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Jul 17, 2018Bonnie_Schultz rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this novel! It took me awhile to get involved in it, as it started somewhat slowly. It was a different book than "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand," which was a great read and absorbing right from the beginning. Apparently there are some anachronisms, such as Agatha and other characters wanting to be addressed by their first names, but that is more the fault of the editor than Helen Simonson (editor? what's that?). A big point is made at the oppression women faced at the time, all too real, given that they did not yet even have the right to vote. I was a bit disappointed that Beatrice Nash, obviously a smart, spirited young woman, didn't speak up at various points in the novel, but there you go. The depictions of WWI and its brutal effects on the English are heartrending. Simonson portrays well the fatuousness of those in the population who thought enlisting was some sort of lark or adventure. "Testament of Youth" was one of the books used as a source for her novel. Anyway, if you are interested in this period and in English village life, you won't be disappointed. Well-written with vivid descriptions, and a light and at times comic touch.