The first of Angela Thirkell's brilliantly satirical English comedies set in the fictional county of Barsetshire, High Rising is now available as a Virago Modern Classic. Perfect for fans of Stella Gibbons, PG Wodehouse or EF Benson.
Successful novelist Laura Morland and her boisterous son Tony set off to spend Christmas at her country home in the sleepy surrounds of High Rising. But Laura's wealthy friend and neighbour George Knox has taken on a scheming secretary whose designs on marriage to her employer threaten the delicate social fabric of the village. Can clever, practical Laura rescue George from Miss Grey's clutches and, what's more, help his daughter Miss Sibyl Knox to secure her longed-for engagement?
Charming, funny and irresistibly entertaining, High Rising, first published in 1933, was the first of Angela Thirkell's celebrated classic comedies.
To be so witty and charming yet also so brilliantly brusque and practical as Laura Morland is my new year's resolution
