September Dbl: Cassette

The setting is vintage Pilcher in a small town in Scotland called Strathcroy and right away I'm feeling pleasantly calm. All the residents are gearing up for the 21st birthday "dance" for Katy Steynton and I'm wishing my own invitation would arrive in the mail. The idea for the dance is hatched in May and the book will follow the next three months that will eventually lead up to September and the gala event. As with most Pilcher books, there is the presiding matriarch of the family and, in this case, it's Violet Aird. Everything about her is reminding me of my own grandmother so I'm in heaven at this point.

Every character in a Pilcher book is colorful and familiar - either like people you know or people you want to know. This book is no exception as it is filled with housekeepers and grandchildren and estate lords and extended family members and, of course, one resident troublemaker who will keep everyone on guard. This author is known for happy endings and, while some are heartrending, the feeling of hope and goodness is present on each page. By the time everyone arrives at the dance on that September eve, you feel as if you've played a big part in planning the festivities. Naturally the book follows the course of more than just planning for the party and it is chock full of twists and turns and the usual surprises as only this delightful author can write them. As in all Pilcher books, the potential for disaster always exists as she gathers all the players together in what can either result in devastating emotional turmoil or incomparable happiness. You'll have to go to the dance to find out what happens!

So as the events of the real life September came to a close, my spirits were raised and my hopes for humanity broadened all because I went to "Dr. Pilcher." Give her a try whether you're down and out or on top of the world - she serves it up right no matter what the ailment. As the famous song goes, "It's a long, long time, From May to December, But the days grow short, When you reach September." We'll never forget September of the year 2001 and I'll never forget this book for helping me through that fateful month.


Poorly adapted and removes much of the book's charm   April 4, 2001
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Lynn Redgrave is definitely not at her best in this reading of Rosamunde Pilcher's fabulous book. She somehow fails to capture the spirit of the characters, giving them a shallowness which mars one's listening. The adaptation itself cuts out much of the scene setting which gives this book its charm and curtails the story unnecessarily. It should have been made into a 4 cassette set similar to Winter Solstice. Despite these criticisms, I will still have this in my car to help while away tedious journeys.