Heydays and maydays

Once again Anne Hepple shows the humour and sympathy and enjoyment of life that is revealed in her novels. She has the gift of bringing out the drama of ordinary lives with tenderness and sympathy, whether she is writing about a baby or the jealousy and emotions of love. There is a core of realism even when her tales border on the fantastic, and in this book she captures the atmosphere of country and sea, spring-time or Christmas, the devotion of an old couple, or the poignancy of loneliness, with equal skill. It is her ability to make one understand the weakness and strength of human nature that endears her to countless readers.