Cazalet Chronicles – serie

‘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

‘I'm overjoyed to have this . . . The Golden Hours is a wonderful read’ – Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina*One of The Times' 40 books not to miss this autumn*Continuing the story of one of the most beloved families in British literature, The Golden Hours is the brilliant new novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s iconic Cazalet Chronicles written by her niece, the bestselling author Louisa Young.Our lives have changed so much . . .It’s December 1962, and the Cazalet family are gathering to celebrate Christmas. With the family’s beloved Home Place long sold, Polly and Gerald have offered up their rambling stately pile, Fakenham Hall in Norfolk, to parents, siblings, cousins and children.The old guard – brothers Hugh, Edward, Rupert and their sister Rachel – look on as the England they knew and understood fades from view. Cousins Polly, Louise and Clary, all now on the brink of turning forty, are struggling to balance the demands of midlife with their personal desires – however secret. And then there are the young – a new generation growing up in a society on the cusp of real change.In this spellbinding novel, familiar faces reappear, newcomers are introduced, and the legacy of the Cazalets carries on into the Swinging Sixties.‘Effortlessly authentic, pitch-perfect, funny, sexy and heart-wrenching, I can't remember the last time I lost myself so deliciously in a novel!’ - Julie Myerson, author of Something Might Happen

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.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

‘I'm overjoyed to have this . . . The Golden Hours is a wonderful read’ – Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina*One of The Times' 40 books not to miss this autumn*Continuing the story of one of the most beloved families in British literature, The Golden Hours is the brilliant new novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s iconic Cazalet Chronicles written by her niece, the bestselling author Louisa Young.Our lives have changed so much . . .It’s December 1962, and the Cazalet family are gathering to celebrate Christmas. With the family’s beloved Home Place long sold, Polly and Gerald have offered up their rambling stately pile, Fakenham Hall in Norfolk, to parents, siblings, cousins and children.The old guard – brothers Hugh, Edward, Rupert and their sister Rachel – look on as the England they knew and understood fades from view. Cousins Polly, Louise and Clary, all now on the brink of turning forty, are struggling to balance the demands of midlife with their personal desires – however secret. And then there are the young – a new generation growing up in a society on the cusp of real change.In this spellbinding novel, familiar faces reappear, newcomers are introduced, and the legacy of the Cazalets carries on into the Swinging Sixties.‘Effortlessly authentic, pitch-perfect, funny, sexy and heart-wrenching, I can't remember the last time I lost myself so deliciously in a novel!’ - Julie Myerson, author of Something Might Happen

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

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.