Scan barcode
emmacr2024's review against another edition
4.0
If You Go Away is the second historical fiction novel by Adele Parks. Having enjoyed this book I hope she stays writing in this genre as she has an exceptionally, skilful way with words which combined to tell an absorbing story of love during World War One. I will admit it was a slow burner and only really took off over halfway through but when it did there was no stopping the story unfolding and all the setting up really paid off. The author is adept at getting inside the head of her characters expressing all their thoughts, feelings and viewpoints. She really needed to be able to do this as initially some of the characters actions had me confused and I couldn't warm to them. But it is the mark of a talented author who can strongly justify what was happening within the story through their use of beautiful expressive language and descriptions.
Set just before and during World War One, we are introduced to 18 year old débutante Vivian Foster. She lives in London and is set upon finding a handsome man to marry. Nathaniel Thorpe is within her sights but an incident at a society event leaves her dreams in tatters. At first I found Vivian (even though I knew she was so young) to really have her head in the clouds and was not very aware of what was going on around her. She had been brought up in a certain manner and expected everything to go her way and for life to be easy and all the pieces of her story would slot into place. Her plans were rigid marry, children etc. all done step by step and by the book. I felt she was a snob and very up herself with her one sided opinions. 'Vivian liked rich people, properly rich'. But soon she finds herself married off in haste (to avoid further social upheaval) to Aubrey Owens. Her aspirations are shattered but at this stage I had no sympathy for her as she really had brought this marriage on herself through her reckless actions. On the day of her marriage Germany declares war on Russia and France in August of 1944. Soon Vivian finds herself moved to the small country village of Blackwell, far from everything she has known she feels isolated and cut off from her family even though Aubrey believes she will be safe here. Why she wonders should her husband be free to fight for his country and Vivian left alone and separated from her own family?
Chapters alternated between Vivian and our male protagonist - Howard Henderson, a playwright trying to produce the ultimate play which will catapult him onto the world wide stage. He seemed to be the man about town having any woman he wanted treating them mean and keeping them keen. But when war is announced he travels with a Daily Mail reporter to write articles and convey what is happening in France back to the people of England. Howard is deeply affected by what he witness' and cannot stand such pain and suffering. He understandably cannot see any justification for such bloody merciless killing and torture. Here we see a profound change in Howard and my opinion changed to. He became a strong man determined to stand up for what he believed in not giving into convention even though the ramifications would have huge, dangerous consequences. When Howard returns to England he is haunted by what everything that has unfolded before his eyes. Soon conscription is introduced and here is where I felt Howard really changed and came into his own. He stands firm and refuses to enlist. Reading this it made me realise I have never given much thought to men who had not entered the war. They are rarely mentioned and in this novel Adele Parks has given them a voice and you can fully comprehend the internal struggle Howard was going through. It certainly opened my eyes to an aspect of the war and this storyline enriched the book.
Only when Howard and Vivian finally meet in Blackwell (after she decides to employ him) did I feel the book really come into its own. Vivian is slowly coming to terms with the path now set out for her and Howard's mother Mrs. Henderson has done her best to help her acclimatise to such a different way of life. But when she sets eyes on Howard you literally see the sparks fly and Vivian must struggle with her emotions and what she feels is the correct thing to do. I can honestly say both the main characters go through such transformations and an epic love story unfolds before the readers eyes. Even though you may not approve of what Howard and Vivian do, I still felt they were far nicer characters in the later half of the book more so than when we first encountered them. I really was rooting for them and there were numerous twists and turns in the last few chapters some that had you literally gasping out loud. This is a remarkable story that has elevated Adele Parks to new heights and fans of historical fiction will soak this up for what it is an engaging, thought provoking, emotive love story set against the backdrop of one of the most horrifying events in world history. It delves deep into the hearts and minds of the people at the time and explores relationships and friendships in an extraordinary way. Make sure this takes centre stage in your reading piles this summer.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
Vivian is loving the season, she has a great man on the hook, but things change and she marries Aubrey. Who is really dull. But then she was just a pretty face anyway, before her marriage that really was all she was.
Marriage. World War 1, and her being sent to live alone in the country. This is where the book started to remind me of another book *checks old review* Ok not that similar, just the bad marriage, alone and was going on part, and the new guy *ahem*.
Vivian really grows as a person. She learns that there is more than pretty dresses and dances. You have to work hard, war takes a lot, and she forms opinions of her own.
And Aubrey was a bore.
Then there is Howard, he and Vivian has alternate chapters, I did find his chapters boring until they met. He was just boring. He goes to report on the war. He sees that it's hell. He decides not to join, and he is sent to prison to get executed cos that is what they do with cowards. But he was no coward, he just found it stupid that hundreds of thousands are sent to be cannon fodder.
Anyone who reads the blurb gets that they will meet and something will happen.....
It was a good book, sure some Howard chapters were a bit meh, but read them fast and get to the good bits.
Marriage. World War 1, and her being sent to live alone in the country. This is where the book started to remind me of another book *checks old review* Ok not that similar, just the bad marriage, alone and was going on part, and the new guy *ahem*.
Vivian really grows as a person. She learns that there is more than pretty dresses and dances. You have to work hard, war takes a lot, and she forms opinions of her own.
And Aubrey was a bore.
Then there is Howard, he and Vivian has alternate chapters, I did find his chapters boring until they met. He was just boring. He goes to report on the war. He sees that it's hell. He decides not to join, and he is sent to prison to get executed cos that is what they do with cowards. But he was no coward, he just found it stupid that hundreds of thousands are sent to be cannon fodder.
Anyone who reads the blurb gets that they will meet and something will happen.....
It was a good book, sure some Howard chapters were a bit meh, but read them fast and get to the good bits.
markreadsbooks_sg's review against another edition
4.0
A novel that is set around world war 1, were a young woman rush into a loveless marriage to stop a scandle just before the outberak of war.
a very well written story as always from adele parks, which allows you to understand how the war fevour at the start of world war 1 seemed to grip everyone As well as how htat people are willing to sacrifice things for what they belive in.
a very well written story as always from adele parks, which allows you to understand how the war fevour at the start of world war 1 seemed to grip everyone As well as how htat people are willing to sacrifice things for what they belive in.
portybelle's review against another edition
4.0
This was different from the Adele Parks novels I have read before in that it wasn’t contemporary fiction. It is set just before and during The Great War, a time period I am very interested in. Initially I didn’t warm to the character of Vivian, finding her a bit irritating, empty headed and too concerned with finding a husband during her debutante season. However, a bad decision means she had to grow up rather quickly. She is rushed into a marriage to avoid scandal but the marriage has an inauspicious start: war is about to be declared, the glamourous European honeymoon she expected is cancelled, the wedding night is not exactly a success and her new husband soon enlists in the army. Howard, is a successful, handsome young playwright, popular with the ladies. After seeing the horrors of war while travelling with a journalist, he refuses to enlist and is imprisoned as a conscientious objector. Adele Parks writes vividly about some of the horrific scenes that Howard sees. I felt that she also depicted really well the way in which conscientious objectors were viewed by serving soldiers, family members, people in the community and total strangers. Far from being cowards, it took a lot of courage to stand up and refuse to fight.
The novel really became compelling for me when Vivian and Howard meet, after his mother persuades Vivian to take him on for farm work, saving him from a court martial. The growing attraction between them is evident and is not surprising given Vivian’s disappointing and loveless marriage. Unable to resist their growing desire, they become reckless and impulsive. I felt conflicting emotions while reading. Vivian and Howard are so obviously passionate about each other and yet she is a married woman in a time when divorce was a scandal. “They had stepped outside society. People in love did.” I almost found myself (like Vivian) wishing her husband some harm! It is so tense waiting for their relationship to be revealed as you feel it inevitably must.
This book is perhaps a slowburner to start with but is definitely worth persevering with. Adele Parks writes so well about friendships and relationships. To paraphrase, she has really captured ‘the love, the passion, the power and the accompanying anguish that escorts love throughout a war’.
The novel really became compelling for me when Vivian and Howard meet, after his mother persuades Vivian to take him on for farm work, saving him from a court martial. The growing attraction between them is evident and is not surprising given Vivian’s disappointing and loveless marriage. Unable to resist their growing desire, they become reckless and impulsive. I felt conflicting emotions while reading. Vivian and Howard are so obviously passionate about each other and yet she is a married woman in a time when divorce was a scandal. “They had stepped outside society. People in love did.” I almost found myself (like Vivian) wishing her husband some harm! It is so tense waiting for their relationship to be revealed as you feel it inevitably must.
This book is perhaps a slowburner to start with but is definitely worth persevering with. Adele Parks writes so well about friendships and relationships. To paraphrase, she has really captured ‘the love, the passion, the power and the accompanying anguish that escorts love throughout a war’.
chrissireads's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kba76's review
4.0
Settling down to read this I was, like quite a lot of readers, irritated by the situation that Vivian was placed in at the start of the novel. She could seem unlikeable, but I felt desperately sorry for this passionate and loving woman and how she was constrained by her time. The interweaving of historical detail was skilful, and I was absorbed by this once it all got going. The relationship between Howard and Vivian, though 'wrong' felt so right. Loved it!
julie7's review
1.0
Found the characters extremely unlikeable, hence could not engage with the story at all.
A little bit lame for my liking.
A little bit lame for my liking.