London Holiday by Richard Peck -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

London Holiday by Richard Peck

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

Mrs. Smith-Porter stood at the front window of her best bedroom fingering a strand of artificial pearls.

-- from London Holiday by Richard Peck.

London Holiday was published in 1998 and tells the story of three women, friends since childhood, who travel to London to rekindle their friendship and reimagine their lives. Sounds like just my cup of tea! I love a good coming-of-certain-age novel. 

I found a used copy when I stopped by one of my favorite friends of the library shops this week. I admit I waivered on buying it because Peck is a male author. Hen lit is usually written by women. Sexist of me, but there you have it. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from London Holiday:

Horrified, Julia saw there was a tent with folding chairs for family. Her heel dug spongy earth.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

Lesley Hockaday is a St. Louis society woman, Margo Mayhew a Chicago schoolteacher and the mother of a teenage daughter, and Julia Steadman a single, successful Manhattan interior designer. Best friends during their Missouri childhood, the passage of time, the thousands of miles between them, and the demands of family and careers have taken a toll on their friendship. When a shocking act of violence reminds them how precious life really is, the three friends decide it’s time for a reunion and embark on a long-awaited trip to London.

From the cozy confines of Mrs. Smith-Porter’s bed-and-breakfast, Lesley, Margo, and Julia enter a gracious world of high tea in the garden, antique markets, picture-perfect countryside, and unexpected romance. The London holiday presents them with more than a few surprises, becomes a journey of self-discovery and a chance to renew the bonds of friendship, and holds the promise of three new lives awaiting them.