Description
Book SynopsisAs featured on BBC Radio 4 Open Book
A modern classic, The Light Years is a story of twentieth-century English life in the countryside and the first in Elizabeth Jane Howard's extraordinary, bestselling family saga The Cazalet Chronicles.
'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall
Every summer, the Cazalet brothers – Hugh, Edward and Rupert – return to the family home in the heart of the Sussex countryside with their wives and children. There, they are joined by their parents and unmarried sister Rachel to enjoy two blissful months of picnics, games, and excursions to the coast. But despite the idyllic setting, nothing can be done to soothe the siblings’ heartache: Hugh is haunted by the ravages of the Great War, Edward is torn between his wife and his latest infidelity, and Rupert is in turmoil over his inability to please his demanding wife. Meanwhile, Rachel risks losing her only chance at happiness because of her unflinching loyalty to the family.
'Charming, poignant and quite irresistible . . . to be cherished and shared' – The Times
With cover artwork exclusively designed by artist Luke Edward Hall, this is an edition to treasure. Continue the dazzling historical series with Marking Time and Confusion.
Trade ReviewIf I were sent to a desert island with one book this would be my choice -- Her Majesty Queen Camilla
Charming, poignant and quite irresistible . . . to be cherished and shared * The Times *
She is one of those novelists who shows, through her work, what the novel is for . . . She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts -- Hilary Mantel, author of
Wolf Hall and
Bring Up the Bodies The Cazalets have earned an honoured place among the great saga families . . . rendered thrillingly three-dimensional by a master craftsman * Sunday Telegraph *
Superb . . . hypnotic . . . very funny * Spectator *
Evocative and gracefully written * Cosmopolitan *
A family saga of the best kind . . . a must * Tatler *
A dazzling historical reconstruction -- Penelope Fitzgerald, Booker Prize-winning author of
OffshoreThe Blue Flower
This chronicle will be read, like Trollope, as a classic about life in England in our century -- Sybille Bedford, author of
A Legacy and
JigsawGloriously addictive . . . Family loyalty, betrayals, triumphs, tragedy, births and deaths are all blissfully here, and you become emotionally absorbed in the fate of each character * Daily Mail *
