Nightingale Wood

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Nightingale Wood, by Stella Gibbons

I love Cold Comfort Farm, so I was happy to get my hands on another Gibbons novel.  This story is set in the late 1930s and is a more typical novel than CCF was; I quite enjoyed it.

Viola Withers is the protagonist--she's a very young and penniless widow, and she has to go live with her in-laws in their stultifying home.  No one is happy, and the only thing to look forward to is the charity ball.  Meanwhile, her sisters-in-law have troubles too, and so does the wealthy family down the lane.   In true Gibbons style, everyone is a real and flawed character, and they all have some adventures.  It's a lot of fun.

I'm not describing it very well, but it's a clever and enjoyable read.

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