G520 Book Review of After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson
Author: Jennifer Robson
ISBN:978-0-06-233463-3
Publisher: William and Morrow
Part of a Series: Somewhere in France is the prequel
Type of book: effects of after the war, governess, class difference, wealth, shell shock, poverty, newspaper, riots, Great Britain, 1919-1920, 1907,1911 secrets, romance, recovery, women's rights and education
Year it was published: 2015
Summary:
The internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France returns with her sweeping second novel—a tale of class, love, and freedom—in which a young woman must fnd her place in a world forever changed
After four years as a military nurse, Charlotte Brown is ready to leave behind the devastation of the Great War. The daughter of a vicar, she has always been determined to dedicate her life to helping others. Moving to busy Liverpool, she throws herself into her work with those most in need, only tearing herself away for the lively dinners she enjoys with the women at her boardinghouse.
Just as Charlotte begins to settle into her new circumstances, two messages arrive that will change her life. One is from a radical young newspaper editor who offers her a chance to speak out for those who cannot. The other pulls her back to her past, and to a man she has tried, and failed, to forget.
Edward Neville-Ashford, her former employer and the brother of Charlotte's dearest friend, is now the new Earl of Cumberland—and a shadow of the man he once was. Yet under his battle wounds and haunted eyes Charlotte sees glimpses of the charming boy who long ago claimed her foolish heart. She wants to help him, but dare she risk her future for a man who can never be hers?
As Britain seethes with unrest and postwar euphoria fattens into bitter disappointment, Charlotte must confront long-held insecurities to fnd her true voice . . . and the courage to decide if the life she has created is the one she truly wants.
Characters:
A lot of characters played the main parts, but main ones include Charlotte and Edward. Charlotte is Lilly's former governess and best friend. She is very forthright, opinionated and compassionate, although she is insecure about how others see her and she seems to be afraid of her own heart. I have to say that I liked her character a great deal. Edward is Lilly's eldest brother who desired to see his own sister educated and he is best described as fun loving before the war, and afterwards he becomes a different person than the one he is used to. The secondary characters such as Charlotte's boss and friends stood out a little, but not enough to make an impression on my mind.
Theme:
The war never ends
Plot:
The story is written in third person narrative completely from Charlotte's point of view. I cannot recall if Somewhere in France was written completely from Lilly's point of view, or if Robbie also played a part in the story. The characters do come back in the story and we get to see them at some very important milestones. The romance between Charlotte and another character is handled very differently which I liked and I also liked seeing the progression of their personalities.
Author Information:
(From TLC)
Purchase Links
About Jennifer Robson
Jennifer Robson first learned about the Great War from her father, acclaimed historian Stuart Robson, and later served as an official guide at the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France. A former copy editor, she holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from the University of Oxford. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.
Connect with Jennifer on Facebook.
Opinion:
It's actually quite an honor to read the sequel to Somewhere in France, which I've reviewed last year at about the same time I believe. (Reviewed it on January 1st, 2014, wow, while that one is first review of new year, this is first 2015 book I read and reviewed) I still recall some facts from Somewhere in France about Lilly and her family and one thing that I wanted to know is the resolution to her brother Edward's story. While the first book did have potential, this one really surpassed my expectations and the story is very polished and well written. I do feel that one needs to read Somewhere in France in order to understand the story and to know who the characters are, because I imagine I would feel frustrated if I hadn't read the previous book. Gorgeous cover the by the way, and just like in Somewhere in France, I loved learning all sorts of facts and I feel its very important for people to read because it deals with shell shock and aftereffects of a war.
This is for TLC Book Tours
Jennifer’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, January 6th: A Chick Who Reads
Wednesday, January 7th: Unshelfish
Thursday, January 8th: Drey’s Library
Friday, January 9th: Kritters Ramblings
Monday, January 12th: Reading Reality
Tuesday, January 13th: Biltiotica
Wednesday, January 14th: Diary of an Eccentric
Thursday, January 15th: Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Monday, January 19th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Wednesday, January 21st: The Book Binder’s Daughter
4 out of 5(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
I'm very pleased to see how much you enjoyed this book! Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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