This collection of stories by one of Britain's most beloved novelists depicts domestic life during World War II as seen through the eyes of both children and adults In "The Red-haired Miss Daintreys," four six-foot-tall sisters capture the imagination of young Rebecca when she and her family are on holiday. Beautifully crafted and informed by Lehmann's eye for telling detail, it is a moving meditation on familial ties, romantic love, and the end of an era. In "When the Waters Came" and "A Dream of Winter," both the deprivations of war and a swarm of bees take their toll on the inhabitants of a small English village—afflicting one family in particular. "Wonderful Holidays" is the tale of a divorced woman who cares for two children while a wounded veteran of World War I longs for his absent wife. And the title story is an exploration of the unlikely friendship between two families—one privileged, one poor—and the tragedy that ensues when a band of gypsies sets up camp on the outskirts of town. These five stories will sweep readers into a world where grieving is a necessary part of the human condition and love can flourish in the most unexpected places. Morality, the class system, the grim realities of war, love and loss—Lehmann's trademark themes are on vivid display in this remarkable collection.

ロザモンド・レーマンが紡ぐ言葉は、戦時下の英国に生きる人々の剥き出しの感情を鋭く抉り出します。階級社会の軋みや喪失の痛みを、子供の純真さと大人の観察眼を交錯させて描く比類なき心理描写こそが本作の神髄です。日常の些細な光景に「時代の終焉」を滲ませる詩的な筆致は、読者の魂を激しく揺さぶります。 映像版では情緒的な風景が視覚化されていますが、原作が放つ「饒舌な沈黙」は活字でしか味わえません。映像が映す表情の裏に潜む孤独の震えを、流麗な文体で追体験することこそが至高の贅沢です。メディアを越えて響き合う、この美しくも残酷な人間賛歌の深淵をぜひ目撃してください。