Helen McKenna
  • Home
  • About
  • Bookshelf
  • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Life Story

AWW Review No 7: The War Bride by Pamela Hart

17/11/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
World War I is over and English woman Margaret is finally given clearance to sail to Australia to begin the new life she and her husband Frank planned during the dark days of War. Separated for nearly two years, Margaret is full of hope and anticipation, sure that the love she and Frank share will be enough to see them through any hardships that may arise. Sadly she did not foresee that Frank would not be waiting to meet her at the dock. After further investigation Margaret receives the news that Frank is married with a child. Shocked and devastated, Margaret decides against returning home to England and instead decides to create a new life for herself in Australia.

Being 1920 there are many social conventions that must be negotiated in order for Margaret to live freely as a single woman. Declaring herself to be a widow, she finds lodging and a job and embraces her new life in Sydney. Although outwardly happy, she struggles with the reality that she is still married and that Frank has betrayed her in the worst way possible. It is only when she receives a letter from Frank (via England) asking for a divorce that Margaret realises there has been a terrible mix up and that trying to sort it out is going to cause a lot of heartache.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect of The War Bride. I hadn't really heard about the ships full of war brides that arrived and it was a fascinating thing to learn about. Pamela Hart does a masterful job of transforming the reader to the streets of Sydney in that era - I saw and felt the sights and experiences Margaret undertook and appreciated the efforts the author took to create such authenticity. I particularly enjoyed reading about the pioneers of the surf lifesaving movement at Manly via Margaret's involvement with "surf shooting".

All in all The War Bride is a warm and engaging read with engaging characters and an interesting historical backdrop.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    All AWW Challenge Reviews
    Picture
    I am excited to once again be participating in the Australian Women Writers Challenge for 2019. Although I am not currently reviewing books for the challenge,  I am still reading. You can find my reviews from previous years below.

    You can read my previous reviews by clicking on the links below.
    2012 Reviews
    2013 Reviews
    2014 Reviews
    2016 Reviews

    Why Review?

    It wasn't until I became an author that I came to realise the true value of book reviews. It is the single best way of getting your book out there in the world.

    Reviews do not have to be long and detailed - just a short summary of your thoughts on the book and a rating is enough to help other readers discover new
    authors.

    Major global sites like Amazon and Goodreads can give unknown authors a huge leg up in being discovered. So if you enjoy a book why not take a moment to leave a review?

    Archives

    January 2019
    January 2018
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    RSS Feed

Contact:

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture



© Helen McKenna 2019