I realise I’ve been reading a lot about the 20th century recently, and especially the Second World War. My new book is set around D-Day, so I suppose it’s unsurprising that I’ve read a number of novels set in this period.
I’ll just mention three. First, Elizabeth Buchan’s The New Mrs Clifton, set in London in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Gus, an intelligence officer, returns from the war with Krista – the new Mrs Clifton - who he married secretly in Berlin. This is a terrible shock to everyone. His sisters are outraged, especially Julia, because her husband died in the conflict, a loss she finds impossible to forgive. Gus’s fiancée, Nella, who lives just around the corner and is a great friend of his sisters, feels utterly betrayed. The emaciated Krista has to face the inevitably hostility of all those around her, who can’t simply understand why Gus made the choice he did. The assumption is that she must have some hold over him. But what?
The mood of post-war London is vividly drawn, with all its privations. The difficulty of coming to terms with such great loss, as well as learning how to navigate peacetime life, feels utterly believable. The story, as it unfolds, is both appalling and fascinating. Elizabeth Buchan has created something powerful and moving in her story. I thoroughly recommend it.
The second book I’d recommend is Roma Tearne’s The Last Pier. In this, a community in small-town Suffolk has to come to terms with everything changing as War breaks out. In the earliest days of the outbreak of war a terrible blow falls upon two families in particular: the Maudsleys, who are farmers, and their good friends the Molinellos, Italian immigrants who run an ice-cream parlour.
The story is told through the eyes of Cecily Maudsley, who is just 13 when tragedy strikes. A little like Briony in Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement, Cecily sees everything, but understands very little of what she is witnessing. As the story unfolds, so too do the splintered memories of the events of the summer of 1939. It’s a complex plot, involving secrets and betrayals, misunderstandings and deceits. Roma Tearne paints with broad brushstrokes, creating a mesmerising if impressionistic narrative. Some may find that irritating, but the result is captivating and highly atmospheric.
Last but not least, I’d recommend Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce. This book seems to have been everywhere in recent weeks, but in case you missed it, the story was inspired by the chance discovery of a 1939 woman’s magazine. The main character, Emmy, finds herself working on just such a magazine and answering questions sent in to the problem page. She and her friend Bunty navigate life lived in London during the Blitz, and all its attendant horrors.
In many ways, this is an easy read – I certainly gobbled it up. But that would be to downplay the skill of the writer, who manages to strike the perfect balance between funny and heart-breaking. All in all, a wonderful and ultimately uplifting novel with real depth.
I’ll just mention three. First, Elizabeth Buchan’s The New Mrs Clifton, set in London in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Gus, an intelligence officer, returns from the war with Krista – the new Mrs Clifton - who he married secretly in Berlin. This is a terrible shock to everyone. His sisters are outraged, especially Julia, because her husband died in the conflict, a loss she finds impossible to forgive. Gus’s fiancée, Nella, who lives just around the corner and is a great friend of his sisters, feels utterly betrayed. The emaciated Krista has to face the inevitably hostility of all those around her, who can’t simply understand why Gus made the choice he did. The assumption is that she must have some hold over him. But what?
The mood of post-war London is vividly drawn, with all its privations. The difficulty of coming to terms with such great loss, as well as learning how to navigate peacetime life, feels utterly believable. The story, as it unfolds, is both appalling and fascinating. Elizabeth Buchan has created something powerful and moving in her story. I thoroughly recommend it.
The second book I’d recommend is Roma Tearne’s The Last Pier. In this, a community in small-town Suffolk has to come to terms with everything changing as War breaks out. In the earliest days of the outbreak of war a terrible blow falls upon two families in particular: the Maudsleys, who are farmers, and their good friends the Molinellos, Italian immigrants who run an ice-cream parlour.
The story is told through the eyes of Cecily Maudsley, who is just 13 when tragedy strikes. A little like Briony in Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement, Cecily sees everything, but understands very little of what she is witnessing. As the story unfolds, so too do the splintered memories of the events of the summer of 1939. It’s a complex plot, involving secrets and betrayals, misunderstandings and deceits. Roma Tearne paints with broad brushstrokes, creating a mesmerising if impressionistic narrative. Some may find that irritating, but the result is captivating and highly atmospheric.
Last but not least, I’d recommend Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce. This book seems to have been everywhere in recent weeks, but in case you missed it, the story was inspired by the chance discovery of a 1939 woman’s magazine. The main character, Emmy, finds herself working on just such a magazine and answering questions sent in to the problem page. She and her friend Bunty navigate life lived in London during the Blitz, and all its attendant horrors.
In many ways, this is an easy read – I certainly gobbled it up. But that would be to downplay the skill of the writer, who manages to strike the perfect balance between funny and heart-breaking. All in all, a wonderful and ultimately uplifting novel with real depth.
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