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yarm's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
An interesting read about a part of history that is not well known.
alisha_j's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
lorrietruck's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jacki_f's review
4.0
Full Disclosure: I was given a copy of The Girl From London to read and review (the author runs a local bookshop near me – she’s like our very own Ann Patchett) and whenever that happens I get a bit nervous. What if I don’t like it? Thankfully I can report that this is a really emotional and engaging read which I simply tore through. I’ve read a few books lately that I had to work at, but this was an easy read.
I also found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading it and wondering what was happening in their lives. I absolutely love it when that happens and it's how I know that a book has really got under my skin.
The novel unfolds in dual timeframes. In WW2 London, a young schoolteacher called Ruth volunteers to travel to Australia as an escort for children being evacuated for the duration of the war. I knew that children were sent out of the main British cities, but I didn’t appreciate that many were also evacuated to Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It's such a heartbreaking thing to imagine - sending your children so far away and not knowing when or if you would see them again. Ruth forms a connection with Frank who is one of her charges and this was very endearing to read.
Travel by sea during the war was fraught with danger, and Olivia Spooner has woven in a real event which happened in 1940. I love it when historical fiction teaches me about events that I didn’t know about and this book did that.
The book’s other timeframe is about Hazel who is the granddaughter of one of the characters. She’s travelling to London and she meets a man called Joe on the plane. If I’m honest this part of the book didn’t really do it for me – romance is not my genre – but it allowed us to find out how things worked out for Ruth and Frank. The ending was immensely moving as I realised how much I had come to care about them.
I also found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading it and wondering what was happening in their lives. I absolutely love it when that happens and it's how I know that a book has really got under my skin.
The novel unfolds in dual timeframes. In WW2 London, a young schoolteacher called Ruth volunteers to travel to Australia as an escort for children being evacuated for the duration of the war. I knew that children were sent out of the main British cities, but I didn’t appreciate that many were also evacuated to Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It's such a heartbreaking thing to imagine - sending your children so far away and not knowing when or if you would see them again. Ruth forms a connection with Frank who is one of her charges and this was very endearing to read.
Travel by sea during the war was fraught with danger, and Olivia Spooner has woven in a real event which happened in 1940. I love it when historical fiction teaches me about events that I didn’t know about and this book did that.
The book’s other timeframe is about Hazel who is the granddaughter of one of the characters. She’s travelling to London and she meets a man called Joe on the plane. If I’m honest this part of the book didn’t really do it for me – romance is not my genre – but it allowed us to find out how things worked out for Ruth and Frank. The ending was immensely moving as I realised how much I had come to care about them.
bookishspy's review
3.0
The start has a really interesting concept of escorting children overseas via ship to escape the WW2. Plus a modern POV travelling the opposite direction overseas at the same time
The characters at the beginning were really well rounded and drew me in! I loved the best friend of the 1940s POV! She was so fun in her scenes and I wanted to know more about her. I was also curious about the mother and what would happen to her. The FMCs fiance definitely had a lot of personality as well
It sounded like a really interesting adventure they were about to embark on!
But the three characters I was interested in had very little to do with the rest of the book, and when trying to connect with other characters such as Betty and Uma it just didn't click as much. I felt the writing wasn't as clear about later characters' feelings and intentions. The only character I did connect with more was Fergus because he was focused on quite a bit
The interesting part of the first leg of their trip was the meeting of their love interests, but both the FMCs and MMCs were unavailable in one way or other. This took some of the fun out of the relationships for me, though their meets were cute, and the 1940s POV had an enemies to lovers type of vibe!
With so much travel, this book kind of lost my interest at certain points, but the ending did bring back my attention! The way it ended was very different from how I expected it to end, and I love that in a book
Overall, The Girl from London had a good story with some loveable characters and cute love stories. It just wasn't the book for me, I think!
➛
The characters at the beginning were really well rounded and drew me in! I loved the best friend of the 1940s POV! She was so fun in her scenes and I wanted to know more about her. I was also curious about the mother and what would happen to her. The FMCs fiance definitely had a lot of personality as well
It sounded like a really interesting adventure they were about to embark on!
But the three characters I was interested in had very little to do with the rest of the book, and when trying to connect with other characters such as Betty and Uma it just didn't click as much. I felt the writing wasn't as clear about later characters' feelings and intentions. The only character I did connect with more was Fergus because he was focused on quite a bit
The interesting part of the first leg of their trip was the meeting of their love interests, but both the FMCs and MMCs were unavailable in one way or other. This took some of the fun out of the relationships for me, though their meets were cute, and the 1940s POV had an enemies to lovers type of vibe!
With so much travel, this book kind of lost my interest at certain points, but the ending did bring back my attention! The way it ended was very different from how I expected it to end, and I love that in a book
Overall, The Girl from London had a good story with some loveable characters and cute love stories. It just wasn't the book for me, I think!
➛
readwithbec_'s review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
PR PRODUCT: Thank you Tandem Collective, Olivia Spooner & Moa Press for the opportunity to be a part of this read-along.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this book and being a part of this read-along with Tandem Collective. The story follows a heart-wrenching narrative filled with a lot of love and loss which has been well written. I enjoyed the dual timeline of this book. It was my first time reading adult historical fiction, and it has sparked an interest in reading more from this genre!
Synopsis: London, 1940. Ruth, a young schoolteacher, volunteers as an escort helping to evacuate children from war-torn England to Australia and New Zealand. Her three-month voyage is fraught - their passage is perilous, and the children anxious and homesick. Nine-year-old Fergus is more troubled than most and Ruth forms an unexpected bond with the boy.It's not just Fergus who captures Ruth's attention. Bobby, a fellow volunteer who initially infuriates Ruth with his laidback charm, somehow gets under her skin and throws her ordered life into chaos.Tragedy strikes on their return voyage, when the Rangitane is attacked by German raiders. As the ship goes down, the surviving passengers are taken as prisoners of war aboard the German vessel. To the rest of the world, they are missing, presumed dead.New Zealand 2005. Hazel boards a plane to London, eager to explore Europe. Sitting next to her is a man named Joe. On her lap is a treasured book from her grandfather, Fergus. A book that will finally reveal Ruth's story.A captivating, heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.
★★★★☆
Thoughts: I enjoyed this book and being a part of this read-along with Tandem Collective. The story follows a heart-wrenching narrative filled with a lot of love and loss which has been well written. I enjoyed the dual timeline of this book. It was my first time reading adult historical fiction, and it has sparked an interest in reading more from this genre!
Synopsis: London, 1940. Ruth, a young schoolteacher, volunteers as an escort helping to evacuate children from war-torn England to Australia and New Zealand. Her three-month voyage is fraught - their passage is perilous, and the children anxious and homesick. Nine-year-old Fergus is more troubled than most and Ruth forms an unexpected bond with the boy.It's not just Fergus who captures Ruth's attention. Bobby, a fellow volunteer who initially infuriates Ruth with his laidback charm, somehow gets under her skin and throws her ordered life into chaos.Tragedy strikes on their return voyage, when the Rangitane is attacked by German raiders. As the ship goes down, the surviving passengers are taken as prisoners of war aboard the German vessel. To the rest of the world, they are missing, presumed dead.New Zealand 2005. Hazel boards a plane to London, eager to explore Europe. Sitting next to her is a man named Joe. On her lap is a treasured book from her grandfather, Fergus. A book that will finally reveal Ruth's story.A captivating, heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.
★★★★☆
piperhath's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
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? Yes
3.0
The Girl From London follows the story of Ruth, a young schoolteacher who volunteers as an escort to help evacuate children from Europe, down under to Australia and New Zealand during WWII. We also follow the story of Hazel, a young Kiwi who is traveling to the UK in 2005 and was gifted Ruth's story by her grandfather as a farewell present. Where will these two stories overlap?
Thank you so much to Tandem Collective Global and Moa Press for organising this read-along and for the copy of the book. This was, as always, so much fun! Now onto the review.
To quote my mum, this is "something different for you" and she's correct. Historical fiction books are not usually ones I reach for (so many good books, so little time) but this might just be the book that changes that narrative! I especially loved reading a book set around our neck of the woods, it made me feel more connected to the storyline and also felt homely.
As for the content itself, it was very informative. I knew little about the child evacuation program during WWII before reading this book so it expanded my knowledge on that. I also had no idea about the Rangitane tragedy so I spent a good hour browsing the internet for more information on that. I also loved Fergus, Betty, and Una's characters and wished we got to have more of their scenes throughout.
While I did enjoy the story as a whole, I did struggle to connect to the two main characters Ruth and Hazel. Maybe it's because I haven't had my around-the-world adventure yet. I also wasn't vibing with the whole "unavailable" trope in this story and kinda thought it was unnecessary, especially for Hazel's story. Like why can't they just be friends? Why must they always fall in love? The writing style was also a little sloppy but still had a good flow.
The ending was also quite enjoyable but I agree with other readers when they say the middle portion had little depth and at times didn't hold my attention.
Overall, this was still a really enjoyable book. It was very fast-paced and captivating. I'd recommend this book to any historical fiction lover or someone who wants to hear more stories from Down Under.
Thank you so much to Tandem Collective Global and Moa Press for organising this read-along and for the copy of the book. This was, as always, so much fun! Now onto the review.
To quote my mum, this is "something different for you" and she's correct. Historical fiction books are not usually ones I reach for (so many good books, so little time) but this might just be the book that changes that narrative! I especially loved reading a book set around our neck of the woods, it made me feel more connected to the storyline and also felt homely.
As for the content itself, it was very informative. I knew little about the child evacuation program during WWII before reading this book so it expanded my knowledge on that. I also had no idea about the Rangitane tragedy so I spent a good hour browsing the internet for more information on that. I also loved Fergus, Betty, and Una's characters and wished we got to have more of their scenes throughout.
While I did enjoy the story as a whole, I did struggle to connect to the two main characters Ruth and Hazel. Maybe it's because I haven't had my around-the-world adventure yet. I also wasn't vibing with the whole "unavailable" trope in this story and kinda thought it was unnecessary, especially for Hazel's story. Like why can't they just be friends? Why must they always fall in love? The writing style was also a little sloppy but still had a good flow.
The ending was also quite enjoyable but I agree with other readers when they say the middle portion had little depth and at times didn't hold my attention.
Overall, this was still a really enjoyable book. It was very fast-paced and captivating. I'd recommend this book to any historical fiction lover or someone who wants to hear more stories from Down Under.
karlis_library's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a fantastic historical fiction novel about love, war, identity resilience and friendship. Exploring the past and the present and how one can inform and influence the other. How we should follow our hearts and not what is expected of us in society. Along the way discovering more about the trials and tribulations of war on the seas. Based on real events this novel made me fall in love and care for the characters. I learnt more about WW2 and the evacuation of children. A brilliantly told story and one that I definitely recommend.
jeanettegtf's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
fast-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
5.0