Book excerpt: The Larkin family’s rich spirit is tested when Pop has a heart attack in this series finale by the author of The Darling Buds of May. Pop Larkin enjoys the finer things in life, like good food and drink, but too much of it leads him to a mild heart attack. Placed on bedrest and an uncharacteristically strict diet, the family patriarch soon finds himself in low spirits. As nurses try their hand at helping Pop get well, Ma pursues alternative remedies. And Primrose, meanwhile, is in hot pursuit of the dashing Mr. Candy. But when it is discovered the government has plans to run a railroad through the Larkins’ home, it is all hands on deck as the Larkins, their community, and even Pop rise up to prove that the country way of life is always worth fighting for . . . Praise for the Pop Larkin Chronicles “The Larkins live—these novels please us by escaping definition.” —The Guardian “Like Wodehouse’s Jeeves, Bates’ Larkins must continue in their own delightful milieu—in this case the Kentish countryside.” —The New York Times