Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books I Enjoyed that Were Outside My Comfort Zone (or books you’d like to read that are outside your comfort zone!) However, it might not be a surprise to see that I am going rogue. It's not the first time and it won't be the last.
Instead, in honour of the fact that today is Remembrance Day which commemorates the end of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, I am sharing ten books I have read that are either set either in or just after WWI.
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonsen - This book is set in the immediate aftermath of WWI and deals with the impact on society and for those who returned. I could have chosen The Summer Before the War too. I read both of these books earlier this year. (my review)
The House at the River's Edge by Rachel Burton - This book starts just before the outbreak of WWI. It is a dual timeline so we get to see what the legacy of the events that occurred were through the generations. (my review)
The Desert Nurse by Pamela Hart - Follows a young Australian woman who becomes a nurse in Egypt during WWI.
The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliet Blackwell - Another dual timeline, with the historical section being set in the Champagne area of France during WWI.
The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey- I used to read a lot of Ella Carey's books which are predominantly set in WWII. This one, however, is a WWI story. (My review)
When I Come Home Again by Caroline Scott - Set in the aftermath of WWI, this story looks at the impact of trauma on two men who both served. (my review)
In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl - I loved this book when I read it a number of years ago. This is another nurse story with a young Australian woman travelling to France to work in the field hospitals in France
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes - I had forgotten that this was a WWI story. It is set in occupied France and is another dual timeline story. (my review)
Black Diamonds by Kim Kelly - This book tells the story of a young man who goes to war but also of life on the home front with the woman he left behind. (my review)
The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally - Two sisters head off to become nurses in WWI.
Years ago I read Helen Simonson's debut novel Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (reviewed here) but it was only earlier this year that I finally picked up another book by her. I read The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club as part of Cook the Books (my review). I knew then that I had to read her only other book which is this one.
When I picked this book up from the library I was surprised by how big it was. At 592 pages this is a chunkster and yet, as I was reading it, I didn't feel like it was taking a long time to get through.
The book starts in 1914 when a young woman named Beatrice Nash moves to the town of Rye to take up a position teaching Latin in a small school. She has no choice but to take a job after her father passes away leaving his estate in trust for Beatrice, which surprises her because she thought that her father was proud of her independence and would have trusted her to be able to take car of her own interests. Instead, she must ask for money from the estate, people who do not like her independent nature, so she is often left with too little to survive on
There she meets the formidable Agatha Kent, who has gone out of her way to insist that Miss Nash is a suitable candidate for the role, despite some opposition from other town leaders. Beatrice also meets Hugh Grange, a young man who is studying to be a surgeon and his cousin Daniel who dreams of being a poet. Then there is the (in)famous author who she is helping will help publish her father's papers.
It doesn't take long for Beatrice to start seeing the villagers for what they are. As a single woman she must be very careful of her actions, lest her reputation be damaged. Already some are shocked that she has moved to the town. She also sees the petty jealousies, the feuds, the class divide and the double standards that are rife.
The most promising of her Latin students is a young man named Snout, who carries around a copy of the classics and reads Latin for fun. But even with Miss Nash's support, young Snout is unlikely to get to further education because his family are Romany gypsies. Whilst the town is happy to call on a Romany healer when they need, they are never going to be accept them as their own.
When the war begins, the town graciously agrees to take in some Belgian refugees out of the goodness of their hearts...kind of. It doesn't take long for the villagers to feel less generosity of spirit, especially when the parade to celebrate them goes wrong. Soon, at least one of the refugees is being ostracised, when she most needs support.
It is really when the boys of the town start enlisting and the rationing starts that being at war begins to feel real. At first, it is a bit like a game with the young men dressing up in uniforms.When they start to come home injured, or even not at all, the reality sets in. The last section of the book is heartbreaking and I did get emotional reading it. Gone are the languid summer evenings and dinner parties, to be replaced by hardship and loss, no matter which class of society you belong to.
Like all of Simonson's books so far this one is pretty deceptive as it doesn't feel like a lot is happening but when you look back a lot has happened! She is very adept at taking a small town and digging just under the surface so you see what is really underpinning town life and at exploring the different levels of society. She is also a master at the simmering slow burn romance which is integral to the story, but also almost a subplot.
Now I, like many others, wait however long it takes for Helen Simonson's next book to come out. You will likely hear the cheers from here when it is announced! I will have very high expectations given that I have loved all three of her previous books. I think, though, this one is my favourite of the three. This book is a 5/5 read for me!
I am sharing this review with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. This was one of the books that I nominated for the Big Books of Winter and also counts as one of my Big Books of Summer.
It seems impossible to me that it has been more than 14 years since I read Helen Simonson's first book Major Pettigrew's Last Stand which I reviewed here. I know that there has been another book since, which I haven't read, but as soon as I heard about this book I knew that I wanted to read it, so when it was chosen as the April/May selection for Cook the Books, it was serendipitous.
The year is 1919 and Britain is returning to normal after the end of WWI, whatever normal means.
During the war, Constance Haverhill ran a country estate. Now that the men are back from war, she has been asked to give up that role and the cottage that comes with it. Her employer, Lady Mercer, who was also sort of kind of a lifelong friend of her mother, is suggesting that she might become a governess, a thought that Constance dreads. She hopes to find a role as a bookkeeper or something similar. However, before that she has been asked to perform one last role - accompany Lady Mercer's mother, Mrs Fog, to holiday in Hazelbourne-by-the-Sea. What neither Constance or Lady Mercer know is that Mrs Fog has her own reasons for visiting the town, one that is bound to cause upset in due course.
There Constance meets Poppy Wirrall, daughter of local gentry, and they become firm friends. Poppy runs a taxi and delivery service where the drivers are all local women. She also runs a motorcycle club for women and wants to add a flying club. Like Constance, many of her drivers are facing the loss of their jobs due to the fact that they are seen as men's roles.
Constance also meet's Poppy's brother, Harris. He too is struggling with what the future looks like. He has friends who own an airfield but they won't allow him to fly due to his war injuries. The estate that he has now inherited is struggling, and the way of life that he would have expected to live before the war are pretty much gone. However, no-one seems to have told his mother who still lives extravagantly.
Harris struggles to adapt back to normal life, or as normal as it can be when you have lost part of your leg, but also the mental challenges, the shellshock and the survivors guilt. I am not normally someone who takes notice and shares quotes but there were two in this book from Harris that really stopped me in my reading tracks and take notice.
The CO was still with them at the forward base in Saint-Omer. By the time he disappeared during the Third Battle of Ypres, the numbers of dead had become numbing, the grief briefer.
Brief grief: always there was the moment of turning away, of giving up on straining to hear another engine coming home behind the hill. A sandwich or a hot pie chewed in silence and a cup of strong tea burning the throat. Then a quick wash and maybe a sleep. Because in the Flying Corps, the ritual was clear. To honour the men who did not come home in the evening, the dawn flight would go out uninterrupted.
In this second passage, Harris is speaking to Constance.
"It would be nice to think that something good might come out of all these years of misery," she said. "World peace is all very well, but for the average person - let us say the average woman - it would be nice to think there might be some enduring changes. Some additional respect, some freedom, some scope for a larger life."
and then a bit later
"What would you like to see come from these shadowed years of misery?" she asked as gently as she could. "You who have given the greatest sacrifice should design our future."
He laughed sharply, but his eyes, when he looked up from his cocoa, did not blaze with contempt. He took a moment to consider her question, turning it in his mind as if it was a think of many facets.
"Those who have given the greatest sacrifice are not here to speak," he said, his voice hoarse. "Those of us who are - Well, I must rack my brain every day to discover if I am a coward. If I made some decision to save myself. Because why else am I here and better men are gone?" He buried his head in his hands and made a low animal moan of pain.
Once again Helen Simonson has given us a book which feels lighthearted, and yet covers many serious topics including racism, the effects of war, class differences and social change, and asks questions like how should the end of WWI, or indeed any war, be commemorated the year after it ended. She does it with a gentle humour and wry observations about society and class. Now I need to go and find her last book, The Summer Before the War because I really have enjoyed both of her other books.
To be honest, I was a bit surprised when this book was announced as the Cook the Books selection because nothing on the cover, or in the blurb, suggests that it is foodie book. I mean, if the title had of been the the Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Fly Club Cafe, yes, but it wasn't. However, I needn't have worried because while it isn't foodie like a book about a cafe would be, there is plenty of food throughout the pages. I was keeping notes as I read through the book every time food was mentioned, and there were a lot, ranging from bacon and onion sandwiches to anchovy toast to blancmange. However, it was around half way through the book when I found what I was going to make.
The characters are sitting on the Palm Terrace of the hotel eating chocolate eclairs and drinking hot chocolate, waiting for the German submarine which has been left stranded on the beach to be destroyed.
"Ah yes, we are to be assaulted with the noise of that dreadful submarine on the beach being blown to pieces," said Lady Mercer as Klaus approached with a bouillon cup on a saucer. "But the young man assured us we only need cover our ears briefly. "
"Yes, madam," said the waiter. "I believe they expect to slice it in two with a single cannon blast. You will enjoy a front row view from here."
"Extraordinary," said Lady Mercer, in a voice that carried to all the neighbouring tables. "I can't imagine such a thing passing as entertainment in Brighton or in St-Tropez." Constance suppressed a grin, having never personally seen Lady Mercer leave her gardens in Surrey to visit the seaside either at home or abroad.
"I suppose it's entirely safe," said Mrs Fog. "Perhaps we should move away from the windows?"
"Nonsense, Mother, the view is in obvious demand." Indeed, there were more hotel guests and others crowding at the door and Klaus moved away to assist the undermanager in finding seats for the new arrivals.
Needless to say, things don't quite go to plan.
My husband has been asking me to make eclairs for the longest time, but I have been putting it off as I was a little bit intimidated at the thought. I have made choux pastry once before, but not eclairs, but now is the time for it to happen. I should mention that a bit further along in the passage, Lady Mercer swallows a piece of eclair awkwardly and nearly chokes. I hope that doesn't happen with hubby!
To make the eclairs I used Masterchef Australia winner Emelia Jackson's recipe from her book First, Cream the Butter and Sugar. On Masterchef she is known as the Choux Queen! I have posted about this book before here. I then used stabilised cream and chocolate ganache recipes that I have used in other recipes before to make the filling and topping.
I tried to make these as perfectly as I could, but as you probably recall I have said before, I am better at baking things that taste good rather than looking pretty. I tried to put lines on the baking tray so that I could pipe exactly 10cm long eclairs, but I couldn't see the lines against my tray so I ended up having to freehand them! Straight lines are not my forte!
This recipe made a LOT of eclair shells, way too many for 2 people, so I ended up freezing a lot of them. Maybe I will experiment with some other flavour combinations over the coming weeks. Watch this space. I suspect I will be asked to make the chantilly cream in that same way again. Robert, my husband, is very happy with all of it, but especially the cream! Happy husband!
Chocolate Eclairs
Choux Pastry
225g water 100g unsalted butter 1tspn caster sugar 1tspn salt 140g plain flour 265g whole eggs (about 5 large eggs), weight without shells
Preheat the oven to 150C (no fan). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
To make the dough, combine the water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rapid boil before adding the plain flour. Cook this roux stirring rapidly for 5-7 minutes or until a thick crust forms at the base of the saucepan - this ensures the flour is well hydrated and you achieve the most consistent results.
Transfer the hot roux to the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until all of the steam dissipates – this helps to evaporate off any excess moisture that could weigh down the choux, leaving you with the lightest possible pastry.
Start adding the eggs, a little bit at a time, and mix until the dough comes together to a silky, shiny batter. The dough should be firm enough to hold its shape, falling off your scraper when you lift it out of the bowl.
Transfer the choux to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle (approx 1.5cm diameter) and pipe each eclair around 10cm long, leaving ample space between them so they can spread and rise.
Bake the choux for at least 45 minutes before opening the oven door. Cook until a deep-golden, caramelised brown colour all over. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature.
Cut the eclairs in half then dip the top halves in the chocolate glaze. Cool in the fridge before filling with whipped cream using a piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle.
Chocolate Glaze
Finely chop 100g of dark chocolate. Heat 2/3 cup of cream and 3 teaspoons of glucose syrup until hot and then pour over the chocolate. Leave for 1 minute and then stir until thick and glossy.
Chantilly cream
Whip 3 cups of whipped cream, 1 cup of mascarpone, 1 and 2/3 cups of icing sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks form.
I am sharing this review with the Foodies Read challenge hosted at Based on a True Story, with the other participants in Cook the Books and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host!
I am very excited about the next selection which is Aimie K Runyan's A Bakery in Paris. At this stage I am planning to post about this book some time in July as part of Paris in July
Weekly meals
Saturday - Away Sunday - Away Monday - Nasi Goreng Tuesday - Sausages, mash, gravy and broccolini Wednesday - Spicy Beef Noodles (new) Thursday - Zucchin, Tomato and Parmesan Risotto Friday - Out for dinner
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
In the summer of 1914, Grace Villiers, her brother William, his friend Bertie and his sister Winn come together at Egerton Hall to enjoy long sunny afternoons, play croquet, read and just generally enjoy the country life before they all go their separate ways. Grace and Winn are planning to continue at Girton College, despite the fact that women can't obtain a degree, with Winn keen to advance the suffragette cause. Bertie is looking for what he wants to do. He is the third son in an aristocratic family and is at a bit of a loss, as is William. Into this close knit group, comes Algernon Lake, a published poet with something of a reputation. To say Grace is unimpressed is an understatement.
Everything is not as it seems at Egerton. Everyone is concerned about the news coming out of Europe, and what that might mean for both the immediate and long term future of them all. Soon Grace is spending more time with Algie, especially when he offers to help her to overcome her biggest fear of all. He wants to teach her to swim. Can she trust herself with this man?
And then war is declared, and everything changes.
Fast forward to 1997 and Barbara is reeling after the loss of her father due to stroke. For her mother, she has not only lost her beloved but she also now needs to move out of her home, as it was provided by Cambridge College where he was the master. Now he is gone, a new master will be appointed and the prospective master's wives are circling to take a closer look at what might be their new home. Fortunately her mother had inherited a home called Oakdene which she has never lived in it as it has always had tenants. Barbara had been intending to make a move to an apartment by herself, but it seems her mother has other plans for them both to move into the big house.
It turns out that Oakdene is literally falling apart around them, so they need to clear everything out to make way for expensive and lengthy repairs. They find a photo of two young men which appears to have been taken during WWI. On the back is the inscription The best of friends. The best of summers. Whilst her mum knows that one of the men is her father, she has no idea who the other is. Then they find a large trunk filled with letters, poems and a violin.
Barbara's grandparents love story is legendary among the family. They met, fell in love and married quickly during the war, but now things aren't quite adding up, and the reasons behind a long family feud are being revealed along with many other secrets. Barbara's academic daughter Penny is struggling to find what her dissertation is going to be about, so the discovery of a long lost poems by a war poet could give her the direction she needs. However, that may mean publicly revealing many of the secrets that they are discovering as they follow the trail of history back to WWI. Is this something that the family is ready for?
Woven through both storylines are a love of the violin and of poetry. Barbara's husband was an influential rock violinist and she also played, but she hasn't picked up the violin since he died. Maybe the discovery of the violin in the trunk will help her, and she can start to move on? Her daughter certainly thinks it is time.
I really thought the author did a great job of building up the tension at various points in the book, especially the historical timeline. You could feel the underlying tensions whilst the group were enjoying that last summer before the war was declared, in the wait for news, and then in the difficulties faced once the war was over.
There are some really big themes covered in this book including what it was like to be gay in Britain in the 1910s, the changes to society in the aftermath of The Great War, shell-shock, grief and so much more. However, the author balanced this nicely in both parts of the story, so whilst it was emotional at times, it was never overwhelming. I hadn't read Rachel Burton before but based on this book, I will be keeping an eye out for her books.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
The House at River's Edge
1914: Anticipating a long summer of freedom at her friend's family estate in Cambridge, Grace Villiers is disappointed by an unexpected addition to their party. Then the new arrival offers to teach Grace to swim, and she is forced to see there is more to Algernon Lake than his reputation. But, with war brewing across Europe, this will be a summer that changes everything.
1997: Following her father’s sudden death, Barbara finds herself living with her mother in a house that is, literally, falling down around them. As she tries to put their new home in order, she discovers a photograph of her grandfather as a young man with his friend – two soldiers at the start of the First World War. Setting aside her grief, Barbara becomes determined to uncover their story, hoping it will bring her closer to the family she feels slipping away.
But when her search for answers opens up truths she isn’t prepared for, Barbara will come to realise, some secrets may be best left alone.
Rachel Burton is the bestselling author of historical timeslip novels and romantic comedies. Rachel was born in Cambridge and studied Classics and English Literature before starting a career in law. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband, a variety of cats and far too many books.
Olivia Davenport and her parents are due to travel on the inaugural sailing of RMS Titanic. However, the week before departure Olivia contracts measles and her parents travel without her. When the 'unsinkable' Titanic hits an iceberg and does sink, she is left an orphan. She goes to live with the Fairchild family at Merriford Manor. There she learned to cope with her loss, often withdrawing into her own vivid imagination. However, she is determined to live her life to the best of her ability and so she is a very positive, very fanciful and spirited young lady, who manages to provide inspiration to those around her.
The Fairchilds do their best to accomodate the young girl but they are a very different to her own family. Whereas her own parents were tactile and joyful, the four Fairchild boys know that they are loved but are never shown any affection.The family is very correct, very wealthy, very upper class.
One of the things that helps Olivia during this time is the voice on the other side of the wall. At first, Olivia and Seth annoy each other mainly because they are confused by the fact that they can hear each other but they can't physically see each other. They gradually look forward to the conversations that they have through the wall.
We see Olivia as she grows from a young girl into a young woman. We see her fall in love for the first time, and we see her dreams for the future.
As the years pass, World War I looms, and the Fairchild boys head off to war, one by one. Being wealthy does not protect young men from German bullets so, once again, Olivia faces unimaginable grief and tragedy. But this time, Seth is no longer on the other side of the wall, until one day he is back.
In time, they figure out that while their worlds are fundamentally the same, there are differences. In Seth's world, the Titanic did hit the iceberg but assistance came in time and the ship didn't sink, therefore Olivia didn't come to live at Merriford. It would have been easy to make the alternative history one where everything was bright and breezy, but the author avoided that. WWI still happens in the alternate history. It is still a terrible time of great loss but the outcomes were ever so slightly different in the other world.
Seth and Olivia rely on each other in many ways and realise that their feelings are growing, but with their two worlds being so separate and different, how can they be happy in the future.
This book is best described as genre bending. Is it a strong historical fiction story about the years between the Titanic sinking and post WWI England? Yes, it is. Is it also fantasy with the magical realism and alternate timelines? Yes, it is that too. Is it an unconventionally romantic story? Yes, it is. Regardless of how you want to label it, it is a compelling, well told story which tells of the traumatic effects of tragedy and war and the changes in society that it heralded.
This is the second Jenni Keer book I have read and I really like the way that she plays with genre and structure, and still manages to pull together all the different strands to make it a truly satisfying reading experience. I still need to read At the Stroke of Midnight and work through the rest of her backlist, but I will also be eagerly anticipating whatever she comes up with next
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4.5/5
About the book
The House of Lost Whispers
On 15th April 1912, RMS Titanic sank and 1500 people lost their lives. But what if it had stayed afloat?
When the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic leaves thirteen-year-old Olivia Davenport orphaned, she’s sent to live with her guardians, the Fairchilds, in their huge Jacobean mansion – Merriford Manor. But the Fairchilds have more to worry about than a grieving young girl – with war in Europe imminent and four sons to protect.
Olivia feels alone and friendless. That is, until she hears a voice from behind the wall in her tower bedroom. A voice from a man called Seth. At first she thinks he’s a ghost. But it soon becomes clear that he lives in an overlapping world that is just a shudder in time away from her own. A world where the Titanic never sank… And everything since has been just slightly… different.
All Olivia wants is to find a way into his reality. And not just to see the faces of her beloved parents once again. But also to meet Seth. Who might just be the love of her life…
An utterly unforgettable reading group historical novel, that is part romance, part gripping mystery, and part completely heartbreaking First World War historical fiction. Perfect for fans of Titanic, In Memoriam and Lucinda Riley.
Jenni Keer lives in the glorious Suffolk countryside with her four grown up children, three demanding cats, but just the one husband. She is often frustrated by their inability to appreciate that when she's staring into space, she's actually working, and that watching television counts as research. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.
Keer has written two contemporary rom coms and five quirky historicals, with two more due out in 2025.
The best-selling No. 23 Burlington Square (her 1920s sliding doors mystery) has now sold over 100,000 copies.
Right now we seem to be going through a golden age for historical fiction set during WWII. Now, I am still more than happy to read it, but I know that there are plenty of people for whom there is such a thing of too much of a good thing. I therefore bring you a review of Far Across the Ocean by Suzie Hull which brings us some of the familiar themes such as the struggle of surviving war but this time it is the late 1900s through to WWI. And whilst a portion of the book is set in France, the rest of it is set in Madagascar and Bradford in England. I am not sure I have every read a book set in Madagascar.
Clara Haycroft was just a young girl when she and her missionary parents fled the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar due to an uprising against French colonial rule. When the boat sinks, Clara is separated from her younger sister and her parents and she is the only one to survive. Sent to recover from her injuries to her extended family in Bradford, Clara really isn't sure exactly what happened to her family. Clara's surname is changed to Thornton and she is bought up by her protective guardians, but she is reminded of her past every time she looks in the mirror and sees her scars.
When she is jilted at the altar, Clara decides that the time is right to find the truth, but her strict aunt is against the idea. Luckily, through business connections, she is able to arrange her journey accompanied by her maid. If only it wasn't also with an irritating, uptight and arrogant French man named Xavier Mourain.
Clara returns to Madagascar, but it does seem as though revisiting the past is raising more questions than answers. What did happen to her mother and younger sister? The trip does also bring some answers though, particularly as she warms to Xavier and soon they fall in love. They return to Xavier's home in France and settled down in married bliss, until reality interupts in the form of the German invasion of France.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved that the settings were out of the ordinary. I also enjoyed reading as Clara and her family overcame the challenges that were put in front of them through their tenacity and resourcefulness.
I hadn't heard of Suzie Hull before I was offered this blog tour. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her next book which will be partially set in Malta, and her debut novel, In This Foreign Land sounds good too!
Rating 4/5
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book for review purpose.
About the Book
Far Across The Ocean
Don't miss the next achingly romantic read from Suzie Hull, winner of the RNA Joan Hessayon award 2022
December 1913. Clara Thornton won't allow being jilted at the altar to squash her spirit. Against the wishes of her aunt and uncle, Clara decides to travel to Madagascar to learn more about the tragic shipwreck that took the lives of her missionary family, and marked her forever.
Clara is escorted abroad by Xavier Mourain, a handsome young merchant who works with her uncle. The two of them start off on the wrong foot, but Clara can't help but be drawn to the mysterious Frenchman who helps her unravel the mystery that has always haunted her. But as their love blossoms, war begins. And the world will never be the same again.
For Clara, all the answers seem to lie far across the ocean. But some of them might be closer than she thinks...
Award winning author Suzie Hull lives in Northern Ireland with her family and numerous rescue cats.
As a child she dreamt of being a ballet dancer but instead trained as a Montessori Nursery teacher and has spent the last thirty years working with children in a variety of settings. Suzie has always had an enduring passion for reading and history.
Suzie HulI won the RNA Joan Hessayon Award 2022 with her debut novel, In This Foreign Land.
Do you have authors that you don't really worry too much about reading the blurb to see what the book is going to be about because you know that you are going to read the book anyway? Ella Carey is one of those authors for me. Sometimes though, you get surprised and that has happened to me the last two times I read her books.
I started merrily reading along about the characters called Vianne who lived in Paris with her parents and loved fashion, until suddenly
this book is set during WWI and the immediate aftermath! Not in WWII, which is what I had assumed!
This book is the third book in the Daughters of New York trilogy which I think have consistently been Ella Carey's best books. We met Vianne in the first book where she was the trailblazing, successful businesswoman who provided inspiration to the main character, Lily Rose. Now, we learn Vianne's history, how she came to be who she is, and the events that shaped her.
Vianne lives with her parents in Paris. Her brother is off fighting, her older sister Anais is a battlefield nurse and her parents run a very successful antiques business. She has always been surrounded by beautiful things and she brings this love of beauty into her passion for designing clothes. More than anything she wants to work in the fashion industry. In the mean time, she designs dresses for her mother, sketching ideas for a career and life after the war is over that may never come to fruition.
In 1918, The family is gathered together for a rare celebration when tragedy strikes. Her sister and mother are killed in a bombing of their local church, and the tragedy breaks her father. Vianne singlehandedly keeps the antiques business running, until her brother comes home with a new wife and tells Vianne that she is no longer welcome in the family home or business.
Vianne decides to move to the bright lights of New York. Whilst on the ship, she has a chance meeting with influential society ladies who give her an introduction to the owner of an atelier (fashion house) in the city, and soon Vianne is making a name for herself as a designer.
Whilst living in New York brings success and a degree of freedom, there are still restrictions due to the differences in class between the women who work in the fashion house and those who are customers. One of those rules is that there can be no carousing with clients. This is bad news for Vianne who is instantly attracted to Giorgio, the son of one of her clients, and someone who is well out of her class.
As Vianne navigates the difference between class, a forbidden relationship, the cutthroat world of fashion and making a new life in a new country, suddenly there is news from home that changes everything.
I really enjoyed reading Vianne's story. We also got a few cameos from some of the older characters from the first book. I even enjoyed all the fashion talk. I am not that fussed about fashion at the best of times, and there have been times when I read books where the main character is a name dropping fashionista and I just feel a bit lost as they talk about famous designers, but while there was a lot of talk about fabric, patterns and accessories, it was still interesting to me in this book.
One of the thoughts that did cross my mind while I was reading is why aren't there more books that follow a character through both WW1 and WWII. I mean, Vianne is very young (let's say 18 or so) in 1918 then she would only be 39 at the commencement of the next war. Maybe it is that readers don't want to hear about people struggling through both of those experiences?
Rating 4/5
Thanks to Bookoutoure and Netgalley for my review copy
About the book:
Vianne rushes through the crowded streets of Paris as the German bombs begin to fall. As she rounds the corner she sees the familiar spires of the old church burst into flames. Too late, she realizes that her mother and sister are trapped inside…
Paris, 1918. The end of war is in sight, and young seamstress Vianne Mercier is longing for the day when she can stop sewing military uniforms and start creating the beautiful dresses that she has been dreaming up in her head.
But just when it seems like peace is within reach, Vianne’s mother and sister are killed in a terrible air raid. To make matters worse, Vianne’s brother has returned home a changed man. Controlling and cruel, he presents Vianne with an ultimatum; give up her dreams of becoming a designer, or be forced onto the streets, penniless and alone.
With nothing left for her in Paris but sad memories, she decides to sail for New York. Determined not to look back, she throws herself into her new life—spending her days sewing dresses for wealthy Upper East Side women, and her evenings dancing the Charleston to Duke Ellington in the new downtown clubs. When Vianne meets handsome Italian Giorgio Conti, he encourages her career, and she feels safe for the first time since she lost her family.
Then news of a terrible accident compels Vianne to suddenly return to France, where she discovers proof of a wartime secret that changes everything she thought she knew about her family. Facing the threat of sickness and ruin, the people who forced Vianne out of her home now suddenly need her help.
Will Vianne find the courage to follow her heart, return to New York and her life with Giorgio? Or will duty bind her to the family she had left behind and force her to remain in France?
From Amazon Charts bestseller Ella Carey comes an utterly gripping and emotional historical wartime novel about the terrible choices people made during humanity’s darkest days. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and The Nightingale will adore this novel.
About the Author:
Ella Carey is the USA Today and Amazon charts bestselling author of eight novels of historical fiction, including the Secrets of Paris Series, published with Hachette imprint, Bookouture. Ella’s novels have reached over one million readers and have been translated into fourteen languages. Ella has recently signed a six book deal in Germany and a nine book deal in Denmark. Ella’s latest novels are A New York Secret, and The Lost Girl of Berlin, both published with Bookouture in 2021. The Girl from Paris is the third novel in this new series, and will publish in January, 2022. Ella has a music degree in classical piano, and an arts degree majoring in English and history. Her novels have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. For further information:
Every now and again a book comes along which makes you really stop and think. This is one of those books.
When a man is arrested for damaging a statue in Durham Cathedral, police are puzzled that he seems to have no memory of his life, how he got there, or who he is. He is named Adam Galilee by the policeman, and then transferred to a psychiatric facility in Cumbria, Fellside House.
There, over the course of several years, the doctors try to unravel the puzzle of who the man is and why it is that he seems to have chosen to forget his past. They try encouraging him to talk, as well as hypnotism and other treatments. Clearly Adam is traumatised, but what is it that he saw or did during the war. There are things that Adam does know - he is a talented sketcher of nature, and there is one face that he draws over and over again.
One of the doctors, James, is dealing with his own trauma from the war, or rather not dealing with it. He and his wife Caitlin have moved to Fellside House to effectively start their lives together. Whilst Caitlin and James have been married for several years, they have spent most of that time separated by war. And as much as James is helping Adam, he is dealing with his own memories, many of which involve the death of Caitlin's brother.
When the facility is visited by a journalist, they take a photo of Adam and publish it, thinking that maybe Adam's real family might come forward. Instead, dozens of people come forward, claiming that Adam is their missing husband, brother, or son, back from the dead.
Part of what is intriguing about this story is how is it that so many people can think that this man, is their son. Surely, there are things about each of us that make us uniquely us and therefore that there is only one family that we belong too, or is
At it's heart this book is more than a story. It is a study of the effect of trauma on different people, about the effect of loss and about identity. This is a book that you have to think about, you can't rush through it. It is a thought provoking read.
Thanks to Random Things Tours for the review copy
About the book
They need him to remember. He wants to forget.
1918. In the last week of the First World War, a uniformed soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral. When questioned, it becomes clear he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there.
The soldier is given the name Adam and transferred to a rehabilitation home where his doctor James is determined to recover who this man once was. But Adam doesn’t want to remember. Unwilling to relive the trauma of war, Adam has locked his memory away, seemingly for good.
When a newspaper publishes a feature about Adam, three women come forward, each claiming that he is someone she lost in the war. But does he believe any of these women? Or is there another family out there waiting for him to come home?
Based on true events, When I Come Home Again is a deeply moving and powerful story of a nation’s outpouring of grief, and the search for hope in the aftermath of war.
Dolly Bowman arrives in Sydney from country New South Wales, with a promise of a cleaning job in a boarding house. Her father has died recently, never having recovered from the disappearance of her brother during World War I. She is surprised to find her brother's best friend Jack at the house, and almost equally surprised to find that the boarding house was actually a high class brothel. Jack is determined that naive Dolly won't become one of the girls. Luckily, it turns out that Dolly is a talented jazz singer and soon she is caught up in the glamorous world using her singing talent to make her way.
One of the other girls, Cynthia Burton, has her own reasons for working at the house on Boundary Street. She wants to get out but the secrets that she keeps, and the money that she owes to the madam are what keeps her there. If she loses her job then she will have to go out on the streets, so while there is danger, it will be even more dangerous if she has to start working the streets. She is looking for an out and before Dolly appears and catches Jack's eye she is hoping that Jack might be it.
It's not easy to get out of that world once you are in, especially given the kind of people that run it. In 1920s Sydney, the streets are flooded with "snow", cocaine to you and me, and while it's not illegal to possess snow, it is illegal to distribute it, so for those who have access, there is big money to be made.
And then there's Ted,who has been trying to get into that world for reasons of his own. He is a man who is used to living in the shadows, to being inconspicuous, hiding the truth of who he really is from everyone who loves him.
When I mentioned that I was reading this a couple of weeks ago it was in the context of the fact that this is actually a reworking of an earlier novel. Having not read the earlier version, I can't tell what has changed or hasn't but I think you can tell. I do wonder what prompts an author to revisit a previous book. What gets changed, what stays the same? How do you decide what needs to be added in? Do you change the fundamental underlying story? Is it an opportunity to put back some things that you left out the first time around, or is it something that you have thought of later?
For me, this book didn't quite work. I think it suffered from a lack of clarity about what it was trying to be, and it wasn't cohesive. When the book opens with Dolly's story, I assumed that she would be the main character, but if I have to be honest I think that this was the less interesting of the two stories. It was really Dolly and Ted's story. Dolly gives us an entry into the brothel, but it wasn't her story, not really.
And yet, it was still interesting, particularly the parts talking about how Sydney was changing in the 1920's. World War I was over, the Spanish Flu had decimated the population, especially in the poorer areas like The Rocks. Now, The Rocks is a tourist hotspot, but at the time it was home to the poorest, ,some of whom were having their buildings destroyed to make way for the famous bridge.
I ended up giving this book a rating of 3/5. It wasn't perfect but there were interesting glimpses into the underbelly of Sydney in the 1920s. I have previously read another book by this author, which I enjoyed, so I will definitely read more by her. It's just unfortunate that this one didn't work particularly well for me.
Thanks to the publisher for this review copy via Netgalley
Rating 3/5
Goodreads summary
The House on Boundary Street is a revised and expanded edition of the novel originally published as Jazz Baby From a bestselling Australian author comes a tale of double-dealing, adventure and the dark underbelly of 1920s Sydney... In the aftermath of World War I, Sydney is no place for the fainthearted. Sly grog shops thrive, the cocaine trade flourishes and brothels abound. Into this big dark city comes fresh-faced country girl, Dolly Bowman, ready to risk everything in pursuit of her dreams. After all it's the 1920s - time to turn her back on her terrible childhood and search for her future. Cynthia Burton's life changes irrevocably the day she steps over the threshold of the house on Boundary Street. Determined to survive the only way she can, she breaks into the world of money and matinee idols in order to fulfil a promise she made and now there's no going back. As Dolly and Cynthia lives entangle they find themselves drawn into a far-reaching web of lies, intrigue and double dealing. Could it be that the house on Boundary Street, once their safe haven, offers nothing more than a dangerous facade?
If you had of asked Margaret Dunn she would have sworn that she knew her mother Elspeth fairly well. Sure, she had questions about the identity of her father, and why her mother would never talk about him, but she knew for sure that Elspeth was the type of woman who lived a very regimented life, never leaving her adopted home town of Edinburgh. She knew that Elspeth grew up on the isle of Skye but Margaret had never even been to visit her family that still lived there, such was her mother's reluctance to leave Edinburgh.
All of the known things were challenged when, in the aftermath of a bomb that hit near their house, Margaret finds a letter addressed to someone named Sue from a young man named Davey. Who is Sue, and why has mother saved the many letters between the two of them? When her mother disappears not long after, leaving only one letter, Margaret needs to try and find out more about where she has gone and in the process about the person that her mother was when she was younger.
Before she disappeared though, she cautioned Margaret about falling in love during war, particularly with a young man who is destined to head to the front. Margaret is corresponding with her close friend Paul who has signed up as a pilot, and it is clear that their feelings are getting stronger, very quickly. We follow Margaret and Paul's story through their correspondence, as they talk about their lives but more particularly as Margaret shares all that she learns about her mother's earlier life.
As much as I liked Margaret and Paul's story and letters, really the heart of this novel is about Elspeth/Sue and Davey's romance. Their relationship started when David sent a fan letter to one of his favourite poets, Mrs Elspeth Dunn who lives on the Isle of Skye with her husband and family. When she writes back to him, there is little clue of the importance and depth of the relationship that will grow between the two of them despite the fact that Davey lives in faraway America. Soon the two are sharing everything from stories about their lives, favourites memories, books and so much more. It is clear that there is a very strong connection between the two of them but it is only when Davey signs up as an ambulance driver on the battlefields of France that there is any chance of them actually meeting.
I found the details of Davey's life as an ambulance driver quite fascinating. Because America had not yet entered into the war, Davey and his friend had to make their own way to France, and then, in theory, they were supposed to be behind the battle lines. Despite this, Davey often finds himself much closer to the bullets and thus gives Elspeth much more to worry about. When they do get the chance to meet up, the interludes are often bittersweet, but they do force her to face her fears. Before Davey, she was terrified of leaving her small island, but in order to see him she can and does get on the boat, more than once.
One of the things that I couldn't help but dwell on as I read the book was the tragedy of seeing two generations in a row facing war and the associated impacts. There was a definite sense of history repeating itself. As Elspeth and Davey carry on their romance predominantly through letters with Elspeth back in Scotland and Davey working as as ambulance driver on the battlefields of France, so too did Margaret and Paul romance each other years later. It is a very poignant reminder that the war to end all wars really wasn't that at all.
It may seem to be an obvious comparison to make, but I couldn't help but think of the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society book that made such a big impact when it was released a few years ago. That doesn't mean to say that they are very similar but the epistolary nature of both of the books, along with the, albeit different, islands and WWII setting lend some similarities. There is a different feeling, but if you liked Guernsey, then there is a fair chance that you will like this one too.
Poignant, romantic, surprising, heartbreaking and optimistic, this was a nice read that brought a tear to the eye and a smile to the face.
A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.
March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.
June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.
Sparkling with charm and full of captivating period detail, Letters from Skye is a testament to the power of love to overcome great adversity, and marks Jessica Brockmole as a stunning new literary voice.
I am also counting this book as a Paris in July read, particularly because of the fact that a lot of of the WWI explores the life a WWI ambulance driver on the battlefields of France.
This year the tenth book in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear is being released. To celebrate, there is a month long blog tour called The Month of Maisie which will focus on the whole series, with the first seven books in the series being featured in this first week of the month, leading up to the newest book at the end of the month.
Because I was a bit slow in jumping on board this series, I have just read the fourth book, Messenger of Truth. Once again, investigator/psychologist Maisie Dobbs is asked to investigate a murder, or perhaps I should say possible murder. The young man who died was Nick Bassington-Hope, a young man who was forging a name for himself as an artist of some repute. When he died he was alone in an art gallery setting up for the installation of what he thought was going to be his greatest work yet. By all appearances he had been high up on the scaffolding when he fell and died. The police were called and it was declared to be an open and shut case of accidental death.
His twin sister, Georgina, is not convinced though. She believes that there was foul play and that her brother may have been murdered. The art piece that he was installing was one that he knew would upset people but no one was going to see it before the big unveiling at the art gallery. In fact, no one even knows where the major piece is. There is an American buyer who is keen to purchase, but Nick had made it clear that he wanted it to be donated to a public institution like the War Museum.
In the course of trying to work out how Nick Bassington-Hope died, Maisie is pulled in several different directions. There is his arty but dysfunctional family who draw Maisie into their colourful lives and to the darker London underworld, his friends who lived near the seaside in converted railway carriages (that sounded rather fab!) complete with strange goings on, as well as Nick's own history as a war artist and the legacy that left on his psyche, and the strange behaviour of the police.
Personally, Maisie is still recovering from an emotional breakdown the year before, a floundering romantic relationship and an icy distance to her mentor who has previously meant so much to her and been so helpful when he has acted as a sounding board for her in the past.
One of the things I really enjoy about this series is the way the legacy of World War I is explored. Just over 10 years after the war has ended, life continues to be heavily influenced by those dreadful years and now there is additional hardship as the effects of the Great Depression really begin to affect the lives of many, especially Maisie's assistant Billy. I also like the way that Maisie continues to develop as a character. It is clear that she has a lot more development to go too, which makes her an interesting character to read about. She clearly still is impacted heavily by her war time experiences, and sometimes she is not willing to concede that. She is a career driven woman in a time where the norm was still to get married and have children, but the times are changing and not only because there is a shortage of eligible men thanks to the war.
While I do enjoy these books, there are things that don't always work. For example, Maisie relies a lot on 'intuition' to help her move her cases forward - things like being able to sit in the space of a person and see their actions to help her find clues - and whilst this might be interesting, it doesn't always make sense when something comes completely out of the blue. Ultimately, the solution to the mystery made sense, but the pieces fell together in quite a rush in some ways. The other story lines also got a bit distracting at times too.
I did have reservations about this instalment, but they are not strong enough to prevent me from continuing on with the series. I just read the synopsis for the latest book and I have to say that I was intrigued. What a pity I still have five more books to read in the series in order to get to it!
In addition to the normal blog tour stops, there are several chats with author Jacqueline Winspear, one taking place on Goodreads on March 12 (join the discussion group here) and a Book Club Girl On Show with Jacqueline scheduled for March 18 at 7 pm EST (set your reminder for the show here).
Synopsis
London, 1931. When controversial artist Nick Bassington-Hope is found dead, the police believe it is an open and shut case and his death from a fall is recorded as'accidental'. But his sister is not convinced, so she turns to Maisie Dobbs for help, drawn by the investigator's growing reputation for her unique methods of solving crimes.
Moving from the desolate beaches of the English coast to the dark underbelly of post-war London, and full of intriguing characters, Maisie's new investigation entertains and enthrals at every turn.
I really love split time narrative novels when they are done well, and this book certainly qualifies as one of those!
The Girl You Left Behind starts in occupied France during World War I. The main female character, Sophie Lefevre, has withdrawn to a small village with her younger brother, her sister Sophie and Sophie's children to run the local hotel. Their men have gone off to war to fight the German army, leaving their families in what they hope are safe surrounds.
Sophie's husband is a talented artist, friends with some of the big name of the day. One of the few possessions that Sophie has bought to her new home is a painting that he did of her - The Girl You Left Behind.
Together the family runs the hotel, providing a place for the community to gather together in the face of the ongoing German occupation of their village. By working together the villagers can find ways to subvert the German occupiers - often only in small ways but enough to be able to at least keep their spirits up! That begins to change though when the local commandant decides that the hotel needs to be begin providing meals to all the officers. He begins to show Sophie signs of favouritism and it doesn't take long for some in the village to begin to believe the worst of her. It is easy for petty jealousies to take over when you believe that someone else is benefitting and getting more than you when have barely enough to survive on.
Sophie is desperate to find out where her husband Edouard is and she believes that the commandant might be able to help her. There is of course a price to pay. The Commandant has been drawn to the painting of Sophie since he first saw it but will that be a higher price to pay than Sophie is prepared to pay?
The action suddenly moves forward just under a hundred years and to be honest, the adjustment felt very abrupt but it didn't take long before I was once again settled in for the modern story, as well hoping to find more about what happened to Sophie. The painting, The Girl You Left Behind, now belongs to Liv Halston. Just as when Edouard painted Sophie as a gesture of love, for Liv the painting is representative of that same emotion. Her brilliant architect husband David had bought the painting for them during their honeymoon and since his early and unexpected death it had provided her great comfort.
When Liv meets Paul McCafferty she believes that maybe she can start to think about moving on from her grief. Paul is an American ex-policeman living in London, sharing custody of his young son with his ex-wife and working for a company that tries to restore ownership of works of art that were wrongly taken during times of war. In an increasingly lucrative business, the pressure to stay at the top is immense and so when the Lefevre family engage his company to try and recover Edouard's painting he can't believe his luck when he literally stumbles on it by accident.
However, his increasingly tangled emotions quickly become an issue as he realises how attached Liv is to the painting and that she is not going to give it up without a fight. Whilst the painting disappeared during WWI, Liv quickly becomes the target of people who are very active for the rights of those whose art was stolen during WWII particularly from Jewish families. Liv had been struggling financially and that was before she had exorbitant legal bills to pay and has become a figure of derision in the eye of the public. Maybe the sensible solution would be to not fight, but Liv is not prepared to just give up. Liv has to try and find out where the painting has been, starting with the place where David bought the painting and work her way back through history. Along the way, perhaps she can find out more about who the girl in the painting is and perhaps even what happened to her...
Jojo Moyes is a bit like a chameleon in terms of her books. A lot of authors find a niche and then stay there but not Moyes. This is the fourth book I have read by her. The first was set predominantly on a boat full of war brides after the end of WWII (Ship of Brides). The second was both in the late 60s through to modern day (Last Letter from her Lover) with the third being wholly contemporary and tackling a huge social issue (Me Before You).
Australian cover
I have enjoyed all of her books I have read so far, but the last couple especially so. In this book, Moyes skillfully took two stories and wove those threads together to form a compelling story. I found myself turning the pages whilst at the same time wondering how on earth she was possibly going to end both stories. Whilst both stories have the possibility of being kind of morbid, the various secondary characters and various events help to keep the emotions balanced. At times funny and uplifting, and at other times heartbreaking, Moyes takes the reader on a journey that covers both time and the emotional landscape.
The UK cover is kind of deceptive, because at first glance it looks quite whimsical but the elements do actually reflect the story. I am not sure about the Australian cover though. It's nice, but whether it would have caught my eye if I hadn't been absolutely excited by the prospect of a new book from Moyes is a different question!
I should mention that there is also a connected novella that is available on e-book only called Honeymoon in Paris which is a prequel to the action in this novel. I haven't read it, but I will, despite being a little cynical about the marketing driven reason for doing this. Then again, there are plenty of publishers that are going down this track of added extras!
Rating 4/5
Synopsis
What happened to the girl you left behind?
In 1916 French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything - her family, reputation and life - in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.
Nearly a century later and Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting's dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened...
In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most - whatever the cost.
Challenges
I read this book for the following challenges
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC and Lisa from ANZ Litlovers for the paper copy of this book. This review has been cross-posted at ANZ Litlovers
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