I loved this quiet novel. The main character, Cathy Pennon, lives on an island in the Mediterranean referred to as 'the Next-Door Island,' when she's small and she loves it. When WWI rolls around, her family heads back to England and she never gets over the loss. She hates cold rainy England and longs to get back to the island, but has no means. She muddles her way through the years as a piss poor governess seeming to only enjoy playing poker and reading novels. After WWII she finds herself out of a job, and goes in search of the former Governor of the island, who has retired nearby. He gives her a key to a house he once owned there and the book ends, allowing one to hope that she'll finally go back. It's a lovely fancy to have, but hardly realistic. Still it made me ache for the sun and the sea and was beautiful. ( )

Possibly my least favorite of Margery Sharp's works, but it has redeeming qualities. ( )