Light Years

With an introduction by actress Joanna LumleyThe Light Years is the first novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard's bestselling five-part series, 'The Cazalet Chronicles'.Home Place, Sussex, 1937.For two unforgettable summers the Cazalets gathered together, safe from the advancing storm clouds of the Second World War. In the heart of the Sussex countryside these were still sunlit days of childish games, lavish family meals and picnics on the beach.This is the beginning.Howard's beautiful saga is the story of three generations of the Cazalet family. Their relatives, their children and their servants - and the fascinating triangle of their affairs . . .

As featured on BBC Radio 4 Open BookA modern classic, The Light Years is a story of twentieth-century English life in the countryside and the first in Elizabeth Jane Howard's extraordinary, bestselling family saga The Cazalet Chronicles.'She helps us to do the necessary thing - open our eyes and our hearts' - Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallEvery summer, the Cazalet brothers - Hugh, Edward and Rupert - return to the family home in the heart of the Sussex countryside with their wives and children. There, they are joined by their parents and unmarried sister Rachel to enjoy two blissful months of picnics, games, and excursions to the coast. But despite the idyllic setting, nothing can be done to soothe the siblings' heartache: Hugh is haunted by the ravages of the Great War, Edward is torn between his wife and his latest infidelity, and Rupert is in turmoil over his inability to please his demanding wife. Meanwhile, Rachel risks losing her only chance at happiness because of her unflinching loyalty to the family.'Charming, poignant and quite irresistible . . . to be cherished and shared' - The Times Continue the dazzling historical series with Marking Time and Confusion.