The author had me at séance.
Seriously, I knew that I was going to love this book from the very opening pages, due to a simple opening chapter. It intrigued me and I had to know more about Ruby. I mean, not every day that you read about a séance at the on-start of the Blitz, right?
As I read further, I found her to be a more complex character than I originally thought. She held on to her life (the way she knew it) even in the face of the Blitz and tried to do what was right. I think she showed the most growth over the course of the story.
It didn’t help that Joseph, her tenant, was a self-righteous ass about her for a good portion of the opening chapters. Sorry to be blunt, but it’s true. I wasn’t sure what to make of him because it seemed like he thought he was better and could be judgmental because of his status and view of the war.
But we also learn early that there is a reason he feels that way, and it’s personal. I thought this made his motivations more interesting and made him a more sympathetic character.
And then there was Kitty. In some ways I thought she was the most interesting character because her physical description seemed to be a reflection of her living situation prior to the war. I’m not saying more than that.
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As with other historical fiction books, there is a contemporary storyline as well. Sometimes the two lines have little connection to each other and only serve to get us to the past.
That’s not the case here. I thought the author used an extremely clever method to tie the two timelines together. In fact, it was so subtle that I didn’t even realize how it was being done at first.
In this case, the two timelines are linked even more so than in most books. There’s even some mystery involved. And that is what ultimately made this book a terrific read.
I know that sounds convoluted, but you’ll understand if you read it – and I don’t want to blow the joy you’ll have in figuring it out.
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Author Bio:
Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.
