This book is delicately straightforward, about ordinary life in an earlier time, closely observed in copious detail. A family of five goes on vacation to the sea. That’s the whole plot, with no other twists or turmoil. For those who read or watch romances leading up to marriages, and wonder where the story goes from there, this novel picks up that trajectory twenty years after the couple is wed. This well written account of a sweet, uneventful holiday is a relief in our time of high drama, tension, and myriad problems.

The Fortnight in September was written in 1932, by the screenwriter who wrote the movie Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and it was re-released during the pandemic, when readers needed something to soothe their souls. I listened to it on audio, so a pleasant English accent added to the experience. If you need a mental vacation, and a slower change of pace, read this. I give it four stars.