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Mary Wesley
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The Camomile Lawn Paperback – International Edition, July 4, 2006

by Mary Wesley (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 2,355 ratings
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A vivid picture of wartime London and Cornwall through the eyes of five cousins.

Behind the large house, the fragrant camomile lawn stretches down to the Cornish cliffs. Here, in the dizzying heat of August 1939, five cousins have gathered at their aunt’s house for their annual ritual of a holiday. For most of them it is the last summer of their youth, with the heady exhilarations and freedoms of lost innocence, as well as the fears of the coming war.

The Camomile Lawn moves from Cornwall to London and back again, over the years, telling the stories of the cousins, their family and their friends, united by shared losses and lovers, by family ties and the absurd conditions imposed by war as their paths cross and recross over the years.
It is an extraordinarily vivid and lively picture of wartime London: the rationing, imaginatively circumvented; the fallen houses; the parties; the new-found comforts of sex; the desperate humour of survival — all of it evoked with warmth, clarity and stunning wit. And through it all, the cousins and their friends try to hold onto the part of themselves that laughed and played dangerous games on that camomile lawn.
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage Books
  4. Publication date
    July 4, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5.08 x 0.87 x 7.77 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0099499142
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0099499145
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Wesley was born in 1912. Her education took her to the London School of Economics, and during the war, she worked in the War Office. She published her first novel, Jumping the Queue at the age of seventy. It was followed by nine more. Mary Wesley died in 2002.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage Books; New Ed edition (July 4, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0099499142
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0099499145
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.87 x 7.77 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 2,355 ratings

About the author

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Mary Wesley

Mary Wesley

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Mary Wesley (1912–2002) was an English novelist. After she published her first novel at age seventy, her books sold more than three million copies, many of them becoming bestsellers. Her beloved books include Jumping the Queue, The Camomile Lawn, Harnessing Peacocks, The Vacillations of Poppy Carew, Not That Sort of Girl, Second Fiddle, A Sensible Life, A Dubious Legacy, An Imaginative Experience, and Part of the Furniture, as well as a memoir, Part of the Scenery.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
2,355 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book great, lovely, and delightful. They praise the writing quality as wonderful and the author as wonderful. Readers appreciate the insight and style of the book. Opinions are mixed on the character development, with some finding them interesting and different, while others say they come off as heartless, callous, and immoral.

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ReadabilityWriting qualityInsightStyleHumorCharacter development
18 customers mention "Readability"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book lovely, delightful, and brilliant. They say it's an excellent choice for anglophiles and those in love with Cornwall. Readers also mention the stories are rich and filled with humanity.

"...A terrific read: makes me want to read more by the same author." Read more

"...Unlikely coupling in relationships but amusing and interesting as a result." Read more

"...Romance and historical background make it an excellent choice.Barbara Pym readers will enjoy this." Read more

"the writing in this novel is wonderful; the storyline gives insight into a side of war that we haven't really seen much - how people of that..." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive2 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They also say the author is wonderful.

"...I could vision Calypso's beauty and Sophy's beauty to come. Such wonderful writing, I must read all of Wesley's novels.Recommended...." Read more

"...The Camomile Lawn" is a well written, intricate soap opera, of sorts, which illustrates how the uncertainty of war and the heightened sense of one's..." Read more

"the writing in this novel is wonderful; the storyline gives insight into a side of war that we haven't really seen much - how people of that..." Read more

"Was a very hard red for me. Skipped around too much. Was very to follow many times" Read more

6 customers mention "Insight"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very evocative of the time. They say it's a loving look at life during the war and a true insightful view of the human condition. Readers also mention the author has sharp insights into the motives of the characters.

"Enjoyable read. Lovely nostalgic moments well captured...." Read more

"...A loving look at life during the war and all the small bits of different characters which pop up in her other books too...." Read more

"...set just before the outbreak of the second world war and is very evocative of the time." Read more

"...Very moving, sharp insight by the author into character's motives (characters who were very nicely fleshed out)...." Read more

5 customers mention "Style"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the style of the book deeper, darker, and sexier. They also appreciate the nicely fleshed-out characters and fascinating Cornish background during World War II.

"...But as it progresses it turns into something deeper, darker, and certainly sexier...." Read more

"Ideal lockdown reading, interesting characters and fascinating Cornish background during World War II...." Read more

"...(characters who were very nicely fleshed out). Lovely ambiance even though some of it was quite sad." Read more

"A beautiful book, great characters" Read more

4 customers mention "Humor"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book funny.

"...Unlikely coupling in relationships but amusing and interesting as a result." Read more

"I have always liked May Wesley's books. She has a quirky sense of humour and her characters are always interesting and different...." Read more

"I was delighted to discover this author and this fascinating and often hilarious saga...." Read more

"Great story. Well written and funny. TV adaption also excellent. Why do I need to write more words words words" Read more

12 customers mention "Character development"8 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development. Some mention the characters are interesting and different, while others say they come off as heartless, callous, and immoral.

"...The characters really come alive, truly alive. You can see them in your mind's eye. I could vision Calypso's beauty and Sophy's beauty to come...." Read more

"...The characters came off as heartless, callous and downright immoral, and I'm sure that is not how Wesley intended them...." Read more

"Ideal lockdown reading, interesting characters and fascinating Cornish background during World War II...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the novel, especially the well drawn characters and highly recommend it.JANA" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Anne Mills
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Novel, Memorable Characters, Atmospheric -- A Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Ar first I thought this was a light period piece, a novel of manners set in that ever-enticing milieu -- the British upper class. But as it progresses it turns into something deeper, darker, and certainly sexier. Most of the book is set in England during WWII, though the main narrative is interspersed with scenes around a funeral in the mid-1980's. It follows a dozen people; five young cousins, three men with whom they are involved, their aunt and uncle, and a pair of Jewish refugees. The permutations and combinations within this group are many, various, and sometimes startling. And so are the ways they confront the desperate perils of the war, and the more gradual pains of growing older. A terrific read: makes me want to read more by the same author.
8 people found this helpful
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prisrob
4.0 out of 5 stars The Summer of '39
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
The summer before the Great War, the family, nieces, nephews and assorted others arrive at the grand house of Helena and Richard. Helena of the money and Richard of the one leg, lost in the war. This is a glorious book you want to consume at one sitting, but wait it out and read it at leisure.

The family Calypso, Walter, Polly, Oliver, Sophy, and the twins who lived in the rectory, were on the train from London to Penzance, a town in Cornwall, UK. This beautiful coastal town was where this family spent their summers. All nieces and nephews of Richard. Helena was the money bag, but she seemed to welcome them. This was to be their last summer together, the big war,which Richard said was not to occur, was to begin later. This is a wonderful family full of the sort of people I would like to meet. Later we get to meet Max and Monika, Jewish refugees who had been placed in a settlement. Richard at the urging of Sophy was able to obtain their release.

We follow this family through the years, their stories told by Each family member, but mainly by Helena,mas she and Hamish travel to a funeral in Penzance. The loves of Calypso who married for money and found true love. Walter off to the war. Polly who loved both twins and couldn't decide in either, Oliver so in love with Calypso but not to be, and Sophy, the young beautiful girl, not loved by Richard or Helena , but the rest of the family loved her. Richard, Helena, Monika and Max, now here was a real story.

The scented camomile lawn at the house by the sea was, for the cousins, the essence of summer. Here was the home they could all come to for peace and quiet and contemplation. Mary Wesley reminds me of my favorite Britsh author , Muriel Spark. The characters really come alive, truly alive. You can see them in your mind's eye. I could vision Calypso's beauty and Sophy's beauty to come. Such wonderful writing, I must read all of Wesley's novels.

Recommended. prisrob 05-23-13
7 people found this helpful
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Lynn
3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read. Lovely nostalgic moments well captured. Found ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
Enjoyable read. Lovely nostalgic moments well captured. Found the narration jumped back and forth in time with no obvious transition so found I was confused until it became evident at times. Unlikely coupling in relationships but amusing and interesting as a result.
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Sarita
5.0 out of 5 stars Recomended
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
Ideal lockdown reading, interesting characters and fascinating Cornish background during World War II. Romance and historical background make it an excellent choice.
Barbara Pym readers will enjoy this.
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Jana L.Perskie
4.0 out of 5 stars "War makes people fearfully randy!"
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2006
Verified Purchase
Five cousins gather at their Aunt Helena's and Uncle Richard's home on the Cornish coast as they have almost every summer in their relatively short, innocent lives. It is August, 1939, and while war looms, they are very much aware they may never meet again like this, all together, on their aunt's sweet-smelling camomile lawn.

Author Mary Wesley uses the device of two intertwining narratives to tell her tale. The last summer days before WWII merge into life in war torn London and Cornwall, and the plot reflects the changes that take place in all the characters as the conflict and violence impact their lives. This storyline is intertwined with another, set in the mid-1980's, over a period of two days as the surviving members of the group gather for a funeral. The reminiscences of those gathered fill in the interval between the beginning of the war and the present.

"The Camomile Lawn" is a well written, intricate soap opera, of sorts, which illustrates how the uncertainty of war and the heightened sense of one's mortality allow for unconventional behavior and impact the social mores of the times...sort of a "live each day as if it were the last" philosophy. I enjoyed the novel, especially the well drawn characters and highly recommend it.
JANA
12 people found this helpful
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Andrea B. Host
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent and intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014
Verified Purchase
the writing in this novel is wonderful; the storyline gives insight into a side of war that we haven't really seen much - how people of that generation dealt with many issues. I particularly enjoyed how many different viewpoints were shown - no one was just one-sided; each person's personality ( good and bad elements alike) was explored. Writing was wonderful.
3 people found this helpful
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TC
3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe the unabridged version is better
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2018
Verified Purchase
I ordered the Audible version, but I did not realize that this was the abridged version until after I'd listened to the entire thing. It makes a little more sense now, as I assume the unabridged version filled in some of the missing pieces and made more sense. Not that the abridged version was hard to follow, I just felt that there had to be more back-story and character development than this. I couldn't truly grasp some of the characters' motivations for their actions. I'm hoping the unabridged version gives more justification for all the bed-hopping that went on. The characters came off as heartless, callous and downright immoral, and I'm sure that is not how Wesley intended them.

And Ann Massey's narration was just painful to listen to; I kept imagining all the face-wrenching she'd had to do for her characterizations. I wish she'd just read it straight through; there was really no need for all of the overly thick and exaggerated English accents. Even her attempts at the Erstwhilers' German accent was uncomfortable to listen to. Funny, but uncomfortable.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Philip Meers
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
A complex and, at times, confusing book, but, nonetheless, very enjoyable.

The story revolves around the members of a family and their friends. The story begins in that final summer before World War Two, a surreal time of waiting, fearing, but also looking forward to the prospect of war. The chamomile lawn of the title is in the garden of a house on the cliffs in Cornwall, and was a central part of the lives of the cousins whose stories occupy much of the book. There is a great sense of time in this book, even though, I suspect, most of the characters did not follow the norms of the period. Some of their actions would have been normal for a certain group of the upper middle class and aristocracy. However, I think that most people would have looked askance at their activities.

At times, the story shifts to, I think, the 1970s, when the survivors and their offspring travel, probably for the last time, back to the house in Cornwall. We therefore get attitudes and opinions from the characters at the time the events were happening, and also attitudes and opinions tempered by time.

A thoroughly enjoyable book. I'd highly recommend it.
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Cliente Amazon
4.0 out of 5 stars Fácil lectura
Reviewed in Spain on August 8, 2022
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Fácil lectura de verano, buena descripción de personajes, sobre todo la parte final del entierro resulta como si estuvieras allí.
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AmazonKunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Zwei DVD. Sehr detailgetreu.
Reviewed in Germany on May 27, 2021
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Der Film hält sich sehr genau an das Buch.
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Angela
5.0 out of 5 stars Charm and woven relationships
Reviewed in Australia on February 8, 2023
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An inspiring way to write, no padding out. Instead beauty intriguing and progression. The words made locations and characters alive.
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Barbara Cundari
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and enjoyable book
Reviewed in Canada on May 27, 2015
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A very good read, and very evocative that period in England, between the first and second World Wars. It is fundamentally a family story, starting before the war with a group of cousins in their teens,holidaying in Cornwall. It continues through the onset and duration of the war, as they each continue their journey into adulthood. A very good read, with some quite surprising twists and turns, and a few ''darker'' moments. Really enjoyed it...it's staying on my bookshelf !!
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