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beckdelozier's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I didn’t realize this book was #2 of a trilogy but I think there was enough context to figure out relationships of the characters. I really only liked the Rosalie/Riva subplot line and then in the end, I liked how Florence found Rosalie and reunited the sisters together. However i did not care for Jack at all. I don’t think he was necessary to Florence’s character. She seemed like she knew what she wanted and then jack would undo everything. I don’t think he was necessary. He only got Florence out of France and that was really all he was good for. I found him really lame compared to all the strong female characters, but maybe I needed to read the first book.
ros1806's review against another edition
5.0
In 1925, Rosalie Delacroix runs away from Paris to become a dancer in Malta.
In 1944, Florence Baudin leaves France to travel to England, leaving behind a terrible secret and hoping to make a new life for herself.
Her estranged mother had left her with her two older sisters, in France but Florence is reunited with her once again.
Claudette is as unyielding as ever but asks Florence to try and locate her sister, Rosalie, whom she has not seen since she left Paris all those years ago.
So begins Florence's search for her aunt in the city and countryside of Malta.
In 1944, Florence Baudin leaves France to travel to England, leaving behind a terrible secret and hoping to make a new life for herself.
Her estranged mother had left her with her two older sisters, in France but Florence is reunited with her once again.
Claudette is as unyielding as ever but asks Florence to try and locate her sister, Rosalie, whom she has not seen since she left Paris all those years ago.
So begins Florence's search for her aunt in the city and countryside of Malta.
glrreid's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
ccxo's review against another edition
4.0
Review also on: https://clife.blog/2022/08/23/book-review-the-hidden-palace-by-dinah-jefferies/
I have not read the first novel in this series however that didn’t matter too much.
This novel is told in two different times. One, in 1925 where Rosalie runs away from home. Arriving in Malta she goes on to be a dancer for a club. She has ambitions to make something of herself despite the difficult times.
Second timeline being in 1944 England where this woman Florence gets to visit her estranged mother whilst trying to escape the horrendous war in France and has had to leave behind her two sisters.
It is an interesting different novel to what I normally read however it is a light read but at the same time it has elements of sadness, grief and loss.
Within this novel you are taken on an emotional journey of courage and determination. Very compelling indeed. Also, this has a beautiful cover I thought I should mention as it does indeed take you to another land.
I have not read the first novel in this series however that didn’t matter too much.
This novel is told in two different times. One, in 1925 where Rosalie runs away from home. Arriving in Malta she goes on to be a dancer for a club. She has ambitions to make something of herself despite the difficult times.
Second timeline being in 1944 England where this woman Florence gets to visit her estranged mother whilst trying to escape the horrendous war in France and has had to leave behind her two sisters.
It is an interesting different novel to what I normally read however it is a light read but at the same time it has elements of sadness, grief and loss.
Within this novel you are taken on an emotional journey of courage and determination. Very compelling indeed. Also, this has a beautiful cover I thought I should mention as it does indeed take you to another land.
brownflopsy's review against another edition
3.0
1944: Florence Baudin arrives in England with Jack, the SOE agent who helped her to escape from the dangers of war-torn France. She settles down in Jack's Devonshire cottage, unsure of their relationship, troubled by the fate of her sisters back in France, and feeling anxious about the reunion that awaits with her mother Claudette.
When she finally meets her mother some uncomfortable truths are confronted. Although their relationship is still very difficult, Florence promises help her mother tie up some loose ends of her own by going in search of her missing sister Rosalie, who Claudette has not seen since she ran away from home in 1923.
1923: Rosalie Delacroix flees Paris and arrives in Malta to live the life of a dancer in a back-street club, but life here for a single woman is not quite as easy as she thought it would be. Despite the beautiful surroundings, there are dangers that lurk deep in Malta's charming winding streets.
With only a faded letter to go on, Florence and Jack embark on a new adventure among the battered ruins of post-war Malta to find out what happened to Rosalie all those years ago...
The story is told in two timelines through the narrative of Florence from her return to England in 1944, and Rosalie's account of her life from her arrival in Malta in 1923, which flip back and forth until the threads of their stories collide in post-war Mdina.
I have not read the first book in this series, Daughters of War, which tells the tale of Florence and her sisters, and this did make it a little difficult to navigate Florence and Jack's side of the story at times, because so much of what happens here harks back to events in the previous book - so this is one where I do recommend you read book one first to get the most out of the 1943 onwards thread of the novel. However, Rosalie's tale is self-contained, so if you are happy to take the references to Florence and Jack's adventures without the depth of their back story, then you can read this as a standalone.
Florence and Jack's side of the tale mainly paints them as solvers of the mystery of Rosalie's disappearance, making it rather less captivating than Rosalie's, although Jefferies does a good job of using their return from France to explore the attitudes and conditions in England at the end of WWII, and the sections in Sicily when they gradually come to terms with what they mean to each other are enchanting.
For me, it is Rosalie's tale that has most of the romance, intrigue and menace from the way Jefferies immerses you completely in the bustling life of 1920's Malta and beyond. There is such a wonderful feeling of time and place that makes the most of the bohemian vibe around the dancing clubs and back street life of Valetta, and this contrasts beautifully with the ancient atmosphere and traditional attitudes of the older parts of the island. Rosalie herself is an intriguing character, and although she does make questionable decisions along the way, I loved her firebrand personality and determination to fight against injustice towards women, which comes through more and more as the years pass. It was fascinating to read so much detail about a location that held out against the Axis powers so bravely too.
As Florence and Rosalie's stories unfold, Jefferies cleverly echoes engaging themes between them, especially when touching on past trauma, difficult family relationships, and the rights of women. I also really enjoyed the slow-burn suspense as their story-lines come together and head off into heart-warming reconciliation country, while also leaving some threads to hook you into the next Daughters of War book.
If you enjoy evocative stories that use historical timelines well, particularly when it comes to the female characters, then The Hidden Palace is sure to please.
When she finally meets her mother some uncomfortable truths are confronted. Although their relationship is still very difficult, Florence promises help her mother tie up some loose ends of her own by going in search of her missing sister Rosalie, who Claudette has not seen since she ran away from home in 1923.
1923: Rosalie Delacroix flees Paris and arrives in Malta to live the life of a dancer in a back-street club, but life here for a single woman is not quite as easy as she thought it would be. Despite the beautiful surroundings, there are dangers that lurk deep in Malta's charming winding streets.
With only a faded letter to go on, Florence and Jack embark on a new adventure among the battered ruins of post-war Malta to find out what happened to Rosalie all those years ago...
The story is told in two timelines through the narrative of Florence from her return to England in 1944, and Rosalie's account of her life from her arrival in Malta in 1923, which flip back and forth until the threads of their stories collide in post-war Mdina.
I have not read the first book in this series, Daughters of War, which tells the tale of Florence and her sisters, and this did make it a little difficult to navigate Florence and Jack's side of the story at times, because so much of what happens here harks back to events in the previous book - so this is one where I do recommend you read book one first to get the most out of the 1943 onwards thread of the novel. However, Rosalie's tale is self-contained, so if you are happy to take the references to Florence and Jack's adventures without the depth of their back story, then you can read this as a standalone.
Florence and Jack's side of the tale mainly paints them as solvers of the mystery of Rosalie's disappearance, making it rather less captivating than Rosalie's, although Jefferies does a good job of using their return from France to explore the attitudes and conditions in England at the end of WWII, and the sections in Sicily when they gradually come to terms with what they mean to each other are enchanting.
For me, it is Rosalie's tale that has most of the romance, intrigue and menace from the way Jefferies immerses you completely in the bustling life of 1920's Malta and beyond. There is such a wonderful feeling of time and place that makes the most of the bohemian vibe around the dancing clubs and back street life of Valetta, and this contrasts beautifully with the ancient atmosphere and traditional attitudes of the older parts of the island. Rosalie herself is an intriguing character, and although she does make questionable decisions along the way, I loved her firebrand personality and determination to fight against injustice towards women, which comes through more and more as the years pass. It was fascinating to read so much detail about a location that held out against the Axis powers so bravely too.
As Florence and Rosalie's stories unfold, Jefferies cleverly echoes engaging themes between them, especially when touching on past trauma, difficult family relationships, and the rights of women. I also really enjoyed the slow-burn suspense as their story-lines come together and head off into heart-warming reconciliation country, while also leaving some threads to hook you into the next Daughters of War book.
If you enjoy evocative stories that use historical timelines well, particularly when it comes to the female characters, then The Hidden Palace is sure to please.
prof_shoff's review against another edition
2.0
Rather flat mix of historical fiction and overwrought plotting
parmeshawn's review against another edition
5.0
Every free moment I had was spent reading The Hidden Palace over the last week. Dinah Jefferies has an uncanny talent to tie two seemingly different story lines together, small details and all. I never knew how much I wanted to visit Malta! I couldn’t get enough of this book, and will be reading more from this series!
peachyteachy's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Poorly written. Historical aspects were contrived. She should have waited to write this after she was able to visit malta. The only reason I read this was because I was in Malta