Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Marcia Willett "A must for women fiction readers."- Booklist on The Children's Hour "Like Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy, Willett creates such fully dimensional characters that readers feel as if they should phone or e-mail them to keep in touch."- Rocky Mountain News on A Week in Winter "Thoroughly engrossing, with richly drawn characters, a mysterious locale, and a beautifully crafted plot."- The South Florida Sun-Sentinel on A Week in Winter "Readers will enjoy the heartwarming ending, vibrant characters, and excellent depiction of the English countryside."- Booklist (starred review) on A Summer in the Country
Synopsis
Picking up the story of Kate Webster and Cass Wivenhoe that began with First Friends, A Friend of the Family (published in the UK as Thea's Parrot) tells the tale of one of their friends, Felicity, a married woman who has been dallying with George, another mutual acquaintance. When Felicity is widowed, everyone expects George to pop the question. He does, but to the astonishment of Kate and Cass, his intended bride is not Felicity. With her usual generous helping of tears and laughter, Marcia Willett again provides her fans with a treat to be savored.
Synopsis
The sequel to First Friends continues the story of Kate Webster and Cass Wivenhoe, who are stunned when George, a mutual friend who has been dallying with the married Felicity, suddenly proposes--after Felicity is widowed--but not to Felicity. Original. 25,000 first printing.
About the Author
Born in Somerset, in the west country of England, Marcia Willett was the youngest of five girls. Her family was unconventional and musical, but Marcia chose to train as a ballet dancer. Unfortunately, her body did not develop with the classic proportions demanded by the Royal Ballet, so she studied to be a ballet teacher. Her first husband was a naval officer in the submarine service; their son, Charles, is now married and a clergyman. Her second husband, Rodney, himself a writer and broadcaster, encouraged Marcia to write fiction. This is the second of several of her early novels that are being published by Thomas Dunne Books; her more recent novels include A Week in Winter, A Summer in the Country, The Children's Hour, and The Birdcage.
Reading Group Guide
1. In what ways is the importance of honesty a major theme in this novel?2. What is the significance of the quote "Joy cometh in the morning" on page 115?
3. Why does Felicity's attempted blackmail scheme fail?
4. Why is Percy so important to Thea and her story?
5. In what other Marcia Willett novels are Cass and Kate prominently featured? And how are they different or the same in other novels?
6. In what ways does Marcia Willett capture the problems many lovers have in establishing trust?
7. Why is Thea such a good mate for George?
8. Marcia Willett is particularly skilled at representing relationships in which one character is much older than the other. How is that skill illustrated in this novel?
9. At what moment of the novel did you most fear that Thea and George's relationship would fail?
10. What does the novel say to you about friendship and family?