An American writer, telling a story about Penny, daughter of a French father and a British mother who escaped their families to live in USA. Penny is our poor hero but she works hard as a historic art consultant and researcher on third grade movies. She had to attend the reading of the will of her mother’s aunt Penelope, after whom Penny is named, the young lawyer for the aunt is Jeremy, Penny’s cousin, whom she met once in childhood when she was 9 and he 13; they were the only children in the family that summer, so they had to play with each other.
In the first book, A Rather Lovely Inheritance, 355 pages published 2007 by New American Library. ISBN: 978-04-451-22052. Penny inherits the London apartment and the content of a garage on the French Riviera, with at luxury car from the 1930’s. Jeremy inherits the house on the French Riviera, while the content in France has been left for Rollo, their cousin, and the black sheep of the family always in debt, drug abuser and small time criminal. An inheritance means family conflicts. Penny uses her research capabilities to find out what it is all about. It turns out that Jeremy is not a blood related cousin, but a step-cousin so there is no moral or social resistance to their being together. When they restore her car, a significant find is found that is worth a lot of money.
The second book, A Rather Curious Engagement, 363 pages, published 2008 by New American Library. ISBN: 978-0-451-22405. Penny and Jeremy are taking the summer off, to decide what they want to do with their life together, now they are richer than they could ever have imagined. In London Aunt Penelope’s neighbors are elderly people who decide to sell their flats and move on, Penny and Jeromy buy and restore the house back to its Victorian time glory as one living space and offices for both of them. Jeremy decides to buy a 1920’s classic yacht and rename it ‘Penelope’s Dream’. Then it is stolen, but recovered within a few days. Penny starts to investigate the history of the yacht, its former owners and reveal a story taking us from Wien, to Lake Como in Italy to Sardinia 200 years ago; oh, of course also Beethowen is involved. At the end of the book Jeremy proposes to Jenny to get married, she says yes; it is after all also a series of romance.
The third book, A Rather Charming Invitation, 431 pages, published 2010 by New American Library. ISBN: 978-0451-22908-3. This starts out with getting to know the family both in England and Penny’s father’s family in France with a lot of conflicts, also Jeremy’s grandmother who threw his mother out when she became pregnant unmarried, Jeremy’s biological father was American, who became a Vietnam soldier but died shortly after his discharge from the army. Both grandmothers are matriarchs and want to take over the planning of the wedding. Jeremy leaves everything for Penny to arrange, he plans to just meet up at the wedding. Their only real discussion between them in all the books happens, when he realizes he has to get his act together. They decide to have a train taking their friends, without too much unknown family, from London to Paris to the Riviera and partying on the way, have the ceremony at the house at the French Riviera. At the wedding rehearsal a family treasure from the 17th century is stolen, so this book centers on the recovery of this family treasure and discovering the story behind it, that takes us to historic France and the sun king’s palace, rare coins and betrayal, to Grass in France and how to make perfume and develop new scents. All is recovered and restored and the wedding takes place.
The fourth book, A Rather Remarkably Homecoming, 342 pages, published 2011 by New American Library. ISBN: 978-0-451-23461-2. This book starts with Penny and Jeremy returning to London after their honeymoon around the Mediterranean in the yacht and on the Riviera. They are immediately approached by grandmother Beryl’s village in Cornwell, how to prevent the destruction of her house and to prevent the construction of anonymous hotel that will completely destroy the village way of life. the villagers approach Penny and Jeremy because Prince Charles has recommended it. So, they go to Cornwall to meddle around, here the background is on William Shakespeare and the theater there, it is how the local community can survive in a fastmoving modern-world of the bottom- lines, fast food and no real time to the important things like personal loyalties and friendships. They set out to find something that will prove that grandmother Beryl’s house is worth preserving. It takes them to Madeira in Spain, shipwrecks, smuggling and kidnapping, ley-lines or energy lines and long time ago lost true love stories. All is found as it should be, the house will be preserved.
What do I think? Well, the story has many nice aspects of history which I hope are correct, but I have not checked, if indeed if that is the case. It shows in my opinion that researching a place you visit even if you think you know it, is worthwhile because probably something new will come to light, also within the family and the family history. Family history is bound to reveal things you may not want to be known, on the other hand if it can put fighting to rest, I’m all for it.
According to the first book this is ‘adventures of an incurable romantic’, I think the description of the romance between Penny and Jeremy is the weakest part of the books, especially after they become a couple, no relationship starts up without conflicts about getting used to each other. In my opinion they behave more like cousins than lovers.
I the last book I find the addition of of Prince Charles strange, I do not know him, do not want to know him, because of how shameful he behaved to his children’s mother, at least as I understand it from the news, that was a scandal morally and socially, and not something I would like to associate myself with, so if I had been Penny and Jeremy on that account I would have refused to investigate even if it was my grandmother’s house and would certainly not have accepted an invitation for tea. But that is perhaps where an American author is jealous of an old UK institution; I believe his behavior is unforgiveable.
So, my grade: the first book 3/5, the second book 3/5, the third book 2/5 and the 4th book 1/5.
So will I read more of this author? No, but I have now read all of CA Belmond, it was fitting for a time of terrorism and death as we have experienced in the last month in Israel.
About the author: C.A. Belmond is a cover for American Camille Aubray, who has a list of awards to her name including a residency in South of France. Her mentor is Canadian Margaret Atwood. She has taught writing at NY University.
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