THE ANGELA THIRKELL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA

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.