Leslie Thomas - Arrivals & Departures

Review by Brian Lowen on show 22nd July 2010
Arrivals and Departures by Leslie Thomas
Another gem of a book from Leslie Thomas. Full of colourful characters you get to know and believe in.

The story centres around the little village of Bedmansworth which is close to Heathrow airport and suffers all the noise and fumes associated with a large airport. L T describes the conditions here brilliantly as the residents suffer in silence as each aircraft roars overhead.

The main character is an elderly American lady, Pearl Collingwood, who comes to England with her daughter ostensibly as tourists, but her real purpose is to research her deceased husband’s former life whilst stationed in England during the war. On their way by taxi to a London hotel she pretends to be taken ill and they divert to the little village of Bedmansworth and put up at the local inn. Pearl insists on staying on here much to the consternation, but later amusement of her daughter Rona.

Pearl soon becomes involved in the village and makes herself at home in her new environment while she starts her research into her late husband’s life, and loves, in this part of England. Her daughter meanwhile happily whiles away the time pursuing her hobby of sketching. When she meets Edward Richardson it is love at first sight for both of them, but at a distance, as Edward is married, but not happily. Edward is the operations manager of a large airline stationed at Heathrow and his job entails him flying off to all parts of the world to sort out problems as they arise and we follow him on some of his journeys. Edward makes arrangements for Rona to pursue her hobby by sketching in the terminal building. Their romance continues at a distance, hardly daring to touch one another until finally they fall into each other’s arms and spend one night of passion together, even though they realise it cannot go any further as Edward is still living with his wife Adele even though it is a stormy relationship.

Meanwhile L T brings other village characters into the story with a mixture of pathos, humour and unrequited love. I love the vivid description that the author gives to everyday things – read page 6 &7.

Pearl is later killed in a road accident and the funeral is held in the local church. She is buried in the graveyard, strangely close by the grave of the lover that her husband had when he was stationed here. Rona decides it is time to return home to America, but the night before she is due to leave, Edward arrives home to find a note from Adele saying she is leaving him.

And so we reach the final scene of the story with Edward saying goodbye to Rona at the airport. Read p.371 Well, do they get together? I can’t spoil the ending, but could just say all L T stories usually have a happy ending!
review by Brian