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A Winter Bride
A girl, Nell was convinced, should have a good time at seventeen, have met her true love at eighteen, be engaged at nineteen, and marry at twenty-one.While her mother regards the Locarno Dancehall as a den of iniquity, for seventeen-year-old, shop-girl, Nell McClusky, it's the centre of the universe. Where else is she going to meet the man of her dreams who'll take her away from the hum-drum realities of life on a council estate in 1950s Edinburgh?At first Alistair Rutherford doesn’t look that promising. He dresses more like a student than Nell’s idol, Buddy Holly. But Alistair comes from a wealthy family and is studying to be a lawyer, two things that mean that Nell soon has plans to leave her dance hall days far behind her. But the reality of marriage is far different to Nell's romantic notions....
- GenresFiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Isla Dewar
34 books65 followersBorn in Edinburgh, Isla Dewar now lives in Fife with her husband, a cartoonist, and two sons. Her first novel, Keeping Up with Magda, published in 1995, has been followed by a string of bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 13, 2011
Life for teenagers in the 1950's was a new and exciting era. Teenagers were living for the weekends and dancehalls, the freedom from their parents and the new wave of Rock and Roll music that their parents thought most unsuitable.
Were they really ready to make life changing decisions? Did their parents actually know best?
Nell believes she will be left on the shelf if she is not married by the age of 21. She is out to find a husband and time is running out. She is almost 18.
The story centres mainly on Nell and her hopes and dreams for her future. Nell and her best friend Carol meet the Rutherford brothers and marry into the Rutherford family for different reasons. Soon it becomes apparent that they are married to the family, not their husbands. With that comes the reality rather than the dreams of married life.
There is a strong theme of family loyalties in the novel. The attitudes towards marriage in the 50's and the actual reality of married life are explored for each of the characters.
I loved the strong characters, and could identify with the niave 17 year old Nell.
May, mother to the Rutherford family was a dominant character who was holding the whole family together and was almost scriptwriting their future.
The Rutherford's were a family with secrets and although both Carol and Nell were expected to show their loyalty to the family, they were also excluded from family matters.
I really enjoyed this fascinating look into marriage that I am sure had threads of the reality many girls of the era faced.
Review copy
Were they really ready to make life changing decisions? Did their parents actually know best?
Nell believes she will be left on the shelf if she is not married by the age of 21. She is out to find a husband and time is running out. She is almost 18.
The story centres mainly on Nell and her hopes and dreams for her future. Nell and her best friend Carol meet the Rutherford brothers and marry into the Rutherford family for different reasons. Soon it becomes apparent that they are married to the family, not their husbands. With that comes the reality rather than the dreams of married life.
There is a strong theme of family loyalties in the novel. The attitudes towards marriage in the 50's and the actual reality of married life are explored for each of the characters.
I loved the strong characters, and could identify with the niave 17 year old Nell.
May, mother to the Rutherford family was a dominant character who was holding the whole family together and was almost scriptwriting their future.
The Rutherford's were a family with secrets and although both Carol and Nell were expected to show their loyalty to the family, they were also excluded from family matters.
I really enjoyed this fascinating look into marriage that I am sure had threads of the reality many girls of the era faced.
Review copy
July 6, 2016
I usually pick up books based on their Goodreads rating and review. This one was an exception because my phone had conked out while I was at the library. But I'm glad it happened - if I'd seen that this book has only a 3.1 rating, I wouldn't have picked it up. Now that I've read it, I really like it and think it deserves a 4.
What works for me - the narrative style and language, the colourful characters, the brisk pace at which things happen... This is one book you can easily get caught up in and finish in one, or at best, two, sittings.
The only thing a little off about A Winter Bride is that you constantly feel like an onlooker and are never drawn into the story. It's probably because the protagonist never fully reveals or exposes herself to the reader or establishes sufficient intimacy there.
Still, a recommended read.
What works for me - the narrative style and language, the colourful characters, the brisk pace at which things happen... This is one book you can easily get caught up in and finish in one, or at best, two, sittings.
The only thing a little off about A Winter Bride is that you constantly feel like an onlooker and are never drawn into the story. It's probably because the protagonist never fully reveals or exposes herself to the reader or establishes sufficient intimacy there.
Still, a recommended read.
October 23, 2024
I’ve enjoyed all Isla Dewar’s books. The characters are always quirky and engaging while dealing with real-life issues. Nell was a slow-burn. I thought she was a bit of an airhead but she grew on me as she became less of a dreamer. The story dipped a little in the middle when it was all doom and gloom but it got going again and the ending was as satisfying as usual.
October 25, 2017
Isla Dewar's writing style seems to have changed with her last two books and while this one was OK, I much prefered her previous work.
August 22, 2019
Enjoyed it. Fine. Not a standout but not frustrating either.
October 3, 2023
Ended up enjoying Nell, I bet it’s lovely to go for long walks and return for a beer and a sandwich
March 17, 2012
This seems to have been written with a TV mimi series in mind. The characters are too extreme and lacking in subtlety. However it rattles along as a family saga with Isla Dewar's usual warmth and verve. however I am disappointed with the book as it's not up to her best .
October 22, 2011
A pity - I usually love Isla Dewar's novels...
May 20, 2015
I have read better books from this writer.
January 13, 2014
Another book from Dewar full of larger than life. charcters
October 22, 2014
I got through this book but I did not really enjoy it at all. I did not get to like any of the characters at all, I though Nell was naive throughout the whole day.
September 6, 2018
A nice easy enjoyable read
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews