Helpful Score: 2
Rhys Bowen has written a lovely standalone piece of historical fiction set during the last months of World War I. I spent a wonderful afternoon immersed in her story and living with her characters. My favorite wasn't Emily, as might be expected, but the octogenarian Lady Charlton, who is a mass of contradictions and more than capable of surprising all those around her. However, there are enough characters in the book for readers to each have their favorite.
Over many years of reading, I have found that I don't care much for static characters and complete predictability in my series fiction, but I don't mind it at all when I read a standalone novel. There's really nothing new under the sun in The Victory Garden. I knew what was going to happen before it did, and there was only one bit of shocking news. But I didn't care. It is very enjoyable to read a story in which good things eventually happen to good people who have faced great adversity. Sometimes your heart needs to be fed more than your mind, and The Victory Garden is a satisfying main course.
Over many years of reading, I have found that I don't care much for static characters and complete predictability in my series fiction, but I don't mind it at all when I read a standalone novel. There's really nothing new under the sun in The Victory Garden. I knew what was going to happen before it did, and there was only one bit of shocking news. But I didn't care. It is very enjoyable to read a story in which good things eventually happen to good people who have faced great adversity. Sometimes your heart needs to be fed more than your mind, and The Victory Garden is a satisfying main course.
I picked this up without really looking at the description except for the last sentence, it says something about "healing with herbs" leading to the "brink of disaster". I've read Rhys Bowen's mysteries and just assumed this would be one as well. But it's not a mystery, just a rather sweet coming-of-age novel set in the last year of WWI. The characters are nice, 21-year-old Emily rises above her upbringing to want something more than tea parties and a wealthy husband. She volunteers and becomes a "Land Girl", sent out with other women to take the place of men on the farms and in the fields. Otherwise not much historical detail except talking about all the men who were killed, and sometimes they mention rationing although there always seems to be enough to eat. I didn't know about Land Girls before, so that was cool. The herbal stuff was interesting although Emily teetering on the "brink of disaster" was pretty brief. All in all, a predictable, light sweet romance and a fast read with some interesting bits of history.
