World War II Archives - The Quick and the Read

Blog Tour: ‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’ by Lissa Evans

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.

Book Review: ‘Mrs Porter Calling’ by A. J. Pearce

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.

Book Review: ‘Shot with Crimson’ by Nicola Upson

This is a brilliant new instalment in Nicola Upson’s ‘Golden Age’ crime series featuring Josephine Tey as detective. It’s a genius idea to have an actual crime writer as a detective, something that Upson has sustained beautifully over 11 books – ‘Shot with Crimson’ being the latest.

I’ve followed this series from the start and was delighted to be granted a copy of ‘Shot with Crimson’ for review by NetGalley. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

(Audio)Book Review: ‘Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’ by Andrew Lownie

Wow, was I deluded about the abdication of King Edward VIII! In my mind, it was a wonderfully romantic story about how he sacrificed the monarchy in order to marry his true love, the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.

Yeah, it wasn’t like that at all. I feel so naive!

Book Review: ‘Yours Cheerfully’ by A J Pearce

I loved the first book in this series, ‘Dear Mrs Bird’, and couldn’t wait to get back into the 1940s world of Emmy Lake and her friends. Thanks to Camilla Elworthy and Picador Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Inverts’ by Crystal Jeans

Happy publication day to this unusual tale of gay friendship!

I didn’t really know what to expect from this book, but the 1920s setting and the concept seemed interesting – two childhood friends, Bettina and Bart, decide to marry in order to hide their same-sex preferences from a disapproving world. They hope that marriage will bring them a respectability that will allow them to carry out their love affairs in private.

The story opens in 1921 when Bart and Bettina share a moonlit kiss that convinces both of them that their sexual preferences aren’t for each other! What follows is a story of a marriage that is a giant cover-up – although, to the outside world, it looks conventional and produces children. Instead, Bart becomes involved with a French lover, Etienne, and Bettina conducts her own love affairs. As the pair progress through the 1920s and 1930s and into World War II, neither have any sense of where their deceptions will lead them.

I think I had hoped that this would be a heart-warming tale in which the friendship between Bart and Bettina would mean that they have each others’ backs even through the tough times. It doesn’t exactly play out like this as both characters are spiky and tough so they do seem to spend a lot of the novel either not together or not liking each other – I thought this was a shame as it undermined what I hoped would be a message about the power of friendship. It just isn’t that sort of book!

Instead, it is funny and shocking at times and quite graphic – there’s no cosiness in this version of the past. In fact, it reads as quite modern in the social sensibilities and language used – occasionally jarringly so, but this may be because I am used to more conventional historical fiction. It is also quite sad in places, particularly the framing of the novel in more modern times.

This was definitely a novel that kept me reading – it moves through time and space at speed and there really isn’t a dull moment. I enjoyed the varied settings and the historical backdrop, from Hollywood glitz to the very unglamorous work of the Land Girls of WW2. Although I can’t say I liked either of the lead characters, their story was interesting and thought-provoking.

I’d recommend this to anyone interested in the sexual politics surrounding LGBT issues in the past – it certainly doesn’t hold back on the challenges that people like Bart and Bettina must have faced in a much less permissive society than our own.

If you’d like a copy of this book, please use my Amazon Affiliate link below – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.

Header photo with thanks to Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash.

‘Maiden Voyages’ by Sian Evans

I loved this book so much. I wasn’t planning on writing a review for it right away, but I couldn’t wait to shout about it!

This book is about ‘Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel’ (as the subtitle says) – this covers a fairly short span of actual time in which a huge amount happened. It opens with Violet Jessop (more about her later) joining her first ship as a stewardess in 1908 and ends with transatlantic ocean crossings being overtaken by air travel in the late 1950s.

Only fifty years, but a period encompassing the end of the Edwardian era, World War I, the interwar years, World War II and its aftermath. And – wow – how the world changed in that time!

I’ll admit, I was drawn to this book as I was hoping for stories of glitz and glamour – having seen the excellent ‘Ocean Liners’ exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum a few years ago, I wanted to read more about the people who travelled in such style and opulence. It absolutely covers that. However, this book is also so much more.

What I loved is that it is the story of women of all ages, classes and backgrounds who chose – for various reasons – to travel by sea. Some, like Violet Jessop, worked aboard the ocean liners in order to support families back home. Others travelled on the ships to new lives in America, escaping the Old World and (in some cases) persecution before World War II or joining their GI husbands after the war. Luckier women, the wealthy and famous, relied on the ‘Atlantic Ferry’ for leisure or work purposes. A common theme though was the importance of the transatlantic crossing in the women’s lives.

It would be hard to pick favourite bits from the huge range of material that Evans has squeezed into this book – I found myself being carried along with the narrative as Evans moved seamlessly between people’s lives, great ships, historical context and some great stories.

I did love the story of the ‘Unsinkable’ Violet Jessop who managed to survive the sinking of Titanic and her sister ship, Britannic. She was also on board a third ship that was in a massive collision. Her fortitude and courage in the way she kept returning to sea was amazing, especially when she was made redundant by she shipping company at the start of World War I but retrained as a nurse to join a hospital ship in the Aegean Sea. An amazing woman – but one that I would have worried about sharing a ship with given the fates of her previous ones!

Including Violet, this book is packed with amazing women who survived all kinds of hardships and who led fascinating lives. Although the conditions were often tough on the transatlantic route – for reasons of inhospitable weather or the treacherous conditions of war – these women continued to travel, work and live on board the ships.

In short, I came to this book for the glamour of the ocean liner, but stayed for the immersive accounts of real women whose lives were connected by the need to cross the Atlantic. Indeed, the stories of bravery, determination and grit are staying with me now the book is finished.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend the hardback version of this book (before the paperback is due for publication in June) – it has two sections of photographs that allow you to put faces to some of the women in the book, plus see some shipboard scenes. This is a glorious book and worth every penny I paid!

If you’d like a copy of this book, please use my affiliate link below – thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases.

‘V for Victory’ by Lissa Evans

Happy publication day to this gorgeous historical novel set in London during World War II!

I really loved Lissa Evans’ ‘Crooked Heart’ when I read it, but sadly skipped the second part of the series, ‘Old Baggage’ because I didn’t realise that it was part of the same story. Having now read ‘V for Victory’, I’m definitely going back for the other book!

The story is about Vee, a woman living with a secret, and the evacuee that she looks after, Noel. Vee runs a boarding house in Hampstead which is full of interesting characters who luckily can tutor Noel, now 15 years old. In another part of London, Winnie is a warden helping deal with the aftermath of the bombs destroying the city while burying her own worries about her prisoner of war husband.

It’s really hard to give a plot summary of the book because it’s more a peek into the lives of this diverse cast of characters. As in life, there are good and bad events, but the strength of the book lies more in its warm portrayal of people: Winnie’s colleagues in the warden post, the lodgers at the boarding house, the American GIs…even Winnie’s challenging twin sister are affectionately drawn and have a life of their own.

The settings are also vivid and interesting, from the bombed houses of the city to the images of Brighton’s sea defences.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a hearty slice of historical fiction. It’s not sickly sweet and things don’t always turn out perfectl; instead, it’s authentic and charming and utterly engaging. This is a 4.5 stars from me!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Edson Rosas for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘City of Girls’ by Elizabeth Gilbert

I’d never read anything by Elizabeth Gilbert before as her most famous book, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, doesn’t fit in with my usual genres. However, this one – published in April 2020 – is a lovely piece of historical fiction with a fabulous heroine at its heart.

I was drawn to this book as it promised a fun and light read in the world of New York's theatrical world.  I thought it would be an ideal escapist book for these tricky times. 

The first part of the book absolutely delivers this.  The narrator, Vivian Morris, is upbeat and cheerful in telling the story of her arrival in New York in 1940.  Freshly expelled from her university course for minimal effort, she goes to stay with her Aunt Peg, an eccentric family member who runs a dilapidated theatre.  Vivian soon makes friends with the showgirls and starts living the high life in a city full of men and alcohol, far away from the war raging in Europe.  I loved this bit of the story - the theatre people and Vivian's joie de vivre make for compulsive and upbeat reading.

The tone shifts a bit in the second part of the book as Vivian ages and there is more of a war theme.  I'll admit to not enjoying this bit as much, although it's beautifully written and quite touching.

Overall, this is an evocative and compelling novel with a really unique heroine at its heart.  I'd recommend it wholeheartedly although it didn't quite deliver the consistent high I was looking for.  However, that's just my personal preference for fabulous glitz rather than the sad impact of war.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Photo by Katherine Barcsay from Burst

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