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Small Bomb at Dimperley
It's 1945, and Corporal Valentine Vere-Thissett, aged 23, is on his way home. But ‘home’ is Dimperley, built in the 1500s, vast and dilapidated, up to its eaves in debt and half-full of fly-blown taxidermy and dependent relatives, the latter clinging to a way of life that has gone forever. And worst of all - following the death of his heroic older brother - Valentine is now Sir Valentine, and is responsible for the whole bloody place.
To Valentine, it’s a millstone; to Zena Baxter, who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter, it’s a place of wonder and sentiment, somewhere that she can’t bear to leave. But Zena has been living with a secret, and the end of the war means she has to face a reckoning of her own…
Funny, sharp and touching, Small Bomb at Dimperley is both a love story and a bittersweet portrait of an era of profound loss, and renewal.
To Valentine, it’s a millstone; to Zena Baxter, who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter, it’s a place of wonder and sentiment, somewhere that she can’t bear to leave. But Zena has been living with a secret, and the end of the war means she has to face a reckoning of her own…
Funny, sharp and touching, Small Bomb at Dimperley is both a love story and a bittersweet portrait of an era of profound loss, and renewal.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published September 5, 2024
About the author
Lissa Evans
18 books435 followersAfter a brief career in medicine, and an even briefer one in stand-up, Lissa Evans became a comedy producer, first in radio and then in television. Her first novel, Spencer's List, was published in 2002, and since then she has written three more books for adults (two of them longlisted for the Orange/Baileys Prize) and two for children (the first of them shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal). Her two most recent books for adults were set in London during the Second World War; one of them, 'Their Finest Hour and a Half' has now been made into a film entitled 'Their Finest', starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 18, 2024
Lissa Evans’s books are so dependably entertaining that the publisher could confidently issue a money-back guarantee with each new release. Small Bomb at Dimperley finds humour, romance and pathos in the austere, tough days after the end of the Second World War. The setting of a minor country house and its somewhat reduced estate will be familiar to anyone who has read any of the many histories of the decline of the English House: eldest sons lost to the war, damage to the fabric by whoever happened to have been billeted there, no money for even basic repairs, insoluble staffing problems and more. Endowment to the National Trust was a solution for some of the greatest houses, particularly those that still had land to provide an income, but not for most, and certainly not for Dimperley; that option is soon shut off following a visit from the Trust’s inspector (a brilliant and hilarious pastiche of James Lees-Milne in all his waspishness). But all is not lost, and this good-humoured and life-affirming novel follows the ups and downs of an engaging cast of characters as they find a way to make a new future.
September 10, 2024
Dimperley is a unique, some might say strange, old manor house in Buckinghamshire. With its many architectural styles, its turrets, bays, pillars, tunnels, topiary, copper dome, and moat, it was quite an eyesore - but its history and its bizarreness added to its appeal.
Home to the Vere-Thissett family since 1404, the manor has fallen on hard times. World War II has just ended. The eldest Vere-Thissett son was a victim of the fighting. The middle son was struck down with 'brain fever' (encephalitis) at the age of ten and suffered from brain damage as a result. That left the youngest son, Valentine, age 24, to take up the reins which were now his legacy. A legacy that he did not want, but could not refuse.
"a millstone rather than a manor"
Just de-mobbed, Valentine returns to his ancestral pile to find it in extremely poor repair. Also, he finds that the once plentiful staff have been reduced to only a gardener, and a housekeeper. His widowed mother, his sister-in-law, his two teenage nieces, and his uncle are the only residents now. His eccentric uncle, who is writing Dimperley's memoirs, has a secretary named Zena who travels from the village with her three-year old daughter on a daily basis.
Zena adores her daughter, Allison, and has become quite fond of the old manor house. Never really having had a home of her own, Zena cannot imagine how Valentine feels about the place. Her loyalty, intelligence, and efficiency are just what Dimperley needs.
Irene, Valentine's mother, is struggling to accept the social change that has come about since the war. She is a stickler for appearances, tradition, and formality. Meanwhile, her granddaughters who were sent to live in the United States for the duration of the war, are experiencing severe culture shock at being back at Dimperley.
Meanwhile, the old manor is getting so dilapidated that immediate repairs must be done. Death duties and other family debts have left the family extremely 'cash-poor'. The only way to raise some much needed money is to open the house to the public. An idea that is anathema to Irene, the formidable Lady Vere-Thissett.
Although I struggled a bit to get in to this novel, I'm SO happy I persevered. The Vere-Thissett family grew on me, and now I wish I could spend some more time with them.
A love story rendered with humour and poignancy, it was a very enjoyable read with an ending that tied up all the loose ends in a very satisfying manner. Fans of "Downton Abbey" or the works of P.G. Wodehouse will probably enjoy it as much as I did.
Home to the Vere-Thissett family since 1404, the manor has fallen on hard times. World War II has just ended. The eldest Vere-Thissett son was a victim of the fighting. The middle son was struck down with 'brain fever' (encephalitis) at the age of ten and suffered from brain damage as a result. That left the youngest son, Valentine, age 24, to take up the reins which were now his legacy. A legacy that he did not want, but could not refuse.
"a millstone rather than a manor"
Just de-mobbed, Valentine returns to his ancestral pile to find it in extremely poor repair. Also, he finds that the once plentiful staff have been reduced to only a gardener, and a housekeeper. His widowed mother, his sister-in-law, his two teenage nieces, and his uncle are the only residents now. His eccentric uncle, who is writing Dimperley's memoirs, has a secretary named Zena who travels from the village with her three-year old daughter on a daily basis.
Zena adores her daughter, Allison, and has become quite fond of the old manor house. Never really having had a home of her own, Zena cannot imagine how Valentine feels about the place. Her loyalty, intelligence, and efficiency are just what Dimperley needs.
Irene, Valentine's mother, is struggling to accept the social change that has come about since the war. She is a stickler for appearances, tradition, and formality. Meanwhile, her granddaughters who were sent to live in the United States for the duration of the war, are experiencing severe culture shock at being back at Dimperley.
Meanwhile, the old manor is getting so dilapidated that immediate repairs must be done. Death duties and other family debts have left the family extremely 'cash-poor'. The only way to raise some much needed money is to open the house to the public. An idea that is anathema to Irene, the formidable Lady Vere-Thissett.
Although I struggled a bit to get in to this novel, I'm SO happy I persevered. The Vere-Thissett family grew on me, and now I wish I could spend some more time with them.
A love story rendered with humour and poignancy, it was a very enjoyable read with an ending that tied up all the loose ends in a very satisfying manner. Fans of "Downton Abbey" or the works of P.G. Wodehouse will probably enjoy it as much as I did.
September 23, 2024
4🌟
Lissa Evans has the unfailing ability to write characters you end up caring enormously for. Charming.
Lissa Evans has the unfailing ability to write characters you end up caring enormously for. Charming.
August 12, 2024
A cozy comfort read about life in a country house immediately after the Second World War and the attendant changes in society. The wide cast of characters is well drawn and likeable, and if they’re not likeable they’re at least sympathetic. The plot is oiled just enough to make developments and turns seem natural and not happening at the authors whim. It’s an easy and entertain book, perfect for a long journey.
June 15, 2024
4.5* Small Bomb at Dimperley is a warm hug of a read infused with superb characters and sharp dialogue. I absolutely loved it.
Valentine Vere-Thissett was the son not meant to manage the family pile; Dimperley a house from the 1500s which has been extended with new wings in every time and style in the passing centuries. When Valentine is demobbed after the war, having almost bored himself to death as a corporal, rather than the officer class which would have been the norm for his social class, he goes home to a family in chaos. His mother still assumes herself wealthy and is in high demand to open local village fetes. His sister-in-law has a secret. His uncle is on the umpteenth volume of the family history he is writing and his nieces are just returned from the US with a modern outlook that doesn’t fit with the twee family name. Can Valentine bring the family together and are his key allies those who can see the world a little more objectively.
Warm, funny and with an absolutely fantastic cast of characters, Dimperley is a triumph. I loved Lissa Evan’s trilogy starting with Crooked Heart and this book delivers in all the same ways. This isn’t wham-bam humour, it’s a smart underlying tickle that gets under your skin amidst a tight plot. The skill is not just that each character is so well imagined, but that their interactions sparkle off the page. I hope that the author goes back to these characters again, as they will certainly be staying with me.
Thanks to Transworld and Netgalley for an ARC.
Valentine Vere-Thissett was the son not meant to manage the family pile; Dimperley a house from the 1500s which has been extended with new wings in every time and style in the passing centuries. When Valentine is demobbed after the war, having almost bored himself to death as a corporal, rather than the officer class which would have been the norm for his social class, he goes home to a family in chaos. His mother still assumes herself wealthy and is in high demand to open local village fetes. His sister-in-law has a secret. His uncle is on the umpteenth volume of the family history he is writing and his nieces are just returned from the US with a modern outlook that doesn’t fit with the twee family name. Can Valentine bring the family together and are his key allies those who can see the world a little more objectively.
Warm, funny and with an absolutely fantastic cast of characters, Dimperley is a triumph. I loved Lissa Evan’s trilogy starting with Crooked Heart and this book delivers in all the same ways. This isn’t wham-bam humour, it’s a smart underlying tickle that gets under your skin amidst a tight plot. The skill is not just that each character is so well imagined, but that their interactions sparkle off the page. I hope that the author goes back to these characters again, as they will certainly be staying with me.
Thanks to Transworld and Netgalley for an ARC.
July 16, 2024
The story takes place at the end of the WWII, but it is a kind of cozy read. I really liked the characters and the place. Considering the characters there are some nice developments and I started to like them with every page more and more. They aren’t the typical one-dimensional characters, they are people you could imagine to live in real life. I liked Zena and Valentine the most. The place is quite strange but loveable (I would like to visit it). The situation of the gentry was shown very nicely and one can learn a lot about the situation changed by the war.
I recommend this book highly.
I recommend this book highly.
May 26, 2024
Fantastic. Loved it. My first Lissa Evans. Now off to hunt out her backlist
September 11, 2024
Charmingly amiable - full review to follow
July 29, 2024
Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Lissa Evans for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Lissa Evans is an incredibly gifted writer in my opinion. She’s writes beautifully; her imagery is always perfect, her language selected with artistic skill and everything she writes is filled with gentle positivity and wry humour. And Small Bomb at Dimperley is no exception.
We follow a family from the lesser aristocracy who have fallen on hard times after the war. The heir has been killed in action, the spare is disabled and the third son has severe dyslexia and is viewed as pretty useless by his mother. Their house, Dimperley is under threat from death duties and the sheer cost of running a country house.
The house was used for pregnant women during the war and one, Zena has stayed on as a secretary to the uncle. She’s the main character although we are told the story from many points of view, including all the family: the third son, the matriarch, the young daughters of the heir and his widow. The main thrust of the story is the interaction between the outsiders and the family.
As usual with Ms Evans the characters are well drawn believable individuals who you care about straight away and it is easy to become part of their world. In fact I miss them now I’ve finished the book! This is such a lovely, heart felt novel and it is pure delight to read and revel in it.
I would have preferred a little more in the way of romance as this is the slowest of slow burns and whilst we know that the main characters are made for each other it takes them a long time to get there. I would have also liked more about the young girls returning from the USA. There is so much to love about this book that it could have easily been longer so we got to know even more about all the characters.
Lissa Evans is one of my favourite authors and this book just adds to that. I definitely recommend her, and the pleasing worlds she creates.
Lissa Evans is an incredibly gifted writer in my opinion. She’s writes beautifully; her imagery is always perfect, her language selected with artistic skill and everything she writes is filled with gentle positivity and wry humour. And Small Bomb at Dimperley is no exception.
We follow a family from the lesser aristocracy who have fallen on hard times after the war. The heir has been killed in action, the spare is disabled and the third son has severe dyslexia and is viewed as pretty useless by his mother. Their house, Dimperley is under threat from death duties and the sheer cost of running a country house.
The house was used for pregnant women during the war and one, Zena has stayed on as a secretary to the uncle. She’s the main character although we are told the story from many points of view, including all the family: the third son, the matriarch, the young daughters of the heir and his widow. The main thrust of the story is the interaction between the outsiders and the family.
As usual with Ms Evans the characters are well drawn believable individuals who you care about straight away and it is easy to become part of their world. In fact I miss them now I’ve finished the book! This is such a lovely, heart felt novel and it is pure delight to read and revel in it.
I would have preferred a little more in the way of romance as this is the slowest of slow burns and whilst we know that the main characters are made for each other it takes them a long time to get there. I would have also liked more about the young girls returning from the USA. There is so much to love about this book that it could have easily been longer so we got to know even more about all the characters.
Lissa Evans is one of my favourite authors and this book just adds to that. I definitely recommend her, and the pleasing worlds she creates.
July 27, 2024
Small Bomb At Dimperley is a wonderful feel-good novel. It’s set in 1945 and is pitch-perfect in capturing the era. All over the country, manor houses that had been requisitioned for Government departments; for troops; for schools; for hospitals, were in such poor repair that it would have been kindest to bulldoze them and put the houses – and the owners – out of their misery. There were many minor aristocrats who were asset-rich but cash-poor. And I’m sure many of them were dismayed to find out, as Valentine Vere-Thissett finds in this book, the National Trust wouldn’t accept a property unless there was cash to accompany it.
Although I’ve said it’s a feel-good book, there is poignancy: Lady Irene Vere-Thissett had three sons: Felix, who inherited the baronetcy, was killed in the war; Ceddy got brain-fever as a child and has a mental age of about three; and Valentine is dyslexic and has lost the fingertips of his right hand through a post-war mishap in the army. The house has belonged to Vere-Thissetts for over 500 years but, after troops were stationed there during the war, is in appalling condition. There is only one servant left and she, poor woman, tries to do everything – because, if she doesn’t, she’ll have to leave and get another job – and a roof over her head.
Lissa Evans does a brilliant job of giving an elegiac view of the old world, exemplified by Dowager Lady Irene, clinging on to a world in which there were servants to do her bidding and deference paid to her status; the modern world with Zena Baxter, an unmarried mother, who is energetic, intelligent and keen to run things; and Sir Valentine Vere-Thisset, a baronet who was a corporal (not an officer) in the army, who is very happy indeed with this modern world, where all men and women are equal. Surprisingly, Zena loves Dimperley, including the mismatched architecture and the centuries-old paperwork, although she no longer lives there and doesn’t have to bathe in tepid water. What will she do when her husband returns from his posting in Malta?
I loved the characters and enjoyed watching the chemistry between Valentine and Zena. However, Valentine really needs to marry a rich heiress in order to save the house. I though Lissa Evans handled this aspect brilliantly. It would have been easy to introduce a hideous shrew as the Wife Presumptive, but Yvonne is intelligent, pretty, humorous and has a lovely personality – we (and Valentine) cannot dislike her. As Valentine recognises, she would be exactly the right wife for him. The resolution of that plot-line is delicately and movingly done: we can sympathise with all parties.
Sadly, the plot doesn’t allow for a sequel, but I’m about to look for other books by Lissa Evans – if they’re half as good as Small Bomb At Dimperley, I’m in for a treat…
#SmallBombAtDimperley #NetGalley
Although I’ve said it’s a feel-good book, there is poignancy: Lady Irene Vere-Thissett had three sons: Felix, who inherited the baronetcy, was killed in the war; Ceddy got brain-fever as a child and has a mental age of about three; and Valentine is dyslexic and has lost the fingertips of his right hand through a post-war mishap in the army. The house has belonged to Vere-Thissetts for over 500 years but, after troops were stationed there during the war, is in appalling condition. There is only one servant left and she, poor woman, tries to do everything – because, if she doesn’t, she’ll have to leave and get another job – and a roof over her head.
Lissa Evans does a brilliant job of giving an elegiac view of the old world, exemplified by Dowager Lady Irene, clinging on to a world in which there were servants to do her bidding and deference paid to her status; the modern world with Zena Baxter, an unmarried mother, who is energetic, intelligent and keen to run things; and Sir Valentine Vere-Thisset, a baronet who was a corporal (not an officer) in the army, who is very happy indeed with this modern world, where all men and women are equal. Surprisingly, Zena loves Dimperley, including the mismatched architecture and the centuries-old paperwork, although she no longer lives there and doesn’t have to bathe in tepid water. What will she do when her husband returns from his posting in Malta?
I loved the characters and enjoyed watching the chemistry between Valentine and Zena. However, Valentine really needs to marry a rich heiress in order to save the house. I though Lissa Evans handled this aspect brilliantly. It would have been easy to introduce a hideous shrew as the Wife Presumptive, but Yvonne is intelligent, pretty, humorous and has a lovely personality – we (and Valentine) cannot dislike her. As Valentine recognises, she would be exactly the right wife for him. The resolution of that plot-line is delicately and movingly done: we can sympathise with all parties.
Sadly, the plot doesn’t allow for a sequel, but I’m about to look for other books by Lissa Evans – if they’re half as good as Small Bomb At Dimperley, I’m in for a treat…
#SmallBombAtDimperley #NetGalley
September 13, 2024
This is such a quintessentially English book that I wanted to eat cucumber sandwiches and drink a cup of Earl Grey tea whilst I was reading it! I can't tell you how much I loved it, the characters, the story, the location, the time period, absolutely everything was spot on and I couldn't wait to pick it up again each time I had to put it down.
The story is set in Dimperley, a sprawling but dilapidated country house in the Home Counties. Owned for generations by the Vere-Thissett family, who have the title 'Woodsman to the King' no less - we join them in autumn 1945. The Second World War has ended and people are trying to figure out the way forward. Eldest son Felix Vere-Thissett was set to be the next in line to inherit the title of Baron but unfortunately he didn't survive the war and the title passes to the youngest son Valentine,.
Valentine also fought in the war but kept his status to himself, he'd never told anyone that he was landed gentry and never expected the title to come to him. He's a shy man with undiagnosed dyslexia; the scenes set at his brother's funeral are heart-wrenching - and he has spent his whole life being told he's not clever.
Also in the house are Valentine's eccentric history-buff uncle Alaric; his mother the formidable Dowager Lady Irene, Felix's widow Barbara and their teenage daughters, who have lived in America and can't understand the obsession with history; Ceddy his learning-disabled brother; and Zena who works as Alaric's secretary and her toddler.
The house in rack and ruin, everything is falling to pieces, and he doesn't know where to begin. Lady Irene is keen for Val to marry for money; the thought of the family losing the house is more than she can bear.
I loved the insights into each of the characters; even Alaric who initially comes across as aloof and eccentric has a backstory that made me so much more sympathetic to him. Zena is a breath of fresh air in the family, suggesting changes that could be made to help them through this tricky patch. Barbara's two daughters Priss and Kitty are also such entertaining roles, shining a light on the family's obsession with class, history and position by pushing back against it all and showing a more modern way. The story is told with a light touch with plenty of moments to make you smile- the small boys stuck on the train really made me laugh! I can't believe I haven't read anything by Lissa Evans before and I am going straight off to read everything she's ever written.
The story is set in Dimperley, a sprawling but dilapidated country house in the Home Counties. Owned for generations by the Vere-Thissett family, who have the title 'Woodsman to the King' no less - we join them in autumn 1945. The Second World War has ended and people are trying to figure out the way forward. Eldest son Felix Vere-Thissett was set to be the next in line to inherit the title of Baron but unfortunately he didn't survive the war and the title passes to the youngest son Valentine,.
Valentine also fought in the war but kept his status to himself, he'd never told anyone that he was landed gentry and never expected the title to come to him. He's a shy man with undiagnosed dyslexia; the scenes set at his brother's funeral are heart-wrenching - and he has spent his whole life being told he's not clever.
Also in the house are Valentine's eccentric history-buff uncle Alaric; his mother the formidable Dowager Lady Irene, Felix's widow Barbara and their teenage daughters, who have lived in America and can't understand the obsession with history; Ceddy his learning-disabled brother; and Zena who works as Alaric's secretary and her toddler.
The house in rack and ruin, everything is falling to pieces, and he doesn't know where to begin. Lady Irene is keen for Val to marry for money; the thought of the family losing the house is more than she can bear.
I loved the insights into each of the characters; even Alaric who initially comes across as aloof and eccentric has a backstory that made me so much more sympathetic to him. Zena is a breath of fresh air in the family, suggesting changes that could be made to help them through this tricky patch. Barbara's two daughters Priss and Kitty are also such entertaining roles, shining a light on the family's obsession with class, history and position by pushing back against it all and showing a more modern way. The story is told with a light touch with plenty of moments to make you smile- the small boys stuck on the train really made me laugh! I can't believe I haven't read anything by Lissa Evans before and I am going straight off to read everything she's ever written.
June 11, 2024
What a joy It is to read a new book by Lissa Evans, one of our most talented authors. Her characters always leap off the pages, fully human, and Small Bomb at Dimperley is another gem.
The story is set at the end of World War II. Valentine is returning to Dimperley Manor, minus some fingers on his right hand, to take his place as Baronet following the death of one elder brother and brain damage of another. He’s always been in the shadow of his eldest brother, Felix, in both his own mind and that of his mother, and must now adapt to his new position. The house has been used as a maternity home through the war, there is no money for repairs, and society is changing around him in the aftermath of war.
The country house is filled with a host of memorable characters – his fierce mother Irene, his older brother Cedric, his aged uncle Alaric (trying to write the family history and battling his own demons), his widowed sister in law (recently reunited with her two daughters following their return from safety in from the US), and Zena and her 3 year old daughter Allison, who remain in the house after first arriving during its time as a maternity home.
All of them have real stories behind them and their own concerns and struggles and it’s all balanced with the author’s usual wit and humour. It can be difficult to write children without them becoming either precocious or saccharine, but Allison is a wonderful character, full of life and absolutely believable. Cedric, also, is not a sidelined disabled person but beautifully portrayed and it’s so nice to see him as a much loved member of the family rather than a problem to be solved or handled.
I couldn’t have loved this book more. I’ve enjoyed everything Lissa Evans has written in the past and this is yet another treasure that I know I will be returning to often.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
The story is set at the end of World War II. Valentine is returning to Dimperley Manor, minus some fingers on his right hand, to take his place as Baronet following the death of one elder brother and brain damage of another. He’s always been in the shadow of his eldest brother, Felix, in both his own mind and that of his mother, and must now adapt to his new position. The house has been used as a maternity home through the war, there is no money for repairs, and society is changing around him in the aftermath of war.
The country house is filled with a host of memorable characters – his fierce mother Irene, his older brother Cedric, his aged uncle Alaric (trying to write the family history and battling his own demons), his widowed sister in law (recently reunited with her two daughters following their return from safety in from the US), and Zena and her 3 year old daughter Allison, who remain in the house after first arriving during its time as a maternity home.
All of them have real stories behind them and their own concerns and struggles and it’s all balanced with the author’s usual wit and humour. It can be difficult to write children without them becoming either precocious or saccharine, but Allison is a wonderful character, full of life and absolutely believable. Cedric, also, is not a sidelined disabled person but beautifully portrayed and it’s so nice to see him as a much loved member of the family rather than a problem to be solved or handled.
I couldn’t have loved this book more. I’ve enjoyed everything Lissa Evans has written in the past and this is yet another treasure that I know I will be returning to often.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
June 27, 2024
It takes real talent to write a historically set book that manages to be both contemporary and so of its time it feels like a classic. but that is exactly what Lissa Evans has done with Small Bomb at Dimperley. Put a silver cover on it, and it would feel at home on the Persephone list of mid-century classics - and there is no greater praise than that.
The Second World War has ended and the UK starts to adjust to the aftermath. Dimperley, a stately home in the Chilterns comprised of a hodge podge of styles, now teeters under the strain of neglect post requistion as a maternity hospital, death duties and lack of money generally, and a shortage of staff, the 27 servants once needed to maintain standards now reduced to a ladies maid, a gardener and a couple of unsatisfactory daily helps. The occupants are no more put together than their home. The Dowager can't adjust to a world with a Labour government where class doesn't mean what it once did, her widowed daughter in law is struggling to reconnect with her returned daughters who were evacuated to the US for the duration of the war, and her daughters are horrified by the contrast between California and post war England. Meanwhile Valentine, youngest son and family disappointment has inherited a house, title and responsibilities he doesn't want and feels unfit to manage. Observing all this is Zena, secretary to Alaric, uncle of the house and family chronicler, who just wants a home for herself and her daughter and an outlet for her capabiltites.
Wry, affectionate, poignant and very funny, every character is perfectly and realistically drawn. I stayed up far too late to finish it and then regretted rushing it. An instant classic. Highly recommended.
The Second World War has ended and the UK starts to adjust to the aftermath. Dimperley, a stately home in the Chilterns comprised of a hodge podge of styles, now teeters under the strain of neglect post requistion as a maternity hospital, death duties and lack of money generally, and a shortage of staff, the 27 servants once needed to maintain standards now reduced to a ladies maid, a gardener and a couple of unsatisfactory daily helps. The occupants are no more put together than their home. The Dowager can't adjust to a world with a Labour government where class doesn't mean what it once did, her widowed daughter in law is struggling to reconnect with her returned daughters who were evacuated to the US for the duration of the war, and her daughters are horrified by the contrast between California and post war England. Meanwhile Valentine, youngest son and family disappointment has inherited a house, title and responsibilities he doesn't want and feels unfit to manage. Observing all this is Zena, secretary to Alaric, uncle of the house and family chronicler, who just wants a home for herself and her daughter and an outlet for her capabiltites.
Wry, affectionate, poignant and very funny, every character is perfectly and realistically drawn. I stayed up far too late to finish it and then regretted rushing it. An instant classic. Highly recommended.
August 25, 2024
I’ve been a fan of Lissa Evans work for a while now so I was looking forward to reading her latest book, “Small Bomb at Dimperley” and I’m really pleased to say it didn’t disappoint. The plot follows the Vere-Thissett family and staff who live at Dimperley Manor and who are negotiating the changes to their lives after the Second World War. The heir to the manor has been killed in action and his younger brother Valentine is reluctantly heading home from his own wartime service to take up his new position as head of the family. His mother, uncle, and one surviving maid could be seen as relics, much like the dilapidated manor, and have very traditional views about the role of the upper and working classes. His widowed sister in law is struggling with the return of her two young daughters (who lived in the US during the war and have very different behaviours to those of her family) as well as her own wartime secret. And then there’s his uncle’s secretary and her little daughter who are making a life for themselves at the manor but it could all come crashing down around them in more ways than one. Will the manor and the family survive?
As with all of Evans’s books, the characters are vividly portrayed and none of them feel superfluous. They all have an important part in the story or inform the reader’s understanding of other characters. And, as ever, the female characters are particularly well written and relatable. I found myself really invested in the story, laughing out loud at times, feeling heart broken at others and rooting for the success of the characters in each of their plot lines.
I would strongly recommend this book to others and thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
As with all of Evans’s books, the characters are vividly portrayed and none of them feel superfluous. They all have an important part in the story or inform the reader’s understanding of other characters. And, as ever, the female characters are particularly well written and relatable. I found myself really invested in the story, laughing out loud at times, feeling heart broken at others and rooting for the success of the characters in each of their plot lines.
I would strongly recommend this book to others and thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
September 15, 2024
Here we are post war 1945. Valentine Vere-Thisset is returning home, wounded and suddenly the next Baronet. Home is Dimperley, a mishmash or architectural designs, coupled together to make the big house. Requestioned during the war as a maternity home for mothers and young babies, it is now just occupied by his uncle, his mother, Dowager Vere-Thissett, his sister-in-law, Dowager Vere-Thissett, his two young nieces back from spending the war in America and Lena Baxter and her young daughter Allison who has stayed on to help his uncle with his never ending stories of the Vere-Thissett’s and the house.
This wasn’t meant to be Valentine’s life, it was meant to be his brothers, but with the house as a millstone, debts up to his eyeballs, a sister in law in love with someone else, a mother who wants to marry him off for the money and the world around him changing, he needs to do something to save them all and fast .
Opening the house seems a prospect, but it will come with its troubles. Lena Baxter is the woman to solve it all and bring it together, but she it seems has a secret too, like a ticking time bomb, it seems it is about to go off and affect the Vere-Thissetts too.
This book is a gentle read, of adjusting to life after the war, society has changed irrevocably, servants are rare, big houses are struggling and the National Trust is giving the answer to so many of these legacies. Dimperley though is different. And that is what makes the book different.
A book reminiscence of Angela Thirkell, it just took me on a gentle stroll to another time and place and painted a vivid and colourful picture of some quirky characters. Delightful.
This wasn’t meant to be Valentine’s life, it was meant to be his brothers, but with the house as a millstone, debts up to his eyeballs, a sister in law in love with someone else, a mother who wants to marry him off for the money and the world around him changing, he needs to do something to save them all and fast .
Opening the house seems a prospect, but it will come with its troubles. Lena Baxter is the woman to solve it all and bring it together, but she it seems has a secret too, like a ticking time bomb, it seems it is about to go off and affect the Vere-Thissetts too.
This book is a gentle read, of adjusting to life after the war, society has changed irrevocably, servants are rare, big houses are struggling and the National Trust is giving the answer to so many of these legacies. Dimperley though is different. And that is what makes the book different.
A book reminiscence of Angela Thirkell, it just took me on a gentle stroll to another time and place and painted a vivid and colourful picture of some quirky characters. Delightful.
August 21, 2024
It's 1945, and Corporal Valentine Vere-Thissett, aged twenty-three, is on his way home. But"home" is Dimperley, built in the 1500s, vast and dilapidated, up to its eaves in debt and half-full of fly-blown taxidermy and dependant relatives, the latter clinging to a way of life that has gone forever. And worst of all - following the death of his heroic elder brother - Valentine is now Sir Valentine and is responsible for the whole bloody place. To Valentine, it's a millstone, to Zena Baxter, who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter, It's a place of wonder and sentiment, somewhere she can't bear to leave. But Zena has been living with a secret, and the end of the war means she has to reach a reckoning of her own.
Valentine had just been demobbed as the war was over. The family are all back together, living at Dimperley, a house from the 1500s, that has had new wings added to it. The lovable characters have been well-drawn, and the era has been well-described. Valentine has to find and marry a rich heiress so that he can save Dimperley. The story is told from multiple perspectives. There were certain elements I would have liked to have known more about. Overall, this is a beautifully written, heart-warming story, that tells us of the struggles people had after the war, and it didn't matter if you were rich or poor.
5th September 2024
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #LissaEvans for my ARC of #SmallBombAtDimperley in exchange for an honest review.
Valentine had just been demobbed as the war was over. The family are all back together, living at Dimperley, a house from the 1500s, that has had new wings added to it. The lovable characters have been well-drawn, and the era has been well-described. Valentine has to find and marry a rich heiress so that he can save Dimperley. The story is told from multiple perspectives. There were certain elements I would have liked to have known more about. Overall, this is a beautifully written, heart-warming story, that tells us of the struggles people had after the war, and it didn't matter if you were rich or poor.
5th September 2024
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #LissaEvans for my ARC of #SmallBombAtDimperley in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2024
Small Bomb at Dimperley is set in 1945 as the war ends and Valentine Vere-Thissett is returning home to Dimperley Manor. Like other aristocratic returning war heroes, he didn't expect to be the one taking up the title but the loss of his older brother means that he must now step up to the mark. Unfortunately, Dimperley is rather dilapidated and death duties might mean the loss of the estate.
This book is simply superb. First of all there's Dimperley itself, its faded grandeur and bizarre taxidermy providing the perfect backdrop to Valentine's return. Whilst it's clearly rundown, the reader is invited to see it through the eyes of both those who genuinely love it and those who love the importance that the title and estate give them. The book is populated by characters who just leap right off the page. I thought Valentine was a dream, down to earth and new to such responsibility, but determined to do his best. I loved Zena Baxter too, a young woman who came to Dimperley when it was a maternity home and stayed on as secretary to Valentine's uncle. Valentine's mother, Irene (Lady Vere-Thissett if you please), is a little harder to like, but a wonderfully drawn character nevertheless. I had the softest spot for Miss Hersey too, a lady's maid who now finds herself doing everything.
Ultimately, Small Bomb at Dimperley is an ode to the country house, to the loss of so many of them, and to the resourceful cohort who found new ways to live and ensure that some of the estates could endure (one of my local country estates at Chatsworth has achieved this so well). What I love about Evans' writing is that the humour makes me laugh out loud one minute and the next minute the moving observations are like a punch to the gut. I thought this was a magnificent book with a fascinating setting, wonderful characters, and a lovely story with a charming ending.
This book is simply superb. First of all there's Dimperley itself, its faded grandeur and bizarre taxidermy providing the perfect backdrop to Valentine's return. Whilst it's clearly rundown, the reader is invited to see it through the eyes of both those who genuinely love it and those who love the importance that the title and estate give them. The book is populated by characters who just leap right off the page. I thought Valentine was a dream, down to earth and new to such responsibility, but determined to do his best. I loved Zena Baxter too, a young woman who came to Dimperley when it was a maternity home and stayed on as secretary to Valentine's uncle. Valentine's mother, Irene (Lady Vere-Thissett if you please), is a little harder to like, but a wonderfully drawn character nevertheless. I had the softest spot for Miss Hersey too, a lady's maid who now finds herself doing everything.
Ultimately, Small Bomb at Dimperley is an ode to the country house, to the loss of so many of them, and to the resourceful cohort who found new ways to live and ensure that some of the estates could endure (one of my local country estates at Chatsworth has achieved this so well). What I love about Evans' writing is that the humour makes me laugh out loud one minute and the next minute the moving observations are like a punch to the gut. I thought this was a magnificent book with a fascinating setting, wonderful characters, and a lovely story with a charming ending.
June 6, 2024
A splendidly entertaining book. As the country recovers from World War 2, we are treated to the story of the Vere-Thysett family, struggling to maintain a crumbling mansion and adapt to the aftermath of war. Every character is beautifully presented. My favourites were Valentine, the returning soldier, injured (but not in battle),now the reluctant baronet after the death of his older brother, and expected to restore the family fortunes by marrying money; Uncle Alaric, spending his days researching the history of Dimperley Manor and the family; Zena, Alaric's assistant and her feisty small daughter Allison; and Kitty and Priss, Valentine's nieces, back from the USA where they were sent for the duration of the war. But all the minor characters are just as vivid, with detailed back stories, conveyed to the reader in a way that does not obstruct the flow of the plot or require stilted explanatory conversations.
Apart from the excellent writing and credible plot, what makes this book shine is the humour. There are many amusing incidents and the dialogue is delightful. A group of people, each with their own problems, struggling to adapt to new situations after a war could make for quite a dark story but the way in which they all cope with their various challenges is quite uplifting. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC
Apart from the excellent writing and credible plot, what makes this book shine is the humour. There are many amusing incidents and the dialogue is delightful. A group of people, each with their own problems, struggling to adapt to new situations after a war could make for quite a dark story but the way in which they all cope with their various challenges is quite uplifting. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC
June 15, 2024
‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’ is wonderful entertainment and great fun whilst also touching on societal prejudices prevalent at the end of the Second World War. When Corporal Valentine Vere-Thissett returns home, minus several fingertips, to take on the mantle of his ancestral home, Dimperley, alongside its crippling debts, he little thinks that he may have to sacrifice his personal happiness to save the estate. His formidable mother has other ideas!
When Valentine meets Zena Baxter and her three year old daughter, Allison, who are waiting for ‘their man of the house’ to return from war, he begins to appreciate just how much his family rely on her common sense, good humour and positive approach to everything. Zena has experienced few creature comforts in life and she is not about to allow the family’s rather feeble approach to saving Dimperley destroy her feelings of security. However, there are some problems that no amount of competency can solve!
Another wonderfully told story from Lissa Evans, this time focusing on the aftermath of war. Not only does she create a very appealing collection of characters; her plausible narrative also shows that new beginnings are possible, even after the darkest days.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers Doubleday UK for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
When Valentine meets Zena Baxter and her three year old daughter, Allison, who are waiting for ‘their man of the house’ to return from war, he begins to appreciate just how much his family rely on her common sense, good humour and positive approach to everything. Zena has experienced few creature comforts in life and she is not about to allow the family’s rather feeble approach to saving Dimperley destroy her feelings of security. However, there are some problems that no amount of competency can solve!
Another wonderfully told story from Lissa Evans, this time focusing on the aftermath of war. Not only does she create a very appealing collection of characters; her plausible narrative also shows that new beginnings are possible, even after the darkest days.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers Doubleday UK for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
September 2, 2024
This moving and funny book deals with a group of people all trying to adjust to postwar conditions, centred around a stately home. We follow members of the impoverished but titled family, servants, and friends as they deal with personal issues and try to save Dimperley from the bailiffs.
The story is quite definitely a comedy, with a lot of black humour that had me laughing out loud. At the same time it's a sweet story, nothing too demanding but very atmospheric. I really believed in the characters and setting, and I loved the ending. I finished the whole thing in two sittings.
This is my first Lissa Evans so I can't say how it compares to her other books but I would definitely like to read more from her. I recommend this book to fans of light-hearted historical fiction.
I'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The story is quite definitely a comedy, with a lot of black humour that had me laughing out loud. At the same time it's a sweet story, nothing too demanding but very atmospheric. I really believed in the characters and setting, and I loved the ending. I finished the whole thing in two sittings.
This is my first Lissa Evans so I can't say how it compares to her other books but I would definitely like to read more from her. I recommend this book to fans of light-hearted historical fiction.
I'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
September 15, 2024
Valentine Vere-Thissett is a post-war version of Bertie Wooster with his incoherent speech and diffidence but he does have a sense of the ridiculous.
After being the lesser, disappointing son he found comradeship and purpose in the army but at the end of the Second World War, with a hand injury he returns home to find he is still the failure who cannot compete with his dead, war hero, spendthrift brother.
Meanwhe Zena Baxter has been loving the faded stately home she found herself in for the past few years.
As usual the author's attention to detail conveys the post-war sense of ennui and stalemate in the drab, still rationed existence of late 1940s Britain.
Although not as immediately enthralling as books featuring the indomitable Mattie, the suffragette, it grows on you and becomes unputdownable - it's also very funny
After being the lesser, disappointing son he found comradeship and purpose in the army but at the end of the Second World War, with a hand injury he returns home to find he is still the failure who cannot compete with his dead, war hero, spendthrift brother.
Meanwhe Zena Baxter has been loving the faded stately home she found herself in for the past few years.
As usual the author's attention to detail conveys the post-war sense of ennui and stalemate in the drab, still rationed existence of late 1940s Britain.
Although not as immediately enthralling as books featuring the indomitable Mattie, the suffragette, it grows on you and becomes unputdownable - it's also very funny
September 6, 2024
This is one to read again at least twice more.
Zena, her daughter and Valentine reside in the dilapidated manor of Dimperley.
This is set in 1945, Buckinghamshire, and the effects of war are everywhere.
The aristocrats are under cash pressure. As a heir, what will Valentine do?
I adored this book
Conceptualisation 4.5
Plot 4.5
Characterisation 5
Prose 4.5
Themes 4.5
Mood, pacing, tone 5
This is a witty, bright and astute read. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to #netgalley and #doubleday, #randomhouseuk, for the ARC and breaking my bad streak of underwhelming hyped reads with this amazing read.
Zena, her daughter and Valentine reside in the dilapidated manor of Dimperley.
This is set in 1945, Buckinghamshire, and the effects of war are everywhere.
The aristocrats are under cash pressure. As a heir, what will Valentine do?
I adored this book
Conceptualisation 4.5
Plot 4.5
Characterisation 5
Prose 4.5
Themes 4.5
Mood, pacing, tone 5
This is a witty, bright and astute read. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to #netgalley and #doubleday, #randomhouseuk, for the ARC and breaking my bad streak of underwhelming hyped reads with this amazing read.
July 28, 2024
Lissa Evans has wrtten another very enjoyable story set in the 1940s. The characters are interesting and well developed, the storyline progresses well with plenty to think about and to laugh at - and to make you want to tear your hair out (or maybe that's just me.). Plenty of social history for those interested in the period immediately after the end of the war and how people living in and owning large houses coped (or not) with the future. I read it in less than 24 hours. I liked the ending. With thanks for an e-ARC to read and review.
August 18, 2024
thank you to netgalley and random house uk for providing me with this arc of lissa evans’s small bomb at dimperley
i didn’t really like this book too much. i liked a couple of the characters and the plot twist towards the end, but that was pretty much it. i felt that we didn’t really get an idea of what was wrong with ceddy, which i feel would have added to the story. speaking of the story, i feel that the story didn’t particularly match up to the book description, and i was left feeling rather underwhelmed.
i didn’t really like this book too much. i liked a couple of the characters and the plot twist towards the end, but that was pretty much it. i felt that we didn’t really get an idea of what was wrong with ceddy, which i feel would have added to the story. speaking of the story, i feel that the story didn’t particularly match up to the book description, and i was left feeling rather underwhelmed.
September 27, 2024
Really enjoyed this new book from Lissa Evans.
Post World Water II, Zena is working at a country house, while Valentine returns to his family home to find nothing - including himself - is as it was before. Taking up the reins of life as Sir Valentine, lord of the manor, he follows Zena's ideas to renovate and create a new story for the house and the people living in it.
This is a nice smooth easy read, comforting and warm.
Post World Water II, Zena is working at a country house, while Valentine returns to his family home to find nothing - including himself - is as it was before. Taking up the reins of life as Sir Valentine, lord of the manor, he follows Zena's ideas to renovate and create a new story for the house and the people living in it.
This is a nice smooth easy read, comforting and warm.
July 7, 2024
A country house postWW2 filled with an endearing cast of characters. A warm, reassuring book - a perfect antidote to the unsettling news cycle and the lashing July rain. A well crafted romp - the only downside is that I now have to wait for another Lissa Evans book.
September 17, 2024
Small Bomb at Dimperley is deliciously witty and filled with glorious characters in a narrative that is warm, engaging and a sheer joy to read. I loved it and Lissa Evans has a new fan!
My full thoughts are on the My Weekly website.
My full thoughts are on the My Weekly website.
September 29, 2024
I love this author but panicked a little at the start that the characters were going to be so caricatured that I wasn't going to enjoy this one. Thankfully this wasn't the case and the ususal charming, engaging and feel good story raced along on the page. Lovely.
September 3, 2024
Drifting somewhere in-between Greham Green and Downton Abby...
September 10, 2024
2.5⭐ great distraction, no surprises, delivers what you'd expect from reading the blurb.
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