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emmacr2024's review
3.0
The Soldiers Wife is the 28th novel from Australian author Pamela Hart who has written under pseudonyms and in different genres but this is the first time I have heard of this author. Both the title and the blurb appealed to me and I was keen to see what kind of writing style Pamela has.
Inspired by a true story The Soldiers Wife is set during World War Two. You may think you have read so many books set during this period and need a change, I admit this is what I thought but when I noticed this book was set in Sydney it seemed to be different and would hopefully prove a refreshing change. I have read numerous books of the war from the British side and how events in France and Germany panned out. But what about the Australians who also made their own sacrifices during this time of upheaval and destruction that touched every corner of the world? Overall the book was generally good, I'll readily admit it wasn't the best book set during this period that I have read but still I was glad to have given it a chance. I found it a light and easy read despite some of the experiences the characters go through. There were scenes and plot lines that tugged at the heartstrings but I didn't care for one particular character and maybe that is why I didn't feel the depth and emotion the author wanted us to.
Ruby is newly married to Jimmy Hawkins and hopes her marriage will be long and fruitful. The shadow of war in Europe is ever present and after a week's honeymoon Jimmy is off to join the Expeditionary Team and fight for his country and to save millions of people around the world. Ruby finds herself alone and adrift and decides to move to Sydney from the small outback town of Bourke where she had worked in the family drapery business. Her father is dead, her sister married so all who remains is her mother. Ruby needs a change or else she will be forever enshrined in the small town mentality. She can't sit and pine for Jimmy while he is away, waiting on that next letter or god forbid the dreaded telegram everyone woman at the time feared. Fair play to Ruby she knew what she wanted in life it was almost as if she knew if anything happened to Jimmy and she had remained in Bourke that was where she would stay forever. She realised she had ambition and a steely determination and she was set on putting her life on the right track. Ruby soon finds lodgings with Maree Hannah and her young son. Maree's husband Theo is away fighting. So the two woman share a connection.Maree was a super character slowly she opened up to Ruby and an everlasting bond was formed. She was a staunch supporter of Ruby and was always there to offer advice and support. Her son stole the scenes he was mentioned in and his innocence at what was going on in the world around him was captured perfectly throughout.
Ruby clearly grew as a person throughout the story, her strength and true character shone through. She acquires a job in Curry and Sons Timber Merchants working as the book keeper. Clearly this is a male dominated world where it is believed a woman's place is firmly in the home - housekeeping and rearing the children. To say Ruby comes up against opposition is an understatement but she is willing to forge on and break down those barriers which really shouldn't have been there in the first place. She forms a special bond with Mr. Curry whose son is away fighting in the same regiment as Jimmy. Their relationship is not conventional and Mr. Curry resists at every opportunity as Ruby tries to get through and reach the inner spirit and crack the shell that he has built around himself. I did feel very sorry for what happens to Mr. Curry and believe without the help of Ruby his business would have gone bankrupt and he would have remained locked away from the world forever.
Interspersed throughout the book are letters from Jimmy sent from where he is fighting. They give us a brief flavour as to what he is experiencing. Personally I would have liked some chapters from his viewpoint as I feel for most of the book I didn't know enough about his character and when he arrives home it was too late to get to know him despite what he goes through. I realise the author for part one might have wanted just the letters used as a means of communication between Jimmy and Ruby but I felt it wasn't enough.
Part one of the book meandered along at a slow and steady pace with plenty of repetition. It did help us familiarise ourselves with Ruby's period of adjustment and how she develops a routine, friendships and a firm solid position in her job but to me it became boring. I felt like elements of this had been done before in previous books I had read. Part two did pick up the story a bit more as Jimmy returns home wounded and unable to rejoin his unit. Ruby's freedom is now curtailed. She had longed for the safe return of her husband but I sensed she had enjoyed parts of her life more or less as a single woman. Now that the love of her life was back albeit a changed man she would once again have to get to know again. Jimmy had clearly been through a lot and returns home with both physical and mental injuries. He is not the same person he once was and both Ruby and Jimmy will have to fight through a lot in order to come out the other side if they wish their marriage to survive. Jimmy came across as selfish and ungrateful towards Ruby especially as she was doing her best to give Jimmy a normal routine and some stability after all he had witnessed and survived. Nowadays we would understand what Jimmy was going through and would have a name and treatment and support for it but in those days it was just a very steep learning curve. 'All he wanted was a version of the girl she had been in Bourke, and that girl was long gone'. Both parties need to comprehend that war alters everything not just the day to day routines.
The Soldier's Wife as I have mentioned is a good read but I wouldn't have it in my top reads for the year. Pamela Hart has done a satisfactory job of portraying life in Australia during World War Two. There is a good basic storyline here and I did love Ruby and Maree as characters but overall the first half of the story was dragged out and part two felt too rushed as if the author knew she had to warp up the book within a certain word count. She did touch on all aspects associated with the war - the loneliness, terror, heartache, upheaval and disruption to name but a few but the book didn't fully hit right where it matters straight to the heart. As for the ending I didn't feel it was the right ending for this book especially reading of Ruby's feelings in part two. I do think there are plenty of people who would enjoy this read curled up on the couch on a cold winters afternoon. But for die hard fans of historical fiction set during World War Two maybe stick to something else.
Inspired by a true story The Soldiers Wife is set during World War Two. You may think you have read so many books set during this period and need a change, I admit this is what I thought but when I noticed this book was set in Sydney it seemed to be different and would hopefully prove a refreshing change. I have read numerous books of the war from the British side and how events in France and Germany panned out. But what about the Australians who also made their own sacrifices during this time of upheaval and destruction that touched every corner of the world? Overall the book was generally good, I'll readily admit it wasn't the best book set during this period that I have read but still I was glad to have given it a chance. I found it a light and easy read despite some of the experiences the characters go through. There were scenes and plot lines that tugged at the heartstrings but I didn't care for one particular character and maybe that is why I didn't feel the depth and emotion the author wanted us to.
Ruby is newly married to Jimmy Hawkins and hopes her marriage will be long and fruitful. The shadow of war in Europe is ever present and after a week's honeymoon Jimmy is off to join the Expeditionary Team and fight for his country and to save millions of people around the world. Ruby finds herself alone and adrift and decides to move to Sydney from the small outback town of Bourke where she had worked in the family drapery business. Her father is dead, her sister married so all who remains is her mother. Ruby needs a change or else she will be forever enshrined in the small town mentality. She can't sit and pine for Jimmy while he is away, waiting on that next letter or god forbid the dreaded telegram everyone woman at the time feared. Fair play to Ruby she knew what she wanted in life it was almost as if she knew if anything happened to Jimmy and she had remained in Bourke that was where she would stay forever. She realised she had ambition and a steely determination and she was set on putting her life on the right track. Ruby soon finds lodgings with Maree Hannah and her young son. Maree's husband Theo is away fighting. So the two woman share a connection.Maree was a super character slowly she opened up to Ruby and an everlasting bond was formed. She was a staunch supporter of Ruby and was always there to offer advice and support. Her son stole the scenes he was mentioned in and his innocence at what was going on in the world around him was captured perfectly throughout.
Ruby clearly grew as a person throughout the story, her strength and true character shone through. She acquires a job in Curry and Sons Timber Merchants working as the book keeper. Clearly this is a male dominated world where it is believed a woman's place is firmly in the home - housekeeping and rearing the children. To say Ruby comes up against opposition is an understatement but she is willing to forge on and break down those barriers which really shouldn't have been there in the first place. She forms a special bond with Mr. Curry whose son is away fighting in the same regiment as Jimmy. Their relationship is not conventional and Mr. Curry resists at every opportunity as Ruby tries to get through and reach the inner spirit and crack the shell that he has built around himself. I did feel very sorry for what happens to Mr. Curry and believe without the help of Ruby his business would have gone bankrupt and he would have remained locked away from the world forever.
Interspersed throughout the book are letters from Jimmy sent from where he is fighting. They give us a brief flavour as to what he is experiencing. Personally I would have liked some chapters from his viewpoint as I feel for most of the book I didn't know enough about his character and when he arrives home it was too late to get to know him despite what he goes through. I realise the author for part one might have wanted just the letters used as a means of communication between Jimmy and Ruby but I felt it wasn't enough.
Part one of the book meandered along at a slow and steady pace with plenty of repetition. It did help us familiarise ourselves with Ruby's period of adjustment and how she develops a routine, friendships and a firm solid position in her job but to me it became boring. I felt like elements of this had been done before in previous books I had read. Part two did pick up the story a bit more as Jimmy returns home wounded and unable to rejoin his unit. Ruby's freedom is now curtailed. She had longed for the safe return of her husband but I sensed she had enjoyed parts of her life more or less as a single woman. Now that the love of her life was back albeit a changed man she would once again have to get to know again. Jimmy had clearly been through a lot and returns home with both physical and mental injuries. He is not the same person he once was and both Ruby and Jimmy will have to fight through a lot in order to come out the other side if they wish their marriage to survive. Jimmy came across as selfish and ungrateful towards Ruby especially as she was doing her best to give Jimmy a normal routine and some stability after all he had witnessed and survived. Nowadays we would understand what Jimmy was going through and would have a name and treatment and support for it but in those days it was just a very steep learning curve. 'All he wanted was a version of the girl she had been in Bourke, and that girl was long gone'. Both parties need to comprehend that war alters everything not just the day to day routines.
The Soldier's Wife as I have mentioned is a good read but I wouldn't have it in my top reads for the year. Pamela Hart has done a satisfactory job of portraying life in Australia during World War Two. There is a good basic storyline here and I did love Ruby and Maree as characters but overall the first half of the story was dragged out and part two felt too rushed as if the author knew she had to warp up the book within a certain word count. She did touch on all aspects associated with the war - the loneliness, terror, heartache, upheaval and disruption to name but a few but the book didn't fully hit right where it matters straight to the heart. As for the ending I didn't feel it was the right ending for this book especially reading of Ruby's feelings in part two. I do think there are plenty of people who would enjoy this read curled up on the couch on a cold winters afternoon. But for die hard fans of historical fiction set during World War Two maybe stick to something else.
samstillreading's review
4.0
After the moving tributes of ANZAC Day this year, one hundred years after the Gallipoli campaign, I was in the mood to read something set in the time period that celebrated the ANZAC spirit. I couldn’t have picked a better book than The Soldier’s Wife. The book not only chronicles what it was like for those left on the home front, it also goes into detail of the horrors of war and how they affect families and loved one. Plus, it celebrates some girl power in Ruby, a young woman who finds her strength and determination when she is left alone in Sydney after her very new husband departs for the front. Ruby is a country girl from Bourke and the city is new to her – the smells, constant movement and the never-ending buildings. After Jimmy leaves on a troop ship, she organises a place to board and sets off looking for a job.
Ruby finds a place as a bookkeeper as a timber yard, thanks to her experience in her family’s drapers. A timber yard is not the usual place for women to work in 1915 and Ruby finds things uncomfortable at first amongst the men. However, she finds strengths in not only being able to do the work well, but helping new friend Maree and being a voice of calm and reasoning when tragedy strikes her boss’ family. Ruby grows into a strong, admirable woman before the reader’s eyes, but is it enough to sustain her when she gets her own bad news?
It’s at this point that the narrative changes from being about Ruby, relatively free, to being someone’s wife. Having only a couple of weeks of marriage to compare to, life is not easy being half of a pair, especially when the physical and mental scars of war are so fresh. Will Ruby give up her freedom to be a dutiful wife, or does her new life mean more to her?
It was easy to like Ruby and I enjoyed seeing her personal growth from wide eyed country kid to a force to be reckoned with (yet retaining her femininity). Pamela Hart stops Ruby from being the perfect woman in that she slips up sometimes with some razor-sharp verbal barbs. I thought that this made Ruby more realistic and well…conflict does make for an exciting story. I really didn’t know which way Ruby was going to turn towards the end of the book as events cumulate in a race against time. I liked not knowing what would happen – would the ending be happy or sad? Would Ruby end up together with Jimmy (or someone else) or alone? It made the story more exciting and delayed my bedtime somewhat!
Pamela Hart’s research for The Soldier’s Wife was both detailed and interesting. I enjoyed reading about Lassetter’s, a wonderful shopping emporium in Sydney and how the timber was transported. And her words? Well, the pages just flew by. This is a book that you won’t want to tear yourself away from – it contains a myriad of feelings and events that makes for compulsive reading.
Thanks to Hachette Australia and The Reading Room for the ARC, it was a delight to read.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Ruby finds a place as a bookkeeper as a timber yard, thanks to her experience in her family’s drapers. A timber yard is not the usual place for women to work in 1915 and Ruby finds things uncomfortable at first amongst the men. However, she finds strengths in not only being able to do the work well, but helping new friend Maree and being a voice of calm and reasoning when tragedy strikes her boss’ family. Ruby grows into a strong, admirable woman before the reader’s eyes, but is it enough to sustain her when she gets her own bad news?
It’s at this point that the narrative changes from being about Ruby, relatively free, to being someone’s wife. Having only a couple of weeks of marriage to compare to, life is not easy being half of a pair, especially when the physical and mental scars of war are so fresh. Will Ruby give up her freedom to be a dutiful wife, or does her new life mean more to her?
It was easy to like Ruby and I enjoyed seeing her personal growth from wide eyed country kid to a force to be reckoned with (yet retaining her femininity). Pamela Hart stops Ruby from being the perfect woman in that she slips up sometimes with some razor-sharp verbal barbs. I thought that this made Ruby more realistic and well…conflict does make for an exciting story. I really didn’t know which way Ruby was going to turn towards the end of the book as events cumulate in a race against time. I liked not knowing what would happen – would the ending be happy or sad? Would Ruby end up together with Jimmy (or someone else) or alone? It made the story more exciting and delayed my bedtime somewhat!
Pamela Hart’s research for The Soldier’s Wife was both detailed and interesting. I enjoyed reading about Lassetter’s, a wonderful shopping emporium in Sydney and how the timber was transported. And her words? Well, the pages just flew by. This is a book that you won’t want to tear yourself away from – it contains a myriad of feelings and events that makes for compulsive reading.
Thanks to Hachette Australia and The Reading Room for the ARC, it was a delight to read.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
kateyjay's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
maureensbooks89's review
5.0
‘The Soldier’s Wife’ take place in Australia, in 1915 when the world was in chaos due to the first world war. Ruby and Jimmy Hawkins are newlyweds and madly in love with each other. When the war takes Jimmy away to fight in the battle of Gallipoli, both Ruby and Jimmy are sure that their love will survive the war and al the tragedies it entails.
While Jimmy is away he writes love letters to Ruby, telling her about his dreams and the life he knows they will have when the war is over. Ruby is at home in Sydney and reads all his beautiful letters. But after the first view weeks have past, Ruby is forced to go on with her own life. And what she needs is money. Money to life, and to build a future for when Jimmy returns. But 1915 isn’t an easy time for woman to make their own money. And Ruby is forced to fight for her rights in a world were woman are considered less.
Not only the cover of this book is beautiful, but the story itself is even more beautiful. I normally don’t read much books about world war I and II. Stories about the war always make me feel so sad and even a little scared about the future. But ever since I read this books description, I knew I had to read it. And yes, it is a sad story, but above all it is a story about love, passion, and the strength people have when they need to survive. It’s also about what war does to people who fight it, and who are left behind.
‘The Soldier’s Wife’ is definitely a book I will remember. It’s so beautiful!! I loved the way Ruby fought for herself and how she conquered all odds in a men’s world who really didn’t want her there. While reading this book I felt like I was standing right next to Ruby and fighting beside her. Fighting off all those prejudices and old habits.
I also loved reading Jimmy’s letters, to Ruby. They were so sweet and they really brought me to tears. Jimmy loved Ruby so much and he really wanted to take care of her, and grow old with her. The letters were really heartbreaking to read at times.. But above all beautiful.
In the end I cried. I cried because of how it ended, because of the way this book had made me feel and because of what was lost, and above all because it ended. I wasn’t ready to let Ruby and Jimmy go.. And even almost twenty four hours after I finished this book, I still think about ‘The Soldier’s Wife’ and Ruby and Jimmy. This book is definitely one of my favorites this year!! It’s so good!! I really recommend this book.
While Jimmy is away he writes love letters to Ruby, telling her about his dreams and the life he knows they will have when the war is over. Ruby is at home in Sydney and reads all his beautiful letters. But after the first view weeks have past, Ruby is forced to go on with her own life. And what she needs is money. Money to life, and to build a future for when Jimmy returns. But 1915 isn’t an easy time for woman to make their own money. And Ruby is forced to fight for her rights in a world were woman are considered less.
Not only the cover of this book is beautiful, but the story itself is even more beautiful. I normally don’t read much books about world war I and II. Stories about the war always make me feel so sad and even a little scared about the future. But ever since I read this books description, I knew I had to read it. And yes, it is a sad story, but above all it is a story about love, passion, and the strength people have when they need to survive. It’s also about what war does to people who fight it, and who are left behind.
‘The Soldier’s Wife’ is definitely a book I will remember. It’s so beautiful!! I loved the way Ruby fought for herself and how she conquered all odds in a men’s world who really didn’t want her there. While reading this book I felt like I was standing right next to Ruby and fighting beside her. Fighting off all those prejudices and old habits.
I also loved reading Jimmy’s letters, to Ruby. They were so sweet and they really brought me to tears. Jimmy loved Ruby so much and he really wanted to take care of her, and grow old with her. The letters were really heartbreaking to read at times.. But above all beautiful.
In the end I cried. I cried because of how it ended, because of the way this book had made me feel and because of what was lost, and above all because it ended. I wasn’t ready to let Ruby and Jimmy go.. And even almost twenty four hours after I finished this book, I still think about ‘The Soldier’s Wife’ and Ruby and Jimmy. This book is definitely one of my favorites this year!! It’s so good!! I really recommend this book.
rivqa's review
4.0
This historical novel is simultaneously a fantastic page-turner (I read it in a day) and a serious, unsentimental look at the social issues of the time, particularly for women. One to reread, more slowly next time perhaps.
jim_b's review
5.0
Full disclosure: I've attended many writing courses that have been taught by Pamela - I consider her my mentor and a friend. But that doesn't mean I went into reading this book determined to like it; on the contrary, some cheeky, asinine part of me read it hoping to find faults, to pick up mistakes my teacher had made. Alas, there were none - this book is as close to perfect as any I've read in a long time. The characters and the setting were rendered with such superb clarity and precision that allowed me to truly and deeply fall into the world she has built. The ending took my completely by surprise, but then had me saying, 'but of course, it's obvious, it had to be that way!' - a quality that I love in fiction and find rarely. It is such a beautiful book!
samstillreading's review against another edition
4.0
After the moving tributes of ANZAC Day this year, one hundred years after the Gallipoli campaign, I was in the mood to read something set in the time period that celebrated the ANZAC spirit. I couldn’t have picked a better book than The Soldier’s Wife. The book not only chronicles what it was like for those left on the home front, it also goes into detail of the horrors of war and how they affect families and loved one. Plus, it celebrates some girl power in Ruby, a young woman who finds her strength and determination when she is left alone in Sydney after her very new husband departs for the front. Ruby is a country girl from Bourke and the city is new to her – the smells, constant movement and the never-ending buildings. After Jimmy leaves on a troop ship, she organises a place to board and sets off looking for a job.
Ruby finds a place as a bookkeeper as a timber yard, thanks to her experience in her family’s drapers. A timber yard is not the usual place for women to work in 1915 and Ruby finds things uncomfortable at first amongst the men. However, she finds strengths in not only being able to do the work well, but helping new friend Maree and being a voice of calm and reasoning when tragedy strikes her boss’ family. Ruby grows into a strong, admirable woman before the reader’s eyes, but is it enough to sustain her when she gets her own bad news?
It’s at this point that the narrative changes from being about Ruby, relatively free, to being someone’s wife. Having only a couple of weeks of marriage to compare to, life is not easy being half of a pair, especially when the physical and mental scars of war are so fresh. Will Ruby give up her freedom to be a dutiful wife, or does her new life mean more to her?
It was easy to like Ruby and I enjoyed seeing her personal growth from wide eyed country kid to a force to be reckoned with (yet retaining her femininity). Pamela Hart stops Ruby from being the perfect woman in that she slips up sometimes with some razor-sharp verbal barbs. I thought that this made Ruby more realistic and well…conflict does make for an exciting story. I really didn’t know which way Ruby was going to turn towards the end of the book as events cumulate in a race against time. I liked not knowing what would happen – would the ending be happy or sad? Would Ruby end up together with Jimmy (or someone else) or alone? It made the story more exciting and delayed my bedtime somewhat!
Pamela Hart’s research for The Soldier’s Wife was both detailed and interesting. I enjoyed reading about Lassetter’s, a wonderful shopping emporium in Sydney and how the timber was transported. And her words? Well, the pages just flew by. This is a book that you won’t want to tear yourself away from – it contains a myriad of feelings and events that makes for compulsive reading.
Thanks to Hachette Australia and The Reading Room for the ARC, it was a delight to read.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Ruby finds a place as a bookkeeper as a timber yard, thanks to her experience in her family’s drapers. A timber yard is not the usual place for women to work in 1915 and Ruby finds things uncomfortable at first amongst the men. However, she finds strengths in not only being able to do the work well, but helping new friend Maree and being a voice of calm and reasoning when tragedy strikes her boss’ family. Ruby grows into a strong, admirable woman before the reader’s eyes, but is it enough to sustain her when she gets her own bad news?
It’s at this point that the narrative changes from being about Ruby, relatively free, to being someone’s wife. Having only a couple of weeks of marriage to compare to, life is not easy being half of a pair, especially when the physical and mental scars of war are so fresh. Will Ruby give up her freedom to be a dutiful wife, or does her new life mean more to her?
It was easy to like Ruby and I enjoyed seeing her personal growth from wide eyed country kid to a force to be reckoned with (yet retaining her femininity). Pamela Hart stops Ruby from being the perfect woman in that she slips up sometimes with some razor-sharp verbal barbs. I thought that this made Ruby more realistic and well…conflict does make for an exciting story. I really didn’t know which way Ruby was going to turn towards the end of the book as events cumulate in a race against time. I liked not knowing what would happen – would the ending be happy or sad? Would Ruby end up together with Jimmy (or someone else) or alone? It made the story more exciting and delayed my bedtime somewhat!
Pamela Hart’s research for The Soldier’s Wife was both detailed and interesting. I enjoyed reading about Lassetter’s, a wonderful shopping emporium in Sydney and how the timber was transported. And her words? Well, the pages just flew by. This is a book that you won’t want to tear yourself away from – it contains a myriad of feelings and events that makes for compulsive reading.
Thanks to Hachette Australia and The Reading Room for the ARC, it was a delight to read.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
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