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horsley123's review against another edition
5.0
A heart warming tale - it is the third in a series and it probably does help to have read the others, if anything because it is lovely to remeet the characters and see how their lives have developed.
Lissa Evans manages to weave together interesting characters in a historical setting. The gentle narration takes you through their trials and tribulations, and left me hoping for more for Noel and Vee.
Lissa Evans manages to weave together interesting characters in a historical setting. The gentle narration takes you through their trials and tribulations, and left me hoping for more for Noel and Vee.
carolyn0613's review against another edition
4.0
I have read the first book in the series and somehow missed the second one before reading this one. It didn't matter too much as this was a great read. I love the characters of Vee and Noel and their relationship. I was pleased that Noel had some resolution in his family situation. I recommend you read the first book beforehand but fans of the series will love this final book.
greybeard49's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Really well written and researched but above all a cracking good story skilfully delivered. The author creates the wartime atmosphere so well that you feel immersed in it. Was truly sorry to finish and am grateful that it is the first of Alissa Evans I have read.
nicjohnston's review against another edition
4.0
I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of V for Victory, a return to the characters I dearly loved in Crooked Heart and Old Baggage.
My anticipation was fulfilled. We rejoin Noel and Vee, along with a parallel story of Winnie and Elsie and nods to the incredible Mattie and many others that we’ve read along the way. Noel is an utter triumph and we can only hope that the strands (but not loose ends) left will lead to another outing.
While V for Victory is character driven, it is also an astute telling of the tail end of the war. The waiting amidst ongoing peril. The wonderment but worry about the future. Lissa Evans is a master at evoking life through small detail but with a constant warmth, humour and intelligence.
I would thoroughly recommend V for Victory but suspect it would be a paler read without the backgrounds so beautifully told in Crooked Heart and Old Baggage. If you haven’t read them, I am envious. A highly recommended 4.5*.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of an incredible book.
My anticipation was fulfilled. We rejoin Noel and Vee, along with a parallel story of Winnie and Elsie and nods to the incredible Mattie and many others that we’ve read along the way. Noel is an utter triumph and we can only hope that the strands (but not loose ends) left will lead to another outing.
While V for Victory is character driven, it is also an astute telling of the tail end of the war. The waiting amidst ongoing peril. The wonderment but worry about the future. Lissa Evans is a master at evoking life through small detail but with a constant warmth, humour and intelligence.
I would thoroughly recommend V for Victory but suspect it would be a paler read without the backgrounds so beautifully told in Crooked Heart and Old Baggage. If you haven’t read them, I am envious. A highly recommended 4.5*.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of an incredible book.
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
This is the third book in a series that begins with [b:Old Baggage|36114334|Old Baggage|Lissa Evans|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521644301l/36114334._SY75_.jpg|57704775] which was set in the 1930s and then [b:Crooked Heart|19546111|Crooked Heart|Lissa Evans|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403645702l/19546111._SY75_.jpg|27676536] which is set in the early years of WW2. While the first two books worked as standalone stories (and in fact were written and published in reverse order), you will enjoy V for Victory better if you have read at least one if not both of its predecessors. You will be able to make sense of the story, but you won't get the same satisfaction without knowing more of the characters' back stories.
V for Victory opens in 1944. London is being hammered by V2 rockets and a freezing winter. Noel lives with his guardian Vee, whom we first met in Crooked Heart. Over the course of the coming months he will find out more about his parents, while some of Vee's lies will catch up with her.
This is a lovely series, written with quiet humour and populated by gorgeous characters who you care for deeply. One of my favourite characters was Winnie, who appeared as a teenager in Old Baggage. I'm not sure if there will be more books featuring this cast but I'd be very happy if there are.
V for Victory opens in 1944. London is being hammered by V2 rockets and a freezing winter. Noel lives with his guardian Vee, whom we first met in Crooked Heart. Over the course of the coming months he will find out more about his parents, while some of Vee's lies will catch up with her.
This is a lovely series, written with quiet humour and populated by gorgeous characters who you care for deeply. One of my favourite characters was Winnie, who appeared as a teenager in Old Baggage. I'm not sure if there will be more books featuring this cast but I'd be very happy if there are.
jo_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Here we are taken back to the wonderful characters of Noel Bostock and Vee Sedge who we first got to know in Crooked Heart. For me you need prior knowledge and background of Noel and Vee and the circumstances that lead them to where they are now.
It is late 1944 - it is clear that war is coming to some sort of conclusion. However there is still the risk of death as the V2 rockets seem to be destroying an uncharted path through London.
Noel and Vee now live in a large house, Green Shutters, adjacent to Hampstead Heath. Vee takes in lodgers to keep roofs over heads and mouths to feed, but she is still not quite telling the truth to the world.
All of the lodgers are of varying occupations and differing personalities, and they are educating in their own way young Noel, now 15 instead of him attending school. But then Noel is also not quite telling the truth to the world either.
Both Noel and Vee are locked into the secrets of their past but it seems that events in the present are going to change everything.
The other strand of the novel is taken over to Winnie Crowther, who is a senior ARP warden. Married but having not seen her husband for the majority of the war, she simply exists until such times when the world will be righted again and she can live her life. Her twin sister, Avril on the other hand is as far removed from Winnie but when she uses Winnie's life as an idea of a book, little does she realise what work her sister is actually doing until she experiences it for herself.
Winnie does meet Noel, there is a connection to the past, to Matilda Simpkin, the original owner of Green Shutters and Noel's former godmother. Winnie knew Matilda. Winnie also knew someone else close to Noel and it seems all of these past lives are going to come crashing together in the final pages of the book.
Evans writing is unique and the books is unstructured which adds to it's flow and narrative. When I found myself in the midst of an incident that ARP Winnie has to deal with, you could almost taste the brick dust. With just as much ease we are sat at the table in Green Shutters as an eclectic mix of people gather to see what food rations and Noel have created for supper.
The stories of Matilda Simpkin, Noel and Vee are brought to a conclusion in this novel and whilst there is enough information to understand all these people without having previously read the other novels. I appeal to any readers sense of completeness and read Old Baggage and Crooked Heart. You can then experience the great writing of Evans but also the wonderful characters for a lot longer.
A book worthy of any fans of historical fiction.
It is late 1944 - it is clear that war is coming to some sort of conclusion. However there is still the risk of death as the V2 rockets seem to be destroying an uncharted path through London.
Noel and Vee now live in a large house, Green Shutters, adjacent to Hampstead Heath. Vee takes in lodgers to keep roofs over heads and mouths to feed, but she is still not quite telling the truth to the world.
All of the lodgers are of varying occupations and differing personalities, and they are educating in their own way young Noel, now 15 instead of him attending school. But then Noel is also not quite telling the truth to the world either.
Both Noel and Vee are locked into the secrets of their past but it seems that events in the present are going to change everything.
The other strand of the novel is taken over to Winnie Crowther, who is a senior ARP warden. Married but having not seen her husband for the majority of the war, she simply exists until such times when the world will be righted again and she can live her life. Her twin sister, Avril on the other hand is as far removed from Winnie but when she uses Winnie's life as an idea of a book, little does she realise what work her sister is actually doing until she experiences it for herself.
Winnie does meet Noel, there is a connection to the past, to Matilda Simpkin, the original owner of Green Shutters and Noel's former godmother. Winnie knew Matilda. Winnie also knew someone else close to Noel and it seems all of these past lives are going to come crashing together in the final pages of the book.
Evans writing is unique and the books is unstructured which adds to it's flow and narrative. When I found myself in the midst of an incident that ARP Winnie has to deal with, you could almost taste the brick dust. With just as much ease we are sat at the table in Green Shutters as an eclectic mix of people gather to see what food rations and Noel have created for supper.
The stories of Matilda Simpkin, Noel and Vee are brought to a conclusion in this novel and whilst there is enough information to understand all these people without having previously read the other novels. I appeal to any readers sense of completeness and read Old Baggage and Crooked Heart. You can then experience the great writing of Evans but also the wonderful characters for a lot longer.
A book worthy of any fans of historical fiction.
coops456's review against another edition
4.0
London 1944. The Luftwaffe may have been defeated but now the capital shudders under the impact of V2 rockets arriving without warning. Other, more personal, cataclysms also threaten the stability of young Noel and the residents of Green Shutters.
Having become quite attached to Noel - now a strapping 15 year old - and with the well-researched WW2 setting I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially air raid warden Winnie's stoicism in the face of the terrifying V2s.
Evans neatly draws together the stories of Noel, Vee, and the indomitable Mattie. Best read in short succession from both Crooked Heart and Old Baggage.
Having become quite attached to Noel - now a strapping 15 year old - and with the well-researched WW2 setting I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially air raid warden Winnie's stoicism in the face of the terrifying V2s.
Evans neatly draws together the stories of Noel, Vee, and the indomitable Mattie. Best read in short succession from both Crooked Heart and Old Baggage.
drannieg's review against another edition
5.0
Bloody brilliant, of course. I adore all of Evans' books, and this is no exception. Pointed prose which makes you laugh out loud, poignant moments which make you weep, and a story so human is at, at times painful, yet overwhelmingly joyous. Also, Noel is a delight, and it is nice to encounter some of the Amazons again. Glorious, glorious, and now I want to re-read all of the others.
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
4.0
Having enjoyed the previous books in this series, Crooked Heart and Old Baggage, I was looking forward to catching up with Noel, Vee, Winnie and also meeting up with some new characters. Many fascinating people feature in this novel and all try their hardest to cope with living in a war battered London.
It takes place during the last year of the war. Noel is fifteen, is doing well in his studies and is starting to develop feelings for a friend, Genevieve. Winnie is a warden, brave, funny, patient with her twin sister despite feeling hurt and frustration and uncertain how to feel about the husband she barely knew who was a POW. Vee is battling on, trying to feed a house full of people, maintain a sense of humour and look after Noel. Her friendship with Mario was good for her, and seeing how the house benefited from that friendship was lovely to read. I loved seeing the enjoyment that peanut butter and Florida orange juice brought.
The hardships, the rations, the bombings are all described perfectly and show how Londoners suffered. But this isn’t a depressing novel. Yes, there is sadness, especially towards the end, but there is also plenty of humour. Especially from Noel and Winnie, my two favourite characters in the book.
Whilst I feel this will probably be the last book in the series I would love to see it continue. With the strength of the characters, even the minor ones, there is definitely potential for this series to carry on into the 50s and 60s.
It takes place during the last year of the war. Noel is fifteen, is doing well in his studies and is starting to develop feelings for a friend, Genevieve. Winnie is a warden, brave, funny, patient with her twin sister despite feeling hurt and frustration and uncertain how to feel about the husband she barely knew who was a POW. Vee is battling on, trying to feed a house full of people, maintain a sense of humour and look after Noel. Her friendship with Mario was good for her, and seeing how the house benefited from that friendship was lovely to read. I loved seeing the enjoyment that peanut butter and Florida orange juice brought.
The hardships, the rations, the bombings are all described perfectly and show how Londoners suffered. But this isn’t a depressing novel. Yes, there is sadness, especially towards the end, but there is also plenty of humour. Especially from Noel and Winnie, my two favourite characters in the book.
Whilst I feel this will probably be the last book in the series I would love to see it continue. With the strength of the characters, even the minor ones, there is definitely potential for this series to carry on into the 50s and 60s.
verityw's review against another edition
5.0
*****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
This is the third (and final?) book about this group of characters and ties together the story of Noel and Vee as we saw them in Crooked Heart, with Mattie from Old Baggage. I’ve written several different sentences to explain that fact and have settled on that slightly vague one as being the way not to give too much away about the other two. Now you could read this standalone, but you’ll get so much more from this if you’ve read the other two. And why wouldn’t you want to read the other two – Crooked Heart is Goodnight Mr Tom but if Mr Tom was the female equivalent of Private Walker and Old Baggage is about a feisty but ageing former suffragette looking for a new cause to fight for.
V for Victory is funny and warm and moving and made me cry at the end. I mean what more could you want from a book? It also does really well at capturing the shades of grey of wartime - and of people in general. It's just wonderful and a perfect read for a grey and miserable day. And we've had a few of those recently!
This is the third (and final?) book about this group of characters and ties together the story of Noel and Vee as we saw them in Crooked Heart, with Mattie from Old Baggage. I’ve written several different sentences to explain that fact and have settled on that slightly vague one as being the way not to give too much away about the other two. Now you could read this standalone, but you’ll get so much more from this if you’ve read the other two. And why wouldn’t you want to read the other two – Crooked Heart is Goodnight Mr Tom but if Mr Tom was the female equivalent of Private Walker and Old Baggage is about a feisty but ageing former suffragette looking for a new cause to fight for.
V for Victory is funny and warm and moving and made me cry at the end. I mean what more could you want from a book? It also does really well at capturing the shades of grey of wartime - and of people in general. It's just wonderful and a perfect read for a grey and miserable day. And we've had a few of those recently!