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Quick answer: If you loved The Enchanted April, read Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, then Marlena de Blasi's A Thousand Days in Venice, then E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia, and Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford and Wives and Daughters and E.M. Forster's A Room with a View and Howards End. All are gentle, sunlit novels about escape.
Elizabeth von Arnim's The Enchanted April (1922) follows four women who rent an Italian castle. These picks share its charm.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows | Adult | readers who like letters and book clubs |
| A Thousand Days in Venice | Marlena de Blasi | Adult | love in Venice |
| Mapp and Lucia | E.F. Benson | Adult | readers who like social comedy |
| Cranford | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | classic small-town fiction |
| A Room with a View | E.M. Forster | Adult | classic Italy |
| Howards End | E.M. Forster | Adult | English class novels |
| Cold Comfort Farm | Stella Gibbons | Adult | readers who like satire |
| Diary of a Provincial Lady | E.M. Delafield | Adult | comic diary |
| Paris to the Moon | Adam Gopnik | Adult | essays on Paris |
| The Little Paris Bookshop | Nina George | Adult | healing by books |
| My Life in France | Julia Child | Adult | food memoir |
| Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | Adult | readers who love romance |
| Emma | Jane Austen | Adult | Austen's heroine |
| Eat a Peach | David Chang | Adult | chef memoirs |
| Wives and Daughters | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | gentle Victorian |
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Juliet Ashton exchanges letters with islanders who formed a book club during the German occupation. Warm and bookish.
Best for: readers who like letters and book clubs.
2. A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi
An American woman moves to Venice to marry a man she barely knows. Romantic and food-filled.
Best for: love in Venice.
3. Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson
Two rivals in an English seaside town battle for social supremacy. Sharp, funny and cozy.
Best for: readers who like social comedy.
4. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Gentle sketches of a small Victorian town run by women. A classic of village life.
Best for: classic small-town fiction.
5. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
A young Englishwoman travels to Florence and meets a free-spirited family. A classic of Italy and love.
Best for: classic Italy.
6. Howards End by E.M. Forster
Two families of different classes become entangled. Gentle, ironic and wise.
Best for: English class novels.
7. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Flora Poste goes to live with her relatives and sets about tidying up their lives. A hilarious parody.
Best for: readers who like satire.
8. Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
A 1930 diary of a gently chaotic English country household. Dry, funny and affectionate.
Best for: comic diary.
9. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
Gopnik writes about family life in Paris. Witty and elegant.
Best for: essays on Paris.
10. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
A bookseller prescribes books to heal readers and sails down the Seine. Sweet and sentimental.
Best for: healing by books.
11. My Life in France by Julia Child
Julia Child recalls discovering French cooking. Warm and enthusiastic.
Best for: food memoir.
12. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennet meets the proud Mr. Darcy in Austen's wittiest romance. A perfect pairing for Anne fans.
Best for: readers who love romance.
13. Emma by Jane Austen
A confident young woman meddles in matchmaking and learns about herself. Funny and kind.
Best for: Austen's heroine.
14. Eat a Peach by David Chang
The chef behind Momofuku describes his rise and his struggles with depression. Frank and funny.
Best for: chef memoirs.
15. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
A girl adjusts to a new stepmother and stepsister in a country town. Warm and observant.
Best for: gentle Victorian.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Enchanted April: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Enchanted April. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For comfort, read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. For travel, try A Thousand Days in Venice. For wit, pick Mapp and Lucia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Enchanted April?
Elizabeth von Arnim, in 1922.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 1992 film.
Where is it set?
An Italian castle.
Which book here is best for gentle Victorian?
Try Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, which suits readers looking for gentle Victorian.
Which book here is best for chef memoirs?
Try Eat a Peach by David Chang, which suits readers looking for chef memoirs.
Which book here is best for Austen's heroine?
Try Emma by Jane Austen, which suits readers looking for Austen's heroine.
Which book here is best for readers who love romance?
Try Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which suits readers looking for readers who love romance.