The Flight of the Maidens

by Jane Gardam

Book Overview

The Whitbread Award-winning author of the Old Filth trilogy captures a moment in time for three young women on the cusp of adulthood.

Yorkshire, 1946. The end of the war has changed the world again, and, emboldened by this new dawning, Hetty Fallows, Una Vane, and Lieselotte Klein seize the opportunities with enthusiasm. Hetty, desperate to escape the grasp of her critical mother, books a solo holiday to the Lake District under the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1609454057
• ISBN13: 9781609454050
• Release Date: August 2017
• Publisher: Europa Editions
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

The Story of the Maidens, Without Sentimentality

Jane Gardam's The Flight of the Maidens follows three young women during the summer before their entering university in England in 1946. That basic description may have you assuming that this novel would be a sweet, sentimental exploration of these three girls "growing up." I know that's what I thought it would be. It's not. All three young women face challenges that while completely believable, are not predictable or "canned" in any way. Each one of them surprised me in several ways, and it is this element of subtle surprise that I think distinguishes this novel. The characters are charming, without being corny; the story is entertaining, without being predictable. Enjoy.