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mirrie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sammilittlejohns's review against another edition
3.0
I think I enjoyed this book a lot more than I would have usually as it was sort of a break for me after reading some pretty heavy non-fiction. However, it's still a pretty good read, and it genuinely didn't go how I expected it to go, especially with the ending! I rated it 3* because some parts I found to be quite meh, such as with Julia's story- I LIKE that she ended up liking Krista and that she overcame some of her grief for her husband, but her link with Teddy was so cringe at times. I did like Tilly's change, and some parts of the story actually made me so nervous, showing that I guess I did actually care what happened to the characters at points. I thought the added element of dealing with the relationship between ordinary German and English people was interesting as well. In a way, everybody (the main characters anyway) got their own comeuppance, so there was a good, developing story.
I guess overall i just have more gripe with the writing style, which isn't bad, but at times I found it quite jumpy or slow. But yes! A good read if you enjoy stories set during and after WW2 and also crime/thriller books.
I guess overall i just have more gripe with the writing style, which isn't bad, but at times I found it quite jumpy or slow. But yes! A good read if you enjoy stories set during and after WW2 and also crime/thriller books.
hollybotterill's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
Gus returns from the war a changed man, no longer the middling barrister he has seen and done things he regrets. Now has a new role working for the Foreign Office and a new wife, the fragile and German Krista. This comes as a shock to his sisters, Julia widow of an RAF officer and Tilly a damaged bohemian, and also the family friends, Teddy a solicitor and Nella who is Gus' jilted fiancee. Krista finds it hard to settle into life in the bomb-damaged Clapham terrace that is the situation of the family home, she finds it hard to deal with the prejudice post-war and feels that she doesn't have place in either country. However Krista is a survivor, she has learned that, and when she has a baby she is determined to protect him at all costs.
This book has a great opening, a body found in a Clapham garden in the 1970s and the only clue is that it is of a woman in her late twenties who has had a baby. The rest of the book tells the story of Krista's first year in Clapham but the reader is constantly thinking back to the opening and trying to work out what will happen. There are four women in the story of the right age and there are a lot of red herrings before the twist at the end. However that should not distract from what is a very sad tale about the lives of women after the end of the war. Julia is an attractive woman who lost the man she loved and wants more physical intimacy. Tilly had freedom during the war but cannot cope with life during peacetime. Nella lost the man she loves to another woman and cannot see why. Krista has been through hell but is not a sympathetic character. This is quite a clever book and can be read at different levels.
This book has a great opening, a body found in a Clapham garden in the 1970s and the only clue is that it is of a woman in her late twenties who has had a baby. The rest of the book tells the story of Krista's first year in Clapham but the reader is constantly thinking back to the opening and trying to work out what will happen. There are four women in the story of the right age and there are a lot of red herrings before the twist at the end. However that should not distract from what is a very sad tale about the lives of women after the end of the war. Julia is an attractive woman who lost the man she loved and wants more physical intimacy. Tilly had freedom during the war but cannot cope with life during peacetime. Nella lost the man she loves to another woman and cannot see why. Krista has been through hell but is not a sympathetic character. This is quite a clever book and can be read at different levels.
thegamenurse's review
3.0
I realized while reading this that it covers an Era I have never read fiction about: immediately post ww2. All fiction seems to be before and during, but what about after. Once all the adrenaline and drama of war is over? Naturally this book is grim, you feel just as shell shocked as the characters. A good read, but once is enough for me.
julietejames's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Interesting characters and good mystery, couldn't always follow the story line. Found the subject matter extremely distressing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
katecks's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I like the authors style of writing and I was intrigued by the characters. What happened to ordinary people after WW2 when they were expected to go back to normal after all they had been through is an area that needs to be explored more.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
4.0
War changes people. You may think there are things you wouldn't be capable of doing but when pushed, when it's all about survival, how far would you go?
When Gus returns to England after the Second World War with a German wife in tow, nobody understands what happened. Not his sisters, or his best friend or even the woman everyone assumed he'd marry upon his return. Only Gus and his wife Krista know the reason. What follows is the way people try to find a way of getting on with their lives after suffering through some unimaginable things.
I found this book quite hard to read at times. Coming from a family with both a Polish and German grandmother, I could all too easily understand both points of view. My German grandmother was a victim like any other but because of her nationality, she was just regarded as the enemy. She never talked about it much but she felt ashamed of what her country had become. Relations between her and my other grandmother, on the few occasions they met, were civil at best.
The struggle the characters deal with is very real. Each must find a way to pick themselves up. Some maybe manage better than others. I found the characters to be entirely believable although maybe not always evoking sympathy, until you find out the reasons for their behaviour.
If you like a well-written story about WWII with a little dash of "why, who, how?", I'm sure you will enjoy this book. And for days after finishing, you will wonder how far you would go.
When Gus returns to England after the Second World War with a German wife in tow, nobody understands what happened. Not his sisters, or his best friend or even the woman everyone assumed he'd marry upon his return. Only Gus and his wife Krista know the reason. What follows is the way people try to find a way of getting on with their lives after suffering through some unimaginable things.
I found this book quite hard to read at times. Coming from a family with both a Polish and German grandmother, I could all too easily understand both points of view. My German grandmother was a victim like any other but because of her nationality, she was just regarded as the enemy. She never talked about it much but she felt ashamed of what her country had become. Relations between her and my other grandmother, on the few occasions they met, were civil at best.
The struggle the characters deal with is very real. Each must find a way to pick themselves up. Some maybe manage better than others. I found the characters to be entirely believable although maybe not always evoking sympathy, until you find out the reasons for their behaviour.
If you like a well-written story about WWII with a little dash of "why, who, how?", I'm sure you will enjoy this book. And for days after finishing, you will wonder how far you would go.
melonpea's review against another edition
3.0
The character of Krista was great, complex, nothing like I expected. Her complicated relationship with Gus makes this book. However for me it was difficult to get into, the first third is quite slow.