Scott, Mary "The Long Honeymoon"

Scott, Mary "The Long Honeymoon" - 1963

Another book from the favourite author of my teenage days. These simple stories about a life on the other side of the world in a time before I was born still fascinate me.

In this case, there is Lee who marries the farmer Andrew and they hope to have a quiet life on their farm. However. Many of their friends take them up on their invitation to visit them and the life is not as quiet as they had thought it would be.

As always, Mary Scott puts a lot of humour into her stories, there are the usual neighbours, both nice and, uhm, not so nice, the former student friends who start a Shakespearean theatre group in the middle of nowhere, the helpful Maoris without whom the community couldn't survived. Like all her other stories, a nice and pleasant read.

From the back cover: (translated) "Honeymoon with obstacles
Living on a farm, riding over large paddocks, swimming in the beach surf - that has always been the wish of city girl Lee Connor. When she marries the young farmer Andrew Marsden, her dreams become reality. Full of expectation, the young couple moves into the old house, which belongs to the farm shortly after the wedding.
Lee and Andrew hadn't been stingy with invitations on their wedding to visit them on the farm, and this carelessness takes its revenge soon. After a few days, the first guests appear: the snobby Lawrence with his counterpart Grant, Miss Connor from Ireland, Lee's only aunt; even Andrews capricious cousin Sally arrives full of curiosity.
Lee is doing everything possible to ensure a pleasant stay for the farm guests. But the hopes for a nice honeymoon for Lee and Andrew dwindle from day to day."

Unfortunately, Mary Scott's books are out of print and only available second hand. I have heard in the meantime, that you can buy some of them as eBooks.