January 2008--The Pursuit of Love

by Nancy Mitford

This fondly satirical (and more or less autobiographical) view of aristocratic country life in England between the wars follows the misadventures of the Radlett family--a deranged, tyrannical, but highly amusing father; a vaguely concerned mother; and eight brilliant, spirited, fractious children. The early chapters are pure fun. But as Linda, the most glamorous of the Radlett girls, endures the trials of upper-class courtship and marriage (and divorce, and remarriage...), the tone darkens and the humor takes on a wicked edge. For Linda as for so many, the coming of the Second World War is a brutal upheaval, and the book's final twists and turns raise thought-provoking questions about love, loss, and family.

--Tom