A review by avrilhj
The Dark Tide by Vera Brittain

4.0

This book is embarrassingly emotional and personal, which is why I read it. As a novel it deserves only three stars, if that, but as an autobiographical study of Vera Brittain it is brilliant, well worth five stars. I'm astounded that a book so revealing and with characters so obviously based on real people was able to be published; the industry was very different a century ago. And I understand why two of Brittain's fellow students ceremoniously burned their copy, and one of Brittain's tutors shook their hands on finding that out. But I'm very glad to have read it. As a description of female student life at Oxford a century ago it is fascinating.