The Ladies of Missalonghi

by Colleen McCullough

Book Overview

Sometimes fairy toles can come true-even for plain, shy spinsters like Missy Wright. Neither as pretty as cousin Alicianor as domineering as mother Drusilla, she seems doomed to aquiet life of near... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060157399
• ISBN13: 9780060157395
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 189 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great Book!!!!

I've read it twice now, and I still love it! I couldn't make myself put it down when I first read it. You are instantly drawn into the story! I highly recommend reading this book at least once! I'm sure you'll enjoy it too!

--Absolutely splendid--

THE LADIES OF MISSALONGHI is the story of Missy Wright, a 33 year-old-woman who has had a very dismal life. She lives with her widowed mother and maiden aunt in a small town called Byron in the Blue Mountains of Australia. The three ladies are part of the very large and self-important Hurlingford family. The story takes place shortly before World War I.The family members are very wealthy, and happen to own a lot of the land in and around the town of Byron. They also own most of the shops and stores in Byron. To be a Hurlingford is to be very tall and very blond. Missy who is brunette and a little shorter than the other family members is the exception to the rule. Also, Missy Wright, her mother and aunt are the poor relations who live in genteel poverty. Their brothers and uncles rule the family, and life for the widows and unmarried ladies is indeed drab. The ladies are not allowed to work outside the home, and their pride stops them from asking for financial help. The Hurlingford men are mean spirited and have taken advantage of their sisters and nieces in money matters and inheritance. Missy is so painfully thin that her body is that of a tall and skinny child. They live farther away from the other members of the family in a house called Missalonghi. Missy must walk a round trip of about 10 miles whatever she makes the shopping trip to town. Life starts to change for Missy when Una, a distant relative begins working in the Byron library. Una is divorced and apparently not welcomed by the wealthy Hurlingford clan. She befriends Missy and recommends books that are wonderfully romantic and causes the inexperienced Missy to dream of love. The appearance of a strong and forceful new man, who comes to Byron and buys property right under the noses of the Hurlingford men, also makes Missy aware that just maybe she could find love and happiness. Once she dares to dream she starts to live.My tape was beautifully read by Davina Porter. This story is so good that I listened to the entire book in just two sessions. It's entertaining and full of surprises!

An engaging story for everyone!

When this book was first published I was 13 years old. My parents read it along with everyone in their circle of friends. Both the men and women found it to be a delightful story they couldn't put down. Literally. The Friday night after my mother finished reading it she handed it to me and told me, her 13-year-old, "You don't have a bedtime tonight." I didn't stop until I was finished. Mom was right -- it was that good.

Fairy Tales Revisited

Missy Wright, a dull little brown wren of a spinster (thirty-three) lives an impoverished life with her mother and aunt. Members of a the Hurlingford dynasty, these three women and several others of their aunts and cousins have been forced into hard times, due to the greed of,mainly, the Hurlingford Men.Missy dares to dream of romance, and with the help of the assistant librarian, she begins to plot to "catch and marry" John Smith, a newcomer to Austalia's Blue Mountains. After Missy overhears her self-centered, about to be married cousin, Alicia, describe Missy, her mother and aunt in the most deprecating terms, Missy develops a backbone she thought she would never have. An unexplained illness takes Missy to a doctor and there, she devises the plan that will help her catch the elusive John Smith. In the meantime, a mysterious stranger has been buying shares in the Byron Bottling Company, creating havoc among the Hurlingfords. Una, the assistant librarian, helps Missy to develop her plan to wed Mr. Smith. After much persistence, Missy and John Smith are wed. It is only as the story unfolds in its delightful manner that it becomes known that John Smith is the majorty stock holder of the Byron Bottling Company, and in an unexpected twist, it becomes exceedingly clear who Una is, or was. Reading this book is as though you are watching a beautifully-done Technicolor film..in your mind, thought and heart.The characters are brought to life with the time-honored descriptive writing of Miss McCullough. This book can be read, and re-read, always finding a new thought, and a new way to believe that fairy tales and dreams can come true.

Still a wonderful story

After reading the reviews below, I had to revisit The Ladies of Missalonghi. Though I've read it a couple of times before I had to examine it in a new light and compare it to the Blue Castle by Montgomery. It has a lot of the same plot elements of The Blue Castle, yet I still find The Ladies of Missalonghi to be more appealing. McCullough's novel is less melodramatic, the characters are more appealing, and the coincidences less contrived. The Blue Castle might appeal more to a young adult, but as an older reader I found the social themes, the physical relationship, and the family interactions more interesting in The Ladies of Missalonghi. Don't let the other reviews put you off, this is a very pleasant story that I still enjoy. Read both and decide for yourself.