jilly cooper novel- harriet poole

have bid on this one on ebay- so famous five..aha



like this cover - her melodramic romp


having used this book in my leaving speech from a photography tutor job ( ironically comparing my first day in the staff room at a college being surrounding by velour drapes and exquisite beings....)..i wonder if theres mileage in either stand up or my MA work. i have read it (avidly, i might add but not like a guilty pleasure or anything!) but ages ago so need to re-read.

from the back of the book;

Synopsis
Shy, dreamy, and incurably romantic, Harriet Poole was shattered when her brief affair with Simon Villiers, Oxford's leading playboy undergraduate, ended abruptly, leaving her penniless, alone and pregnant. Still hopelessly in love with Simon, she took baby William and buried herself in deepest Yorkshire as nanny to the children of Cory Erskine, a somewhat eccentric scriptwriter. Local tongues were just beginning to wag when a whole host of visitors began to arrive to disrupt Harriet's peaceful routine: first Cory's estranged wife Noel, hellbent on winning Cory back, then Cory's glamorous brother Kit, whose old affair with Noel didn't stop him making passes at Harriet, and finally, of all people, Simon...

From the Publisher (from Amazon.co.uk)
A light-hearted romp from ‘The Jane Austen of our time’ (Harpers & Queen)

A review
describes it thus; Roman Clodia (London)
Written in the 70s this is slightly dated now, but shows all the early sparkle and wit that Jilly Cooper may have lost (based on Wicked). A slightly different heroine, since Harriet has a baby from a failed love affair, but all the spirit, warmth, energy and romance is there. Perfect to revive and refresh your spirit.

the slightly different heroine sounds great :)