She professed horror at the idea that her circle of well educated and upper-middle-class friends might read her fiction: she expected them to prefer, as she did, such writers as Gibbon, Austen, Dickens, and Proust. Thirkell published a new novel every year, which she referred to in correspondence with her editor, Jamie Hamilton of Hamish Hamilton, as new wine in an old bottle. She also quoted frequently, and without attribution, from novels by Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and Elizabeth Gaskell. An alert reader of contemporary fiction, Thirkell also borrowed freely from such now-arcane titles as John Galsworthy's The Country House, from which, for example, she lifted the name 'Worsted' which she used for the village setting of her novel August Folly (1936). She set most of her novels in Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire, his fictional English county developed in the six novels known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire. Her success as a novelist began with her second novel, High Rising (1933). On her return to England in 1929, this career continued with journalism, stories for children, and then novels. An article appeared in the Cornhill Magazine in November 1921 and was the first of many articles and short stories, including work for Australian radio. Thirkell began writing early in her life in Australia, chiefly through the need for money. Charles Belton and Clarissa Graham advance from 'understanding' to engagement, Tom and Emmy Graham, united in 'cow-mindedness', follow suit as do Lady Cora (the Duke's daughter) and Cecil Waring all within a twenty four hour period. Oliver is frightened out of his 'habit' of love for Jessica Dean and perennial unclehood into a real attachment for Maria.

She also helps to rescue Tom Grantly from his ill-advised venture into the clutches of Geoffrey Harvey and the Red Tape Office. Gradka, now Mixo-Lydian Ambassadress is instrumental (with Maria Lufton) in routing Miss Harvey's matrimonial assault on Oliver Marling. Lady Norton calls upon recently married Lucy Adams after a nine finger exercise determines that congratulations may be in order. Several of our favourite characters reappear to play sometimes crucial roles: Lady Norton, the Dreadful Dowager Gradka of the Mixo-Lydians the obnoxious Harvey siblings and the appallingly accident prone Mrs Updike. Fiction, Barsetshire (England: Imaginary place), Family Saga

The Duke's Daughter by Angela Thirkell