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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Not for me, subject and writing style.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC
This is a wonderfully rich historical. fiction debut!
Chirstabel Seagrave's life is one tragedy after another. Her mother dies during child birth and her father dies in an accident when she is a small child.
Flossie is born to Christabel's stepmother and her father shortly before his death.
Digby is Christabel's cousin and is the child of her step-mother and uncle.
A whale beaches near their house in 1928 and they decide to use the ribs as a stage for the plays they put on with all the people visiting their house. Christa produces the plays and finds people to be in her productions.
This is a sweeping tail of coming of age for the 3 Seagrave children and their differing experiences during WWII. There is wonderful character development and setting and plot are very rich in their descriptions as well.
I look forward to more from Joanna Quinn!
This is a wonderfully rich historical. fiction debut!
Chirstabel Seagrave's life is one tragedy after another. Her mother dies during child birth and her father dies in an accident when she is a small child.
Flossie is born to Christabel's stepmother and her father shortly before his death.
Digby is Christabel's cousin and is the child of her step-mother and uncle.
A whale beaches near their house in 1928 and they decide to use the ribs as a stage for the plays they put on with all the people visiting their house. Christa produces the plays and finds people to be in her productions.
This is a sweeping tail of coming of age for the 3 Seagrave children and their differing experiences during WWII. There is wonderful character development and setting and plot are very rich in their descriptions as well.
I look forward to more from Joanna Quinn!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Generally speaking, I loved it!
I'm trying to get back into reading more fiction, and this is the first book I chose on this journey as I'm interested in the time period, and also I just really liked the cover design. Of the UK version of the book anyway.
It's an extensive, immersive story where you follow the three Seagrave siblings from childhood in the 1920s through to the end of WW2. You spend a lot of time with the characters, and as such, I grew very fond of them.This made dear Digby's death in the final few pages very emotional for me. It's very evocative of the time and place, and with nice little asides about the nature of a woman's role and what's expected of her at this time. I felt it conveyed some of the lesser known aspects and feelings about WW2 from the people who were living through it. The constant fear and exhaustion of it all. Just wanting it to end.
My only real criticism is the pacing. The first half of the book did tend to drag at times and is fairly slow paced in comparison to the second half, which is much more adventurous. I would have preferred some later parts of the book to be more extensive, and some of the earlier parts to be reduced.
I would have loved to spend some more time in Paris with Digby, Jean-Marc and Cristabel at the end. I also felt the aftermath of Digby's death was a little rushed, the book ends quite abruptly soon after. I would have liked more time dealing with that. I also loved Cristabel and Leon's relationship and would have liked to spend more time with them.
Also, it doesn't fit plot wise, but Flossie should have definitely eloped with Hans the German POW. He seemed far more fun that the boring Scottish preacher.
I'm trying to get back into reading more fiction, and this is the first book I chose on this journey as I'm interested in the time period, and also I just really liked the cover design. Of the UK version of the book anyway.
It's an extensive, immersive story where you follow the three Seagrave siblings from childhood in the 1920s through to the end of WW2. You spend a lot of time with the characters, and as such, I grew very fond of them.
My only real criticism is the pacing. The first half of the book did tend to drag at times and is fairly slow paced in comparison to the second half, which is much more adventurous. I would have preferred some later parts of the book to be more extensive, and some of the earlier parts to be reduced.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Felt like I was tricked into reading a WWII book when I REALLY wanted to read a WWI book but a good story anyway
What a gorgeous, evocative, emotional delight. Quinn takes something huge (WWII) and makes it achingly intimate, through the lives of delicately detailed characters. But it’s not really about war, and if just the idea of a WWII novel exhausts you (me), please read this for its joy and color. For its mix of innocence and narcissism, its contrast of realities. For all the literal and figurative drama of the stage, this book is quietly self-possessed and spectacular.
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated