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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book. It is the story of a young woman, Emily, from a privileged background who rebels against her parents and upon attaining her 21st birthday joins the Women's Land Army in WWI England. Emily and the women she serves with form an alliance of strong, resilient women who are there for each other, in good times and bad.
A 2019 staff favorite recommended by Jane. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Svictory%20garden%20bowen__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
“And I’ll tell my mother that you are coming. It is my party after all.” “That’s my girl.” Robbie beamed. “Learning to show some spunk. I like that.” “You’re teaching me bad habits,” she said. “Not at all. I’m teaching you how to survive in this difficult world. You can’t be under your parents’ thumb forever. You have to take charge of your life now you’re going to be twenty-one.”
Can I just say I love that Emily stood up to her parents
and became a land girl. Emily now being 21 wanted to do something for her country. Her parents wanted her to do something more different like work in an office or as a governess. They thought with her schooling and her upbringing it was too belittling for their daughter to go work in the farms. I love that even though Emily came from a family that had money and could pretty much give her anything she wanted she still wanted to do things for herself. She didn’t want handouts. She’s a strong woman that wants to provide for herself no matter what. Emily goes through some trials through this book and with her strength and help from friends she gets through them.
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Rhys Bowen's writing. Her main characters are always well-developed (although sometimes her secondary characters are more caricature). They are always women, and they are always strong women - even if they don't seem to be in the beginning. Sometimes their is a bit too much of "bad things happen", but that's part of the charm, too.
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2.5 stars. This is a good beach read. Entirely predictable. The first 100 pages were almost painful to read, because they were so contrived and forced. But, it's a nice story for when you need something light to read.
This was a very quick read! I couldn’t put this down. The book follows Emily, a well to do girl who defies her parents and becomes a land girl. The adventures that await her are captivating and draws you in. I learned a lot while reading this book and really enjoyed it. It’s a different side of WWII and one that you don’t hear much of. The major lesson is don’t believe what you always hear.
Such a good story about a young woman during war time that finds herself volunteering as a land girl and falling in love with a pilot. She defies her parents, finds her strength, and makes friends that stand by her in thick and thin. Rhys Bowen is a beautifully gifted author. Can’t wait to read more.