Tras la muerte de su joven marido en la Gran Guerra, Julia Packett decidió dejar a su hija Susan con su aristocrática suegra e irse a Londres a perseguir su sueño de ser actriz. Ahora, a sus 37 años y sin blanca, recibe una carta en la que Susan le anuncia sus planes de boda. Con un renovado espíritu maternal, Julia agarra sus escasos bártulos y viaja a Les Sapins, la preciosa villa alpina donde veranean la abuela Packett, Susan y Bryan Relton, el prometido.

Una vez allí, comienza un impredecible festival familiar: la abuela persigue a Julia por toda la villa con sus recetas de repostería; Bryan parece más interesado en gastar las libras de su asignación que en generarlas y Julia se agota representando el papel de dama recatada para agradar a su perfecta y estirada hija. La llegada a Les Sapins de sir William Waring, tutor legal de Susan, será la deliciosa guinda que le faltaba a este disparatado pastel.

Después de la igualmente alocada Cluny Brown (Hoja de Lata, 2020) Sharp nos deleita ahora con otra de sus elegantes comedias sociales, bajo cuya frescura y desenfado asoma también una evidente crítica a la encorsetada sociedad de su tiempo.

A 1920's-1930's "romance", for lack of a better word. The setting is France and the protagonist is Julia, a free-spirited Great War widow who has left her daughter in the care of her paternal grandparents since she was 18 months old. The daughter is now 17 and wants to get married and her grandparents object. The daughter writes to her mother to come to her aid. Julia is off to see her daughter who she has not seen for 16 years. Julia learns a lot about herself. I never did find out why the title! (did I miss it?) Most of the book is Julia and her conversations with her daughter, son-in-law to be, her daughter's legal guardian, and her in-laws---yawn. ( )

Here we have Julia Packett, a woman who is "no better than she ought to be", but is very good at getting along without resources other than her wits and wiles. She is also, it turns out, both lucky and likeable, which is good since she's a bit overextended, and approaching an age when generous men are a bit harder to attract. When she is contacted by Susan, the adult daughter she had basically abandoned to the in-laws as an infant, things might get tricky, and there's a possibility Julia may have met her match in the gold-digger who wants to marry Susan. "I believe he's the same sort as I am!" she thought. "Now what the hell am I to do?" I had fun finding out. ( )

Years ago, during my Greer Garson phase, I watched a little film called Julia Misbehaves. It is based, loosely, on this book and is amusing in its own way(though definitely cleaned up for the censors and stars). This was a fun read, almost a Cinderella tale for the mid-40s, not willow-thin, world weary woman.. Not as relevant to today's world, unfortunately. But still a nice break from life. And a bit more observant than the film. Though the film, being post WWII, eliminates the anti-semitic joke... which bugs. The more I thought about it the more it bugged. Reducing my rating. ( )

Dit boek kreeg ik van Giw, met een briefje van ma erop. Het blijkt dat oma het ook heeft gelezen; ze heeft een aantal Nederlandse vertalingen bij woorden gezet. Het boek is in 1945 in Canada gedrukt. Ik schat in dat oma het in de jaren zestig las.
Het verhaal heeft niet zo veel om het lijf, maar het is amusant om te lezen, met een mooi en romantisch einde. ( )