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The Diary of a Provincial Lady

E M Delafield Introduced by Jilly Cooper

The Diary of a Provincial Lady

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ISBN:
9781844085224

Virago

A Virago title

With a cover design by Cath Kidston

Behind this rather prim and proper title lies the hilarious fictional diary of a long-suffering, disaster-prone Devon lady of the 1930s, and her attempts to keep her somewhat ramshackle household from falling into chaos: there's her husband Robert, who, when he's not snoozing behind The Times, does everything with grumbling reluctance; her gleefully troublesome children; and a succession of tricky servants who invariably seem to gain the upper hand. And if her domestic trials were not enough, she must keep up appearances. Particularly with the maddeningly patronising Lady Boxe, whom the Provincial Lady eternally (and unsuccessfully) tries to compete with.

Reviews

  • ‘I finished the book in one sitting, leaving the children unbathed, dogs unwalked, a husband unfed, and giving alternate cries of joy and recognition throughout’ Jilly Cooper
  • ‘I reread, for the nth time, E. M. Delafield’s dry, caustic Diary of a Provincial Lady, and howled with laughter’ India Knight

Hardback: £12.99

Published 01/05/2008