Last year my stated goal was that I wanted to read all the historical fiction I read and all the Australian authors I read. I did pretty well at that until I went back to work, so now I am just trying to tidy up by sharing some mini reviews. Today I bring you mini reviews of two historical fiction novels I read towards the end of last year. To be fair, I could probably have just posted them individually as they are not really that mini!
The War Time Book Club by Kate Thompson
I had been meaning to read Kate Thompson for the longest time. Now that I have finally read her I will be meaning to read more of her books sooner rather than later. Part of the reason I enjoyed this book is the setting. I find the WWII history of the Channel Islands completely fascinating, given that it was the only part of the United Kingdom to be occupied by the Germans. This fascination started with books like the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society but continues with TV documentaries and more.
Grace Le Motte and Bea Rose are more than best friends. They grew up together on the island of Jersey, and Bea is involved with Grace's brother. The island is now occupied by the Germans, and soon the two women are finding whatever small ways they can to resist. For Grace, the local librarian, this means hiding books that the Germans have declared must be destroyed because of their content. For Bea, it means using her position at the post office for good, misdirecting mail and on occasion becoming privy to information that she probably shouldn't
As the war drags on, food and medicine supplies dwindle and so does morale. Grace starts a bookclub at the library where locals can come and hear a story under the watchful eyes of their German invaders.
We also meet many of the locals. Some, like the older men who work at the post office, take Grace under their wings and try to protect her from her own tendency to be a bit hot-headed and get into trouble. Others are young girls who start dating German soldiers, much to some people's disgust.
When both women catch the attention of the commander, their lives will be changed in ways that neither of them could have imagined.
This was an engrossing read, made all the better by the extensive author's notes that were included which gave extensive details about what the true events were, who were real people and so much more.
I am sharing this review with Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books and with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog.
The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jeffries
This book takes place on another island, but it couldn't be more different in setting. This time the island is Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known them. I was looking for a book that was set there before we went on holidays. I knew that we would be spending at least some of our time in the tea plantation area and so this felt like a good option.
I actually read most of this book on the way to Sri Lanka on the plane and then we carried it around all over the place to try and get the perfect photo!
After a whirlwind romance Gwendolyn Hooper marries Laurence, a handsome widower who owns a tea plantation in Ceylon. Her marriage means that she needs to uproot her whole life and move to a different country. She arrives in Galle, where the air is laden with unfamiliar scents and humidity. Also unfamiliar is the running of the big house on the tea plantation where there are servants with specific roles, rules about who can do what in the house and absolute rules about visiting the worker's homes on the plantation. Most unfamiliar is the brooding, inattentive and non communicative man who her husband has become, seemingly overnight.
Whilst Gwendolyn knows that Laurence is a widower, he hasn't exactly been honest about the death of his first wife, and he is in no mood to discuss the matter with his new wife. Then there is his spinster sister who seems intent on being as difficult as she can. Gwendolyn soon finds herself on the wrong side of the plantation manager, and caught up with an enigmatic Sinhalese man who her husband forbids her from seeing. It's all very dramatic.
Of course, the problem with keeping secrets is that the truth inevitably comes out, in the most dramatic way possible. The book is set in the late 1920s and there was an interesting twist in the tail of the book from a history of tea perspective.
Whilst I did enjoy the book, there were things that bothered me but I think they were meant to. For example, the way that the husband behaved with their friends and, in particular, his sister was all a bit odd. I absolutely enjoyed reading about life on the plantation, and it helped me visualise how the plantations operated when I was visiting the modern equivalent.
This was my first Dinah Jeffries book, and I see that she has an extensive backlist set in all kinds of different locations. At some point I will likely pick up another one. Maybe I should check if she has one set in our next holiday destination!
I am sharing both of these reviews with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. I gave both of these books 4/5 ratings but if I had to say which book I enjoyed more it would be The Wartime Library!
