A review by shelleyrae
The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay

3.0

For over a week I have been trying to write a review of the Railwayman’s Wife but can’t seem to get past a few random notes and half formed sentences. Not even to re-articulate the plot except for a few basics. There is no reason for this to be so difficult, I liked The Railwayman’s Wife well enough, it’s a character driven novel, set post WW2 in a small coastal village in southern New South Wales, exploring the pain of grief and loss. A wife, Annika, loses a much loved husband to a tragic accident and a returned soldier, Roy, struggles to overcome his wartime experiences, both are hoping for light, love and peace to return to their lives and both fear that it will never eventuate.

Not being able to articulate my thoughts about The Railwayman’s Wife has played havoc with my schedule, I can’t seem to move on to writing the next review, so here are those notes and half formed sentences for you to make of what you will.

The prose is lovely and the imagery beautifully expressed, definitely the strength of the novel
The story unfolds at a measured pace, there is little in the way of overt action with the drama internalised by the characters.
Annika’s grief is realistic as it evolves through time
Isabelle’s [Ani and Mack's daughter] precociousness is sweet rather than irritating. She has character in her own right.
Annika’s perspective of her relationship with Roy is ambiguous
I thought Frank’s character to be distracting, I am unsure of his role in the story.
I found the ending rather bleak, without the sense of hope I expected
Overall, it’s a melancholy novel, mired in tragedy and emotional distress, but redeemed by occasional glimpses of beauty and love.