So it's been a while since I first read this one, but I was happy to revisit it. My 2015 review says "I enjoyed this volume as much, if not more, than the three Miss Buncle books that preceded it," and I would say that holds true now too. It's sometimes referred to as "Miss Buncle #4," but it's really only tangentially related to the three Miss Buncle books: it takes place in a nearby village, shortly after the events of "The Two Mrs. Abbotts" (Miss Buncle #3, which we also recently read), during the Second World War, and some of the same characters make appearances here too (including, very briefly at the beginning, Miss Buncle/Mrs. Abbott herself). It's not entirely necessary to have read the earlier books first, but you will enjoy and appreciate the book more if you have.
"The Four Graces" are the four daughters of George Grace, the widowed vicar of Chevis Green: Elizabeth (Liz), the oldest, who is doing farm work on a nearby estate; Sarah (Sal), who keeps house for the family; Matilda (Tilly), who plays the organ at church, resists change and views outsiders with suspicion; and Adeline (Addie), the youngest, who has enlisted in the women's auxiliary service and lives in London. As I said in 2015, "The title may be just slightly misleading, as we don't actually see a lot of Addie in the book; most of the adventures that unfold revolve around the three older sisters, and Sal and Liz in particular."
The Graces' cozy life together is disrupted, first by the arrival of a boarder -- an archeologist named William Single; then by a local soldier, Roderick Herd, who appears to be interested in one of the sisters (but which one??) -- and finally (and most annoyingly) by the arrival of Aunt Rona, the wife of their late mother's late brother, who has been bombed out of her home in London. It soon becomes apparent she is looking for a new husband as well as a new home. ;)
This book is a favourite of many DES fans, and while my longtime favourite remains "The Baker's Daughter," this one ranks up there too. :) Re-reading it, I did notice a few flaws -- aside from a few ALI/CNBC triggers (see my note below), I winced a little at some of the dated attitudes -- for example, Roddy's refusal to take "no" for an answer, and the scene where Tilly enters an ankle competition (!) at a local fete and listens to the "judges" commenting on her physique. The dialects used by the working-class locals, faithfully reproduced by the author, can be a little hard to wade through at times.
But I love the easy camaraderie among the four sisters, their loving relationship with their gentle father, the quiet strength of William, and the insights into everyday life on the homefront during the war.
My original 2015 blog review was written before I joined Goodreads in 2016 and started assigning star ratings; however, I did log it retroactively and gave it 4 stars then. That rating stands.
I'll count this book as a(nother) re-read after our group read concludes.
ALI/CNBC content warnings: There are a couple of wince-inducing passages in this book (which I detailed in my original 2015 review), including the traditional happy ending. Not enough to make me abandon the book, then or now, but your mileage may vary, depending on where you are in your journey -- caveat emptor.
This was Book #4 read to date in 2026 (and Book #3 finished in February), bringing me to 10% of my 2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 40 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) on track (for the first time in a while...!) to meet my goal. :) You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2026 tagged as "2026 books."
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