See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Beckoning Hills (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Beckoning Hills (Sisters of the Quantock Hills) (Paperback)

by Ruth Elwin Harris (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


10 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback (New Ed) 13 used & new from £0.01

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Dividing Sea (The Quantocks Quartet)

The Dividing Sea (The Quantocks Quartet)

by Ruth Elwin Harris
4.7 out of 5 stars (3) 
Beyond the Orchid House (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

Beyond the Orchid House (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

by Ruth Elwin Harris
4.0 out of 5 stars (2) 
The Silent Shore (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

The Silent Shore (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

by Ruth Elwin Harris
4.2 out of 5 stars (4) 
Gwen's Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

Gwen's Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

by Ruth Elwin Harris
£3.65
Sarah's Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

Sarah's Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills)

by Ruth Elwin Harris
£3.66
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Walker Books Ltd; New edition edition (8 April 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0744582830
  • ISBN-13: 978-0744582833
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 649,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review
"An absorbing family drama - "the Little Women of our times." * "The family relationships are convincingly portrayed with considerable insight. Her descriptions of the countryside, flowers and scenery and of emotions are vivid, but her real strengths lie in characterisation." School Librarian. * "The Little Women of our times." The Times * "A family saga to enthral." The Times Literary Supplement * "Vivid... Memorable." The Guardian

Product Description
Sisters of the Quantock Hills is the compelling saga of the lives and loves of four sisters - Frances, Julia, Gwen and Sarah Purcell - and their neighbours, the Mackenzies. Set during the early part of the last century, the series encompasses two World Wars, and the sisters' individual stories are told against the backdrop of major historical events happening at the time. Beautifully written, this acclaimed series is being reissued with stylish, modern covers and is sure to become a favourite with a whole new generation of young readers.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all time favourites, 18 Jun 2002
By cb (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Beckoning Hills (The Quantocks Quartet) (Paperback)
The Beckoning Hills has been one of my favourite books for over 10 years now. I've read all of the Quantock Quartet books, but this one is by far the best, although the first one I read was the Silent Shore - the Dividing Sea and Beyond the Orchid House didn't appear until years later and I only found them by accident.

Every time I read the Beckoning Hills I get a tingling spine (I'm a bit of a sucker for romantic books - not the sort of books where there's non-stop romance, but the sort where there's a thread of romance running all the way through but other stories around the romance).

If you like the love story between Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe then you'll love the romance between Frances and Gabriel - althought possibly I just like leading men to have a name beginning with a 'G'.

You should definitely read this book no matter how old you are - you'll love it.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3.0 out of 5 stars Charming family saga but not very challenging., 7 Jul 2009
By Script Angel (Solihull, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Beckoning Hills (The Quantocks Quartet) (Paperback)
The structure of this 2nd novel moves evenly through a ten year period as we see Frances develop as a woman and as an artist. The narrative opens very powerfully just after the death of Mrs Purcell as Frances struggles to retain Hillcrest as their family home. This opening section is set firmly at Hillcrest and allows us to meet the rest of the family and the Mackenzies.

However, with Frances so quickly going to study in London the piece begins to feel homeless and unsettled. The writing never really delves into the struggle or turmoil Frances goes through in London and her progression to an established, successful artist feels at times a little too easy. Her rather peaceful life painting in Somerset and continuously turning Gabriel down begins to feel a little monotonous and the piece feels plodding and rather lacking in any real narrative drive. From the driving force of the family (and of the narrative) Frances quickly becomes a rather inactive protagonist and it is Gabriel who seems to drive the action.

Frances is a strong character (at least in terms of will power) but there is never any real attempt to get inside her head. I was curious to know how Frances was affected by her artist life in London and why she felt so driven to return to Hillcrest and paint pretty landscapes rather than join the energetic, changing, lively artistic circle in town. That said, her final growing up which happens when she paints the wounded Fusiliers at Gabriel's hospital is a much more interesting psychological study.

Overall very charming if a bit slow and dull at times.


Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars The Beckoning Hills, 15 May 2008
By L. Sparling (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is a wonderful, beautiful book and the characters so real and well imagined that I was left feeling they were good friends of mine. Although a lot of the charm of this series is the way in which the same events are explored through different view-points, this book also works very well alone. The central character, Frances, is strong, determined and unconventional yet likeable and charming too, and it is a delight to see her struggling to overcome adversity and push herself to achieve her potential. Other interesting themes are the dynamics of family relationships and how these change when the sisters are orphaned and must accept a new guardian; and the way that people respond to a crisis, with the First World War providing challenge, alarm, danger and also escape and the chance of growth and independence. The central love story between Frances and her guardian's son Gabriel is a prime example of how the course of true love never runs smooth, but is so well handled that it does not feel cliched. A wonderful story, it made me want to go and visit Somerset straight away for the beautiful landscapes described in the book, and gave me a strange sadness that England is no longer how it used to be.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars timeless
Out of the 4 books, this has to be my favourite, a classic book that I have read many times, and each time it never fails. Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2000

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

  

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (460)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (162)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates