Happy Returns

Set in 1951 and first published in 1952, the characteristically witty, nostalgic 25th novel in the beloved Barsetshire series describes the lingering effects of WWII on the fictional village that Thirkell adapted from its Victorian inventor and chronicler, Anthony Trollope. Classical scholar Eric Swan, part of a conspiracy to get his friend Charles Belton married to the lovely Clarissa Graham (once beloved by young Lord Ludovic Lufton), finds himself falling for librarian Grace Grantley, who in turns falls for Lord Lufton. The dowager Lady Lufton, widowed and melancholic, finds solace in a platonic friendship with her rich tenant, while the birth of several babies to various members of the leading families brings renewed hope to those of the older generation who are unable to adjust to the suffering and social upheavals brought on by the war. (Oct.)