Elizabeth Jane Howard – författare

As seen on BBC Two's Between the CoversTold with exceptional grace, The Light Years is a modern classic of twentieth-century English life and is the first novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s extraordinary, bestselling family saga, The Cazalet Chronicles.'Compelling, moving, unputdownable . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite Mistake1937. Every summer, the Cazalet brothers – Hugh, Edward and Rupert – return to the family home in the heart of the Sussex countryside with their wives and children. There, they are joined by their formidable parents and unmarried sister Rachel to enjoy two glorious months of picnics, games and sun-drenched excursions to the coast. But not even this idyllic setting can soothe the siblings’ fears and heartache.Hugh, haunted by memories of the Great War, is terrified at the looming prospect of a second. Edward, charming and handsome, is torn between his wife and his latest infidelity. Rupert, a talented painter, is in turmoil over his inability to please his demanding new wife. Meanwhile, Rachel’s unflinching loyalty to the family means risking her one chance at happiness . . .'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of The Mirror and the LightThe Light Years is the first volume in the extraordinary Cazalet Chronicles. Continue the dazzling historical series with Marking Time.

The Second World War has finally ended and so begins a new era of freedom and opportunity for the Cazalet family in Casting Off, the fourth novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard's magnificent Cazalet Chronicles.'Compelling, moving, unputdownable . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite MistakeThe Cazalet cousins are now in their twenties, trying to piece together their lives in the aftermath of the Second World War. Louise is faced with her father’s new mistress and her mother’s grief at his betrayal, while suffering a loveless marriage of her own. Clary is struggling to understand why her beloved father chose to stay in France long after it was safe to return to Britain, and both she and Polly are madly in love with much older men.As Polly, Clary and Louise face the truth about the adult world, their fathers – Rupert, Hugh and Edward – must make choices that will decide their own, and the family’s, future.'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of The Mirror and the LightCasting Off is the heartbreaking and heartwarming fourth instalment of Elizabeth Jane Howard's bestselling series. It is followed by All Change, the fifth book in the series.

'Her talent seemed so effervescent, so unstoppable, that there was no predicting where it might take her' Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallSlipstream unearths the remarkable life of Elizabeth Jane Howard, one of Britain's most beloved writers. In her riveting memoir, Elizabeth looks back at her eventful life, revealing a story as full of love, passion and betrayal as her novels.After fleeting pursuits as an actress and model, Howard turned to writing, creating masterpieces such as The Beautiful Visit, Falling and her acclaimed Cazalet Chronicles. Her memoir unveils her turbulent marriages, most notably with Kingsley Amis, and her close friendships with some of the greatest writers and thinkers of her era: Laurie Lee, Arthur Koestler and Cecil Day-Lewis, among others.In this memoir, Elizabeth Jane Howard lays bare the slipstream of experience that has comprised her life – in the process, revealing her incredible adventures, wisdom and resilience.'This is a brave, absorbing and vulnerable book' Guardian

Beautifully and poignantly told, Marking Time is the second novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s bestselling family saga The Cazalet Chronicles, set during the onset of World War II.'Compelling, moving, unputdownable . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite MistakeHome Place, Sussex, 1939. As the shadows of the Second World War roll in, banishing the sun-drenched days of childish games and trips to the coast, a new generation of Cazalets takes up the family’s story.Louise, who dreams of becoming a great actress, finds herself facing the harsh reality that her parents have their own lives with secrets, passions and yearnings. Clary, an aspiring writer, learns that her beloved father, Rupert, is now missing somewhere on the shores of France. And sensitive, imaginative Polly feels stuck, haunted by her nightmares about the war.‘She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts’ – Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of The Mirror and the LightMarking Time is the second volume of the extraordinary Cazalet Chronicles and a perfect addition to your collection. Marking Time is followed by Confusion, the third book in the series.

Set in the height of the Second World War, The Cazalet Chronicles continues with the third in the series, Confusion, where chaos has become a way of life for the Cazalet family.'Compelling, moving, unputdownable . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite MistakeIt’s 1942 and the dark days of war seem never-ending. Scattered across the still-peaceful Sussex countryside and air-raid-threatened London, the divided Cazalets begin to find the battle for survival echoing the confusion in their own lives.Headstrong, independent Louise surprises the whole family when she abandons her dreams of being an actress and instead makes a society marriage. Polly, now living in London with Clary, is struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother and manage her grieving father. Meanwhile, Clary is painfully aware that what she lacks in beauty she makes up for in intelligence, and is the only member of the family who believes that her father might not be dead . . .'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of The Mirror and the LightConfusion is the heartbreaking and heartwarming third instalment of Elizabeth Jane Howard's bestselling series. It is followed by the fourth book in the series, Casting Off.

As the old world begins to fade from view and a new dawn emerges, All Change marks the fifth and final volume in Elizabeth Jane Howard's beloved and bestselling Cazalet Chronicles.'Compelling, moving, unputdownable . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite MistakeIt is the 1950s and as the Duchy, the Cazalets’ beloved matriarch, dies, she takes with her the last remnants of a disappearing world – houses with servants and cherished tradition – in which the Cazalets have thrived.Louise, now divorced, becomes entangled in a painful affair, while Polly and Clary must balance marriage and motherhood with their own ideas and ambitions.Hugh and Edward, now in their sixties, feel ill-equipped for this changing world, while Villy, long abandoned by her husband, must at last learn to live independently.But it is Rachel, who has always lived for others, who will face her greatest challenges yet. And nothing will ever be the same again . . .'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of The Mirror and the LightAll Change is the heartbreaking and heartwarming final instalment of Elizabeth Jane Howard's bestselling series.

‘Maybe my favourite books ever’ – Marian KeyesTold with exceptional grace, The Light Years is a modern classic of twentieth-century English life and is the first novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s extraordinary, bestselling family saga, The Cazalet Chronicles.‘They drove past fields of wheat with poppies . . . through woods of oak and Spanish chestnut . . . and hedges decorated by the last of the dog-roses bleached nearly white by the sun . . . ‘Oh, this country!’ he said . . . ‘To me, it is the best in England.’1937. Every summer, the Cazalet brothers – Hugh, Edward and Rupert – return to the family home in the heart of the Sussex countryside with their wives and children. There, they join their parents and unmarried sister Rachel to enjoy two blissful months at Home Place. But despite the idyllic setting, nothing can be done to soothe the siblings’ heartache.Hugh is haunted by the ravages of the Great War. Edward is torn between his familial duties and his relationships that lie outside of the home. Rupert is in turmoil over his inability to please his new wife. Meanwhile, Rachel risks losing her only chance at happiness because of her unflinching loyalty to the family.As the world they had known begins to slip away, this is the story of one family facing up to immense change – in themselves, and in the world.‘Elizabeth Jane Howard’s The Cazalet Chronicles is a series of five novels, but it’s so compulsive a saga that surely it counts as one work . . . vast in its scope, minute in its detail and utterly charming, it bears reading again and again’ – Gill Hornby, bestselling author of Miss Austen‘She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts’ – Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of Wolf Hall

As the shadows of the Second World War roll in, Marking Time is the second beautifully and poignantly told novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard's bestselling family saga, The Cazalet Chronicles.‘It seemed to her as though for the rest of her life she was going to have to endure undeserved attentions, to attempt insincere responses, to be seen continuously in the wrong light . . .’1939. Home Place, Sussex. The onset of war banishes the sunlit days of childish games and trips to the coast, as a new generation of Cazalets take up the family's story.Louise, who dreams of becoming a great actress, finds herself facing the harsh reality that her parents have their own lives with secrets, passions and yearnings. Clary, an aspiring writer, learns the devastating news of her beloved father’s whereabouts while away at war. Zoë, Clary’s stepmother, reacts to the news in a different yet equally heartbreaking way. And sensitive, imaginative Polly feels stuck – stuck without a vocation, stuck with the terrifying reality of the fragility of life, stuck without anything except her nightmares of the war.Continue the dazzling historical series with Confusion.‘Howard is a sharp observer of human drama and psychology, and writes about pain, loss and longing superbly well’ – Meg Mason, bestselling author of Sorrow and Bliss

Set at the height of the Second World War, as chaos has become a way of life for the Cazalet family, The Cazalet Chronicles continues with the third in the series, Confusion.‘They could be like telegrams, or the most significant lines of a poem – so crammed with a fragment of truth that for a moment they seemed to illuminate the whole of it.’1942. The dark days of war seem never-ending. Scattered across the still-peaceful Sussex countryside and air-raid-threatened London, the divided Cazalets begin to find the battle for survival echoing the confusion in their own lives.Headstrong, independent Louise surprises the whole family with her shifting priorities in love and life. Her cousins Polly and Clary, now in their late teens, finally fulfil their ambition of living together in London, but the reality of the city is not quite what they imagined.Polly is struggling to come to terms with an unfathomable loss, while Clary, meanwhile, is the only member of the family who refuses to give up on the possibility of a reunion with a loved one.Confusion is followed by the fourth book in the series, Casting Off.‘This chronicle will be read, like Trollope, as a classic about life in England in our century’ – Sybille Bedford, author of A Legacy

The Second World War has finally ended and so begins a new era of freedom and opportunity for the Cazalet family in Casting Off, the fourth novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard's magnificent Cazalet Chronicles.‘Somehow, she could not bear to think about him. She seemed to have let him down from the start . . . She had a feeling that she was going to pay for that all of her life.’1945. The Cazalet cousins are now in their twenties, trying to piece together their lives in the aftermath of the war.Louise is faced with her father's continued indiscretions and her mother's grief at his betrayal, while suffering with marital issues of her own. Clary is struggling to understand her father’s actions regarding his time abroad at war, and both she and Polly experience unsuitable infatuations.Polly, Clary and Louise must face the truth about the adult world. Meanwhile, their fathers – Rupert, Hugh and Edward – must make choices that will decide their own – and the family's – future . . .Casting Off is followed by All Change, the fifth book in the series.‘No detail is too small to be included, so charged with significance is the material envelope of that lost world’ – Tessa Hadley, bestselling author of After the Funeral

As the old world begins to fade from view and a new dawn emerges, All Change is the fifth volume in Elizabeth Jane Howard's bestselling The Cazalet Chronicles.‘Fear made people greedy and therefore selfish; that small minority who honestly did not care for themselves in that way, who could sincerely say that money was unimportant to them, almost always had no dependants.’1956. A monumental loss in the Cazalet family coincides with the last remnants of a disappearing world – houses with servants, class, and tradition – in which the Cazalets have thrived.Louise continues to struggle in love, while Polly and Clary must balance marriage and motherhood with their own ideas and ambitions. Hugh and Edward, now in their sixties, are feeling ill-equipped for this modern world, while Villy must learn a new way of living. But it is Rachel, who has always lived for others, who will face her greatest challenges yet.As the Cazalets descend on Home Place for Christmas, only one thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same again.Continue on with the beloved series with The Golden Hours by Louisa Young.‘What magic transforms a book into a compelling, moving, unputdownable read? I don't know, but whatever it is, these five gorgeous novels have it . . . Maybe my favourite books ever’ – Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite Mistake

As the First World War takes hold, a young girl comes of age in a troubled London. Capturing the longing, excitement and poignant comedy of adolescence, The Beautiful Visit is the debut novel from the beloved author of the Cazalet Chronicles, Elizabeth Jane Howard.'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallLife had been distinctly lacking in possibilities for this young girl – until The Visit. But, ever afterwards, just remembering the smell of the Lancings' house would enrapture her.As she makes her way through life in the city, that memory will take her back – back to that very first day when Lucy and Gerald had picked her up from the station . . .Beginning and ending with a visit to the same family, The Beautiful Visit is a novel full of love, loss, and marked by the ever-lasting effect of war.

With an introduction by Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall.Originally published in 1956, The Long View is Elizabeth Jane Howard's uncannily authentic portrait of one marriage and one woman. Written with exhilarating wit, it is a gut-wrenching account of the birth and death of a relationship.In 1950s London, Antonia Fleming faces the prospect of a life lived alone. Her children are now adults; her husband Conrad, a domineering and emotionally complex man, is now a stranger. As Antonia looks towards her future, the novel steadily moves backwards in time. Tracing Antonia's relationship with Conrad, she comes to its beginning in the 1920s – through years of mistake and motherhood, dreams and war.One of his secret pleasures was the loading of social dice against himself. He did not seem for one moment to consider the efforts made by kind or sensitive people to even things up: or if such notions ever occurred to him, he would have observed them with detached amusement, and reloaded more dice. Observant and heartbreaking, The Long View is as extraordinary as it is timeless.

From the lauded, bestselling author of the Cazalet Chronicles, in Odd Girl Out, Elizabeth Jane Howard reveals with devastating accuracy a marriage put in a most destructive situation.Anna and Edmund Cornhill have a happy marriage and a lovely home. They are content, complete, absorbed in their private idyll.Arabella, who comes to stay one lazy summer, is rich, rootless and amoral – and, as they find out, beautiful and loving.In her elegant prose, Howard traces the web of love and desire that entangles these three and will, ultimately, leave one of them behind.'Her talent seemed so effervescent, so unstoppable, that there was no predicting where it might take her' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall

Winner of the Yorkshire Post Novel of the Year Award.From the bestselling author of the Cazalet Chronicles, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Getting It Right is a touching comedy about a young man trying desperately to come of age.Gavin – a sensitive, shy, hairdresser in the West End – is, at thirty-one, still a virgin. He's a classic late developer, and he's worried that it's getting too late to develop at all.Then, one night, Gavin finds himself at a penthouse party. There, he meets new people – the likes of which he's never come across before. Suddenly, everything begins to change. Over the next fortnight, Gavin might start, at last, to 'get it right' . . .'Sometimes sad but more frequently hilarious . . . Getting It Right gets it, comically, right' – Evening Standard

From, Elizabeth Jane Howard, the bestselling author of the Cazalet Chronicles, Falling is a haunting portrait of romantic manipulation.'A novel which, although full of subtle touches, is as unputdownable as any thriller' – The TimesHarry Kent is a sensitive man in late middle age, a reader and a thinker, without means perhaps but not without charm.Daisy has recovered from her unhappy past by learning to be self-sufficient, and viewing trust as a weakness. But there is still a part of her that yearns to be cared for once more.It is this part that Henry sees, and with dedicated and calculated patience he works at her defences. So despite all attempts to resist his attentions, Daisy finds herself falling under Henry's spell . . .'Her talent seemed so effervescent, so unstoppable, that there was no predicting where it might take her' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall

From the bestselling author of the Cazalet Chronicles, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Love All is a heartfelt story of love and adulthood in the 1960s.'Graceful, moving' – Daily ExpressThe late 1960s. For Persephone Plover, the daughter of distant and neglectful parents, the innocent, isolated days of childhood are long past. Now she must deal with the emotions of an adult world.Meanwhile in Melton, in the West Country, Jack Curtis – a self-made millionaire – has employed Persephone's aunt. A garden designer in her sixties, she is to deal with the terraces and glasshouses of the once beautiful local manor house – one that he has acquired at vast expense. He also has plans to start an arts festival, as a means to avoid the loneliness of divorce.Also in Melton are the Musgrove siblings, Thomas and Mary, whose parents originally owned and lived in Melton House. They are still trying to cope with emotional consequences of the tragic death of Thomas's wife, Celia. As is Francis, Celia's brother, who has come to live with them and thereby, perhaps, to find his way through life.As Jack's festival comes together, so shall these disparate souls – their relationships intertwining, and their loves transformed.'Her talent seemed so effervescent, so unstoppable, that there was no predicting where it might take her' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall

From the bestselling author of the Cazalet Chronicles, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Mr Wrong is a collection of dazzlingly original short stories.'Her talent seemed so effervescent, so unstoppable, that there was no predicting where it might take her' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallWith her renowned style and delicious wit, Howard explores the subtle tensions of relationships in the twentieth century. From flat sharing to adultery, a family Christmas to a house party in France, through a haunting journey into the macabre, these stories are by turns funny, perceptive and spine-tingling.This collection includes Mr Wrong, The Devoted and Three Miles Up, and represents a diverse selection of work from one of the great British storytellers of the modern era.'Howard has a gift for tilting our sense of reality' – Guardian

From the much-loved author of the Cazalet Chronicles comes Elizabeth Jane Howard's first children's book, The Amazing Adventures of Freddie Whitemouse, following the magical journey of a mouse who wishes to be anything but himself.The trouble was that Freddie really did not like being a mouse. 'It's just a phase,' his mother said, but it wasn't . . .Little Freddie Whitemouse, of No.16, Skirting Board West, simply hates being a mouse. Mice are terribly small, frightened of everything, and aren't allowed to have any fun at all. Instead, he longs to be a fierce tiger, king of the jungle floor; or someone's treasured dog, able to run and play all day.So when a sorcerer toad hears Freddie's pleas and offers his assistance, there is really little else Freddie could ask for.So as not to make any rash decisions, Freddie agrees to spend a week as each animal. But what will he discover on his amazing adventure? And will he ever want to be just a plain old mouse again?'Emotionally powerful as well as entertaining' – Sunday Times

With peace finally declared, Casting Off follows the challenges of the Cazalet family emerging from war-torn Britain. This is the fourth book in the landmark Cazalet Chronicles, adapted into a BBC radio and TV series.

From the acclaimed author of the Cazalet Chronicles, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Green Shades: An Anthology of Plants, Gardens and Gardeners brings together a diverse and fascinating selection of garden writing that spans the centuries, the seasons and the species.Elizabeth Jane Howard once said that she would certainly have been a gardener had she not become a writer first. This collection is a testament to that passion.The contents are delightfully eclectic and wide-ranging, practical as well as lyrical – she pays homage to the great English landscape artists of the eighteenth century and to the great women gardeners such as Vita Sackville-West. There’s advice from Pliny on how walnuts can be used to dye hair and Joseph Addison encourages blackbirds to gorge on his cherry trees. Linking the numerous extracts is Elizabeth Jane Howard’s perceptive and highly personal commentary, which skilfully leads the reader from one subject to the next.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics with ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

The composer Arthur Somervell was also an Inspector of Schools with special responsibility for the teaching of music. His collected writings set forth his philosophy of music education and cast light on musical life between the 1890s and his death in 1937.Sir Arthur Somervell (1863-1937), composer and educationist, influenced the musical and educational life of England over four decades. Remembered today principally as an accomplished composer of songs and choral works, he also worked for twenty-eight years as one of His Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI), with special responsibility for the teaching of music.Towards the end of his life Somervell gathered together a number of his articles, in whichhe expounds a passionate philosophy of music education, makes candid remarks about musical life and musical education in England, and provides insights into the sometimes bitter debate with Cecil Sharp about folk song. These collected writings have now been prepared for publication by Gordon Cox, together with some unpublished speeches and letters, enabling musicologists and music educators to re-evaluate the significance of Somervell's contribution to the musical and educational life of his time.GORDON COX is senior lecturer in education at the University of Reading.