jmatkinson1's review
4.0
Gus returns from the war a changed man, no longer the middling barrister he has seen and done things he regrets. Now has a new role working for the Foreign Office and a new wife, the fragile and German Krista. This comes as a shock to his sisters, Julia widow of an RAF officer and Tilly a damaged bohemian, and also the family friends, Teddy a solicitor and Nella who is Gus' jilted fiancee. Krista finds it hard to settle into life in the bomb-damaged Clapham terrace that is the situation of the family home, she finds it hard to deal with the prejudice post-war and feels that she doesn't have place in either country. However Krista is a survivor, she has learned that, and when she has a baby she is determined to protect him at all costs.
This book has a great opening, a body found in a Clapham garden in the 1970s and the only clue is that it is of a woman in her late twenties who has had a baby. The rest of the book tells the story of Krista's first year in Clapham but the reader is constantly thinking back to the opening and trying to work out what will happen. There are four women in the story of the right age and there are a lot of red herrings before the twist at the end. However that should not distract from what is a very sad tale about the lives of women after the end of the war. Julia is an attractive woman who lost the man she loved and wants more physical intimacy. Tilly had freedom during the war but cannot cope with life during peacetime. Nella lost the man she loves to another woman and cannot see why. Krista has been through hell but is not a sympathetic character. This is quite a clever book and can be read at different levels.
This book has a great opening, a body found in a Clapham garden in the 1970s and the only clue is that it is of a woman in her late twenties who has had a baby. The rest of the book tells the story of Krista's first year in Clapham but the reader is constantly thinking back to the opening and trying to work out what will happen. There are four women in the story of the right age and there are a lot of red herrings before the twist at the end. However that should not distract from what is a very sad tale about the lives of women after the end of the war. Julia is an attractive woman who lost the man she loved and wants more physical intimacy. Tilly had freedom during the war but cannot cope with life during peacetime. Nella lost the man she loves to another woman and cannot see why. Krista has been through hell but is not a sympathetic character. This is quite a clever book and can be read at different levels.
thegamenurse's review
3.0
I realized while reading this that it covers an Era I have never read fiction about: immediately post ww2. All fiction seems to be before and during, but what about after. Once all the adrenaline and drama of war is over? Naturally this book is grim, you feel just as shell shocked as the characters. A good read, but once is enough for me.
julietejames's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Interesting characters and good mystery, couldn't always follow the story line. Found the subject matter extremely distressing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
katecks's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I like the authors style of writing and I was intrigued by the characters. What happened to ordinary people after WW2 when they were expected to go back to normal after all they had been through is an area that needs to be explored more.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
4.0
War changes people. You may think there are things you wouldn't be capable of doing but when pushed, when it's all about survival, how far would you go?
When Gus returns to England after the Second World War with a German wife in tow, nobody understands what happened. Not his sisters, or his best friend or even the woman everyone assumed he'd marry upon his return. Only Gus and his wife Krista know the reason. What follows is the way people try to find a way of getting on with their lives after suffering through some unimaginable things.
I found this book quite hard to read at times. Coming from a family with both a Polish and German grandmother, I could all too easily understand both points of view. My German grandmother was a victim like any other but because of her nationality, she was just regarded as the enemy. She never talked about it much but she felt ashamed of what her country had become. Relations between her and my other grandmother, on the few occasions they met, were civil at best.
The struggle the characters deal with is very real. Each must find a way to pick themselves up. Some maybe manage better than others. I found the characters to be entirely believable although maybe not always evoking sympathy, until you find out the reasons for their behaviour.
If you like a well-written story about WWII with a little dash of "why, who, how?", I'm sure you will enjoy this book. And for days after finishing, you will wonder how far you would go.
When Gus returns to England after the Second World War with a German wife in tow, nobody understands what happened. Not his sisters, or his best friend or even the woman everyone assumed he'd marry upon his return. Only Gus and his wife Krista know the reason. What follows is the way people try to find a way of getting on with their lives after suffering through some unimaginable things.
I found this book quite hard to read at times. Coming from a family with both a Polish and German grandmother, I could all too easily understand both points of view. My German grandmother was a victim like any other but because of her nationality, she was just regarded as the enemy. She never talked about it much but she felt ashamed of what her country had become. Relations between her and my other grandmother, on the few occasions they met, were civil at best.
The struggle the characters deal with is very real. Each must find a way to pick themselves up. Some maybe manage better than others. I found the characters to be entirely believable although maybe not always evoking sympathy, until you find out the reasons for their behaviour.
If you like a well-written story about WWII with a little dash of "why, who, how?", I'm sure you will enjoy this book. And for days after finishing, you will wonder how far you would go.
melonpea's review against another edition
3.0
The character of Krista was great, complex, nothing like I expected. Her complicated relationship with Gus makes this book. However for me it was difficult to get into, the first third is quite slow.
beledit's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favourite from this author, but an interesting story and well written.
thekatedit's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
casacostello's review against another edition
4.0
Really good to start the year with this one. Completely different to what I was expecting and what the cover made me feel it would be about (I know, never judge a book...).
Gus arrives home to the UK at the end of WWII with a German wife. His 2 sisters who have been home keeping the family property, can tell that neither Gus nor his wife, Krista are in love. And how dare he bring a German into their world. This book is fascinating how people in the local area react to a German person in their midst. I also loved the character of Gus' elder sister Julia - Julia has had her own fair share of torment during the war losing her husband and a stillborn daughter. She is naturally very sad about the state of her own life and at the German's who she feels resentful towards.
Gus arrives home to the UK at the end of WWII with a German wife. His 2 sisters who have been home keeping the family property, can tell that neither Gus nor his wife, Krista are in love. And how dare he bring a German into their world. This book is fascinating how people in the local area react to a German person in their midst. I also loved the character of Gus' elder sister Julia - Julia has had her own fair share of torment during the war losing her husband and a stillborn daughter. She is naturally very sad about the state of her own life and at the German's who she feels resentful towards.