The fictional small English country town of Roxton boasts two doctors. This tale focuses on the struggles of their wives: Katherine and the 'good' Dr. James Murchison and Betty and the 'bad' Dr. Parker Steele. But, of course, no one is all good or all bad and there are hurdles to overcome, in this case in the form of alcoholism. The cost of the war between the two women is greater than either woman imagined. Deeping draws on his experiences as the son of a doctor in portraying some of the less pleasant facts of physiological reality, maybe more than in many other fictional works in this engrossing and heart-wrenching tale.
It is the last quarter of the eighteenth century and a young woman discovers the body of her murdered father. In her grief, she tries to make sense of why this sweet man, beloved by all, was struck down and, unlike her mother, is unable to put the incident behind her and return to society. Her lack of interest in romance, the theatre and parties convinces her mother and a family friend that Barbara is sinking into madness. But Barbara is determined to uncover her father's murderer at any cost. Could the perpetrator have been her childhood friend, a man for whom her feelings are confused? And is Barbara really mad, or does the madness belong to another?
It is the last quarter of the eighteenth century and a young woman discovers the body of her murdered father. In her grief, she tries to make sense of why this sweet man, beloved by all, was struck down and, unlike her mother, is unable to put the incident behind her and return to society. Her lack of interest in romance, the theater and parties convinces her mother and a family friend that Barbara is sinking into madness. But Barbara is determined to uncover her father's murderer at any cost. Could the perpetrator have been her childhood friend, a man for whom her feelings are confused? And is Barbara really mad, or does the madness belong to another?
Captain Stephen Sorrell returns from the First World War decorated with the Military Cross but unnerved by the conflict. His mercenary wife has deserted him for ‘one of the fellows who stayed behind’ and left him responsible for their son Christopher.A promised position in an antique shop fails to materialise and Sorrell faces poverty. Despite losing status he takes a job as an hotel porter, cleaning shoes and carrying luggage. Thus begins the long climb to financial security, his aim, the best education possible for Christopher to achieve a career which means he will never suffer his father’s fate and, in time, that ‘Kit’ will enjoy a happy and fulfilling marriage. The bond between father and son weathers many a crisis in an uncertain Britain where the class system is eroding and sexual morality, in the thirties, appears to be a thing of the past!A million bestseller when it was first published, ‘Sorrell and Son’ continues to enthral its audience, a most heartwarming story of one man’s sacrifice and love for his child.
This warm-hearted saga was a massive bestseller when first published in 1925. Captain Sorrell returns from the war to find his wife has left him with sole responsibility for their son Christopher. To this child Sorrell devotes his entire life, suffering humiliation and grinding labour as he rises from boot-cleaner to hotel manager, all in order to give his beloved son the education and opportunities he never had. The work offers fascinating insights into many aspects of society between the wars, particularly women, class and the angst over sex suffered by young men. There's a magic about Peter Joyce's narration which persuades the listener within the first five minutes that these people are real flesh and blood. Masterly.
