This wonderful book stuck to me like glue as I stayed up till wee hours of the night until finished.
The story begins when an American scholar interviews an 94 year old woman eager to give out her secrets about WW11 she has kept hidden for decades. And what a story it was!
I was captivated with the two sisters, 15 and 7 year old Emmy and Julia and their experiences throughout the Blitz of London during WW11. Their mom worked as a housekeeper for an affluent family, but always seemed to have money to pay rent and keep the girls well dressed and fed. They were often left alone to fend for themselves and the older sister Emmy became the "mom" for younger Julia.
As the story unfolds and Emmy makes some terrible choices, she loses track of Julia and not knowing if she is alive or not haunts all her days.
It is a satisfying but sad ending, Highly recommended
The story begins when an American scholar interviews an 94 year old woman eager to give out her secrets about WW11 she has kept hidden for decades. And what a story it was!
I was captivated with the two sisters, 15 and 7 year old Emmy and Julia and their experiences throughout the Blitz of London during WW11. Their mom worked as a housekeeper for an affluent family, but always seemed to have money to pay rent and keep the girls well dressed and fed. They were often left alone to fend for themselves and the older sister Emmy became the "mom" for younger Julia.
As the story unfolds and Emmy makes some terrible choices, she loses track of Julia and not knowing if she is alive or not haunts all her days.
It is a satisfying but sad ending, Highly recommended
I truly enjoy this book. For me, it was one of those books I didn't want to put down! As soon as I could (one does have to sleep, go to work, etc!), I'd pick it back up again. I usually read a couple of fiction books simultaneously, but the other books didnt' get picked up while I was reading this one. Very good!
I read SECRETS OF A CHARMED LIFE for a TBR buddy activity in my online book club, The Reading Cove.
Though unevenly paced, I enjoyed the first two-thirds of this story the most. The last third turns into an epistolary, where over 60 pages of the closing dual-narrative come through letters one character wrote to another. It became pretty laborious reading after a while and I felt a bit cheated out of actually being able to "see" some of what had happened rather than simply being told about it after the fact.
The main character Emmy Downtree was also not particularly sympathetic for me, yet the story is all about her and most thoroughly from her perspective. While she makes a HUGE mistake as a naive 15-year-old girl, I hold the adults who made it possible equally responsible, maybe even more so! They should have known better given what was going on.
The author did show great promise in the complexity of Emmy's relationship with her mother, and I would've loved if that could've been explored further to make Emmy more likable overall. As it was though, her narrow-minded and dogged ambition while London was being bombed out of its mind was really annoying--and even pushed the boundaries of plausibility!
So all in all, although I really wanted to love this book and did enjoy some of the writing, I was disappointed in the end. However, if you enjoy stories set during WW2, this is a good read. There were a couple of touching moments when I even teared up a bit. I give it 3.75 stars, B-.
Though unevenly paced, I enjoyed the first two-thirds of this story the most. The last third turns into an epistolary, where over 60 pages of the closing dual-narrative come through letters one character wrote to another. It became pretty laborious reading after a while and I felt a bit cheated out of actually being able to "see" some of what had happened rather than simply being told about it after the fact.
The main character Emmy Downtree was also not particularly sympathetic for me, yet the story is all about her and most thoroughly from her perspective. While she makes a HUGE mistake as a naive 15-year-old girl, I hold the adults who made it possible equally responsible, maybe even more so! They should have known better given what was going on.
The author did show great promise in the complexity of Emmy's relationship with her mother, and I would've loved if that could've been explored further to make Emmy more likable overall. As it was though, her narrow-minded and dogged ambition while London was being bombed out of its mind was really annoying--and even pushed the boundaries of plausibility!
So all in all, although I really wanted to love this book and did enjoy some of the writing, I was disappointed in the end. However, if you enjoy stories set during WW2, this is a good read. There were a couple of touching moments when I even teared up a bit. I give it 3.75 stars, B-.
Another epic story masterfully told, in the author's signature style of a historical tale wrapped in a contemporary one, centering on two sisters who lived in London during the 1940's. The main story is told in retrospect as the older sister, Emmy, recounts her experiences during the war and after, including the evacuation of children to the country, and the London Blitz. The last part is told mostly through journal entries, from the younger sister's viewpoint.
The author's attention to historical detail transports the reader quickly into the era, and makes
it feel like you're there. It was easy to get lost in the story, it all felt so real. The characters are well developed, showing how many seemingly small decisions affected them for the rest of their lives. The theme of the need for forgiveness, in families and for ourselves, is evident throughout; also the need for truth in relationships, and the effects of childhood traumas on adult lives is shown. I found much to relate to in the character of Emmy, and really loved the character Charlotte, who was such an example of love and grace. We all need a Charlotte in our lives!
There are a few mentions of Christian faith, but it's not emphasized, and with some mature situations, this should appeal to the general adult audience. Any World War 2 fan, especially would enjoy this very interesting story. Recommend it!
[Thank you to the author and publisher for the privilege of reading the ARC, which I received from a Goodreads.com giveaway; this review is my honest and unsolicited opinion.]
The author's attention to historical detail transports the reader quickly into the era, and makes
it feel like you're there. It was easy to get lost in the story, it all felt so real. The characters are well developed, showing how many seemingly small decisions affected them for the rest of their lives. The theme of the need for forgiveness, in families and for ourselves, is evident throughout; also the need for truth in relationships, and the effects of childhood traumas on adult lives is shown. I found much to relate to in the character of Emmy, and really loved the character Charlotte, who was such an example of love and grace. We all need a Charlotte in our lives!
There are a few mentions of Christian faith, but it's not emphasized, and with some mature situations, this should appeal to the general adult audience. Any World War 2 fan, especially would enjoy this very interesting story. Recommend it!
[Thank you to the author and publisher for the privilege of reading the ARC, which I received from a Goodreads.com giveaway; this review is my honest and unsolicited opinion.]
I so enjoyed this book! It's a tale of joy, hope, disappointment, family trials, and human nature at every turn possible. Loved the way it was told by the aged Isobel/Emmy and brought you through the entire sequence of all events. Make you vary between wanting to keep turning pages to find out what happened next, versus slow down the page turning so it doesn't end to quickly! A great story, well written, and very enjoyable.
