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The Greengage Summer

rumer godden

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While the Grey family is visiting the battlefields of France, their mother becomes seriously ill. Their father is far away, busy with his work as an explorer. So thirteen year-old Cecil is left virtually alone with her brothers and sisters in a French chateau-hotel, owned by Mademoiselle Zizi. While Cecil watches from the sidelines, her beautiful older sister Joss falls in love with Eliot, the charming English gentleman who appoints himself the family's guardian. And while the greengages grow ripe and sweet in the sun, the sense of danger and mystery increases.

235 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1958

This edition

Format
235 pages, Paperback
Published
July 2, 2004 by Macmillan Children's Books
ISBN
9780330397377
ASIN
0330397370
Language
English

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About the author

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rumer godden

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Margaret Rumer Godden was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably Black Narcissus in 1947 and The River in 1951.
A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including Two Under the Indian Sun, a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of Bangladesh.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
26(26%)
4 stars
42(42%)
3 stars
31(31%)
2 stars
0(0%)
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99 reviews All reviews
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yuki_no_kuroi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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France

A curious book that straddles the border between juvenile and adult novel. Some passages are a bit shocking - at least I wasn't expecting them. The last few chapters are extremely exciting, and if the whole book had that kind of energy, it would have been more enjoyable, I think. It seemed, however, like things were spliced together. I was a bit disappointed by the sudden conclusion - just when things were getting interesting! - though it works quite well. Maybe I should read it again now that I grasp the whole picture better.
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Elydaline
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Loved the mood created by this book. The author beautifully captures the complicated feelings and experiences of children left unsupervised during a hot French summer. I loved seeing the adult world through the eyes of the 5 children (ages 4 to 16) with a focus on our narrator, a 13-year old girl named Cecil. It’s a coming of age story that turns into a mystery by the end with some high drama.
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Riskzz
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Five children are put up in a hotel in France after their mother falls desperately ill and is hospitalized. They are to name this time period, "Greengage Summer" after all the plums they ate in the hotel orchard.
Here at the hotel there is intrigue, mystery, love affairs and coming of age angst, as well as peaceful days of summer exploration.

While it seems like this is a book for kids, it's not really, as it deals with some rather adult themes. Nothing explicit but a child would be puzzled as to what is going on.

Also, if one knows French (I don't) there are French cuss words sprinkled throughout. I only know that because the dialog says that he cursed in French. It didn't really bother me because I didn't know the words anyway and just skipped over them.

Overall, another fine read from Rumer Godden.
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nekelluna
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I forced myself to pick this up before August ended because I knew it'd be a perfect summer read (and it was!!!), but I had NO idea I would love it as much as I did (I say this in every other review I write here but it's always such a pleasant surprise!).

I'm normally not a fan of coming-of-age novels or novels with children as the protagonists, but like "The Gypsy In The Parlor" by Margery Sharp (who has a very similar kind of lighthearted, subtle but potent humor I adore and CHERISH because it's actually kind of rare), it's told by the main character's older self.

Rumer's style of writing is so vivid and colorful and detailed that now I can basically tell my friends I went to France on vacation. The descriptions of Les Oeillets are absolutely gorgeous.

I was a bit surprised to see some people thought this book was "dark". In my opinion there were so many funny moments and it was written in such a charming, airy way (which by no means detracts from how well crafted it was), and one of the main reasons I enjoyed it so much. The scenes with boring old Uncle William, Hester and Willmouse (whose every line made me laugh out loud and whose name I might have to use for my future cat) were among some of my favorites, and even the darker moments weren't as dark as they'd be if written by a different author.

I also have to disagree with other people saying the first half of the book was too slow, because I actually preferred it to the more action packed second half - I loved exploring the hotel and seeing how it was run and walking through the town and meeting each and every character and going to French restaurants and churches - that honestly could've been the whole book for me and I'd still give it 5 stars. I also love the way Rumer weaved in Uncle William's commentary (whose every line, along with Willmouse, made me laugh - like when he introduces himself to the detectives with "My name is Bullock."). There was a lot of French in the book, which I don't speak, but the use of it here made sense to me, as almost all of the English characters didn't speak it either and it added to the fact they were outsiders.

I so look forward to reading more from Rumer Godden.
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fluskar
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I feel so much joy when I find a perfect coming of age book that is quite interesting, entertaining and at the same time deep!

I had this on my radar for a long time, it’s good I remembered this when I was craving summer books. I am not disappointed at all.

I read Rodden’s children fiction, and liked a lot. I was reluctant to start this considering some authors, when excellent in one genre, lack something in other genres. This was the case with Judy Bloom. I love lover her children books, but her every coming of age or YA was 2 stars for me.

I’ve been to France for about 4 times, but my experience was nothing compared to the one these children had. This was a perfect french summer holiday (considering). I would love to go back in history, during that time period, have this french vacation in the small french town, be part of it.

This book had its magic, and I am glad I managed to be bewitched by that french summery spell.

PS my edition had a forward by the author telling about what really happened, as this was partial memoir, and it was interesting to see how a real life transforms into a fiction.
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joeblow
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Note to anyone else who might want to read this. DON'T read the author's introduction until you've read the book. It contains spoilers. Unfortunately, I did, so I pretty much knew what would happen at the end before I really started the book. That said, it was well written, with very evocative descriptions, and it was possible to lose yourself in the place and time.
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Marvln
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I'm trying to come up with a definite time period for the setting of this novel. If Paul was a young child (perhaps five years old) when France was liberated (the summer of 1944) and assuming that he is around 18 at the time of the novel, then my best guess is that it would be set around 1957. It was published in 1958. Any further ideas?
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