Description

Welcome to the village of Notwithstanding, where a lady dresses in plus fours and shoots squirrels, a retired general gives up wearing clothes altogether, a spiritualist lives in a cottage with the ghost of her husband, and people think it quite natural to confide in a spider that lives in a potting shed. Based on de Bernieres’ recollections of the village he grew up in, Notwithstanding is a funny and moving depiction of a charming vanished England.

Publisher Review

A funny, astute and moving depiction of a charming vanished England -- Corrine Buxton * BBC Countryfile * A delightful collection...exquisitely told -- Clare Colvin * Daily Mail * Comic, benignly forgiving and shot through with threads of nostalgic regret * Independent * A timely examination of the charming and, at time, heart-wrenchingly sad aspects of English village life...testament to the rude health of the author's own imagination -- Adam O'Riordan * Financial Times * The creator of Captain Corelli is fond of an exotic setting and he has found one in his own backyard... The stories are sketches of lives that settle into the atmosphere of a place and make it unique -- Kate Saunders * The Times *