Böcker av Helen Simonson

An enchanting, humorous and heart-warming novel set in an English villageA Richard & Judy Book Club selection

A young woman's life is forever changed in the summer after World War I when she befriends a group of independent, motorcycle-riding women in a seaside town on the English coast 'Written with great humour and compassion, it is an absolute delight' - PIP WILLIAMS 'An absolute joy of a book ... Historical fiction of the highest order' - ANN NAPOLITANOIt is the summer of 1919 and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that all the men have returned from the front, she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job at the estate she helped to run during the war. While she looks for a position as a bookkeeper or (horror) a governess, she's sent as a lady's companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel. Despite having only weeks to find a permanent home, Constance is swept up in the social whirl of Hazelbourne-on-Sea and its colorful inhabitants, most notably, Poppy Wirrall.Poppy, the daughter of a land-owning baronet, wears trousers, operates a taxi and delivery service to employ local women and runs a ladies' motorcycle club (to which she plans to add flying lessons). She and her friends enthusiastically welcome Constance into their circle. And then there is Harris, Poppy's recalcitrant but handsome brother - a fighter pilot recently wounded in battle - who warms in Constance's presence. But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked.With sharp humor, biting wit and a warm heart, Simonson captures the mood of a generation facing the seismic changes brought on by war. The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is a timeless comedy of manners, refreshing as a summer breeze and bracing as the British seaside.'Beautifully written and brimming with charm' - CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE'Utterly captivating ... A perfect blend of historical charm, courage, and camaraderie' - JAMIE FORD

"Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Her mother has just passed away, her brother is newly married, and now that the Great War is over, she has been asked to give up managing the estate she helped to run when the men all joined the army. It is suggested to her that she become a governess. But first, she will act as caretaker to Mrs. Fog, an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside resort. Constance is soon swept up in the social whirl of the Meredith Hotel and its colorful inhabitants, most notably, Poppy Wirrall. Poppy wears trousers, operates a taxi and delivery service to employ local women, and manages a ladies' motorcycle club. She and her friends welcome Constance into their circle, despite the differences in their stations--Poppy is, for all her empowered modernity, the daughter of a land-owning gentleman, while Constance has only weeks before she must find a position and a home. Constance soon learns, however, that not everything is as it seems in this pocket of English high society. As her connection to this new group deepens and she makes a powerful impression on Poppy's recalcitrant but handsome brother--a former fighter pilot who recently lost a leg in battle--old secrets come to light. Soon, the women are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are likely to be revoked as the country settles into a hard-won peace"--