Consider the Lily by Elizabeth Buchan was published in 1993.
The story begins in 1929 when cousins Matty and Daisy attend a wedding. They’ve been brought up together since Matty’s parents died. Daisy’s family is upper class but has fallen on hard times, like many, but Matty inherited a lot of money from her parents which has been quite handy for Daisy’s mother as Matty contributed to the family coffers, but Matty was never given any love or even appreciation.
Both cousins have fallen for the brother of the bride, but it’s the vibrant and vivacious Daisy that Kit is in love with. Kit is the only son, his father Sir Rupert is suffering from his experiences in World War 1 and the estate has fallen into disrepair and needs a large injection of money. When Kit is suffering from a hangover and in despair at his situation he makes a decision which pleases his father but makes everyone else unhappy. It transpires that Sir Robert and his family have experienced a lot of trauma over the years.
This was a really good read, it’s 469 pages long but it didn’t seem like that, I suppose because I was engrossed in it. There’s also quite a lot about the planning and planting of a garden in the book, and horticulture in general, but it’s done in a subtle way I think and won’t be intrusive to people who aren’t so interested in plants.
Elizabeth Buchan is married to the grandson of the author John Buchan. The only other book that I’ve read by her is Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman which I believe was dramatised for TV, but looking back at my review of it it seems that I wasn’t as impressed with that one.
The Buchans are surely a talented family. I was familiar with the work of John, Anna, and William, but didn’t know about Elizabeth. After reading your post I dipped into my digital archive and found that I have most of her books, including “Consider the Lily” and “Revenge of the Middle-aged Woman”.
I’m still plodding through Anna Buchan’s work and am half-way through “Taken by the Hand”. Elizabeth will have to go to the back of the queue, and if I ever get around to reading “Consider the Lily”, I’ll post my reaction.
Janusz,
Elizabeth Buchan is only a Buchan by marriage as she is married to John’s grandson, I don’t know anything about William!
William was the second son of John Buchan, and inherited the Tweedsmuir title when the first son passed away.
It was William who introduced me to the Buchan family. I came across his Indian novel “Kumari”, and discovered that he was the son of the author of “The Thirty-Nine Steps”. I subsequently discovered that the author of “Olivia in India”, which I’d read some time before, was Anna Buchan, William’s aunt.
Janusz,
Thanks for the information. I’ve just looked him up. I must admit that I am glad that nowdays peerages are only for the lifetime and aren’t passed down the generations, except if you are Margaret Thatcher and determined to make sure that your grandson will be a little lord in the future.