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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
A grim look at the aftermath of war, but gripping stories kept me going. Worth the effort
Wake is the story of 3 women over five days in November 1920
Setting – London 1920s
Backdrop – the horrors of WW1
For the full illustrated and quoted versionThe booktrail to 1920s London
It is a series of snapshots into their lives – three different women who at first appear to be unconnected but who are tied together in intricate and surprising ways.
The destruction and horror of war is the forth character in this story as well as being the backdrop and setting for the whole of the action. this one short paragraph – even out of context – sums up even just a hint at the hidden horrors of wartime -
"Without saying anything, each knows they will not speak of this. Nor the sight of this body, never, to anyone. No matter who may ask."
The writing is addictive and emotional and you know that you are being drawn in deeper to these women’s experiences. Meeting each one at such a traumatic stage of their lives is addictive and compelling.
The novel starts by introducing each character in turn and the changes of narrative seem unconnected, short empty chapters – but which later on you realise only add to the disconnected feel that makes up the lives of these women. These women have lost someone and something during the war and have lost most importantly a sense of who they are.
Day 4 of the 5 day is perhaps the most heartbreaking of the entire novel and is one which you will linger on as all the threads start to intertwine in ways they have not done before.
Wake is about understanding, rebuilding lives, renewing relationships, of letting go but never ever forgetting the sheer horror of war and the ripples of destruction it creates…
I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time I was reading this book. In a good way.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and loved how the three stories wove together. It was hard to believe the book only covered 5 days. There were a couple parts of the story I wasn't too fond of so I couldn't give it 5 stars but overall a very good book.
Superbly written, thoroughly engrossing and beautifully moving. This was a completely compelling novel about the aftershock of WW1 which is something rarely written about but in the context of the three main characters is compelling and poignant.
I received an ARC of this book.
Wake: 1) Emerge or cause to emerge from sleep 2) Ritual for the dead 3) Consequence or aftermath.
This definition is given in the description of the book and it is very fitting. This book follows three women over the course of a few days taking place a few years after WWI in England. Along with following these women are given glances into events revolving and preceding the stories of the women. The stories of these women are at first separate but soon you see how they are connected to each other.
Very good and well written. The characters are likable and the author writes them in a way that you can understand where they are coming from. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
Wake: 1) Emerge or cause to emerge from sleep 2) Ritual for the dead 3) Consequence or aftermath.
This definition is given in the description of the book and it is very fitting. This book follows three women over the course of a few days taking place a few years after WWI in England. Along with following these women are given glances into events revolving and preceding the stories of the women. The stories of these women are at first separate but soon you see how they are connected to each other.
Very good and well written. The characters are likable and the author writes them in a way that you can understand where they are coming from. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
This novel chronicles five days in the lives of three English women in 1920: Hettie, Evelyn, and Ada. As the story follows them, we are introduced to men in their lives who fought in the Great War. Hettie's brother is shell-shocked and mostly lost to her, though he came home. Evelyn's fiance didn't come home at all; nor did Ada's son. A fourth narrative thread follows the coffin of the Unknown Warrior as it is brought home from France. The strands of the story weave slowly toward the conclusion, braiding together as the reader presses on to discover who will meet whom and under what circumstances.
Given the story's early focus on daily details, pacing doesn't pick up until about halfway through, and the distant point of view kept me from feeling that I truly knew these women. They were pieces in a greater puzzle, but rarely came across as flesh-and-blood people, as unique individuals. The question of how their stories will converge maintains some tension, but somehow this book always seems to be not quite enough--not enough tension, not enough character layering, not enough payoff for the setup. The revelation scene is simply one character telling another character what happened during the war. The final scene, while putting forth the message that "life goes on," also dangles with a maddening lack of completion. I'm not one for neatly wrapped Happily Ever Afters, but this is too much.
The book contains some thought-provoking moments, some well-crafted sentences, and at least one character (Robin) I wanted to get to know better. But the sum of its parts is somehow underwhelming. It's one of those frustrating reads that leaves me wanting to feel more for the story yet unable to, without quite knowing why. Was this the author's intent? Does she leave her readers adrift to demonstrate the disconnections her characters feel in this time, this place--real disconnections that were felt in history by real people? If so, she succeeded and perhaps the book deserves four stars, after all. But three is a lukewarm recommendation, and lukewarm is what I feel after closing the cover of Wake.
Given the story's early focus on daily details, pacing doesn't pick up until about halfway through, and the distant point of view kept me from feeling that I truly knew these women. They were pieces in a greater puzzle, but rarely came across as flesh-and-blood people, as unique individuals. The question of how their stories will converge maintains some tension, but somehow this book always seems to be not quite enough--not enough tension, not enough character layering, not enough payoff for the setup. The revelation scene is simply one character telling another character what happened during the war. The final scene, while putting forth the message that "life goes on," also dangles with a maddening lack of completion. I'm not one for neatly wrapped Happily Ever Afters, but this is too much.
The book contains some thought-provoking moments, some well-crafted sentences, and at least one character (Robin) I wanted to get to know better. But the sum of its parts is somehow underwhelming. It's one of those frustrating reads that leaves me wanting to feel more for the story yet unable to, without quite knowing why. Was this the author's intent? Does she leave her readers adrift to demonstrate the disconnections her characters feel in this time, this place--real disconnections that were felt in history by real people? If so, she succeeded and perhaps the book deserves four stars, after all. But three is a lukewarm recommendation, and lukewarm is what I feel after closing the cover of Wake.
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Un bon 4,25/5 voire même 4,5/5 !
Pour un premier roman, j'ai trouvé l'ensemble très réussi : les personnages sont attachants et représentent différents milieux, j'ai découvert l'histoire autour de la création de la tombe du soldat inconnu britannique, et l'ambiance qui ressort de ce roman est à la fois émouvante et juste, sans pathos, avec des moments difficiles et d'autres plus légers. Le seul défaut : j'étais triste de quitter Hettie, Evelyn, Ada et tous ces personnages blessés, imparfaits mais terriblement humains.
Pour un premier roman, j'ai trouvé l'ensemble très réussi : les personnages sont attachants et représentent différents milieux, j'ai découvert l'histoire autour de la création de la tombe du soldat inconnu britannique, et l'ambiance qui ressort de ce roman est à la fois émouvante et juste, sans pathos, avec des moments difficiles et d'autres plus légers. Le seul défaut : j'étais triste de quitter Hettie, Evelyn, Ada et tous ces personnages blessés, imparfaits mais terriblement humains.