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A review by drianturner
The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen
3.0
This book was an enjoyable counter to the book I read prior to this one, the Underground Railroad. Definitely not one of the deepest reads you're going to have but, for me, a pleasurable read, all the same.
I love the late Edwardian era eg Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders. So I loved the setting, WWI: the end of Empire, or at least the realisation that the pre-War ideals wouldn't be the same again. And WWI has a lot to answer for. If the opposing powers hadn't been baying for war, and conflict had been avoided, then it's unlikely the Nazis would have risen to power in the years after.
I liked the themes of the book eg the futility of war and especially social class and the (limited) emancipation of women. Emily becomes a Land Girl and loves, and is loved, by her fellow workers. They can get along, even function as close friends, is an obvious indictment of class convention. Interestingly, Emily parent's are 'self-made' but still conform to the Victorian principles they aspired to growing up. We presume Emily will marry Justin. They both eschew the values they were brought up to support; and in Emily's case, ironically, she rises higher than her parents would ever have expected for her because she deliberately renounces those ideals.
What are the odds that the Lady of the Manor is the Susan in the diary? We begin to guess the connection before it is revealed. I thought this was too much of a coincidence but then Emily is living in Susan's cottage.
I thought the imitation of Emily's suspicion of attempted murder with Susan's allegation of murder was also a little contrived, but it didn't spoil the book for me.
I love the late Edwardian era eg Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders. So I loved the setting, WWI: the end of Empire, or at least the realisation that the pre-War ideals wouldn't be the same again. And WWI has a lot to answer for. If the opposing powers hadn't been baying for war, and conflict had been avoided, then it's unlikely the Nazis would have risen to power in the years after.
I liked the themes of the book eg the futility of war and especially social class and the (limited) emancipation of women. Emily becomes a Land Girl and loves, and is loved, by her fellow workers. They can get along, even function as close friends, is an obvious indictment of class convention. Interestingly, Emily parent's are 'self-made' but still conform to the Victorian principles they aspired to growing up. We presume Emily will marry Justin. They both eschew the values they were brought up to support; and in Emily's case, ironically, she rises higher than her parents would ever have expected for her because she deliberately renounces those ideals.
What are the odds that the Lady of the Manor is the Susan in the diary? We begin to guess the connection before it is revealed. I thought this was too much of a coincidence but then Emily is living in Susan's cottage.
I thought the imitation of Emily's suspicion of attempted murder with Susan's allegation of murder was also a little contrived, but it didn't spoil the book for me.