Weatherley Parade — Richmal Crompton

Weatherley Parade is the compelling saga of the lives and loves of the Weatherley family, spanning the years 1902 to 1940. The story begins with Arthur Weatherley returning - tired and broken - from the Boer War to his wife and three children, and closes with his grandchildren facing the Battle of Britain. In the years between are births and death, public triumphs and private tragedies, all wrought against a backdrop of British history. As the Weatherley's lives are marked by infidelity, alcoholism, and scandal, Edwardian England fades into the First World War and the young men and women - damaged by war and caught in the wake of a rapidly changing society - strive for a future in the shadow of the rise of Nazi Germany. . .A sumptuous, multi-generational saga and immaculately rendered period piece, Weatherley Parade's sprawling cast of children and eccentrics is full of all the charm and character of Just William.