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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this story. I thought it would be a little more fluffy/love story like. However, great depth and another reminder of what people go through in regards to wars impact. Don't get me wrong some lovely comic relief 1920's British style. Loved the audio recording as I do enjoy accents.
Helen Simonson's latest novel, which takes place in Rye, Sussex England in the days before WWI, reminds us not only of the futility and stupidity of war, but also of its arrogance. In the waning days of the Edwardian era, social class, race, and gender conventions dictate one's life circumstances and future. Even though the title implies the novel takes place before the war starts, the last half of the novel occurs at the beginning of the war, when those in titled positions are tapped for officer roles, those of the lower classes are considered expendable, and the gentry's wives and other women are relegated to highly constrained roles of support and they must navigate the gender politics of the time. The backdrop of the war adds an element of tragedy and poignancy to the novel, yet Simonson takes on the ridiculous social conventions of the time with a wicked sense of humor.
3.5 stars. An engaging and melancholy historical piece, but I’m inclined to agree with my Mom that the ending felt like a bit of a narrative out.
Starts out charming, culminates in the agony of the front, resolves wistfully. Very well done.
Although initially impatient with the book, and deducing one part was entirely predictable, nevertheless the pace picks up towards the end. The ending is poignant and as with all WW1 novels, heartbreaking in places. Beatrice is a bit of a prickly character, but I cannot imagine having to beg for £10 of my own money in a time when women were thought to be unable to manage their own finances.
Well-written historical fiction. Fascinating look into a small English town on the cusp of change just before the onset of World War I.
I thought his book was a pleasant enough way to pass some time, but I didn't find it much different from all the World War pieces I have read. I liked the main characters, but some of the secondary ones seemed more like stereotypes than fully fleshed out people. So overall fine, but likely forgettable.
This book isn't what I expected at all from just reading the blurb on the back. It wasn't a love story; it wasn't about a young girl fighting for her career; it wasn't about a quirky town coming to terms with the new strong, female lead. I could see people being disappointed in that it wasn't exactly what they were looking for. However, what you get is so much more.
It starts slow, there is no doubt about that, and Simonson sometimes used language and vocabulary that felt self-important and unnecessary. The characters are also really hard to love in the beginning. I honestly almost put the book down. By the time you get to the end, you realize how all that slog was entirely necessary. Simonson was able to show growth (or lack of) in her characters that didn't feel forced or out of nowhere, while still keeping true to the times (which I believe so many historical fiction authors do not).
So, if you're looking for a quick read, a nice romance, or a fun period drama, this really is not it. The novel details the reactions of war to the cast set in a small town and how some change, and others do not. It feels realistic, emotional, and satisfying.
It starts slow, there is no doubt about that, and Simonson sometimes used language and vocabulary that felt self-important and unnecessary. The characters are also really hard to love in the beginning. I honestly almost put the book down. By the time you get to the end, you realize how all that slog was entirely necessary. Simonson was able to show growth (or lack of) in her characters that didn't feel forced or out of nowhere, while still keeping true to the times (which I believe so many historical fiction authors do not).
So, if you're looking for a quick read, a nice romance, or a fun period drama, this really is not it. The novel details the reactions of war to the cast set in a small town and how some change, and others do not. It feels realistic, emotional, and satisfying.