Oh! to Be in England

By H.E. Bates

Book Overview

The arrival of a French guest heralds christenings and chaos for the Larkin clan in this comic classic by the author of The Darling Buds of May.

When Mademoiselle Dupont, the hotel manager from the Larkins' frightful French holiday, announces she is coming over to be Oscar's godmother at his christening, Pop and Ma reveal none of their children are baptized. Mariette and Charley are already planning to christen their little Blenheim, but now all seven Larkin children will be joining him. Not that Pop and Ma would turn down a reason to partake of some champagne or Dragon's Blood . . .

But their plan is far from blessed. The second eldest Larkin, Primrose, is infatuated with the handsome young vicar, who already has his hands full dealing with the hell-raising Larkin twins. Of course, that is only the beginning of the Larkins' troubles, and it will take more than holy water to get them out of this mess.

Praise for the Pop Larkin Chronicles

"Pop Larkin, Ma and their progeny . . . are essentially English of the rich and ribald England of Chaucer and Shakespeare. A superb and timeless comedy." --The Scotsman

"Like Wodehouse's Jeeves, Bates' Larkins must continue in their own delightful milieu--in this case the Kentish countryside." --The New York Times

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1504068858
• ISBN13: 9781504068857
• Release Date: January 2022
• Publisher: Open Road Media
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

The christening

When Mariette and Charley, the Larkin's eldest daughter and son-in-law decide to have their new baby son christened, Ma and Pop Larkin decide that it's time that all of their brood are christened and plan a huge party to follow the event. They ask Madame Duponte to be their baby son's godmother and that unsuspecting lady, their landlady from their trip to France, arrives in England for the first time, to fulfill this solemn religious ceremony. Still under the impression that Pop is some kind of English Mi'lord, her stay at the Larkin household is somewhat of a shock to her. The second Larkin daughter, Primrose, is maturing very quickly and promises to be even more of a beauty than Mariette and, then and there, decides that the Vicar, mousy little Mr.Candy, is the mate for her and pursues him with vigour. It's another delightful Larkin family romp which will amuse the many fans of H.E.Bates.