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mcsangel2's review against another edition
5.0
Book five of a series of five (not meant as stand alones; please start with #1 and read in order), but I hear that there will be a book six in 2019! Thank god, because I got totally sucked into this series!! And now I have to find something else to read....
nessia89's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mrdavid205's review against another edition
5.0
This was an eminently satisfying finish to a marvellous series of books. The War at Home has used the minutely researched backdrop of the home front to create an epic saga. The characters were believable and in most cases sympathetic. Even when they weren't sympathetic their actions were understandable. They developed and changed throughout the books realistically and logically given the situation. At the end of the war, however, there are a number of issues left unresolved. Is this a deliberate decision to leave the reader wondering about a few things, or is it (hopefully) an indication that there is a possibility of more stories involving the Hunters? Time will tell, but fingers crossed.
komet2020's review against another edition
5.0
"TILL THE BOYS COME HOME" I finished reading several minutes ago. Reading it was like riding at times a boat down white water rapids. There would be moments of calm, and then -- WHOOM! tragedy and devastating sadness.
The novel carries the reader across the length and breadth of the year 1918. A year that started uncertain for Britain and many of the novel's main characters. The expectation was that Germany would launch a great offensive in the spring - now that Russia had withdrawn from the war, thus freeing up for Berlin several infantry divisions it could deploy on the Western Front against the British and French - and crush the Allies in a series of attacks before the Americans could enter in appreciable numbers to affect the outcome of the war. All the while, there is this war weariness that permeates every aspect of life both at the Front and in Britain, which is reflected in the Hunter family and their servants. There were a lot of ups and downs, as well as twists and turns in the story that caught me unawares. And -- along with Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' skill in making her characters come alive --- I was captivated with this novel. I simply had to know how everything would turn out. Now I need to catch my breath before reading Novel # 6 in the series.
The novel carries the reader across the length and breadth of the year 1918. A year that started uncertain for Britain and many of the novel's main characters. The expectation was that Germany would launch a great offensive in the spring - now that Russia had withdrawn from the war, thus freeing up for Berlin several infantry divisions it could deploy on the Western Front against the British and French - and crush the Allies in a series of attacks before the Americans could enter in appreciable numbers to affect the outcome of the war. All the while, there is this war weariness that permeates every aspect of life both at the Front and in Britain, which is reflected in the Hunter family and their servants. There were a lot of ups and downs, as well as twists and turns in the story that caught me unawares. And -- along with Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' skill in making her characters come alive --- I was captivated with this novel. I simply had to know how everything would turn out. Now I need to catch my breath before reading Novel # 6 in the series.
mrselizabethv's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
beedee's review
5.0
The fifth part in the series War at Home focused on The Hunter family during the period of World War I, years 1914-1918. I loved the previous four books and this one is not an exception. It is rare that the author is able to keep the reader attraction on the same level through several books. The story didn’t fade in any chapter. It was like living with the Hunters and being part of everything they went through during the wartime. The whole series is a beautiful picture of how everything can change over a period of five years. The picture of how the wartime can change so much, especially the WWI which brought the changes no one could think about before the year 1914. The Hunter family characters are very vivid, very true, very likeable to the point of their flaws. The same I would say about all characters surrounding them (including the servants, the village people and everyone who comes along). We see the war and the changing world through the eyes of each person introduced in the book. This was incredible, because not each author is able to introduce such a good impersonation of so many individualities.
This was the last book for the period of 1914-1918. I don’t know if the author is going to continue the series, but it would be great to see how the Hunters are adjusting in the New World after the war.
This was the last book for the period of 1914-1918. I don’t know if the author is going to continue the series, but it would be great to see how the Hunters are adjusting in the New World after the war.
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