Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Lissa Evans’ latest novel, ‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’. Thanks to Random Things Tours and Doubleday for my copy of the book for review – opinions, as always, are my own.
From the Publisher:
The newest novel by the brilliant Lissa Evans, a historical fiction tale about a family and their country house needing to change with the times in the aftermath of the Second World War.
It’s 1945, and Corporal Valentine Vere-Thissett, aged 23, is on his way home. But ‘home’ is Dimperley, built in the 1500s, vast and dilapidated, up to its eaves in debt and half-full of fly-blown taxidermy and dependent relatives, the latter clinging to a way of life that has gone forever.
And worst of all – following the death of his heroic older brother – Valentine is now Sir Valentine, and is responsible for the whole bloody place.
To Valentine, it’s a millstone; to Zena Baxter, who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter, it’s a place of wonder and sentiment, somewhere that she can’t bear to leave. But Zena has been living with a secret, and the end of the war means she has to face a reckoning of her own…
Funny, sharp and touching, Small Bomb at Dimperley is both a love story and a bittersweet portrait of an era of profound loss, and renewal.
‘Lissa Evans’ writing is so incredibly assured and affecting. I loved the world and the characters so much and it just seemed like the perfect novel to be read in such dark times. Joy and love found in the ruins, the hope after the horrors, simply gorgeous – a true balm.’
GRAHAM NORTON
‘Loaded with period detail, primed with characters you feel you’ve known for years, Small Bomb at Dimperley explodes comically, lovingly and very slightly wistfully into absolute delight. My best book (by a country mile) this year.’
HILARY MCKAY
My Review:
I love Lissa Evans’ books – she always manages to balance some hard-hitting and tragic ideas with such an incredible warmth and humour. I adored ‘Crooked Heart’ and ‘V for Victory and so couldn’t wait to read ‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’ to see if Evans’ version of a different aspect of World War II would be as fabulous.
It is. It really is.
‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’ takes a different focus from the previous books that focused more on London, evacuees and the Blitz. In this book, the focus is Dimperley, a huge mish-mash of a stately home, and those who live there.
It’s 1945, so the war is ending, and aristocratic families like the Vere-Thissetts of Dimperley are needing to navigate a very different political landscape – one that is more hostile. Added to this, the family hierarchy has been shaken by death and a brain fever, leaving the youngest son as heir to Dimperley. As he returns from war and now titled Sir Valentine, this heir finds he has large shoes to fill in the wake of his heroic big brother. His house is dilapidated, running on reduced staffing and populated by a selection of his eccentric relatives, plus a young woman and her daughter who stayed on after Dimperley was used as a maternity home during the war. It’s up to Valentine to come to terms with his new situation and work out how he can keep Dimperley afloat.
From the second I picked up this book, I knew that the world of Dimperley was one that I wanted to spend time in. While bad things happen – various deaths, poor Ceddy’s illness, Valentine’s wounds – this is an often charming look at a family clinging to an outdated way of life. It’s packed with interesting characters and astute observations on human behaviour – it made me laugh out loud several times with the slightly sharp comments and presentation of human foibles (such as Alaric’s obsession with the correct use of titles). At times, it felt a bit like the world of Nancy Mitford’s ‘The Pursuit of Love’ – often affectionate and charming, but also witty and arch. It never slips into being too cosy or twee, but remains appealing and immersive for the reader.
As always, the characters are beautifully drawn – Zena is glorious in her attachment to Dimperley and love for her daughter and my heart goes out to Valentine, returning from war to a chaotic mess. I also loved Miss Hersey – remnant from when the house was packed with servants before the war but now dealing (pretty competently) with being the last remaining one still resident there. There are lots of quirky, engaging characters throughout – some of whom I was intrigued to learn more about, such as the two daughters returning from a wartime spent in the USA.
It’s a book I could write lots about as I found lots to love. However, I’d really just recommend that you pick up a copy and immerse yourself in the world of Dimperley. It’s a world that was archaic even in 1945, losing relevance further as the post-war world adapted to seismic change. However, it’s a lovely place to spend a few hours in the company of some lovely characters.
About the Author:
LISSA EVANS is an iconic director, producer and author of historical fiction with a devouted fan base. She has written books for both adults and children, including the bestselling Old Baggage, Their Finest Hour and a Half, longlisted for the Orange Prize, Small Change for Stuart, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Book Awards amongst others, and Crooked Heart, longlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction.
