The Blessing by Nancy Mitford 1951

Zoe Heller Refutes the Notion that Nancy Mitford's Novels are just Frivolous  "Chic Lit"

The Novels of Nancy Mitford 

• Highland  1931.
• Christmas Pudding. 1932. 
• Wigs on the Green. 1935. 
• Pigeon Pie. 1940. 
• The Pursuit of Love.  1945. 
• Love in a Cold 1949. 
• The Blessing. 1951. 
• Don't Tell Alfred. 1960.

The Blessing was proceeded by Nancy Mitford's two best novels, The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate.  Like her six other novels, it suffers by comparison but still has enough wonderful moments to make it worth reading.  The central character is an English woman totally in love with a French aristocrat.  Sound familiar? It is just before World War Two starts, they are in Paris and they marry.  They spend a few days together and the woman becomes pregnant with his son.  He is "the blessing". Then he is called into the war effort and is gone seven years.  We go through the years of separation.  She goes back to London with their son.  Then upon being united the patents decide to seperate.  The son realizes he can exploit this  to get more gifts etc. so he works to keep them from reconciling.

The fun in the novel is in the descriptions of life in Paris, of the love  interest and of Mitford's treatment of the son.  There are great lines and keen satire to be found.  There are interesting comparisons of London and Paris.  Paris always come out the winner.

This is book for those interesting in reading more than just Mitford's two classics.

Mel u