The Spies of Shilling Lane: A Novel by Jennifer Ryan (English) Hardcover Book

Description: The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan Mrs. Braithwaite, self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed following her husbands selfish divorce petition. Never deterred, the threat of a family secret being revealed sets her hot-foot to London to find the only person she has left-her clever daughter Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war. But when she arrives, Bettys landlord, the timid Mr. Norris, informs her that Betty hasnt been home in days--with the chaos of the bombs, theres no telling what might have befallen her. Aghast, Mrs. Braithwaite sets her bullish determination to the task of finding her only daughter. Storming into the London Blitz, Mrs. Braithwaite drags the reluctant Mr. Norris along as an unwitting sidekick as they piece together Bettys unexpectedly chaotic life. As she is thrown into the midst of danger and death, Mrs. Braithwaite is forced to rethink her old-fashioned notions of status, class, and reputation, and to reconsider the question thats been puzzling her since her world overturned- How do you measure the success of your life? Readers will be charmed by the unforgettable Mrs. Braithwaite and her plucky, ruthless optimism, and find in The Spies of Shilling Lane a novel with surprising twists and turns, quiet humor, and a poignant examination of mothers and daughters and the secrets we keep. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography JENNIFER RYAN is the author of The Chilbury Ladies Choir and lives in the Washington, DC, area with her husband and two children. Originally from Kent and then London, she was previously a nonfiction book editor. Review "[A] quick and delightful mystery."--The New York Times Book Review "A crisp and energetic book . . . with a tight plot [that will] keep a reader gladly bouncing along."--NPR "Richly detailed . . . This tale swept me away!"--First for Women "With its eccentric, believable characters and plot of home front intrigue, this delightful drama will appeal to fans of Martha Hall Kelly."--Publishers Weekly Review Quote "[A] quick and delightful mystery." -- The New York Times Book Review "A crisp and energetic book . . . with a tight plot [that will] keep a reader gladly bouncing along." --NPR "Richly detailed . . . This tale swept me away!" -- First for Women "With its eccentric, believable characters and plot of home front intrigue, this delightful drama will appeal to fans of Martha Hall Kelly." -- Publishers Weekly Promotional "Headline" From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies Choir comes a thrilling new WWII story about a village busybody-the mighty Mrs. Braithwaite-who resolves to find, and then rescue, her missing daughter Discussion Question for Reading Group Guide 1. How is a womans life different today, compared to in the 1930s and 40s, in terms of her personal relationships and marriage? 2. Why do you think the war contributed to looser sexual mores among women, especially among those like Betty, who moved to London to work? 3. Betty believes that Mrs. Braithwaite has become more thoughtful, and Mr. Norris more daring, as a result of spending time together. How do you think this happened? Do you think it is common for people to affect one another this way? 4. The book is a story about a mother and a daughter coming back together after years of misunderstanding. Do you think that the mother-daughter relationship is an inherently complicated one? 5. Do you think that Mrs. Braithwaite should have told Betty about her secret a long time ago? 6. Mr. Norris was very strict about his routine, yet by the end, he felt his insistence on structure had resulted in life passing him by. How important is routine to you? 7. Death and destruction were never far away during the war. How do you think this affected the people who were living through it? How does the omnipresence of death make people think differently about their lives? 8. Mrs. Braithwaites character evolves dramatically over the course of the novel. In your view, what was the most marked change? What was the most important? How about Mr. Norris? What was his most crucial change? 9. Mrs. Braithwaite is constantly revising the standards by which she judges the success of her life, cycling through status, family, kind deeds, joy, and love. Which of these measures do you think are the most important? Excerpt from Book Chapter 1 Ashcombe Village, England March 1941 How do you measure the success of your life? Mrs. Braithwaite wrote determinedly in her notebook as the train sputtered out of the little station. She hadnt left her village for a year; hadnt been to London since the war began back in 1939. The journey to see her daughter was long overdue. Every so often the train would hurtle through a station, now nameless because all the station signs had been taken down at the beginning of the war to confuse any invading Nazis. None had come over yet, thank heavens. For now the Nazis were content sending planes across every night to bomb British cities to pieces--the Blitz, they called it, "lightning." Their intention at first was to take out factories and docks, but now they were bombing at random, trying to exhaust the Royal Air Force and break the spirit of the people. Mrs. Braithwaite muttered to herself. "Well, my spirit has well and truly been broken, but not by the Nazis." The previous morning, Mrs. Metcalf and the village matrons had demoted her from her rightful position as head of the local Womens Voluntary Service. "It was a joint decision," Mrs. Metcalf had said two ladies on either side of her. She had placed herself at the center of a folding table in the village hall while Mrs. Braithwaite was required to stand before them. "You have been in the top WVS position since the war began, and now we feel that its time to pass the baton to a more," she paused, thinking of the right word, "a more thoughtful and considerate leader." Naturally, she meant herself. Mrs. Braithwaite had a sturdy frame, which she felt gave her lack of height more gusto. Her short hair was still a rich brown despite her fifty years, her face large and uncompromisingly oblong, her mouth drawn effortlessly into a frown. She narrowed her eyes at her old neighbor and so-called friend. "Ive put my all into this group and this is how Im repaid?" "The truth is, were fed up with you bossing everyone around," Patience Metcalf stated with far less subtlety than her mother. A twenty-two-year-old who had married well and stayed in the village, Patience was the opposite of her own Betty, who had vanished off to London at the first whiff of war. Mrs. Metcalfs children--both Patience and her son, Anthony--were practically perfect, according to their mother. Anthony was an exceptionally bright student at university, while Patience had already produced three children, much to Mrs. Metcalfs pride and Mrs. Braithwaites infuriation; why did Betty have to be so bookish? Patience glanced sideways toward the other ladies and added, "And with the end of your marriage, we wondered if there was a more reputable leader--" "So thats what this is about!" Mrs. Braithwaite roared. "Am I an embarrassment to you all because Im divorced?" A sharp intake of breath echoed around the hall. Divorce was rare in these parts. It was a word that quickly conjured up ideas of carelessness, loss of control, depravity. Mrs. Metcalf raised a condescending eyebrow. "Now, lets not get beyond ourselves. Its not only to do with that. Its also because of the events on Saturday evening." Mrs. Braithwaite felt blood rush to her face. The events alluded to had occurred around dinnertime, when Mrs. Metcalf, in the midst of entertaining Lady Worthing, the ceremonial head of the WVS, had spotted Mrs. Braithwaites podgy, pale face in her dining room terrace window. Excusing herself politely, Mrs. Metcalf opened the French doors and looked out into the cool night air. There hadnt been any sign of Mrs. Braithwaite, only a stubby shadow behind a potted ornamental bush. "I know youre there," Mrs. Metcalf called, and eventually Mrs. Braithwaite had no choice but to come out. It was a mistake to pretend shed been looking for a lost brooch; they both knew that she was spying. Shed suspected Mrs. Metcalfs butler of stealing the pig that was missing from a local farm, and she was now waiting in full expectation of seeing a large pork joint--a victorious apple in its mouth--as the centerpiece of Mrs. Metcalfs table. The food rations had hit Mrs. Braithwaite especially hard, with her love for roast beef, pork, and puddings. When shed heard about the missing pig, her love of mysteries had got the better of her: shed become intent on uncovering its whereabouts. "I was helping the police with an important investigation," she explained to the committee, adopting the self-righteous air of one doing a service for the community. "You were trespassing on private property." Mrs. Metcalf sniffed victoriously. "But the pig is not a WVS matter. You can hardly expect me to stand down under such circumstances." "You will have to let the committee decide that," Mrs. Metcalf said. "Until then this meeting is adjourned." The ladies stood, discussing the matter between themselves, while Mrs. Metcalf came forward to have a quiet word with Mrs. Braithwaite. "I would also like to remind you that I know about that little matter youve kept hidden all these years." Mrs. Metcalf gave the smug smile of one who knows a secret and acknowledges its power. "I think your daughter, Betty, would be very keen to hear what youve been keeping from her." Mrs. Braithwaite expelled a great snort of breath. She loathed the fact that Mrs. Metcalf knew the one thing she dreaded leaking out. Goodness knows what effect it would have on her reputation, not to mention how it would affect Betty. Mrs. Braithwaite had tried over the years to forget about it, to sweep it under the rug. But Mrs. Metcalf always reminded her, like a ghoul from the past wagging a condemning finger, always ready to seal her doom. She noticed Mrs. Metcalfs son Anthony moving some chairs at the back of the hall, hiding a smirk. He was a slim, ferret-like young man who was a little older than Betty; theyd been great friends, getting the bus to the grammar school in town every day. Occasionally he would visit from university, and yesterday, annoyingly, had been one of those days. Had Mrs. Metcalf already told him her secret? Would he tell Betty? Furious, Mrs. Braithwaite snapped, "You cant get away with this! Youve been after the top position for months, and now youre forcing me out--" "Not forcing you out, exactly" Mrs. Metcalf interrupted. "You are still welcome to help out with the other village ladies." Mrs. Braithwaite contained a howling bellow, the sound sticking in her throat like an unerupted missile. The WVS was all shed had since Dickie left. Without her ladies to lead, she would have no one. But it would be impossible for her to attend the group as a normal volunteer, not the group leader. She had noble blood in her veins, after all, even if she lived in a small house these days. She could never lower herself. Regaining her composure, she brought herself up to attention. "If you dont want me here, Ill find other people who will appreciate my energies." With that she threw Mrs. Metcalf a final look of disdain and stormed out, her proud exit sabotaged by a pile of folding chairs lying against the door, which clattered to the floor, pulling Mrs. Braithwaite down with them. After sprawling around like an upended beetle, she scrambled to her feet, straightened herself, and marched through the door with as much dignity as she could muster. Mrs. Braithwaite remained in her sitting room for the rest of the day. As the setting sun cast a golden glow onto her chintz sofa, she realized that drastic measures were needed. With her husband gone, her village peers tossing her aside, and Mrs. Metcalf threatening to expose her secret, there was nothing else for it. She had to go and see the person who still mattered in all of this. She needed to see Betty. She needed to tell her everything. Otherwise, every time Mrs. Metcalf needed more power, she would remind Mrs. Braithwaite about what she knew; that she could drop it over the small community like her very own incendiary bomb. She couldnt let Betty hear about it from Mrs. Metcalf or Anthony. Betty, who was now almost twenty-one, had sent her five letters since shed been in London, and as she sat in the train to London, Mrs. Braithwaite pulled them out of her sturdy brown handbag and flicked through them. The first was short, letting her mother know she was living in a boarding house in Bloomsbury. The next had a new address: Three Shilling Lane, Wandsworth, sharing a house with two girls. The other letters were also concise, telling her about lunchtime concerts with girlfriends, a play shed seen at the theater--"a murder mystery, youd have loved it, Mum!"--and a marvelous new film, Gone with the Wind . She seemed to be incredibly busy, enjoying her job, and keeping herself safe from the bombs. Details ISBN0525576495 Author Jennifer Ryan Pages 368 Publisher Random House USA Inc Year 2019 ISBN-10 0525576495 ISBN-13 9780525576495 Format Hardcover Imprint Crown Publishing Group, Division of Random House Inc Subtitle A Novel Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States DEWEY 823.92 Language English Short Title The Spies of Shilling Lane Audience General/Trade UK Release Date 2019-06-04 Publication Date 2019-06-04 AU Release Date 2019-06-04 NZ Release Date 2019-06-04 US Release Date 2019-06-04 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:124918408;

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