I’ve had this audiobook knocking around for so long and listened to it in such small segments that it feels like it’s been more soap opera than novel. The Archers transplanted to middle class Oxford, the trials and tribulations over a few months of the Peppin’s family life: mostly Ezra and Sheena and their relationship with the eldest of their three children, teenager Blaise. I think I spent longer getting through it than the timespan it covered. It’s difficult to think of it as a whole novel with a coherent plot but the ending seemed out of kilter with the rest of it - maybe it wouldn’t have been if I’d read it at a reasonable pace.

Point of interest: mentions of Ezra’s childhood come up from time to time, he went to one of my almae matres: Devizes School. A most odd thing to find in a book!