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The Excitements

A Novel

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

""Irresistible...Filled with surprise, poignancy, and excitement, this is a surefire winner."" —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A brilliant and witty drama about two brave female World War II veterans who survived the unthinkable without ever losing their killer instinct...or their joie de vivre.

Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain's most treasured World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, popping up at commemorative events and history festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they're still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next "excitement."

This time it's a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d'honneur for their part in the liberation of France. And as always, they will be accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie.

Keen historian Archie has always been given to understand that his great aunts had relatively minor roles in the Women's Royal Navy and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, but that's only half the story. Both sisters are hiding far more than the usual "official secrets". There's a reason sweet Auntie Penny can dispatch a would-be mugger with an umbrella.

This trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans variously intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 30, 2023
      In this irresistible caper from Wray (a pseudonym for Proper Family series author Chrissie Manby), the past comes to bear on nonagenarian British WWII veteran sisters, Penny and Josephine Williamson. As the women prepare to receive yet another award for their service (this time for their help liberating France), their doting great-nephew, Archie, whisks them off to Paris, where his former lover happens to be auctioning off a spectacular jewelry collection belonging to the family of Josephine and Penny's childhood neighbors. Old vendettas emerge, and the sisters prepare to pull off a heist to settle some outstanding debts. As that adventure unfolds, Wray fills in the past 90-plus years of Penny and Josephine's lives, making readers privy to secrets that neither sister has dared to share with the other, particularly when it comes to their extracurricular activities during wartime. Keeping track of the shifting time periods can require close concentration, but the extra focus is worth it: Wray makes the Williamson sisters and their rich backstories leap off the page, successfully convincing readers that their joie de vivre has been a lifelong condition that shows no signs of letting up. Filled with surprise, poignancy, and excitement, this is a surefire winner.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Karen Cass narrates this charming novel. Penny and Josephine Williamson are invited to Paris--accompanied by their grand-nephew, Archie--to receive the Lgion d'honneur for their service in WWII. Throughout the story they reminisce over their wartime adventures. The women are in their 90s, but Cass makes it clear that they are feisty, a little quirky, and still game for any "excitements" Archie can arrange. Each has her own story, and Cass distinguishes each woman by personality and attitude, as well as timbre and intonation. Between flashbacks and the present time, Cass has a host of ancillary characters she deals with expertly, including a rogue, a hero, and the granddaughter of an admiral. Following the audiobook, there is an interview between the author and the woman who inspired the story. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      May 31, 2024

      Sisters Josephine and Penny Williamson, now in their 90s, are renowned as Britain's most beloved World War II veterans. They are spunky, witty, put together, and always on the lookout for their next "excitement." Most people, including their grandnephew Archie, think they played small roles in the Royal Navy and the nursing corps during the war. The truth is that they were both undercover operatives. On a trip to receive an award for their role in liberating France, secrets from the sisters' pasts emerge; the two intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off an outrageous caper. Though the sisters find themselves in many outlandish situations, they always brush themselves off with insouciant shrugs. The prolific Wray, who pens the "Proper Family" series under the name Christine Manby, offers a hilarious novel featuring two spunky nonagenarians who are not what they seem. Karen Cass provides the perfect narration, full of wit, humor, and vivacity. VERDICT Fans of Sabine Durrant's Sun Damage or Jacqueline Winspear's The White Lady will be delighted by this laugh-out-loud heist novel proving that age is just a number.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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