The Swallow And The Hummingbird (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
Recorded book narrated by Juanita McMahon. Description (from back of case): When George Bolton returns home to Devon at the end of the war, Rita assumes that her childhood sweetheart will marry her and that their future will be a reassuring continuation of their past. But the boy who joined the RAF has come back a man, and a man irrevocably changed by the horrors that he has seen. Unable to settle back into the sleepy seaside village, George resolves to spend a year on the family farm in Argentina, and, despite her disappointment, Rita promises to wait for him. Rita keeps her promise. But for George there are irresistible temptations, and an agonising choice to make !This is a novel about multiple love stories, with wonderful characters. I loved Mrs. Megalith with her tarot and crystals and cats. I loved the blend of village church characters, the local "witch", and the Jewish refugee children. Eddie and her pets, tortured Rita who can't let go of the dream she held for so long, the superstitious Argentine cook, "Trees" and his beloved walnut trees, Thaddeus the Pole, etc.Reminiscent of works by Judith Saxton.
We begin with Rita waiting for her sweetheart George to arrive home after WW2, and she assumes life will pick up where they left off. However, George's experiences have changed him and he is unable to settle back down into village life, and decides to go to work on his aunt's ranch in Argentina. I liked this book a lot, although I found Rita rather annoying, and sometimes the book missed whole chunks out of people's lives whilst dragging in other parts of the story. I would also have liked to find out how the Argentinean branch of the family fared in later years. But I do like the books of Santa that I have read so far... lovely descriptions of an idyllic Devon coastal village, and she is not over gratuitous with the more intimate details of a relationship.
What do You think about The Swallow And The Hummingbird (2007)?
Having read Under The Ombu Tree, I know what kind of writing style Santa Montefiore has. I love how she can wrap you up in the story of two lovers from the very beginning, and bring you right through their whole lives. There are an abundance of eccentric and beautiful characters that make the story so charming and you can't help but root for all of them in their own goals because Santa has a magic quality that makes you fall in love with each and every one.I would highly reccommend this heartwarming story which brings you to the countryside of Devon to the hot plains of the Argentine. She really is a fantastic writer!
—Aoife
As young, beautiful and innocent Rita Fairweather prepares to welcome home her childhood sweetheart as he returns from the war, she feels confident that their enforced separation will not have damaged the love between them and that they will soon settle down to married life. But George comes back an uneasy young man, haunted by his experiences as an RAF pilot and he jumps at the chance of adventure in Argentina. He promises to return to make her his wife but will their life take the course Rita so desperately wants?This novel got very mixed reviews at our Novel Lovers Reading Group. Some of us enjoyed the easy to read style and the romantic gentle story line; others were frustrated with it and found some of the characters and plotlines unbelievable. I think this is a story to enjoy on a hot summer’s day when you just want to relax and unwind.
—Fab Librarian
what a beautiful love story....♥♥♥♥
—Wendy Branden
