Beautiful Little Fools by Olivia Horrox

 This charming novel reminded me of The Beautiful Visit by Elizabeth Jane Howard, which is high praise indeed! Set in a fairy-tale like Cornwall setting in the 1930s, the heroine comes of age while the sinister drums of war beat in the background. The star-crossed love story, idyllic setting and well-rounded characters make this book a joy to read.

When the story begins, Elizabeth's parents have arranged a match with the ghastly eentrepreneur Charles Bonham. Luckily, her aunt is against this, and makes sure that she can go to the art college in Cornwall where she won a scholarship instead. However, Charles thinks that she has gone to finishing school!

In Cornwall, Elizabeth falls in with bohemian Nina, Eddie and Babs , and decides that the name 'Birdie' suits her better. Trouble looms, however, when she starts to have feelings for the heir to the manor, Alexander, and she also tries to help anguished Nina, who has her own problems. The friendship between Birdie and Nina is well-drawn, and so is the question of whether their conflicted relationships with men will break it up.

The main flaws with this novel are that it is a bit too old-fashioned for the era in some ways, and extremely modern in others. Birdie's parents arranging a marriage for her seems a bit far-fetched, considering that this is the 1930s, for example. I am also not sure that a lesbian woman would have called her girlfriend her 'partner' in the 1930s. Birdie herself seems to be well-aware of homosexuality, considering that she has had such a sheltered upbringing, although that's possible. These are my opinions, and minor details with the novel.

I look forward to more novels by Olivia Horrox.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.