Mixed Marriage

The Diary of a Portuguese Bride

By: Elizabeth Cadell

Narrated by: Alexandra Reynolds

Read by the great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Cadell, Alexandra Reynolds!

This is the diary of an English girl who falls in love with an eligible young Portuguese, Afonso. The bride recounts, vividly and hilariously, her and her mother's plans for an English country wedding, how they dealt with Uncle George (The Head of the Family), and their success in making sure that on her wedding day the church was filled with music and flowers (both officially banned due to the “mixed” marriage of a Catholic bridegroom and a Church of England bride). She subsequently finds herself living on a horse-rearing estate in a rural part of Portugal, coping with a truculent cook, a primitive kitchen (no electricity, no gas, no fly screens, no taps - unlike the stables, which were far more up-to-date) and watching a husband gradually turning into a horse before her eyes....

In Lisbon, a four-hour drive away, lived her husband's parents, his nine brothers and sisters, an unending procession of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and a large number of family servants. She recounts the ups and downs of the early months of her married life at Reinaldo, the family property which she struggles to make her own. Iron bedsteads, straw mattresses, and numerous pictures of the Holy Family gradually make way for chintz, bookshelves, and comfortable veranda furniture; chicken with rice and peppers is replaced by duck and lemon meringue, though a new young cook is swiftly appropriated by her mother-in-law, which could be thought of (but not by the writer) as a compliment. Friends and neighbours are also keenly observed in this light-hearted, observant and humorous account of a girl's path from an English country cottage and a London flat, to love, marriage, and motherhood on a traditional country estate in Portugal.

*Note, these titles contain the original, unabridged text exactly as the author first wrote it. Many later editions of Elizabeth Cadell's works were heavily abridged or changed.

©1963, 2017 Elizabeth Cadell (P)2018 The Heirs of Elizabeth Cadell

Very humorous

Superb narrator perfect for this extremely funny "diary" of a young English woman, engaged to marry a young man from Portugal, whose loving family is very large and very wealthy. Beginning with wedding preparations in England and continuing with married life in Portugal, cultural differences and assorted relatives cause occasional hilarity. The newlyweds are so delightful, as are the families, that this story is a pleasure to be enjoyed again and again.

My favorite book of all time!

Mixed Marriage is the diary of a Portuguese bride. This audio version is narrated by the talented Alexandra Reynolds, great granddaughter of Elizabeth Cadell.
The characters are often “very good, very sweet, very pious.” 😆 The diary dialogue is very cleverly written.
This is the most delicious of all Elizabeth Cadell’s books and the narration could not have been any more perfect

Mixed Marriage

I have read and loved Elizabeth Cadell since my mom first introduced me to her books when I was very young. I loved all of them.

When I was no longer able to read them, I listened to the audio form. They were lovely.. until Ms. Cadell's family started narrating them. 'Mixed Marriage' lost its spark and its lustre with thisy reading. I sadly couldn't get all the way through it.