The Darling Buds of May (novel) The Darling Buds of May (novel) The Darling Buds of May is a novella by British writer H. E. Bates, first published in 1958. It was the first of a series of five books about the Larkins, a rural family from Kent. Pop and Ma Larkin and their many children take joy in nature, each other's company, and almost constant feasts. Their only income is through selling scrap, picking strawberries, and selling farm animals or previous purchases that they've tired of. Nevertheless, they joyfully spend money on horses, cars, perfume, fine furniture, and holidays abroad. Pop Larkin opposes taxes and
A Moment in Time (novel) A Moment in Time (novel) A Moment in Time is a 1964 novel written by English author H. E. Bates. He based the setting for most of the story on Shopswyke House, a Georgian mansion in Tangmere, West Sussex to which Bates himself was assigned. In the summer of 1940, 19-year-old Elizabeth Cartwright lives a secluded and privileged life in a village in Kent. Her world is turned upside down with the arrival of a group of RAF officers who requisition her family home as a base. She immediately falls for Bill Ogilvie with an old sports-car, then marries 'Splodge'