 | Hens dancing (2000)Venetia Summers appears to lead a fairytale existence with her husband and sons in her tumbledown Norfolk cottage. But when her husband walks out on them, not even the arrival of a new baby can make up for the sense of loss she feels. This novel follows Venetia's diaries over the course of a year. "I took Hens Dancing with me on a short trip to the UK and had finished it by the time I reached my hotel. Yes, I was the woman in the plane/train/bus who sat and giggled continuously! I was enchanted by the story but strongly recommend that it is read when alone, behind closed curtains and then you do not embarass yourself!" J.B. |
“A light, bright and optimistic read…throw yourself down on the sand, dive between those silken sheets or luxuriate on the shag-pile and enjoy it – I certainly did.”
Literary Review
“It should be read for the tranquilizing effect of Barker’s elegant glittering prose and the gentle mockery that greets Venetia’s endless mishaps…….a disarmingly wry and engaging narrator with a keen eye for nature and a shrewd insight into the follies of urban chic.”
Financial Times
“Barker is a talented comic writer…Perfect holiday read.”
Sunday Times
“I loved it. I couldn’t put it down…Barker is so good at drawing her characters and making them likeable that within about 10 pages you feel you know them intimately.”
Daily Express
“This charming novel overflows with eccentric characters…a satisfying mix of entertaining domestic disasters and musings on heels, hens and new love.”
Daily Mail