Book Companions

This page provides links and comments about each book, a brief reminder of which is which. Our list provides the original date of publication and publisher, for those readers who are collecting First Editions. Books in alphabetical order and chronological order are provided in a shopping list, designed to be printed. This list was suggested by a member to take along in a purse or pocket, marked with books on your “to-buy” list.

 

The links in the books below are to the delightful “Companions”, the creation of a Web work by Thomas Barton from Johnny Pate’s original dictionary. To help you keep the characters straight, this is not to be missed! The Companions provide the characters and details of each book, along with a list of other books in which these characters appear. Only the Barsetshire books have companions.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Name Year Publisher Story Line
Three Houses 1931 Oxford University Press The story of Angela Thirkell’s childhood homes and memories.
Ankle Deep

1933

Hamish Hamilton Fanny Turner turns her attention to finding a bride for her husband’s friend, Valentine Ensor.
High Rising   1933 Hamish Hamilton The introduction of Barsetshire, Mrs. Morland, and her publisher.
Wild Strawberries 1934 Hamish Hamilton

At Rushwater House, Lady Emily Leslie and her family are entertaining an assortment of houseguests, including some French monarchists.

Trooper to the Southern Cross 1934 Faber & Faber Published in the US by A Common Reader as a Common Reader Edition. Her trip to Australia aboard a troopship, originally written under a pseudonym, Leslie Parker.
The Demon in the House 1934 Hamish Hamilton This book is devoted to the adventures of Tony Morland as a 12-year-old.
O, These Men, These Men! 1935 Hamish Hamilton Assumed to be autobiographical, this non-Barsetshire novel chronicles the end of an unhappy marriage and a new beginning.
Mrs. Morland and Son 193? Angela Thirkell Society Four stories about Tony Morland originally published in the mid-1930s in Harper’s Bazaar.
The Grateful Sparrow 1935 Hamish Hamilton Not easy to find. Out of print. Her only children’s book. Non-Barsetshire.
The Fortunes of Harriette 1936 Hamish Hamilton Published in the US by the Common Reader as a Common Reader Edition under the title Tribute for Harriette: The Surprising Career of Harriette Wilson. The biography of a Regency Courtesan.
August Folly 1936 Hamish Hamilton Mrs. Palmer stages a Greek play, the actors fall in love, and general misunderstandings and family adventures occur in Worsted (just down the road from Winter Overcotes).
Coronation Summer 1937 Oxford University Press A fictionalized account set in the summer when Queen Victoria was crowned (with pictures).
Summer Half 1937 Hamish Hamilton Barsetshire sets the stage for lovely Rose Birkett and her engagements.
Pomfret Towers 1938 Hamish Hamilton The Pomfrets and their heir, Gillie Foster, are the centerpiece of this Barsetshire story.
The Brandons 1939 Hamish Hamilton Mrs. Brandon and her children deal with the illness and death of her deceased husband’s wealthy aunt.
Before Lunch 1939 Hamish Hamilton The Middletons and Stoners combine with Lord Pomfret to stop construction on Pooker’s Piece, and, of course, people fall in love.
Cheerfulness Breaks In 1940 Hamish Hamilton The Barsetshire families in the early days of WWII, and Lydia Merton and others watch the departure of loved ones to the front.
Northbridge Rectory 1941 Hamish Hamilton The rector’s wife in Northbridge must deal with the realities of grocery shopping during WWII, and a variety of soldiers who are quartered there.
Marling Hall 1942 Hamish Hamilton Lettice, a young widow with children, returns to her parent’s home in Barsetshire.
Growing Up 1943 Hamish Hamilton The war brings much uncertainty to the Warings.
The Headmistress 1944 Hamish Hamilton Angela Thirkell’s most acclaimed novel, the story of a strong woman in wartime.
Miss Bunting 1945 Hamish Hamilton The old and new mingle when Anne Fielding and the daughter of Sam Adams renew old acquaintances.
Peace Breaks Out 1946 Hamish Hamilton Barsetshire deals with the return of the troops and England after the war.
Private Enterprise 1947 Hamish Hamilton A widow and her sister-in-law settle in Barsetshire, as family threads intertwine, and the Brandons are showcased.
Love Among the Ruins 1948 Hamish Hamilton Sam Adams and the Beltons provide some contrasts in the Barsetshire series.
Old Bank House 1949 Hamish Hamilton Sam Adams settles permanently in Barsetshire and the house and the county see a way of life that is changing.
County Chronicle 1950 Hamish Hamilton More eventual engagements and entanglements in Barsetshire.
The Duke’s Daughter 1951 Hamish Hamilton Angela Thirkell works very hard to marry off the grown-up Barsetshire children who are still unattached.
Happy Returns 1952 Hamish Hamilton Swan, Lord Lufton, and Grace Grantly are all growing up.
Jutland Cottage 1953 Hamish Hamilton Margot Phelps, the Admiral’s daughter, is taken in hand by the ladies of Barsetshire, with astonishing results.
What Did it Mean? 1954 Hamish Hamilton Mrs. Brandon, Bishop Joram, and other Barsetshire families and their improved fortunes are presented. We follow Miss Pemberton and Mr. Downing’s academic efforts.
Enter Sir Robert 1955 Hamish Hamilton Lady Graham and her daughter provide the background for this book.
Never Too Late 1956 Hamish Hamilton Could there be a late-blooming romance between Lord Crosse and Mrs. Morland?
A Double Affair 1957 Hamish Hamilton Miss Merriman takes the center stage and other romances blossom.
Close Quarters 1958 Hamish Hamilton Tubby Fewling is the parson in this later Barsetshire novel.
Love at all Ages 1959 Hamish Hamilton Most of the ingenues have been married off, but the remaining ones are paired up to remain in Barsetshire.
Three Score and Ten 1961 Hamish Hamilton Completed by C. A. Lejeune after Angela Thirkell’s death.