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A review by loribeth1961
Mrs. Tim Gets a Job by D.E. Stevenson
3.0
This third volume in the "Mrs. Tim" series about a British military wife and her family, "Mrs. Tim Gets a Job," was first published in 1947. The war is over, but Tim is still in Egypt. Children Bryan and Betty are both off at boarding school, and the lease on the family's home is being terminated by the landlord. Where will Hester go and what will she do? Fate intervenes in the form of a job offer, helping the prickly Miss Erica Clutterbuck -- a friend of Hester's friend Grace -- run a small hotel out of her ancestral home in Scotland.
Like most of D.E. Stevenson's novels, this is a "comfort read" -- short on plot and long on characterization, humour and wonderful descriptions. I enjoyed catching up with Hester and seeing her in this new setting, facing new challenges. Erica Clutterbuck (what a name!) is a wonderful character whose bark turns out to be worse than her bite. And Tim & Hester's friend Tony Morley (now a Brigadier, and still obviously carrying a torch for Hester) drops by for an unexpected brief visit.
We're also privy to Hester's thoughts and some interesting discussions on a number of different subjects. For example, Hester finds herself debating the American vs British definition of happiness with an American hotel guest (which several Goodreads reviewers have commented on -- is happiness a right or a privilege?).
Unfortunately, I felt the book sort of petered out toward the end, with a brief and somewhat unsatisfying visit from Bryan and a rather abrupt conclusion that had me thinking, "That's it??" This probably knocked a few points off my Goodreads rating. Three stars. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read from one of my favourite authors.
Like most of D.E. Stevenson's novels, this is a "comfort read" -- short on plot and long on characterization, humour and wonderful descriptions. I enjoyed catching up with Hester and seeing her in this new setting, facing new challenges. Erica Clutterbuck (what a name!) is a wonderful character whose bark turns out to be worse than her bite. And Tim & Hester's friend Tony Morley (now a Brigadier, and still obviously carrying a torch for Hester) drops by for an unexpected brief visit.
We're also privy to Hester's thoughts and some interesting discussions on a number of different subjects. For example, Hester finds herself debating the American vs British definition of happiness with an American hotel guest (which several Goodreads reviewers have commented on -- is happiness a right or a privilege?).
Unfortunately, I felt the book sort of petered out toward the end, with a brief and somewhat unsatisfying visit from Bryan and a rather abrupt conclusion that had me thinking, "That's it??" This probably knocked a few points off my Goodreads rating. Three stars. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read from one of my favourite authors.