Barbara Pym wrote Excellent Women in the 50s - in her 'first wave' of book writing (she also wrote in the 70s). It is the story of Mildred Lathbury, a 'spinster' aged about 30. Mildred lives a quiet life, involved in the church, having dinner with the curate and his sister, helping out with the jumble sale etc. But then the glamorous Mrs Napier and her husband Rocky come to live in the flat below and sweep her into their life for a while. Meanwhile the exotic Allegra Grey is also stirring things up at the Vicarage. In this book, I feel that Barbara Pym is writing from her experience of parish life and spinsterhood. She describes people's attitudes to the ...  Read the complete review

Barbara Pym , who wrote Excellent Women ,was born at the beginning of the last century ,1913 to be exact . I remember the sort of women she was writing about from my early childhood . Driven by duty , born to serve ,and be useful . As in all her stories she has many different characters in this one ,there is a subtle humour about them all. Miss Lathbury is a 30ish spinster , not having married interests herslf in other peoples lives . She lodges with Mrs Napier ,who is married to a sailor , His first name is Rockingham . Barbara Pym gives us a peek into the lives of the middle classes around the 40s and 50s quite ...  Read the complete review