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booksjessreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
These Days is a historical fiction novel about the Belfast Blitz over Easter in 1941 told predominantly from the perspective of sisters Audrey and Emma, and occasionally from other characters, such as their mom, Florence. Having multiple points of view meant that there was a holistic view of women experiencing the Blitz which was a refreshing perspective. Furthermore, this was a period of history that I didn't know much about, of which I felt much more informed having read this.
There is no doubt that Caldwell has done her research. The intricacies of everyday life were told with such detail, and the descriptions of bombings in Belfast also felt real, as though you had been transported there yourself. The descriptions of casualties and reactions to the bombings were unequivocal, candidly brutal and emanated the shock and disbelief of the Belfast people with accuracy and care. In these sensitive moments, the imagery used was next to none.
However, I did have issues with pacing in this book, coupled with some writing and stylistic choices. The first half of this book was quite slow, and I did have issues finding my way with the characters, their points of view, and their recollection of memories and events. At around the half way mark though, things did really pick up and I would say it was more medium paced. However, this shift in pacing was quite jarring and didn't create a smooth reading experience. Furthermore, the lack of speech marks did not work for this novel. I had got into the swing of it by the end, but it just felt misplaced in this book. For some novels, this works really well. For this one, in my opinion, not so much. And finally, the use of the Belfast dialect was only casually used. This then felt messy and it would have worked better had this been implemented more consistently, or not at all.
Overall though, this was a good read and I would even re-read and recommend this to others. A really great perspective and narrative of the Belfast Blitz as a whole that has been well researched and was insightful.
There is no doubt that Caldwell has done her research. The intricacies of everyday life were told with such detail, and the descriptions of bombings in Belfast also felt real, as though you had been transported there yourself. The descriptions of casualties and reactions to the bombings were unequivocal, candidly brutal and emanated the shock and disbelief of the Belfast people with accuracy and care. In these sensitive moments, the imagery used was next to none.
However, I did have issues with pacing in this book, coupled with some writing and stylistic choices. The first half of this book was quite slow, and I did have issues finding my way with the characters, their points of view, and their recollection of memories and events. At around the half way mark though, things did really pick up and I would say it was more medium paced. However, this shift in pacing was quite jarring and didn't create a smooth reading experience. Furthermore, the lack of speech marks did not work for this novel. I had got into the swing of it by the end, but it just felt misplaced in this book. For some novels, this works really well. For this one, in my opinion, not so much. And finally, the use of the Belfast dialect was only casually used. This then felt messy and it would have worked better had this been implemented more consistently, or not at all.
Overall though, this was a good read and I would even re-read and recommend this to others. A really great perspective and narrative of the Belfast Blitz as a whole that has been well researched and was insightful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, War, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Vomit and Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, Abortion, Animal cruelty, and Homophobia
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I wasn’t going to pick up These Days, despite it winning the 2023 Walter Scott Prize, because I was sure I didn’t need anymore World War II historical fiction in my life. And when I did pick it up I found it hard to get into initially- partly due to life stuff , partly due to my preconceptions. I almost DNF’d not once, but twice, before finally committing to it. I am glad I persevered, for a couple of key reasons. The first is that it is focussed on an event - the Belfast Blitz, four separate bombing raids which took place during April and May of 1941 - that I’d never heard of before, despite the massive loss of life and physical devastation that resulted. The second, and more relevant, is that this book is incredibly immersive. It takes place in little over a month with a major focus on just a few nights. We experience most of the action through the eyes of the Bell family, particularly adult daughters Emma and Audrey. This tight focus lets the author hone in deeply on the experience. We’re jammed under the stairs with the family during the first raid, outside with Audrey and with Emma during subsequent attacks, sharing the sights and sounds with them; privy to all their thoughts and feelings. It’s clear Caldwell’s done her research - and that she has no desire to shield her readers from the brutal realities of those raids. With Emma, a volunteer at a First Aid Post, and father Philip, a doctor, there is no shortage of medical content. It’s gory at times but not gratuitous. Caldwell is excellent at showing rather than telling. She doesn’t tell readers what the Belfast Blitz was like; she immerses them in it so they can experience it for themselves. Of course, Belfast inhabitants had no idea if or when the German bombing raids would occur and in between times, life went on as best it could and Caldwell shows us these aspects of her characters’s lives also. But it’s the way she immerses her readers in the intense and destructive Belfast Blitz, giving them as realistic experience as is possible via the written word, that made this book a winner for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Medical content
what_heather_loves's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"Here we are, she thinks bitterly, the eighth of April 1941, the pinnacle of Western so-called civilisation, hiding in a bloody wee cupboard under the stairs while the world ends around us."
Belfast, Northern Ireland , April 1941 , which saw the 'Belfast Blitz', as a result of the city's contribution to the Allied war effort (ships, aircraft and munitions) and its poor preparation and defences. Split into three parts, The Dockside Raid, The Easter Raid and The Fire Raid, the author describes the lives of the Bell family and others they meet during this period. Father Philip is a beleaguered doctor; mother Florence (pining for a long-lost love) is a housewife; grown-up daughter's Audrey and Emma are struggling with their romances, against the backdrop of war and; younger son Paul dreams of joining the troops. Four days and nights in their lives are described with such richness and emotion 'It's hard to believe Caldwell didn't live through the Belfast Blitz" (as Tracy Chevalier's epigraph describes). Dread following the first raid, is accompanied by the violence, destruction and loss of wartime life. Whilst the narrative standpoint shifts (and the absence of inverted commas is noticeable) the style and story never loses focus. Incredibly sad, the stoicism of the women, who are the novel's focus, stand out. Gloriously engaging, this piece of historical fiction is impeccably researched whilst the characters' narratives are raw and emotional. A fitting tribute to the Belfasters who lived through this tragic period of the city's history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Animal death, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
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