Overview

Whip-smart and utterly transportive, this is historical fiction of the highest order - an unforgettable coming-of-age story, a tender romance, and a portrait of a nation on the brink of change 'A charming and uplifting tale - I LOVED every minute!' FAITH HOGAN 'A ripping tale of friendship, survival and true love’ CELIA IMRIE 'Witty, amusing and touchingly emotive ' ROSIE GOODWIN 'A page-turning original story' KATIE FFORDE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- It 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. Readers LOVE The Hazelbourne Ladies ‘An absolute must for lovers of historical fiction' ***** ‘What a delight! … captured the essence of the era' ***** ‘This book was brilliant! Totally recommend it' ***** ‘I loved the characters ... and found out more than I expected *****

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9781526670236

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Reviews

PRAISE FOR The Summer Before the War Like a Jane Austen or Henry James for our day and age, Simonson is that good -- Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife Funny, comforting and intelligent -- Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge A gorgeous gem ... [Simonson's] a wonderful original writer and the characters really live. My ideal read -- Santa Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of An Italian Girl in Brooklyn Simonson's writing is as delightful as ever, lively, witty and heartfelt, while engaging thoughtfully with the brutal imminence of World War I -- Madeline Miller, Sunday Times and internationally bestselling author of The Song of Achilles An immersive, howlingly emotional read * Sunday Times * PRAISE FOR Major Pettigrew's Last Stand It's gentle and charming, but these words can't convey the slow-burning pleasure of this novel * The Times * A beautiful little love story ... told with skill and humour -- Alexander McCall Smith Charming, funny and absorbing * Daily Mail * A wise comedy of manners proves that loving well is the best revenge ... This delightful debut is as much a gently P.C. look at the British class system tucked inside a sly comedy of manners as it is a love story * Oprah Magazine *

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club captures the ambitions, frustrations and inevitable tragedies of women and men emerging from the Great War. Written with great humour and compassion, it is an absolute delight -- Pip Williams, bestselling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is an absolute joy of a book. Warm, and romantic, it also has so much to say about the lives of women in the years following WWI. This is historical fiction of the highest order—pleasurable and smart -- Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful With cinematic verve and a keen eye for detail, Helen Simonson captures a vibrant group of unconventional women who defy social norms in their determination to forge their own futures. Beautifully written and brimming with charm, The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is both a fizzy escape and a moving portrait of a nation on the cusp of change -- Christina Baker Kline, New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train I was utterly transported and gripped by Simonson’s perfectly rendered story of insiders and outsiders, rebels and underdogs. Whether racing on two wheels, soaring through the skies, or nursing the deepest of wounds, I was rooting for these resilient characters from the start -- Carol Rifka Brunt, bestselling author of Tell the Wolves I’m Home I am so in love with the way Helen Simonson writes, how she tells a story. This book is utterly captivating from the first page, as it champions the indomitable spirit of women who refuse to be confined by the limitations of their era. With a perfect blend of historical charm, courage, and camaraderie, this novel takes readers on a riveting journey through a world where the skies are the limit for those brave enough to soar -- Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy PRAISE FOR The Summer Before the War Like a Jane Austen or Henry James for our day and age, Simonson is that good -- Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife A gorgeous gem ... [Simonson's] a wonderful original writer and the characters really live. My ideal read -- Santa Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of An Italian Girl in Brooklyn Simonson's writing is as delightful as ever, lively, witty and heartfelt, while engaging thoughtfully with the brutal imminence of World War I -- Madeline Miller, Sunday Times and internationally bestselling author of The Song of Achilles An immersive, howlingly emotional read * Sunday Times * PRAISE FOR Major Pettigrew's Last Stand Funny, comforting and intelligent -- Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge It's gentle and charming, but these words can't convey the slow-burning pleasure of this novel * The Times * A beautiful little love story ... told with skill and humour -- Alexander McCall Smith Charming, funny and absorbing * Daily Mail * A wise comedy of manners proves that loving well is the best revenge ... This delightful debut is as much a gently P.C. look at the British class system tucked inside a sly comedy of manners as it is a love story * Oprah Magazine *

Author Information

Helen Simonson was born in Buckinghamshire and spent her teenage years in a small village near Rye in East Sussex. Her debut novel, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, was an international bestseller, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick, and was translated and published in twenty one countries. A graduate of the London School of Economics, Helen is married, with two grown sons, and lives in Brooklyn, New York. www.helensimonson.uk

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