I do adore stories set in the backdrop of WW2, so this story immediately piqued my interest.
Jack has been trapped into a loveless marriage with Alice. Doing the decent thing after she has his child (after 1 night of not so much passion on his behalf), he makes an honest woman of her and tries to do the right thing.
But both Alice and her family are very difficult to like. Alice had a hard upbringing from a very harsh mother, and like her mother she has become very bitter, and jealous of her own child.
Jack is so worried about the relationship between his wife and daughter Lizzie, then the war hits and he gets his call up papers.
Things for poor little Lizzie. She is abused both mentally and physically and pushes away Jack's lovely family, which isolates Lizzie further.
Lizzie discovers her love of performing arts, which causes violent mood swings from her mother.
This story really caught me. I absolutely detested Alice and her family (apart from Peggy, who is really caring). But it also frustrated the life out of me!
Jack...come on. What a sop of a man! Stand up for your daughter you sap.
Even Lizzie frustrated me when she was so thoughtless in her brief stint in nursing...coming from a place where she has been spoken to so thoughtlessly, she knows the hurt it causes, yet still did it to people in a vulnerable position.
Unlike some WW2 novels, this one isn't so well focused on the war. It focuses more on the characters, and not how the war affected so many and how the rationing impacted on their every day lives, which left me feeling a little let down. There are so many rich stories that can be woven in such a tapestry of history.
Yet I still devoured this book in 24 hours...the emotions I felt, both frustration and delight were compelling for me.
I would read the second upcoming novel. I want to see how the characters develop, and definitely feel that there is more to come from them.
Huge thanks to Readers First and Bonnier Zaffre for a copy of this book in exchange for an open and unbiased review.
Jack has been trapped into a loveless marriage with Alice. Doing the decent thing after she has his child (after 1 night of not so much passion on his behalf), he makes an honest woman of her and tries to do the right thing.
But both Alice and her family are very difficult to like. Alice had a hard upbringing from a very harsh mother, and like her mother she has become very bitter, and jealous of her own child.
Jack is so worried about the relationship between his wife and daughter Lizzie, then the war hits and he gets his call up papers.
Things for poor little Lizzie. She is abused both mentally and physically and pushes away Jack's lovely family, which isolates Lizzie further.
Lizzie discovers her love of performing arts, which causes violent mood swings from her mother.
This story really caught me. I absolutely detested Alice and her family (apart from Peggy, who is really caring). But it also frustrated the life out of me!
Jack...come on. What a sop of a man! Stand up for your daughter you sap.
Even Lizzie frustrated me when she was so thoughtless in her brief stint in nursing...coming from a place where she has been spoken to so thoughtlessly, she knows the hurt it causes, yet still did it to people in a vulnerable position.
Unlike some WW2 novels, this one isn't so well focused on the war. It focuses more on the characters, and not how the war affected so many and how the rationing impacted on their every day lives, which left me feeling a little let down. There are so many rich stories that can be woven in such a tapestry of history.
Yet I still devoured this book in 24 hours...the emotions I felt, both frustration and delight were compelling for me.
I would read the second upcoming novel. I want to see how the characters develop, and definitely feel that there is more to come from them.
Huge thanks to Readers First and Bonnier Zaffre for a copy of this book in exchange for an open and unbiased review.