Spring Magic

By: D. E. Stevenson

Narrated by: Lesley Mackie

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Young Frances Field arrives in a scenic coastal village in Scotland, having escaped her dreary life as an orphan, treated as little more than a servant by an uncle and aunt. Once there, she encounters an array of eccentric locals, the occasional roar of enemy planes overhead and three army wives - Elise, Tommy and Tillie - who become fast friends. Elise warns Frances of the discomforts of military life, but she’s inclined to disregard the advice when she meets the dashing and charming Captain Guy Tarlatan.

©1942 D. E. Stevenson (P)2019 Soundings

Fifi

Wonderfully read -such a great story: ups and downs and ins and outs. Hooray for DE Stevenson. .

Magical

I have really enjoyed reading and listening to D.E. Stevenson’s books concerning WWII. You really get a feeling of what it was like, from a woman’s point of perspective.

More romantic & exciting than usual

D E Stevenson is my cozy go-to for comforting stories where nothing much actually happens. This story is not that. It has twists, turns, exciting plot points, and while somewhat predictable (let's just be honest, that's what we're here for) the way in which the author gets to a satisfactory conclusion will keep your interest until the very end. This book is right up there with "The House of the Deer" as a top favorite by this author.

WWII Home Front

There are a lot of novels out there about England during WWII. This one by D. E. Stevenson has the added distinction of having been written during WWII, at a time when the outcome of the war was unknown. Frances Field has lead a very sheltered life, caring for and housekeeping for her aunt and uncle. When they leave London because of the bombing, Frances grabs the chance to attempt to live her own life and takes a holiday in a small village in Scotland. Frances learns about the world and herself, aided by a regiment of soldiers, who have also just moved to the area to a camp, where they will train until deployed somewhere. And by the wives of some of the officers who become her first real friends. There is romance, WWII home front details, lovely background of the west coast of Scotland and much more. A delight. And Leslie Mackie does a great job of narrating the tale.

Highly recommended.

Very enjoyable!

This is the first time I’ve listened to this book.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I found myself enjoying the book right away.
Another great D. E. Stevenson book.
Pleasant story about interesting people.
Highly recommend!

Awful ending

I enjoyed this book in some ways, especially because it's intelligently written, with characters that really seem to feel and think, so that I care about the romance. And yet overall the story was not as gripping and believable as I had initially felt and hoped it would be. It soon began to drag a bit, and It didn't help that the hero had a most unmanly voice. The narrator overall did okay with the other male voices, but the hero deserved far far better. The heroine was also oddly two-dimensional, and her behaviour toward the book's end was simply unbelievable (to me anyway) except as a means to an end. And the climax of the story was simply AWFUL. I honestly can't recall a worse ending to a novel ever. It would have been laughable if it hadn't been SO disappointing as to feel like a joke, dark humor from the author deliberately making fun of the whole business and the reader's romantic expectations. I'm not inclined to try another D.E. Stevenson any time soon.