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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I really enjoyed this novel, which takes an intimate look at the lives of 4 young women attending the University of Oxford in 1920, a time in which they faced scrutiny and harassment from a some male scholars. We get to see how they navigate the social aspect of attending university while not being allowed to leave their college unattended. And we see what their lives looked like prior to the start of the academic year and what they did during The Great War and the effect that had on each of them. Miller’s writing is very compelling and it’s very easy to become invested in these young ladies, hoping they pass their examinations, and rooting for them in their romantic aspirations. Each of the 4 girls is unique and have different life experiences but they all form a fast friendship and companion ship which was endearing to read about. I enjoyed their complexity, their realness, how they learn, grow, and come to rely on each other not just because if their close proximity, but because they genuinely enjoy each others company.
The only thing I wanted was more of an insight into their academics, more scenes of them attending lectures and studying. But seeing their lives inside the college and outside in the city of Oxford and their hometowns was lovely, and it makes me want to visit Oxford to see all the wonderful places they talked about and inhabited. I actually enjoyed that this wasn’t strictly a biography of a few young women to attending Oxford at this time, rather, by having the main characters be fictional and based on real people and events and having some side characters be more heavily influenced on real people, it allowed for the story to explore many aspects of early 1920s society and culture without being bound by history.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Why is it that women must suppress the feelings that are inconvenient or threatening to men?”
“It seems to me that our mother’s are disappointed because we haven’t turned out to be just like them.”
“I do wonder if I am any good at it - friendship, I mean. It seems to come so easily to the rest of you.” … “Friendship is like this quilt - cozy mainly, but it can also be utterly stifling.”
4 to 4.5 stars
The only thing I wanted was more of an insight into their academics, more scenes of them attending lectures and studying. But seeing their lives inside the college and outside in the city of Oxford and their hometowns was lovely, and it makes me want to visit Oxford to see all the wonderful places they talked about and inhabited. I actually enjoyed that this wasn’t strictly a biography of a few young women to attending Oxford at this time, rather, by having the main characters be fictional and based on real people and events and having some side characters be more heavily influenced on real people, it allowed for the story to explore many aspects of early 1920s society and culture without being bound by history.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Why is it that women must suppress the feelings that are inconvenient or threatening to men?”
“It seems to me that our mother’s are disappointed because we haven’t turned out to be just like them.”
“I do wonder if I am any good at it - friendship, I mean. It seems to come so easily to the rest of you.” … “Friendship is like this quilt - cozy mainly, but it can also be utterly stifling.”
4 to 4.5 stars
I was enjoying this so much that I didn’t mind being stung by Spotify for an additional £10 so that I could complete it. Historically very interesting with a diverse cast of characters and a consistently evolving storyline with unexpected developments.
slow-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had a lot of potential but I struggled to connect with these characters and this story. It felt disjointed and all over the place. Lots of characters with a lot of interest but not alot of impact.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
Progressive Era, struggle for justice, trailblazer, women's challenges
Gelezen in Oxford toepasselijk genoeg!! Echt heel erg leuk geschreven, geweldige personages en er zit duidelijk grondig historisch onderzoek achter. Aanraderrrrr