Can you recommend me a gentle and old fashioned page turner for a 70 year old?

[RoastieToastieReastie]

For a colleague who is in hospital who I know loves to read (so anything too obvious she will likely have read). I know she loves old fashioned type and happily ever after type books. She's read all the classics etc.

[kinkytoes]

Maeve Binchy? Or is that too gentle?

[RoastieToastieReastie]

So many great ideas to look into! Thank you so much. My main concern is if it's something she's already read as I know she's an avid library regular to borrow books so I might pick what are lesser known choices here.

She loves downton abbey and all those sorts of television programmes too so a gentle historical novel could be a good choice.

[Monica101]

The House at Riverton by Kate Morten might be good. Set in the 1920's. A bit of a dramatic ending but very Downton Abbey like.

[Monica101]

Actually depends how gentle it needs to be as there is a suicide in it. But overall not a heavy book.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

Any Kate Atkinson.

Any Catriona MacPherson (The Dandy Gilver detective series)

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

The Dandy Gilver books by Catriona MacPherson start just after the end of WWI. Dandy Gilver is the wife of Perthshire landed gentry. The period details seem very accurate.

[SenecaFalls]

The Isabel Dalhousie books by Alexander McCall Smith. They are set in Edinburgh (and sometimes other parts of Scotland). Isabel is a philosopher who sticks her nose in other people's business solves things.

[Bonywasawarriorwayayix]

How about Jeeves and Worcester?

[Quogwinkle]

Has anyone mentioned Barbara Pym? I think your friend might enjoy her novels.

[bootygirl]

The geurnsey potatoe society is very good.

[bootygirl]

The bridge stone gap series is a good series.

[RoastieToastieReastie]

Thank you all, I've decided to go for the guernsay potato book and will give it to her later this week. I've bookmarked a few of th options though as she's set for a long stay in hospital and then recovery at home.

[cressetmama]

Mary Stewart's novels, if she has not read them. Catherine Gaskin's novels are also lovely page turners, but they are I think OOP although available for Kindles.

[Billieslittlegem]

All Lynda Renham books are very good a light hearted as well as very funny. Ideal if you are in hospital. Croissants and jam is my favourite

[florentina1]

Patrick Wentworth writes the Miss Silver Mysteries and D E Stevenson writes funny books full of lovely characters. I m 70 and I really enjoy them.

[Wheels79]

I'd love to reread all the old Maeve Bincheys

[AnthonyPandy]

Anything by Miss Read, all quite gentle stories.

[florentina1]

I am of the same age and here is my last list for feel good and 'old fashioned'
Pomfret Towers
The Travels of Maudie Tipstaff
Enchanted April
The perfume collector
Hotel du Lac
Hello from the Gillespies
Mrs Sinclair suitcase
Venetia
The American Senator
Summer on the river
Authors
Margaret Forster
Edith Wharton
Elizabeth edmondson
Angela Thirkell

I don't know if she would prefer to listen rather than read, but I have the 24 book subscription from Audible which works out very reasonable. Without wishing to sound like an advert... Audible is great because you get books at your own pace and you return them if you don't enjoy them. Takes seconds to purchase and do the returns.

I am sometimes bedridden for a couple of days at a time, and Audible keeps me sane.

Just add,that I loved the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, but there are some very moving and tragic chapters in it.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

My 70+ dm enjoyed The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry recently.

[Themodernuriahheep]

Florentina, a Thirkell fan... How pleasant to meet you.

Have just given High Rising and a Wild Strawberries to SIL for Christmas.

.

[florentina1]

Hi Themo. I completely bury myself in nostalgic books. Just finished Wild Strawberries.

[Nearlyadoctor]

Kate Morton - The secret Keeper, set partly in 1941 and partly in 2011, thoroughly enjoyed it (as did my 74 yr old mum).

[kateandme]

the rosamund pilcher books are delicious.
Erica jame,jojo moyes,catherine alliot are all quite chick flick but with a bit more depth. also some of alan titchmarchs and veronica henry write well.
nora Roberts. trisha Ashley. Cecilia ahern.

[HappydaysArehere]

All The Light We Cannot See. It is lovely, a real story and it won the Pulitszer prize. Set in the Second World War, two parallel lives, one of a blind girl in France and an orphan boy growing up in an orphanage in Germany, link by link they join.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

My 81 year old mother has just read The Ex Wives Club by Deborah Moaggach and thoroughly enjoyed it.