Lark Rise To Candleford - Flora Thompson

Sensitive and book-loving Laura is born in the rural hamlet of Lark Rise, where life has followed an unchanging pattern for centuries and the days are governed by the rhythms of nature. This is the unforgettable story of her beloved home: a place where children know the name of every bird, flower and tree; men work the fields; women gossip over the fence; and the last relics of country customs have yet to die out. Whether it is describing ancient traditions such as the Mayday garland procession, bringing the harvest home and singing ballads in the local inn, or introducing characters such as Laura's radical father, the pioneering Mrs Spicer, the eccentric bee-keeping Queenie and ladies who wear bustles to feed the pigs, (...)Flora Thompson's autobiographical Lark Rise to Candleford trilogy captures a vanished corner of rural England and the timeless joys of childhood.

I had planned to read the book before watching the mini series but I only finished it afterwards... the book is very different from the series in it's story.

The series begins with Laura going to the Post Office and here that only happens on page 395, the third part of the book. Overall it is an interesting book telling many stories regarding the people of Lark Rise but I found it overly descriptive. The perfect source for a TV series as it tells of many different people and their stories but for me it didn't work as well as a book. It was interesting to know the way of life in a small hamlet at the turn of the century but I got a bit confused with so many characters being introduced. I think I appreciated it more as a testemonial of past times than as someone's history. No doubt there's much material there yet for a second and even third season of the TV series.

Grade: B -