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Cheerfulness Breaks In by Angela Thirkell – 20 Books of Summer 2022

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Cheerfulness Breaks In by Angela Thirkell was first published in 1940.

The Birketts are overjoyed to be getting rid of their daughter Rose as she’s getting married to Fairweather who is in the navy and is immediately sent abroad with Rose. Rose had tried the patience of everyone she came into contact with, she got engaged at the drop of a hat, and un-engaged just as fast – and caused mayhem amongst males in general but particularly with the teachers at the school her father headed. Fairweather though has her measure it seems and is able to curb the worst aspects of her behaviour. But the Birketts feel somewhat sorry for Fairweather having their daughter as his wife, especially as he’s an ‘Old Boy’ a former boarder at the school.

Soon World War 2 begins so it’s a time of upheaval for the inhabitants of Barsetshire with child evacuees being boarded out with local families, it’s a culture shock for all concerned. An entire school and its masters is transferred from London, they include socialists and even a conscientious objector!

For the very middle-class people of Barsetshire it’s all a bit much, but they have lots to be getting on with including having to deal with disdainful refugees who are not in the least bit grateful for the safe harbour they have found after having to flee the Nazis.

I really loved being in Barsetshire again, there’s a lot of silliness, humour and snobbery, but it’s all such fun! I read this one for 20 Books of Summer 2022.

Cheerfulness Breaks In by Angela Thirkell

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I needed another trip with Angela Thirkell down Barsetshire way and I thought this book would hit the spot, and it did. First published in 1940, the Second World War is just beginning to change everybody’s lives with lots of the young men joining the various armed forces and the ones not in uniform feeling guilty for having reserved occupations which are keeping them safe from harm for the moment.

Rose Birkett, the beautiful but dim daughter of the headmaster of Southbridge School, is swanning down the church aisle at last, after several failed engagements which had driven her parents mad with worry and has caused mayhem within the school as she worked her way through the junior masters. At last they are going to get rid of her. Rose has met her match in the Royal Navy, in the shape of Lieutenant Fairweather, who seems to be able to take command of Rose and navigates her through her foul and dispiriting experiences unperturbed.

As usual there are quite a few romantic matches before the end of the book, some of them amazingly hasty but such was life at that time as young folks ‘carpe diemed’ like crazy in case there was no tomorrow for them.

The villages are inundated with cockney children who have been evacuated there along with their colonies of head lice!

Even in 1940 the East European refugees were obviously an annoyance to the locals, which makes it seem quite up to date, given the recent changes in Britain’s demographics and the large amounts of Poles/Lithuanians and the like which now make up part of our population.

As it says on the cover – England is on the brink of war, but the people of rural Barsetshire are not down-hearted.

There’s plenty of humour as well as romance. The only complaint I have is that the book does end very abruptly. In fact the last chapter is called – story without an end. It left me feeling that I wanted to go on and read the next Thirkell book immediately but, I don’t have that one – typical, I have about five of her later books. I’m going to have to buy Northbridge Rectory.