A Family That Keeps Growing

The Darling Buds of May

This flow traces the Larkins’ expanding household, from their large May family through Mariette’s false alarm to Ma’s new pregnancy and plans for travel.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Six Children The Six Children from "The Darling Buds of May". A Household in Motion Names with Meaning Pop Larkin recites the children’s names and remembers the reasons behind them.

The Six Children from "The Darling Buds of May". A Household in Motion Names with Meaning Pop Larkin recites the children’s names and remembers the reasons behind them.

A Household in Motion Names with Meaning Pop Larkin recites the children’s names and remembers the reasons behind them. The family’s size is presented as a source of pride and daily activity. A Shared Economy Children help with stalls, animals, and seasonal work. Family life is affectionate, but it is also organized around everyone contributing.

Mariette’s Possible Baby Mariette’s Possible Baby from "The Darling Buds of May". The Family Faces Uncertainty A New Possibility Ma tells Pop Larkin that Mariette Larkin expects a baby, while its father is uncertain.

Mariette’s Possible Baby from "The Darling Buds of May". The Family Faces Uncertainty A New Possibility Ma tells Pop Larkin that Mariette Larkin expects a baby, while its father is uncertain.

The Family Faces Uncertainty A New Possibility Ma tells Pop Larkin that Mariette Larkin expects a baby, while its father is uncertain. The announcement adds a complicated future to an already large household. Acceptance Without a Plan Pop responds with practical optimism and says the family will think of something. The news is treated as a change to absorb, not a crisis to condemn.

Mariette’s Engagement Mariette’s Engagement from "The Darling Buds of May". A New Household Ahead Marriage Agreed Pop Larkin agrees to Mariette Larkin’s marriage to Cedric Charlton, and the engagement is announced to the guests.

Mariette’s Engagement from "The Darling Buds of May". A New Household Ahead Marriage Agreed Pop Larkin agrees to Mariette Larkin’s marriage to Cedric Charlton, and the engagement is announced to the guests.

A New Household Ahead Marriage Agreed Pop Larkin agrees to Mariette Larkin’s marriage to Cedric Charlton, and the engagement is announced to the guests. The family gains a son-in-law while Mariette prepares to leave the parental home. Continuity and Change The wedding will establish a new household, but Pop promises continued support. Family growth involves both addition and separation.

The False Alarm and New News The False Alarm and New News from "The Darling Buds of May". A Reversal at Home One Pregnancy Ends Ma tells Pop Larkin that Mariette is not going to have a baby. The earlier uncertainty is dismissed as a false alarm.

The False Alarm and New News from "The Darling Buds of May". A Reversal at Home One Pregnancy Ends Ma tells Pop Larkin that Mariette is not going to have a baby. The earlier uncertainty is dismissed as a false alarm.

A Reversal at Home One Pregnancy Ends Ma tells Pop Larkin that Mariette is not going to have a baby. The earlier uncertainty is dismissed as a false alarm. Another Begins Ma then reveals that she herself is pregnant. The household’s next expansion comes from the long-standing relationship between Pop and Ma.

A Holiday with the Baby A Holiday with the Baby from "The Darling Buds of May". The Family Looks Outward A Larger Brood Travels Pop Larkin and Ma decide to take the whole family, including baby Oscar, to France.

A Holiday with the Baby from "The Darling Buds of May". The Family Looks Outward A Larger Brood Travels Pop Larkin and Ma decide to take the whole family, including baby Oscar, to France.

The Family Looks Outward A Larger Brood Travels Pop Larkin and Ma decide to take the whole family, including baby Oscar, to France. The family’s growth does not keep it rooted at the farm. Shared Curiosity Cedric Charlton’s childhood memories inspire the trip, while Pop’s enthusiasm turns it into a collective adventure. The household remains a unit even as it changes.

At the opening May drive

During the first drive through the May countryside

At the end of the gymkhana party

After the party, in the late-night kitchen

The rainy July morning nearly a year later