A beautiful, simple, quiet novel that transcends time and place. It makes you stop and appreciate life, family and friends. Originally published in 1931, this book is still relevant and uplifting today.

Thank you Scribner and netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

THE FORTNIGHT IN SEPTEMBER by RC Sherriff is a charming, almost deceptively simple book about a family’s annual vacation. When I requested this book, I didn’t realize it was written in the 1930’s- but upon discovering this and reading the novel. I greatly enjoyed it!

This book offers a small peek into the life of a family on holiday and is compelling and enjoyable, leaving me to wonder what came next for the Stevens family and wishing them the best. I found the characters lovely and overall, the novel to be a fun escape from present day and real life.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review.

I was given an advanced copy of this text by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book! It helped me to re-evaluate what is important and focus on enjoying the little things. We all need a light read like this one in our lives.

What a delight to end the month of September by reading The Fortnight in September by R. C. Sherriff. Originally written in 1931, this book is a sweet testament to the times. The story is a simple one, about the Steven's family and their two week vacation by the sea. These folks are in love with their traditions and take great pleasure in revisiting all the same activities and settings of the previous years. That being said, we are privy to the thoughts and ponderings of each character and we learn of their personal struggles, desires, fears and dreams. The subtle nuances and thoughtful observations point to growth and impending change amidst the sameness.
This book is not high adventure, but if you feel the need to slow things down and enjoy the little things that make a life, this book is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC of The Fortnight in September.

Mr. Stevens is looking forward to sitting with his family that evening to go over their plans for their annual trip to Bognor Regis, a small seaside town. Since he and Mrs. Stevens went there for their honeymoon they’ve continued to stay at the same guesthouse run by Mrs. Huggett.

They realize that as the years have gone by their children are growing up and perhaps their time together as a family for a holiday may come to an end soon. Their young son Ernie will no doubt enjoy the holiday but Mary is a young woman testing her independence and Dick has embarked on his first job. So everything has to be perfect for this family holiday.

The train tickets have been purchased, the arrangements for who will take care of any mail or other home business while they are away have been sorted. Suitcases have been packed with care and now they can look forward to carefree days by the sea.

As the family settle into the guesthouse they once again wonder if maybe they should have gone to a new place. Mrs. Huggett’s guesthouse is showing signs of wear but they more they think about it, they know they wouldn’t go anywhere else. Mrs. Huggett seems frail and they can’t imagine having to tell her that they wouldn’t be back. No they can’t do that.

And so the family settles in to have a holiday filled with friendships new and old, a taste of romance, and days filled with the simple and enjoyable things in life.

As someone who loves to travel, I love the anticipation each family feels. Sometimes a bit of trepidation about all the things that need to happen but no matter we get to see what the holiday means for each one of the family members and you can’t help but find yourself thinking about vacations to come. A delightful read.

Originally published in 1931, R.C. Sherriff's The Fortnight in September introduces readers to the Stevens family and takes them along on the Stevens' annual two week vacation to the Bognor Regis, a seaside resort town on the southern coast of England. For anyone who has ever wondered how people vacationed nearly a century before and for those who like languidly paced novels about ordinary people living their ordinary lives, then The Fortnight in September might just be for you.

Perhaps what surprised me most about The Fortnight in September is how little has actually changed about vacationing in a century's time. In fact, I had to keep reminding myself that this novel was NOT written in modern times, albeit there are many instances to remind you of that - the novelty of cars and travel by train, the inability of the office to phone in while you are lazing on the beach and ruin a perfectly good seaside Saturday. But at the core of it all - the Stevens are just like any modern family anticipating and enjoying an annual trip. There's the build-up to the vacation, the excitement of getting there; there's the idolization of many days of fun in the sun to look forward to, and there's the eventually crestfallen faces as the final days of the trip draw in and the vacation comes to a close. I couldn't believe it when I discovered that the Stevens experience the exact same feelings and sentiments that I do whenever I go on vacation - look at me relating to this English fictional family from 90 years ago! Discovering the ways that vacationing has changed, yet indeed stayed the same, was the most entertaining and satisfying part of this little novel.

This book is quiet with a nonfiction-esque quality to it. The Stevens are ordinary, yet intriguing. They could be you or me, if we had lived 100 years ago. They are merely a middle class family enjoying two weeks by the sea together in the 1930s. Check out The Fortnight in September if you want to travel back in time and experience the way people used to rest, relax, and recoup.

This story was so charming! It focuses on the Stevens family and their day-to-day worries and thoughts while on holiday. I didn’t think I would like it as much because it’s more character driven, rather than plot heavy, but I really enjoyed it. I felt like they were relatable with all their thoughts and worries about life. Each character had things they were working through, such as, what should I do with my life, worrying about your job, falling in love.

I really liked the simplicity of this story. Life is mostly made up of small everyday moments, and somehow those add up to be the sum of your life. Those are the things that shape you and the decisions you make. This story is an example that those “little” moments are just as beautiful.

Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I found this book to be sweet, compelling, modern, angrifying, eclectic, electric, and static. This book doesn't use that many adjectives.

3.5 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com today.


Bognor is a small seaside town that bustles with excitement in the summertime. The Stevens family, mother Flossie, father Ernest, Mary - twenty, Dick - seventeen and the youngest Ernie, have been traveling to the Bognor seaside and staying in the same vacation home since Flossie and Ernest honeymooned.

Flossie is always apprehensive about the vacation. Ernest follows a tightly schemed schedule to make sure that everyone has a perfect time. Now the the children are older, they have their own ideas about what the vacation should be. And while they all have different plans, the vacation must be everything they expect.

A lovely little novel about a family with varied expectations about their annual trip to the seaside in England. It is beautifully written and layered with so much charm and depth. This is a leisurely story, not one that will keep you turning pages or on the edge of your seat. It is simple. This is a cup of tea and a wicker chair on your porch read. Enjoy.

Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own. The Fortnight in September was written in 1931 by R. C. Sherriff, a British author, and is being republished on September 7, 2021. It chronicles the 2 week beach vacation of the Stevens family and the highs and lows of their traditional trip.

While I didn't love this book, it was a simple and idyllic depiction of a typical 1930s trip to the shore for two weeks. I actually could connect with their highs and lows of preparing for the trip, ensuring everything is just right, and do everything they could to ensure a smooth and pleasant trip for everyone. There was also a theme of using the beach as a place to soul search, taking a break from real life to determine how you want to re-enter real life when you return. as the oldest son did in the book. This is a good book if you do love traditional English Literature, and old classics due to the dialogue and descriptive settings and mood.

I personally had a hard time getting into this book fully though.. There was really no plot, which was the author's point when you read the author's note. For me, that made it difficult to truly want to keep reading didn't like Also some of the phrases and comments were a bit antiquated and outdated. Therefore, the 3 star rating kind of balances out the good with the negatives!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this reissue of RC Sheriff's The Fortnight in September. This book feels somewhat timeless in the charm it holds in examining how things are both aways changing and remaining the same, such as the tradition of preparing for and going on a family vacation to the same place each year and yet becoming aware that with each year there are changes in the seaside town and within the family members. The book is slow paced, mostly internal thoughts for the family members, and yet I really connected with the pace and I think that was somewhat the intention of the book, to be steeped in minutia and thoughts about life and time passing and even the little secrets we keep that are just part of how families work. This was a welcome read on a Sunday afternoon, a different pace from thrillers and beach reads and all of the other books I tend to read (and enjoy) and I look forward to recommending this book to friends and readers who are seeking a calming, slow, reflective, and even joyful book about the little things.

review will be shared at https://www.instagram.com/pageus_of_books/ the week of September 5th.

Loved this book a wonderful read .Enjoyed getting to know the family the book put a smile on my face I will be recommending this rediscovered treasure.#netgalley #st.Martins books

I don't know why the publisher chose to reissue this lovely novel originally published in 1931 but I'm grateful for it. It's a gentle read about a middle class family of five- the Stevens- who travel to a now shabby guesthouse in Bognor Regis for two weeks every year. Mom and Dad came here on their honeymoon and cherish it as a chance to revisit good memories and enjoy time with their children, who are, naturally growing away from then. Mary who is 20 is working as a seamstress, Dick is at loose ends after finishing school, and Ernie, well, he's just a kid still. Nothing much happens but you might well recognize yourself or members of your own family in the Stevens. It's the sort of read that feels old fashioned for the lack of dysfunctionality- and that's a positive. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A very good read.

I found it very difficult to get investigated in either the story line or the characters. I forced myself to finish it but do not recommend it.

LOVED, absolutely loved. I didn't realize this was written in 1931 when I requested, but I'm so glad to have found it. My favorite author is Rosamunde Pilcher and this absolutely felt like reading something along those lines. Utterly charming.

Actually I didn't finish the book, I only read about six chapters before I realized how boring it was. The sameness of going on a vacation to the same place for 20 years, with the same routine just didn't do it for me. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. But it did move very slowly.

A simple, charming book that is as refreshing as a vacation. It provides a glimpse into the thoughts of the members of an "ordinary" family, who each has their own issues and worries while enjoying the simple pleasures of their annual seaside holiday. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is nothing quite like the experience of a family seaside vacation. This relatable novel is a breath of fresh air. I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As others have stated, this is a very slow moving book, set in and written in another era. Have you ever wondered what another person was thinking--all of their inner conversations? If so, this novel is a LOT like being in different people's heads--how they feel about interactions with certain others, etc. A bit bizarre but also a bit interesting. I admit to skipping around because I was bored at times; I had to keep reminding myself that maybe ordinary life is just this ordinary when seen from the outside.