Reviews

Meet Me at Lennon's by Melanie Myers

lmk217's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

booksbecreads's review against another edition

4.0

Alice had the kind of face – ordinary as grass, she always supposed, but likewise appreciated when needed – that reminded some older officers of their daughters back home.”

I loved this story and made parts of Brisbane make more sense to me, but I think you would struggle with the book of you didn't know Brisbane.

The documenting of these types of stories are so important before they die out, so many men and women never passed these stories on and it wasn't something most of my generation thought of until after they died.

becr's review against another edition

3.0

I learnt a lot from the book. My previous knowledge of Brisbane during WWII was: Brisbane line...something something... McArthur.

However, I think this should've been two separate books within the WWII Brisbane setting:
1. Historical fiction murder mystery
2. Non-fiction book including extracts from letters, journals, newspapers, telegrams.

If #2 has already been written, I'll have to check it out.

(And as others have commented, I had trouble keeping track of who the characters were. I literally ended up drawing a chart. And I come from a childhood of sweeping fantasy series' with pages of character names for reference, but somehow couldn't keep the 6 or so women straight)

katydidinoz's review

3.0

In her novel, Melanie Myers delves into an under-explored area of Brisbane history: the influx of US soldiers during World War II, and how their presence affected the social conventions of the time. The titular Lennon’s refers to a popular social club, and the story alternates between World War II and a contemporary timeline. Hinging the two is Olivia, the main character who in the contemporary timeline is writing a doctorate on a playwright who features in the World War II timeline. As a conceit, this link is not wholly successful, the play and playwright not crucial enough to the plot to provide the anchor necessary with dual timelines. This lack of focus is an overarching problem within the novel: while the depiction of Brisbane during World War II and the emphasis on women’s experiences on the home front is well-realised and engaging, the contemporary timeline feels aimless in comparison. The best parts of this novel are the past and the women’s stories told, and I wonder if this novel would have been more successful as a work of historical fiction, rather than attempting to capitalise on the current popularity of a dual timeline narrative.

kali's review

5.0

4.5* An immensely enjoyable read and evocative of life for women in wartime Brisbane. In the present-day, PhD researcher Olivia uncovers an unsolved murder mystery of the River Girl during WWII. Piecing together anecdotes, letters, articles, and official records, she learns of the often violent conflict between the thousands of Yanks stationed in Brisbane and their Aussie counterparts, as well as the racism that pitted both Aussie soldiers and African American soldiers against white Americans. In parallel to this contemporary story are the lives and voices of several women who were affected positively and not-so-positively by the GIs' presence. Though it is not made explicit, Myers draws enough connections to indicate who the River Girl's murderer might have been. And she is finally given a name. Which is vitally important, because women were treated as objects, transacted for a pair of nylons or box of chocolates, to be owned. And the contemporary storyline shows that this still holds true today. I sometimes found the women's stories a little confusing as to who was who, as they were variously interrelated as sisters, room-mates, work colleagues, etc. However, these relationships also provide a flavour of how small Brisbane was back then, how everyone must have known somebody who'd known something. And just how huge an impact 60000 American GIs must have had on the population.

greerd's review

3.0

This book grabbed my attention by being a historical novel set in Brisbane and focusing on US troops stationed in Brisbane during World War 2, an area of history that I was vaguely aware of without knowing many details.

It does feel like a first novel in places (if you read it, please push through - the first chapter is at first confusing and then basically a walking tour of Brisbane, but it gets better). The pacing could be tighter and more balanced and the prose can be a tad overwrought.

The blurb talks of a murder, which makes me think of a detective-style plot, which isn't really accurate. It's much more like a Kate Morton novel, with secrets gradually revealed between a modern-day storyline and flashbacks to the past. Really, it's more for people who are happy to immerse themselves in details of 1940s Brisbane. And I'm going to give a shoutout to the modern-day romance, which works out exactly as I was hoping it would.

A solid summer read.