The Two Mrs. Abbotts (Miss Buncle)

D E Stevenson is one of my favorite authors. I first started reading her books when I discovered her at our local library. It was not long before I decided that I wanted to start collecting her books for my own, so I started haunting thrift stores and used book shops. At that time, it was very expensive to buy her books new, even if you could find them. When I first got my Kindle, hers was the name I looked up first, but unfortunately, none of her books were available. "Miss Buncle" and "The Two Mrs. Abbots" were two I had never been able to find in any stores, so I was so thrilled when they were two of the first ones offered for Kindle. I am now reading "The Two Mrs. Abbots", and am loving it. I have all 4 of the books available on Kindle at this time, and have put the next one coming out on my wish list. As I buy new ones for my Kindle, ones that I already had in hard back or paper back, I pass on to someone else, wanting to share one of my favorite authors.

Lots of secondary characters get more time than the original Miss Buncle, yet more Miss Buncle was why I read it. For example, for a while, we were in the desert with the second Mrs. Abbotts' husband. Then, we spent a lot of time with a young lady who was/then wasn't going to marry the son of the freethinking artists.The first Mrs. Abbotts' children were adorable--good unique characters with their own viewpoints on the world. I couldn't wait for nursery tea.My immersion in D.E. Stevenson continues: I just bought The Young Clementina. It's a treat though--I can't read it until I finish my class!

I love the Barbara Buncle books and this one is a lovely tying up of relationships from the other two books. It is also about coping with war and having hope amidst outside chaos. Life must go one regardless of the turmoil.Some characters are also in The Four Graces which adds more to the story of Archie Chevis-Cobbe and Jerry Abbott. These books are refreshing to my soul after so many books today that degrade the human spirit.

The last of the three Miss Buncle books (Miss Buncle's Book, Miss Buncle Married), the "Two Mrs Abbotts" is a relaxing quick read. Not only are the characters charmingly realistic (and people you would like to meet) the book is a small window in to British home life during the second world war. Rationing, displaced families, and soldier's barracks will be of equal interest to the modern reader as the story itself. There is even a little bit of excitement with a spy to liven up the inhabitant's daily life.I recommend this as a good, quick, relaxing read.

I love these clean entertaining books. The nostalgia invoked by them makes me long for life the way it used to be.

With the many people moving to the area from London because of the bombing we meet new characters in about every chapter. We also become better acquainted with people we know from previous books. Keeps a person very interested as you never know what will happen next. A very enjoyable book"

I have to say at the start that I loved Miss Buncle books one and two. Book number three does not live up to the first two. There is something very abrupt about it.Stories are developed and left dangling. Even some chapters are ended unsatisfactorily. The ending which has brought one of the story lines to a happy conclusion seemed rushed and left the reader very unsatisfied. In addition, Miss Buncle who is now the First Mrs Abbot is shoved into the background of her very own book. I am almost afraid to read the Four Graces. Then again perhaps it is the other half of the Two Mrs Abbotts.

I have read the first two Miss Buncle books many, many times and love them dearly for the characters and the vision of pre-WW2 English village life. This third book is not as full of characters, painful and silly social snafus, or charm as the first two. Nevertheless, it was like discoveribg what has happened to an old friend I'd list touch with over the years and I enjoyed catching up.

There is a problem with the print in the Two Miss Abbots, all the inverted commas are weird, letters and shapes, it’s a guessing game throughout !

I can't help feeling that Barbara Buncle has been in a serious decline since we first met her in Miss Buncle's Book. This third book appears to have a rather meandering plot, rather like a series of episodes featuring old and new characters.Nice to meet the characters again, and some interesting details about the home front during WW2, but a weak book by this otherwise excellent author.

FORMATTING issues make it impossible to read

I've read the book before, so was very happy to find a copy for my bookshelves. I've just reread it and know I will go back to it for light reading - the sort you do just to switch off the brain, and need to read an "old friend"!

love all D.E. Stevenson books, and this one doesn't disappoint!