Marking Time

The second book in the landmark Cazalet Chronicles, previously a BBC radio and TV series. As war breaks out in Britain, Marking Time follows a family wondering if their lives will ever return to normal.

As war breaks out in Britain, Marking Time follows a family wondering if their lives will ever return to normal. The second book in the landmark Cazalet Chronicles, adapted into a BBC radio and TV series.

Beautifully and poignantly told, Marking Time is the second novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s bestselling family saga The Cazalet Chronicles, set during the onset of World War II.

'What magic transforms a book into a compelling, moving, unputdownable read? . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite Mistake

Home Place, Sussex, 1939. As the shadows of the Second World War roll in, banishing the sun-drenched days of childish games and trips to the coast, a new generation of Cazalets takes up the family’s story.

Louise, who dreams of becoming a great actress, finds herself facing the harsh reality that her parents have their own lives with secrets, passions and yearnings. Clary, an aspiring writer, learns that her beloved father, Rupert, is now missing somewhere on the shores of France. And sensitive, imaginative Polly feels stuck, haunted by her nightmares about the war.

‘She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts’ – Hilary Mantel, bestselling author of The Mirror and the Light

Marking Time is the second volume of the extraordinary Cazalet Chronicles and a perfect addition to your collection. Marking Time is followed by Confusion, the third book in the series.