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The Blessing
Nancy Mitford
#UE8662
Paperback, 242 pages; 2010 (1951)
$14.95
 Members' Price: $12.71
When Charles-Edouard de Valhubert bursts into Grace Allingham's life, he makes quite the impression with his dashing good looks, his charmingly accented English, and his devil-may-care attitude. After a whirlwind courtship, they marry; two weeks later, Charles-Edouard heads off to war--but not before leaving Grace pregnant with a little "blessing." When the war ends, Charles-Edouard returns to England just long enough to whisk Grace and their son, Sigismond, off to his ancestral home in France. For Grace, life among the wealthy in glittering, postwar Paris seems like a dream--until she learns that the French have a very laissez-faire attitude about marital fidelity. She flees Paris with Sigi in tow, hoping her departure will bring her wayward husband to heel. Unfortunately for Grace, Sigi has other plans. As shrewd as his father is charming, the Valhuberts' blessing quickly deduces that only a complete divorce of nuptial affection will ensure that he is spoiled properly by everyone involved. Nancy Mitford's renowned wit is honed to a precision point in this delightful comedy of manners that pits husband against wife, child against parent, and French against English. Très amusant!
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