Forbidden Places

by Penny Vincenzi

It is the story of three women and one family. One is married and widowed within five years. She is free to start again. Or is she? The second has a perfect husband she thinks she loves. He becomes a grotesque parody of what he once was. Is that love real? The third becomes trapped in a nightmare marriage. Can the war free her?

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, British Literature, Historical, World War II

688 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 1995

About the author

Penny was nine years old when she embarked on her storytelling career. She wrote her own magazine called “Stories”, which she copied out three times on carbon paper and sold for two pence at school. So began a career in writing which has seen 7 million copies sold, and 17 bestselling novels.

After secretarial college, Penny worked as a junior secretary at Vogue and Tatler magazines, before moving to the Daily Mirror as personal assistant to Marje Proops, Britain's legendary agony aunt.
Marje encouraged her to write, and she became fashion editor and beauty writer at the Mirror, working for the women's editor in what was irreverently known as the "fragrant department". Penny’s journalistic career as a celebrated writer and columnist spanned several decades working for many of the leading newspapers and magazines of the time.
She once asked bestselling British author Jilly Cooper for advice on writing a novel while interviewing her for a magazine profile. Jilly put Penny in touch with her own agent, who promptly auctioned off her (then unwritten) first novel. It was quickly snapped up and the rest, as they say, is history.
Penny died in 2018. She was the proud and much-loved mother of four equally proud daughters, and grandmother to nine grandchildren.

Reviews

[Rachel]

I really enjoyed this large dose of candy floss. I like Vincenzi's way of writing about several characters and following them through a period of time. I used to read quite a few of her books in the 90s but don't think I have since. This was comfy and cosy reading.



I will say that there were an awful lot of peaks and troughs, soaring and loudly triumphants!

Also, if all the things that Grace, and the other characters, never forgot for the rest of their life were added up it would turn out to be quite a considerable number of things!



This would be a perfect beach holiday book.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful sweeping epic set before and during the war. The story centres on the lives and loves of Clarissa, Florence and Grace.
Grace is trapped in a loveless marriage to Charles Bennett and struggles to keep her life together when Charles is called up but with the enforced separation she evaluates her life and how she can cope surprisingly well on her own, add to that the evacuees she takes in to help the war effort and the temptation of the childrens father who comes to visit when he has to inform his sons their mother and grandmother has been killed in a bomb blast and for whom she feels an instant attraction but can this relationship go anywhere due to the grief Ben feels over the loss of his wife and the uncertainty of war and the looming spectre of Charles fighting abroad for the war effort.
Clarissa could essentially though of the wrong period be called one of "the bright young things" she has a capacity and vivacity to live life to the fullest and experiences anything that comes her way including any sexual encounters though she is married and very much in love with the film star looking Jack who ends up being badly burned in a plane accident.
Can their outwardly happy go lucky marriage survive knowing their love for beauty transcends other considerations?
Then there is the unhappy Florence who yet again outwardly has a very marriage under the surface there are dark forces at work.
Robert her husband is in secret abusive, mentally and physically to the point of him knocking her down the stairs while carrying his child.
Due to the misery and emotional stress she embarks on an affair and becomes pregnant but will the dates tally enough to be able to convince Robert that the child is his?
Behind all their personal problems and traumas they are all fighting their own separate wars and coping the best way they can and though all are of different class and only brought into each other's spheres by Grace's marriage to Charles and from different social backgrounds through adversity they all end up becoming to some degree friends and allies for life.
A great read I could not put down as the characters and situations were believable and engaging. A pretty true to life record of life during war time and the emotions and live in the moment attitude of the time.
Well worth anyone reading who is into period novels.

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how I stumbled upon this boo but I am so glad that I did.

This is a fictional account of women on the British homefront during WW2

In the beginning we are introduced to three older women who have met every year since the end of the war. Grace, Florence and Clarissa and one of them has a secret that shall never be told.

We then travel back to the late 1930's where Florence is married to Robert, Clarissa to Jack and Grace is being courted by Charles Bennet; Florence's brother. Grace is middle class while the Bennet's are higher but untitled.

Charles is never likeable to the reader. He and Grace marry and he becomes even more unlikable.

But then war breaks out and all these husbands join up to fight the Hun. Grace is left to her own devices at her home while Charles tries to rule the roost from afar. Grace decides that she will do what she wants. getting a job, taking in displaced children and ignoring her terrible Mother-in -Law Moo (Murial)

Tragedies about throughout the book but there are joyful moments too.

This book contains adult content, tastefully handled for the most part and scenes of violence against women. And obviously war and such.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel awful cause I received this from the publisher, but I hated these women. The book didn't work for me because of it..
See full review:
http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a great supporter of Ms Vincenzi. She may not be about to be awarded the Pulitzer, but she is, IMHO, the queen of the beach read.

It is true that her writing is formulaic with storylines following a tried and tested formula where several stories intertwine and overlap, frequently over a long period of time. Her characters are more fantastical than fictional and she writes exclusively about wealthy people doing glamorous things, usually with a sprinkling of the humble-turned-feisty poor, either tugging their forelocks or effortlessly infiltrating the glamorous set with their natural grace, charm and savoir-faire. She relies heavily on fortuitous happenstance - but then so does Dickens - so we can't really complain about that! She also likes her cast, usually a significant number of characters, to be outrageously beautiful / handsome and to prove irresistible to each other, thereby ensuring they all fall conveniently and irrevocably in love with each other. I could go on, but I'm guessing you've got the picture!

In Forbidden Places, we find Florence, Grace and Clarissa, three women of a certain age, old friends, meeting for their annual lunch at(of course)The Ritz Hotel. They're all still beautiful. They all still have "long, shapely legs", and they all still have "long, graceful neck(s)" - an achievement for a woman in her 70s, given that the rest of us have necks that are starting to look - well just a bit scraggy! We move quickly from the 1995 reunion back in time to 1938, and the story continues through and just beyond the war years.

Forbidden Places is the story of the life and loves of three women through an extraordinary period of 20th century history. There are no surprises in this book, indeed compared to some of her others it's pretty pedestrian, and yet somehow she keeps you turning the pages - an estimable talent.

There will be a goodly number of you who just can't stomach this sort of light literature - and that's fine - but if you sometimes like to bury yourself in something completely escapist, that's not going to stretch you, but will keep you reading, Penny's the lady for you. Unbeatable stuff for a duvet-day in the winter, or a beach day in the summer!

Three stars, because this is a long way from her best, but still a good easy read. If you're a Vincenzi novitiate start with the Spoils of War Trilogy - especially the first two volumes.


Happy reading!!

[Reeves Honey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful read!
I think this book would have gotten far more deserved recognition as the wonderful saga that it
is if the title was not so darn bodice ripping sounding. And why the Vogue cover of Dior's
'New Lokk" from 1947 when the book covers 1938 to 1946??????

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant as usual with Penny Vincenzi books!!

[Charley Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Penny Vincenzi! I love her stories, her characters, her writing! The first book I read of hers was The Best of Times and I couldn't get over the book and she keeps doing it every time, every book!

Grace is the main character followed by Clarissa and Florence. Three very different women who we get to follow through their marriages, heartaches and WWII. Grace is young and prudish but wants to be like and do the right thing. She marries Charles who is well, a man that likes to control the situations and doesn't think much of Grace's wants and thoughts.

Clarissa is the carefree beautiful woman that seems to be able to charm everyone and is happy all of the time. She is married to handsome and just as happy Jack. You just know something has to go wrong.

Florence is abrupt, a bit cold and Charles' sister. Everyone loves her husband Robert who is the charmer. Why is she not happy?

I'm not going to give anything away but I really liked these characters. Highly recommend.

I just noticed a line on Penny Vincenzi's profile that she has passed in February. Rest in peace Ms. Vincenzi.

[Shifra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Could not stop. Many of us who are fans of Penny's wonderful books find the term....guilty pleasure...as a perfect way of describing the experience. She writes well as she weaves the web around three strong female characters faced with tough challenges beginning in 1938 in England, in a small area a couple of hours outside of London. She successfully kept me wondering what would happen next. Bravo. Hope she keeps writing.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m currently reading Vincenzo’s books from the beginning and this was my favourite thus far. The reader still follows a variety of characters, but I found it was more focused on one main character. This made it easier to follow and I found there were no dull moments of having to read a character I wasn’t interested in following.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Vincenzi. Strong women, some seriously flawed men and some good guys. Enjoyed it a lot!

[Constantina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Διαβάζεται πολύ ευχάριστα.

[Moppet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden Places opens with a prologue set in 1995 (the year the book was first published) in the Palm Court of the Ritz Hotel in London. This is as good an introduction to Vincenzi as any. She writes glitzy blockbusters about the wealthy, the powerful and the posh. (She does shoehorn in some working-class or lower-middle characters, but they never ring as true). This particular juicy saga follows Grace, Florence and Clarissa through the Second World War in the Home Counties. All three women find ways to serve their country while negotiating enough romantic ups and downs to sink a destroyer.

Vincenzi has, in spades, the read-on factor. The only other author I can think of who is so good at keeping the pages turning is Sally Beauman. Like Beauman, Vincenzi creates vivid characters, keeps the pot boiling and has a genius for missing out the boring bits. But again like Beauman, she does sometimes resort to very unsubtle methods of creating suspense. The prologue is a good example: it does little more than establish that all three women have secrets they have kept since the war and have no intention of revealing. There’s no return to 1995 at the end of the book, and the story really starts on page 15, in 1938, with Grace about to meet her future husband, Charles.

Grace Marchant is the beautifully-spoken daughter of a bank manager. Charles Bennett is the beautifully-spoken son of a solicitor. It may be difficult for non-Brits to discern why Charles and his family think themselves a cut above Grace and hers. They are both undeniably middle-class. But the fact is that the Marchants live in a small house with only daily staff, while the Bennetts have a large house with live-in servants, and Grace went to a local girls’ school instead of boarding-school, as Charles’s sister Florence did. The Bennetts’ snobbery irritated me throughout the whole book, and I was longing for some member of the aristocracy to come along and patronise them, but it didn’t happen.

Anyway, Grace marries Charles, more fool her, and while she flutters round like the second Mrs de Winter, her sister-in-law Florence, outwardly brash and self-confident, is secretly struggling with a difficult marital situation of her own. Their blonde, bubby friend, Clarissa Compton Brown, gushes over everyone and everything, when she isn't having long lyrical orgasms with her husband. Grace thinks at one point that she is "unable to contemplate another hour of Clarissa's sparkling" and there were times when I felt the same way. Even the Wrens (who my WAAF great aunt described as “a toffee-nosed lot”) find Clarissa a bit much. In fact, I didn’t really warm to any of the women. Grace was too much of a doormat, Florence was too much of a bitch and Clarissa was too much of a toffee-nosed slut. Also, some of the action seemed contrived (a heavily pregnant woman thinks it’s a good idea to have a day out in London during the Blitz? Really?).

Having said all that, though, I really did enjoy the book. It's a soap opera set against some of the most dramatic moments of the last century. I can recommend it to anyone who wants to lose themselves for a day or two in a world of shell-pink satin nightgowns, air-raid sirens and cut-glass accents. Not my favourite Vincenzi – that would be Wicked Pleasures or An Outrageous Affair – but a solid four stars.

I won a copy of Forbidden Places in a giveaway (thanks to Overlook Press and Tara at Book Babe).

[What to read next ....... · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book.
Penny Vincenzi never disappoints.

Bit of a lengthy read, so all her other books, but each each page l was engrossed. Loved the storyline, the characters, and the twists and turns.
This is a Must read if you are a Vincenzi fan.

Forbidden Places is about love and marriage, families and secrets, and wartime, how it affects, social values.

It is a story of three woman and one family.
One wife is free to start again, or is she ?

The second has a perfect husband, she thinks she loves.

The third, becomes trapped in a nightmare marriage.

Grace, Florence and Clarissa are three very different woman, with very different lives and this novel, is all about how the importance of events and social power of World War Two prevented the change in these extraordinary woman.

The only downfall or confusing part of the book, the story begins with the three friends trying to discover a long time secret.
Grace the main character held a secret for fifty years and the novel ends with this not resolved or the scene revisited a little disappointing on that front.

A ten out of ten for this book.
Penny Vincenzi is truly missed.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book, it made a pretty good beach read on vacation. The plot was good and the war atmosphere in the English countryside (and London) was captured well. I would have given it four stars but knocked one off because I found Grace, on which everything centred, was a priggish pain. No wonder she wasn’t popular with her husband’s friends and family, she indulged in so much self-righteous snapping. Worst of all, she was constantly sick - being sick/feeling sick! There are 68 mentions (Kindle search) of someone being sick and most of them are Grace. It was so tiresome: buck yourself up, girl, there’s a war going on!!! That said I would read another of this author’s books - hopefully a less irritating protagonist will be featured.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good saga-type novel. Really enjoyed it.

Back Cover Blurb:
Grace Marchant marries Charles Bennett at the beginning of the second world war, and loses him before she has really begun to know him - or even herself. In the five years while he is away, she makes her own life, on her own terms, and finds a new love, overwhelming and exciting in a way that her relationship with her husband never was. The return of Grace's husband, not dead at all, but very much alive, not only presents her with the most agonising of dilemmas, but brings to light many things which would have been much better left in the dark.....

[Evi Routoula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μέσα από την ιστορία τριών γυναικών μας μεταφέρεται η ατμόσφαιρα του Β Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου στην Αγγλία. Το μυθιστόρημα επικεντρώνεται στις ερωτικές ιστορίες τους αλλά και στις κοινωνικές σχέσεις αλλά και στην δυσκολία επιβίωσης του πολέμου. Διαβάζεται πολύ ευχάριστα και είναι φανερό ότι η συγγραφέας έκανε μεγάλη έρευνα προκειμένου να συγκεντρώσει τα στοιχεία που αφορούν την συγκεκριμένη εποχή.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it, couldn't put it down but pretty predictable. Also, overuse of the word "lovely"

[Nick Artrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

”And as our country entered World War [II], I couldn’t help but wonder…is it time to focus on World War Me?”

Reading the book absolutely reminded me of that Carrie Bradshaw meme. Florence is definitely a Carrie. Clarissa is a Samantha. Grace is a Charlotte. Unfortunately, none of them had good enough sense to be a Miranda.

June 24th, 1995. Clarissa, Florence, and Grace meet for their annual midsummer lunch to reminisce on their shared pasts. Clarissa is determined to pry a long-standing secret from Grace’s mouth, but Grace’s lips are sealed and she’s quick to remind Clarissa that all three of them have their own secrets. And so begins Forbidden Places , a soapy historical drama by the fabulous Penny Vincenzi, that turns the clock back to 1938 to explore the women’s experiences during World War II. Vincenzi’s Spoils of Time series made me fall head-over-heels for the Lytton family and solidified her as a favorite, so I was eager to see what I would make of her trio of girlfriends.

The prologue was a bit cheesy and info dumpy but also made piqued my curiosity. Grace, Florence, and Clarissa are an interesting lot of women, and I spent most of my time reading this novel trying to figure out how these women would come together fifty years into the future. They’re all connected and rather intimately, but they mix like oil and water. The blurb for the book also mentioned that one of them would be widowed by the war and this was a shining beacon for me. Throughout the story I hated all three of their husbands for a wide array of reasons.

What I love about Vincenzi is the way she blends a little soapiness with historical drama. She also leaves her characters with ample room for growth. I couldn’t stand Florence or Clarissa from the beginning of the novel, but much like Adele and Venetia in the Spoils of Time books, I grew to love them as I learned their secrets and witnessed what they were made to endure. There were some pretty good twists and turns in this book, and I loved getting lost in it for the past several days.

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning depiction of wwII and the relative families involved, their lives, mistakes, loves, discoveries, and a totally human ending, along with some very strange twists and turns that make the reader feel involved and understand the actions of the various characters.
Vincenzi is such a wonderful writer that the characters virtually leap from the page, they're that believable and complicated in a completely human way. The war felt almost in my front room, the families and friendships were almost my own, and in typical Vincenzi fashion, the whole book is a tour de force so powerful it can only be given a 5* rating. I loved this, just as I love all her books xx

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chose a Penny Vincenzi for holiday reading book No 4. Enjoyed the World War II details re life for women and horrors of the Blitz. Found sympathy with the main character, but frustrated with her principles, although they were typical of the era. The final twist made it all clear in the end and explained the necessity of the prologue. Even though I was reading on holiday, I still thought the book was just a bit too long as I found myself losing interest.

[Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny Vincenzi really knows how to weave a story. This one has all of the twist and turns. A bit salacious, which is to me unnecessary, but she really develops each of her characters well. Love the setting and the era and the snobbery of the upper class is spot on. My only disappointment was that she never returned to 1995, the first scene of the book, and we never learned the secret…if there were half stars, I would give this Vincenzi book 3.5, but overall, enjoyed it.

[Rebecca Dixon Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good escapist reading. Lots of period details and historic impact. WWII wrecked havoc on so much and so many. The times were so different, gender roles changing, morals challenged and of course, in England, the class system.
I was some what frustrated by Grace’s and Florence’s refusal to truthfully acknowledge their predicaments…even though I do remember many “expectations for wifely behaviors.” A fun read and interesting characters.

[Deborah L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those great reads where there are simply not enough hours in the day to devote to reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had not previously read any of Vincenzi's fiction, but I will be sure to do so in the near future. She employs a slightly unusual device of suddenly introducing a tangential character, who doesn't seem all that interesting, making the reader wonder, "Where did the main plot go?" but then she cleverly interweaves it in the most meaningful ways. Very enjoyable read.

[Maxine Purdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book I found hard to put down- a real romp of a story with tremendous characters and a few unexpected twists and turns. Readers are drawn towards Grace, have sympathy with her but, occasionally, will want to leap into the story and give her a good talking too-she is very much a wife of her times (1940s).

I can't remember having read Penny Vincenzi before but I'll be back for more.

[Claire Fernyhough]

Oh my, I've not long discovered Penny's books and they are just amazing! The way she writes about her characters just draws you into their lives, you are speaking in their accent in your head and nobody does clipped English like Penny Vincenzi! All of her books are really good reads, totally immersing

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, The Spoils of Time trilogy will never be beaten but this is a very good example of a Penny Vincenzj novel. I absolutely love sinking into the start of one of her 600+ page wonders. Her characters are always so well formed and I love the OTT language and descriptions.

I found myself completely immersed as always.

[Maureen Mclelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended Penny Vincenzi so I took a chance. Sure glad I did. This story set in England during WW2 was gripping. The characters were vividly portrayed, some quite despicable, while others you simply wanted to cheer for. Some you warmed up to, as their quirky personalities emerged. Really a great read. Can’t wait to select another Penny Vincenzi page-turner.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
The very beginning was a bit of trite torture for me but not long after that became a very engaging well-written story with definitive and interesting characters. I didn’t care for how quickly and dismissively I felt the ending was and for that reason I couldn’t give the novel a full 4 stars.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 starts. One of my all time favorite authors who passed away this last February. I've read almost all of her many books and have enjoyed them all. This book shares the drama of 3 friends before, during and after WWII. Good read.