Brave Nutritional World by Berenice de Courcy

Thanks to Eat This, Not That

Title: Brave Nutritional World 

Author: Berenice de Courcy

Publisher: Not known; but soon to be published in New York and then translated into 15 languages 

Source book: Prudence by Jilly Cooper

Berenice de Courcy is a forceful American writer who churns out best-sellers about raising one’s consciousness but still making the time to shave one’s legs (maybe she even finds the time to stuff mushrooms). She is ravishingly beautiful with a mane of black hair rippling down her back, and dresses in grey suede gauchos [guys! this is a wide legged cropped style of trousers] with a black Hermes belt. She doesn’t drink alcohol, and eats a macrobiotic diet (although that’s not readily available in the English Lake District circa 1978 where there’s not even a vegetarian option on the menu in the local restaurants).

Berenice is a big star in the United States. She claims she can’t cross the street without being mobbed. She lived with Ivan “Ace” Mulholland (he’s a well-known journalist who writes for The Sunday Times and has presented Panorama) for six months in New York City but he was on the rebound from his beloved wife who was tragically killed in a car crash.

Berenice arrives at Ace’s Lake District home unannounced. She expects to be welcomed with open arms but Ace has just fallen in love with his brother Pendel’s cast off girlfriend; the eponymous heroine, Prudence. Pru has been staying with the Mulhollands for several weeks; she arrived for a long weekend but developed a bad case of flu and had to stay on. The family is so disfunctional that Ace is the only one capable of nursing her. Berenice realises that Ace is interested in Pru, and that Pru is very interested in Ace, and makes sure to chase Pru back home to London.

Unfortunately for Berenice, Ace rushes off to London to declare his love for Pru. And Coleridge, one of the Mulholland Labradors, eats the expensive Hermes belt.

Thanks to The Field