He thought suddenly of Abingdon Pryory, that summer evening after dinner…Lord Stanmore rising to give a toast. Dear friends and gentle hearts. The words ran through his head like a litany as the taxi crawled through the traffic toward the railway station. Dear friends…gentle hearts…words so meaningless in this time — in this place.
(from A Future Arrived, page 193)
A Future Arrived, first published in 1985, is the last book in Phillip Rock’s trilogy about the Greville family of the English manor house Abingdon Pryor during World War I and World War II. I loved the first two books, The Passing Bells and Circles of Time, and given my attachment to the characters, I couldn’t help but love this one as well. A Future Arrived spans the years 1930 to 1940, focusing on Hitler’s rise to power and the outbreak of another world war. Rock once again focuses on Martin Rilke, world famous journalist and nephew of Hanna Greville, the Countess of Stanmore, with other beloved characters from the first two books making appearances.
However, two decades have passed since WWI and the events of the first novel, and the children of the men and women who came of age then take their place in the spotlight. Martin Rilke’s brother-in-law, Albert Thaxton, wants to be a journalist and follow in his footsteps, and the chaotic events prior to and including WWII offer plenty of opportunities. The Wood-Lacy twins, Jennifer and Victoria, as different as night and day, and their younger sister, Kate, along with Alexandra Greville’s son, Colin, and Charles Greville’s former student, Derek Ramsey, like their parents before them, are forced to learn about life and love in the midst of war.
A Future Arrived was a difficult book to put down, but at the same time, I didn’t want to rush through it because I knew I was going to have a hard time letting these characters go. Although I longed for more time with the characters I’d grown to love since the first book, I understood the need for the torch to be passed and to view the wartime struggles from the eyes of the characters at the forefront. At the same time, Rock also shows how those who remember the Great War deal with the prospect of another, and he continues to shine a light on social class, sexuality, and the role of women, which changed so much in response to WWI. The scope of this trilogy is so big, so ambitious, yet focusing on one family navigating the changes brought by two wars makes it manageable.
If I had one complaint about this book it would be that it seemed to cover too much time, too quickly. There were two books to get to know the other characters, but this is the only book that really focuses on the children and grandchildren, so the shift from their pre-teen years to their twenties occurs pretty fast. In fact, the first third or so of the book is set in 1930, with a single chapter to bring readers up to speed before Book 2, which begins in 1938. Yet, I loved the characters and the book anyway.
The period between the world wars was a tumultuous time, and Rock brilliantly captures the chaos in A Future Arrived. Of course, I couldn’t keep myself from crying as I ended this trilogy. These are characters I will not forget and stories that will linger in my mind for a long time. These are books that have made it on my list of favorites and my shelf of definite re-reads. They exemplify what I love the most about historical fiction and why I find this period in history so fascinating. This last installment was 450 pages, but it could easily have been longer and I wouldn’t have minded one bit.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours for having me on The Passing Bells trilogy tour. To follow the tour, click here.
Disclosure: I received A Future Arrived from William Morrow for review.
© 2013 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
A beautiful review, Anna. It was interestinf to meet the new like the new charactes, such as the twins, Jennifer and Victoria but I missed the older characters. I felt as you did when you said, “A Future Arrived was a difficult book to put down, but at the same time, I didn’t want to rush through it because I knew I was going to have a hard time letting these characters go”. I would have happily read another 100 pages!
This trilogy will be included in my favorite book of 2013, too. I happy you loved these books so much, Anna :o)
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I’m glad you loved these books, too! The older characters felt like old friends, so even while I enjoyed the glimpses, I wanted more. At least it didn’t prevent my loving the book.
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Yeah maybe…not much else to say today
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LOL, it’s a Monday, after all 😉
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It’s wonderful how this trilogy written almost thirty years ago has found a new audience with the simple help of new book covers and blog tours.
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I agree! I shudder to think that without the popularity of Downton Abbey (which I’ve yet to watch), the re-issues, and the blog tours, I would have missed out on some fantastic books.
However, part of me thinks these covers do a disservice to the books. They make them look like “women’s fiction,” but I think they would appeal to men as well with their strong male characters and the war scenes. In fact, the romance aspect really takes a backseat to everything else.
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I’ve been loving what I’ve been reading about this trilogy. I think I might get it for my mom for Mother’s Day.
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That would be the perfect gift!
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This book and series sound wonderful, Anna. It is a bit sad to say “goodbye” to characters you’ve gotten to know so well, although you can revisit them.
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I certainly will revisit them at some point. I loved them to much not to!
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I think you’ve convinced me to read these at some point…but it will have to be later.
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Well you can borrow them whenever you want!
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I’ve heard a lot of good things about this trilogy! I really want to read it!
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I bet you’d love it!
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How great that this one lived up to your expectations. It really says something about the writing that the author was able to keep up the attachment you had to the characters through three books.
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It definitely says a lot that I would re-read them, too.
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I really want to read this series. I missed the tour and I’m so bummed. Every review I’ve seen says this is great.
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I’m sorry you missed the tour, but I hope you make time to read them anyway. 🙂
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I know that feeling of wanting to read slowly because you don’t want to say goodbye to the characters. I love it when author’s are able to make me care for characters that way.
Thanks for being on the tour Anna! I’m featuring your review on TLC’s Facebook page today.
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Thank you! I really loved this trilogy and I wouldn’t have discovered it without the tour.
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I really have to check this trilogy out!
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Yes!! I think you’d love it!
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It’s great that the trilogy as a whole delivered. Usually there’s at least one stinker in the bunch 🙂
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That’s so true! I know some reviewers thought this was the weaker of the three, but I though they were all wonderful.
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