In Blessing in Disguise Elvi introduced a single mother vicar, Venus, to a typically English village, Thurston. You can imagine she had a lot of folk to win over. Now Venus, well settled, is to marry the local doctor and add ‘community’ wife to her many roles. Elvi is such an accomplished author who makes her characters very real and Venus is quite a woman.
For Venus Stanton, the attractive young vicar of Thurston, life could not be better. When she first came to this traditional parish, with its beautiful church and conservative congregation, many people found it hard to accept a woman priest. After a tricky start, however, she is now accepted by most of her parishioners, even though some people cannot and will not recognise her. But vicars have their personal lives as well, although many people often forget this, and to the delight and surprise of the parish Venus is to marry Nigel, the doctor from the local practice. Her eleven-year old daughter Becky, after some misgivings, has accepted the idea and there is a joyous ceremony at the church, after which the happy pair set off for honeymoon in France. On their return, they try to settle down to their new life, but Venus soon finds that marriage, motherhood and her priestly duties do not always go together…
Elvi Rhodes was born and educated in Yorkshire, and now lives on the Sussex coast. She is the author of many bestselling novels including Opal, Doctor Rose, Ruth Appleby, The Golden Girls, Madeleine, The House of Bonneau, Cara's Land, The Rainbow Through the Rain, The Bright One, The Mountain, Portrait of Chloe, Spring Music, Midsummer Meeting, The Birthday Party, Mulberry Lane, A Blessing In Disguise and The Apple Tree.
