A Vicarage Christmas, A Vicarage Reunion, A Vicarage Wedding and A Vicarage Homecoming by Kate Hewitt

In this charming series of four contemporary novels set in the Lake District of northwest England, four sisters all deal with turning points in their lives, including jobs, romances, housing, and personal growth. The Holley sisters grew up in the Thornthwaite vicarage and have returned home in A Vicarage Christmas. They are all dismayed to learn that their parents, Roger and Ruth, plan to leave soon for missionary work in China.

Esther, Anna, Rachel, and the much younger Miriam cope with a number of serious issues, including an unexpected pregnancy, a possible divorce, stuttering, and unresolved grief. Local teacher Rachel is looking forward to a big wedding, a very large house, a puppy, and a family of her own. Sharp-tongued Esther is suddenly discontented with everything in her life. Quiet Anna realizes she must finally deal with her stuttering and some grief issues, while Miriam has been traveling the world, ending up in Australia before heading back to England to start over without a university degree or good job prospects.

I enjoyed listening to this series on audio, available from my public library on Hoopla, narrated by Hannah Curtis. I plan to look for more books by Kate Hewitt, especially if they’re narrated by Hannah Curtis.

Brenda