red Cross. Sarah is an old friend of Barbara’s, and they have not seen one another since the latter left the village under a cloud of sorts: ‘She had vanished in the night… She had been obliged to go, of course, because she had written two very amusing books all about her neighbours and their little peculiarities, and her neighbours had not appreciated their portraits – quite the reverse’. With these foundations, Barbara has gone on to marry her publisher, Arthur Abbott.
The family in their entirety is trying to cope as best they can in wartime. Arthur’s nephew is away fighting, and his house has been taken over by a whole battalion of soldiers ‘like a crop of dragon’s teeth’. His young wife Jerry – the other Mrs Abbott of the book’s title – has been left behind and tries to keep herself as busy as she possibly can, spending much of her time visiting Barbara and the children, and finding tenants for the small cottage which sits beside her house. The lives of all are filled with daily duties, such as hosting tea parties for acquaintances in the village, having evacuee families to stay, and finding innovative ways of making recipes, due to the majority of the correct ingredients having been made unobtainable due to Second World War rationing.
Stevenson’s writing is rather amusing throughout. A young man from the village who has joined the RAF and is currently at home on sick leave, is said to have ‘cultivated a small moustache which reminded one just a little of Hitler’. His lady friend Pearl Besserton, a woman whom nobody really likes, ‘looked as if she had stepped straight off the stage of a third-rate music hall without having taken the trouble to remove the greasepaint’. The novel is also, as one would expect, so very British. There is a chapter where Barbara goes to the village’s annual bazaar, to which she ‘had set out with the benevolent intention of buying something at every stall’. She then feels obliged to purchase a very ugly pair of vases which have been saved for her by a woman who is running one of the stalls, and muses over what she can possibly do with them. Many of the scenes which Stevenson has woven in are almost farcical, and there is one faux pas after another at many points in the novel.
The characters which Stevenson has created are all interesting and unpredictable, and there is not a dull person amongst them. Everyone is likeable, or at least admirable, in their different actions and mannerisms. It is rather refreshing to read a novel which veers off in unexpected directions as The Two Mrs Abbotts does, and the twists within its plot work marvellously. The arc of events throughout is well paced, as is the introduction of characters. Stevenson writes about social aspects rather wonderfully, from the importance of and reliance which one can have upon the wider community, to the problems which evacuees encounter when living away from home.
It is not necessary to have read the first two books which focus upon Barbara’s life, and no information which is important to the story within The Two Mrs Abbotts has been omitted. The entirety of the book is quaint, amusing and rather lovely. It is a light, easy read which is certain to appeal to anyone who enjoys fiction written or set within the first half of the twentieth century, and is certainly a great addition to the Persephone list.
January 19, 2022
Aunque me ha gustado es bastante más flojillo que los dos anteriores.
La srta. Buncle aquí es un personaje secundario y yo la he extrañado. Las apariciones que tenía eran como un soplo de aire fresco aunque no pasara nada.
Ella es el alma de la serie y los libros pierden su chispa sin su presencia.
En Las cuatro gracias va a tener una breve aparición así que espero encontrar a otra protagonista que esté a la altura.
La srta. Buncle aquí es un personaje secundario y yo la he extrañado. Las apariciones que tenía eran como un soplo de aire fresco aunque no pasara nada.
Ella es el alma de la serie y los libros pierden su chispa sin su presencia.
En Las cuatro gracias va a tener una breve aparición así que espero encontrar a otra protagonista que esté a la altura.
June 29, 2023
Último libro de la serie de la señorita Buncle, y que es el que menos divertido me ha parecido... imagino que al no ser Bárbara tan protagonista, el libro se resiente. Y el final es demasiado abrupto en mi opinión.
A pesar de eso, se pasan unos buenos ratos con la novela.
A pesar de eso, se pasan unos buenos ratos con la novela.
July 6, 2017
I really enjoyed the last installment in Barbara Buncle's series. I wish there were more!
December 17, 2013
Barbara Buncle – the main character in ‘Miss Buncle’s Book’ and ‘Miss Buncle Married’ – now has two children. It is World War II and everyone is struggling with rationing and trying to make ends meet. Barbara’s old friend from Silverstream days – Sarah Walker, the doctor’s wife – is visiting to give a talk on behalf of the Red Cross. The two friends take up their friendship where they left off and Sarah rapidly becomes part of the local community for the length of her visit.
Barbara is now Barbara Abbott having married her publisher and the other Mrs Abbott of the title is Jerry Abbott – married to a cousin of Barbara’s husband. The book recreates a forgotten era, full of make do and mend, trying to live up to certain standards and do the right thing and supporting the armed forces. Jerry takes in paying guests and struggles with an evacuee family as well as soldiers billeted in her big old house. An author – Janetta Walters – battles with a sudden distaste for her own particular genre and Barbara tries to keep the peace not just in her own home but among her friends as well.
There are no earth shattering events just ordinary every day interactions between friends and neighbours but they are portrayed in such a way that you want to keep reading to see how it will all work out. There is plenty of humour and irony and marvellously well written dialogue and believable characters which keep the reader interested.
If you want to read a book which entertains you without horrifying or terrifying you then try D E Stevenson. She was justifiably popular in her era when people had enough of real life and wanted an alternative world to escape to. Even though it is set in war time no one dies or is missing in action and somehow everyone gets enough to eat. The book will leave you with the feeling that all is right with the world.
Barbara is now Barbara Abbott having married her publisher and the other Mrs Abbott of the title is Jerry Abbott – married to a cousin of Barbara’s husband. The book recreates a forgotten era, full of make do and mend, trying to live up to certain standards and do the right thing and supporting the armed forces. Jerry takes in paying guests and struggles with an evacuee family as well as soldiers billeted in her big old house. An author – Janetta Walters – battles with a sudden distaste for her own particular genre and Barbara tries to keep the peace not just in her own home but among her friends as well.
There are no earth shattering events just ordinary every day interactions between friends and neighbours but they are portrayed in such a way that you want to keep reading to see how it will all work out. There is plenty of humour and irony and marvellously well written dialogue and believable characters which keep the reader interested.
If you want to read a book which entertains you without horrifying or terrifying you then try D E Stevenson. She was justifiably popular in her era when people had enough of real life and wanted an alternative world to escape to. Even though it is set in war time no one dies or is missing in action and somehow everyone gets enough to eat. The book will leave you with the feeling that all is right with the world.
April 30, 2024
Sometimes wisdom consists of knowing when to resist the completist urge and leave the last part of a trilogy unread, because it's weak enough that the earlier parts seem worse in retrospect. There's episodic and there's disjointed, and The Two Mrs Abbotts is the latter—there may be some authors who can fluidly combine village fete shenanigans and a tank battle in North Africa, but D.S. Stevenson doesn't figure in their ranks. That, plus the dollops of classism, a "romance" that gave me the icks ("We've known one another a week, now I'm going to propose to you over and over until you give in"), and the weird phrenology beliefs (!?) soured me on this book.
October 3, 2023
On the back cover of my copy of this it says -
READERS LOVE D.E. STEVENSON: "Charming, witty and delightful."I agree with those readers, although so far no D.E. Stevenson I've read can measure up to the beloved Miss Buncle's Book.
December 29, 2014
This wasn't as good as the first two, but it was still a fun read. Just a bit scattered. Should have been called something like The Two Mrs. Abbotts Make Respectable Appearances amidst a Cast of Thousands. Well, Dozens, maybe.
March 24, 2015
3 1/2 stars
Long on charm, short on plot.
Long on charm, short on plot.
March 30, 2019
Can’t wait to read the next (last) in the series. I’ll be sad. But plenty more books by the author to read yet.
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