As someone (just about) too young to remember Greenham and the 1980s panic about nuclear war – and thank goodness as I’d have been rightfully terrified – I was keen to read this novel to find out more.
This book tells the story of 15 year old Bridget, a girl struggling with her own identity and family issues, who finds herself in the anti-war, all-female protest camps at Greenham Common. Through her journey, we meet lots of other women fighting their own battles, including Bridget’s own mother.
A few things really struck me when I was reading this novel – firstly, a sense of the sisterhood of the women at Greenham, but also how this shifted towards a more fragmented and intersectional feminism as time passed. The unity of the women was joyful, but it was interesting how issues of race and class crept in to give as sense of disharmony at times, which I guess is more realistic. The other thing was a sense that the 1980s was an alien world! In a world without the internet and mobile phones (Bridget’s whole presence at Greenham is caused by a forged permission letter for a school trip – much less likely to happen now!), life seems at once simpler and harder. Ansthruther presents the backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain well and I felt little jolts of recognition at times.
I enjoyed the book, although I did feel like some of the narratives were a bit less seamlessly woven into the novel than others – Bridget’s dad’s storyline and presentation as a conflicted character are interesting but felt a bit less authentic compared with the scenes at Greenham. I also wanted to know more about the women of Greenham – there were quite a few that I came to recognise by name but not know or remember much about.
I’d recommend this to people interested in historical fiction (as much as I don’t like to think of the 80s as historical!), and especially those interested in women’s history. The story of the women from different backgrounds and walks of life who came together at Greenham is inspiring and engaging and a fascinating basis for a novel.
I received a free review copy of this book from NetGalley – opinions, as always, are entirely mine.
Thanks to Kilian Karger on Unsplash for the header photo.
There’s a really famous photo of a train accident at Paris Montparnasse station in 1895 – in it, the steam engine of the train has overshot the end of the line and is hanging out of the station through the giant glass windows. It’s an arresting image and one that Emma Donoghue has taken as the inspiration for her new book. Who was on that train, speeding unknowingly towards the derailment?
The book is very fragmented, skipping between lots of characters on the train across all the classes, including the railway staff. At first, I found this quite hard to follow, especially remembering who everyone was and how they all fitted together. However, after a while, it all came together and I started to find the characters engaging. It’s a true slice of late 19th century French life, from the train guards and stokers to high-ranking political figures, from the wealthy invalid in her own carriage to the young terrorist, from the schoolboy to the pregnant woman nearing her due date, the coffee seller to the woman aspiring to be a doctor. As is Donoghue’s tendency, there is a feminist slant to some of the stories – and it is the women who are often the strongest or the most visionary (something I like about her writing).
As well as basing the events on a real incident, Donoghue’s cast includes real people too – and this is all explained in the author’s note at the end. Fans of historical fiction will find a lot to enjoy here – the historical detail is pin-sharp and vivid, from the heat and steam of the engine footplate to the claustrophobic quiet of the private carriage for the sick woman.
It’s an immersive book if you can allow yourself to go with the narrative, switching between people and carriages frequently. I definitely enjoyed learning about the people, the time period and the incident itself and would recommend it to anyone who likes thought-provoking and intense reads. There’s certainly a lot of tension as the train hurtles towards its final destination with the passengers unaware of what’s coming.
With thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of the book – opinions are entirely my own.
A new Ambrose Parry book is always cause for celebration – and this is no exception. I’m actually really gutted that the cover for this book suggests it will be the final book in the historical crime series to feature Dr Will Raven and his (now) apprentice, Sarah Fisher – it’s been such a great series from the start.
This instalment picks up Will and Sarah’s story in 1854 Edinburgh – it’s a city where the medical community is making great advancements in scientific understanding and practice, but also a city that struggles with poverty and has a very sinister side that both Will and Sarah have experienced before. In this book, Will finally has his own medical practice and is secretly training Sarah who is not allowed – as a woman – to study medicine. When Sarah is asked by a relative to find a young woman, Annabel, she follows a trail that leads her into the world of Edinburgh’s brothels and the trade in women by powerful men. Alongside this, Will is caught up in his own mystery involving the blackmail of some of Edinburgh’s most esteemed doctors. It seems that no-one is safe in this violent, immoral city – and both danger and scandal are edging ever nearer to Will and Sarah.
As with the previous books, the Victorian Edinburgh setting is evoked in all its grim detail – this is a world of baby famers, street prostitution, petty crime, lawlessness and violence. It’s clear that the writers (Ambrose Parry is the pen name of married couple Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman) have extensively researched not only the places and social issues of the period, but also the key figures and medical treatments – this is a book you’ll finish and then end up googling all the real historical figures and events!
Long-standing fans of the series will know that one of the common threads through the books is the relationship between Will and Sarah – they should so clearly be together, but there are just so many reasons why this isn’t possible and every book brings new obstacles. This is still a key element of this book too, and it’s really lovely to see their mutual respect and collaboration develop further as Will helps Sarah to achieve her medical aspirations and she leads parts of their investigations. They’re really brilliant characters – flawed, human, and so engaging to follow.
If you’ve not read an Ambrose Parry book before, obviously I’d suggest you start at the beginning of the series with ‘The Way of All Flesh’. However, if you do start with ‘The Death of Shame’, you’ll still be rewarded with an excellent mystery that can stand alone.
If dark, twisty, historical crime fiction is your thing (and it’s definitely mine!) then this series is highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of this book – opinions are entirely my own. This is due for publication on 5th June, 2025.
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:
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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.
I was in two minds about reading this book – on the one hand, I’m obsessed with anything set in the Arctic. What a fascinating, inhospitable, fabulous place with plenty of scope for peril, adventure, tragedy, isolation, creepiness…it has it all! On the other hand, I’m often less convinced by ghost stories as I often find them just too silly. Regardless, the Arctic won me over and so I picked up this book.
The story is essentially in three parts, with the focus skipping between the three timelines quite regularly. One of the strands is set in 1901 and features Nicky Duthie, daughter of a shipping company owner, being kidnapped and taken on board the whaling ship, the Ormen. Then there’s a 1973 strand (not featuring heavily) where the Ormen (now in use as a scientific research ship) is found drifting with a missing crew and just one mutilated body on board. Finally, there’s a modern strand in which Dominique, an urban explorer, travels to the ship just before the wreck is due to be sunk forever off the coast of Iceland. Here, in the almost perpetual darkness and freezing cold, she is determined to uncover the secrets of the ship.
I did worry initially that I’d fail to engage with a narrative that moved so frequently between time periods. However, I found that Dominique and Nicky’s stories were so different that it was easy to follow. I thought I’d probably like the historical story the best (as I love historical fiction), but I did find Nicky’s story really very grim. I’m not one for trigger warnings, but there’s a lot of casual rape and abuse which I found quite hard to process. Instead, I found myself much more interested in Dominique’s story, although baffled as to why anyone – no matter how intrepid – might want to explore/live in/broadcast on social media such a dangerous location!
The Arctic was – as I expected – magnificent. I loved the description of the people surviving in the inhospitable terrain, the darkness, the bitter cold, the maritime details of life in the North Sea (less keen on the actual whaling!) I thought the setting was great and gave the sense of claustrophobia even within the massive open spaces of Iceland.
And as for the ghost story – I did find it engaging and relatively credible. There were definite twists that I didn’t see coming and Cooke skilfully manipulates the reader’s sense of dread in seeing the mysterious female figure in the barren Arctic landscape. I did appreciate that the ghostly elements weren’t there for all-out horror, but something more subtle to do with shadows of the past. Indeed, the plotting was clever and the revelations kept me reading.
I should also mention that I listened to the audiobook which is narrated excellently by Lucy Goldie. I loved the fact that she has quite a strong Scottish accent which was perfect for the Scottish origins of the story and the associated mythology around selkies that feature in the novel.
This is an intriguing novel and one that kept me interested throughout. Some of it I found uncomfortable, but I loved the sense of setting and the fact that it kept me guessing to the end.
I received a free copy of the ebook from NetGalley for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.
I’ve always been intrigued by the story of how ‘Frankenstein’ came into existence – the stormy summer of 1816 on the shores of Lake Geneva where Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron and John Polidori gathered to share their storytelling and pass the time. The rest, as they say, is history…
Except that Claire Clairmont, Mary Shelley’s step-sister, was also there that summer and is often forgotten in the light of the bigger, badder and much more infamous characters around her. I only really knew about her from reading Jeanette Winterson’s ‘Frankissstein’, a reimagining of that crazy summer and a whole lot more (sexbots!) I’m always here for stories about women whose voices have been lost to history, so I approached this book with enthusiasm.
Thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this beautiful book for review – as always, opinions are entirely my own.
From the Publisher:
A dazzlingly illustrated collection presenting the extraordinary life stories of fourteen bright stars from Black British history, from Tudor England to modern Britain.
Brought to life through hand-painted illustrations by award-winning illustrator Angela Vives, this important and timely book from author and educator J. T. Williams brings the lives of fourteen shining stars from Black British History into the spotlight, celebrating their remarkable achievements and contributions to the arts, medicine, politics, sport and beyond.
Featuring a constellation of iconic individuals – including storytelling freedom fighter Mary Prince, football star and World War I soldier Walter Tull, and Notting Hill Carnival founder Claudia Jones – ‘Bright Stars of Black British History’ shines a light on the courage, resilience and talent of remarkable individuals who have left a lasting mark on our collective history.
This is the third book in the Emmy Lake series, following on from ‘Dear Mrs Bird’ and ‘Yours Cheerfully’. This is a series that is charming, cheerful and funny – even as the realities of World War II continue to have their impact on the characters’ lives.
Thanks to NetGalley for my opportunity to read this book and apologies for the late review.
In this third look at wartime Pimlico, we rejoin Emmy and her colleagues at the offices of Woman’s Friend, a publication packed with helpful tips on cooking, affordable fashion, and the general art of making do and getting by under rationing. One of the most popular sections is Emmy’s advice column, offering an invaluable lifeline to women trapped by their domestic situations, wartime problems or overwhelming worries. When a new owner takes over the publication (the titular Mrs Porter), Emmy and the team have to fight for the things that make their magazine unique and treasured by its readership.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Whistlers in the Dark’, an eerie but sweet historical middle-grade novel. Thanks to The Write Reads for inviting me onto the tour and for my copy of the book for review – opinions are my own.
It’s 158AD and times are tough in Scotland. The invading Roman army is up against the native Damnonii tribe, kept apart only by the Antonine wall. On the Damnonii side, twelve-year old Jinny is coming to terms with an accident that has affected her family, for which she blames the ‘metal men’, the Romans. On the other side of the wall, teenager Felix wants to be a Roman soldier like his father. A hostile encounter between Jinny and Felix leads to the chance awakening of the mythical standing stones, an event that brings terror and danger to Jinny and her people. Can Felix and Jinny work together to save the day?
I’ll admit that I came to this book for perhaps strange reasons – I’d heard that it was originally published as ‘Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather: Fashion, Fury and Feminism’ and that sounded right up my street. I didn’t know who Etta Lemon was, but I settled in for a good read about suffragettes and their fancy outfits.
It was kind of half what I expected, but all fascinating!
