Scan barcode
A review by whatmeganreads
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson
5.0
Five stars for The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club!
After way too many recent DNFs, it was such a joy to start this novel and immediately be swept away. This one packs such a girl-power punch! I enjoyed the deeper dive into a slice of time I was aware of but completely unfamiliar with: the years immediately following WWI.
Much attention is given to the years of active combat, but you don’t find too much about the dragging efforts of recovery and rebuilding after everything is over. Women had been so empowered during the war, stepping up and filling all sorts of roles traditionally held by men….and then when the war is over, they were expected to quietly retreat back into what society viewed as their more subservient, traditional responsibilities.
The women in this novel were fighters - refusing to be pushed back into a box they no longer fit in. I found myself mentally cheering for Iris and Poppy and Tilly….but Constance (and Mrs. Fog!) stole my heart.
This one made me both tear up and laugh out loud. There were moments of high tension and high stakes, and everything doesn’t always end tied up in a pretty bow (which I think is more realistic anyway), but it’s ultimately so hopeful and uplifting. A perfect blend of heart and humor with weightier social and gender themes.
After way too many recent DNFs, it was such a joy to start this novel and immediately be swept away. This one packs such a girl-power punch! I enjoyed the deeper dive into a slice of time I was aware of but completely unfamiliar with: the years immediately following WWI.
Much attention is given to the years of active combat, but you don’t find too much about the dragging efforts of recovery and rebuilding after everything is over. Women had been so empowered during the war, stepping up and filling all sorts of roles traditionally held by men….and then when the war is over, they were expected to quietly retreat back into what society viewed as their more subservient, traditional responsibilities.
The women in this novel were fighters - refusing to be pushed back into a box they no longer fit in. I found myself mentally cheering for Iris and Poppy and Tilly….but Constance (and Mrs. Fog!) stole my heart.
This one made me both tear up and laugh out loud. There were moments of high tension and high stakes, and everything doesn’t always end tied up in a pretty bow (which I think is more realistic anyway), but it’s ultimately so hopeful and uplifting. A perfect blend of heart and humor with weightier social and gender themes.