A review by nancyt
The Eights by Joanna Miller

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Primarily set at Oxford University in the early 1920s, it follows the fortunes of four undergraduates, part of the first group of women admitted to study for a full degree. Enrolled at St. Hugh’s college for women, the four are placed in adjacent rooms, a happenstance that leads to the gradual formation of strong bonds between them. There’s Beatrice from Bloomsbury, daughter of a prominent suffragette; Marianne a shy vicar’s daughter; Dora who’s still reeling from the loss of both her boyfriend and brother in the trenches of WW1; and irrepressible, glamourous socialite Otto.

The book not only focuses on the strength of female friendship, forged in a male-dominated and somewhat unwelcoming environment but it also highlights the ongoing effects of WW1 on both the town, country and its citizens. I enjoyed it and loved the post-war setting from a female point of view.