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The Eights
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Debut Novel (2025)They knew they were changing history.
They didn’t know they would change each other.
Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world’s most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms on Corridor Eight. They have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.
Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Beatrice, politically-minded daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way – and her own friends – for the first time. Socialite Otto fills her room with extravagant luxuries but fears they won’t be enough to distract her from her memories of the war years. And quiet, clever, Marianne, the daughter of a village vicar, arrives bearing a secret she must hide from everyone – even The Eights – if she is to succeed.
But Oxford’s dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.
The Eights is a captivating debut novel about sisterhood, self-determination, courage, and what it means to come of age in a world that is forever changed.
They didn’t know they would change each other.
Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world’s most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms on Corridor Eight. They have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.
Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Beatrice, politically-minded daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way – and her own friends – for the first time. Socialite Otto fills her room with extravagant luxuries but fears they won’t be enough to distract her from her memories of the war years. And quiet, clever, Marianne, the daughter of a village vicar, arrives bearing a secret she must hide from everyone – even The Eights – if she is to succeed.
But Oxford’s dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.
The Eights is a captivating debut novel about sisterhood, self-determination, courage, and what it means to come of age in a world that is forever changed.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2025
1280 people are currently reading
63005 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Miller
1 book189 followersJoanna was born and raised in Cambridge, UK. She studied English at Oxford and later returned to the University to train as a teacher.
After ten years in education, she set up an award-winning poetry gift business. During this time, she wrote thousands of poems to order and her rhyming verse was filmed by the BBC.
Unable to resist the lure of the classroom, Joanna recently returned to Oxford University to study creative writing. She will be a writer in residence at Gladstone's Library in 2025.
When Joanna isn’t writing she is either walking her dog, providing a taxi service for her teenagers, or working in the local bookshop. She lives with her family near the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire, UK.
The Eights is her first novel.
After ten years in education, she set up an award-winning poetry gift business. During this time, she wrote thousands of poems to order and her rhyming verse was filmed by the BBC.
Unable to resist the lure of the classroom, Joanna recently returned to Oxford University to study creative writing. She will be a writer in residence at Gladstone's Library in 2025.
When Joanna isn’t writing she is either walking her dog, providing a taxi service for her teenagers, or working in the local bookshop. She lives with her family near the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire, UK.
The Eights is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,445 reviews
September 12, 2025
Joanna Miller’s The Eights is a breathtaking, deeply moving novel that swept me away from the very first page. Set in 1920, at a time when women were just beginning to carve out space for themselves in academic institutions that had long shut them out, this story follows four remarkable young women who find themselves bound together by both circumstance and an unshakable friendship.
Beatrice, Dora, Otto, and Marianne—each carrying their own burdens, secrets, and dreams—become known as "The Eights" when they move into neighboring rooms in Oxford’s Corridor 8. But what begins as a simple coincidence quickly transforms into something far more profound. Through heartbreak, personal loss, academic battles, and the ever-present weight of societal expectations, these women find strength in one another, forming a sisterhood that feels both fragile and indestructible all at once.
Miller’s writing is nothing short of mesmerizing, balancing historical accuracy with raw, emotional depth. She doesn’t just tell us about the struggles these women face—she makes us feel them. We walk alongside Dora as she wrestles with grief, knowing she is only here because war stole the lives of the men in her family. We hold our breath as Marianne desperately hides a truth that could upend everything she has worked for. We ache with Otto as she tries to reclaim pieces of herself after serving as a war nurse, and we cheer for Beatrice as she refuses to let misogynistic professors and sneering male students determine her worth.
What makes The Eights so special is the way it captures the resilience of women—how they hold each other up, how they push back against a world that insists on diminishing them, and how, despite everything, they refuse to back down. It’s an ode to the power of education, to the fire that burns in those who dare to demand more, and to the kind of friendships that leave an imprint on your soul.
This novel will stay with me for a long time. If you love historical fiction that is both beautifully written and deeply resonant, if you adore stories of determined women standing together in the face of adversity, then The Eights is a book you absolutely cannot miss.
A huge thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this remarkable historical fiction's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Beatrice, Dora, Otto, and Marianne—each carrying their own burdens, secrets, and dreams—become known as "The Eights" when they move into neighboring rooms in Oxford’s Corridor 8. But what begins as a simple coincidence quickly transforms into something far more profound. Through heartbreak, personal loss, academic battles, and the ever-present weight of societal expectations, these women find strength in one another, forming a sisterhood that feels both fragile and indestructible all at once.
Miller’s writing is nothing short of mesmerizing, balancing historical accuracy with raw, emotional depth. She doesn’t just tell us about the struggles these women face—she makes us feel them. We walk alongside Dora as she wrestles with grief, knowing she is only here because war stole the lives of the men in her family. We hold our breath as Marianne desperately hides a truth that could upend everything she has worked for. We ache with Otto as she tries to reclaim pieces of herself after serving as a war nurse, and we cheer for Beatrice as she refuses to let misogynistic professors and sneering male students determine her worth.
What makes The Eights so special is the way it captures the resilience of women—how they hold each other up, how they push back against a world that insists on diminishing them, and how, despite everything, they refuse to back down. It’s an ode to the power of education, to the fire that burns in those who dare to demand more, and to the kind of friendships that leave an imprint on your soul.
This novel will stay with me for a long time. If you love historical fiction that is both beautifully written and deeply resonant, if you adore stories of determined women standing together in the face of adversity, then The Eights is a book you absolutely cannot miss.
A huge thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this remarkable historical fiction's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium.com
September 23, 2024
Joanna Miller’s debut novel is that rare thing an intelligent, literary page-turner. Primarily set at Oxford University in the early 1920s, it follows the fortunes of four undergraduates, part of the first group of women admitted to study for a full degree. Enrolled at St. Hugh’s college for women, the four are placed in adjacent rooms, a happenstance that leads to the gradual formation of strong bonds between them. There’s Beatrice from Bloomsbury, daughter of a prominent suffragette; Marianne a shy vicar’s daughter; Dora who’s still reeling from the loss of both her boyfriend and brother in the trenches of WW1; and irrepressible, glamourous socialite Otto. Although they might sound dangerously close to stock, in Miller’s capable hands her characters come to life, making it hard not to root for them. They’re sympathetic yet convincingly flawed. I liked that she doesn’t try to make them too modern, instead she shows how women like these may have internalised many of the era’s uncomfortable attitudes - from class prejudice to restrictive feminine ideals – but still struggled against them, searching for new ways of thinking and being.
Miller inserts flashbacks to provide insights into her characters’ formative experiences, most of which trace back to the trauma of war, time spent as volunteers with the wounded, fractured relationships, harsh awakenings. But her steadfast women refuse to let the blatant misogyny of large swathes of male students and lecturers get in their way; willing to take chances and embrace radical possibilities. The four eagerly await the publication of a crime novel from rising author Agatha Christie; debate the burning questions of the age; follow rapidly-shifting fashions, cropping their hair and raising their hemlines – for Beatrice Radclyffe Hall’s singular style’s both revelation and inspiration. Miller’s narrative’s well-crafted and well-researched, there’s a real depth to her rendering of her characters’ immediate and wider historical context - and loved the cameo appearances from Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby. It’s a keenly-observed, absorbing portrait of the time, of a moment in women’s history, and above all of friendship forged in the aftermath of war. Fascinating, sometimes unexpectedly moving, utterly gripping.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Fig Tree for an ARC
Miller inserts flashbacks to provide insights into her characters’ formative experiences, most of which trace back to the trauma of war, time spent as volunteers with the wounded, fractured relationships, harsh awakenings. But her steadfast women refuse to let the blatant misogyny of large swathes of male students and lecturers get in their way; willing to take chances and embrace radical possibilities. The four eagerly await the publication of a crime novel from rising author Agatha Christie; debate the burning questions of the age; follow rapidly-shifting fashions, cropping their hair and raising their hemlines – for Beatrice Radclyffe Hall’s singular style’s both revelation and inspiration. Miller’s narrative’s well-crafted and well-researched, there’s a real depth to her rendering of her characters’ immediate and wider historical context - and loved the cameo appearances from Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby. It’s a keenly-observed, absorbing portrait of the time, of a moment in women’s history, and above all of friendship forged in the aftermath of war. Fascinating, sometimes unexpectedly moving, utterly gripping.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Fig Tree for an ARC
August 13, 2025
In her debut novel The Eights, Joanna Miller transports readers to the ivy-clad halls of 1920s Oxford University, when the prestigious institution first opened its doors to female students.
Beatrice, Marianne, Dora, and Ottoline — the titular Eights, so named for the corridor they reside in at St. Hugh's College — are four of the first women to ever matriculate after a thousand years of male exclusivity.
At a time when societal roles were clearly defined, these bold young women challenge conventions while navigating an elite university in the dark shadow of World War I. The war’s devastating impact permeates the novel, with each character carrying visible or invisible scars.
Joanna Miller, herself an Oxford alumna of Exeter College, provides an extremely helpful glossary at the back of the book for those not familiar with the unique terms of early 20th Century Britain and the academic lingo of the University.
She reveals her intimate knowledge of and affection for Oxford as the campus comes alive on the page and its hallowed halls become another character.
In fact, the main draw of the novel is the atmosphere it creates. Lacking in any real action, it's a quiet, meandering story that feels like a stroll along the River Cherwell. Personally, I found this a quite pleasant reading experience, but for others, no doubt, this will be frustrating.
The author's choice to only cover one year cleverly leaves the novel open for a sequel...or two.
The Eights is a timeless story about friendship, identity, and finding one’s place in a changing world.
These young women are not just figments of a century past, but echoes of ongoing discussions about gender and femininity today. While the novel is a celebration of women's strength, it's also a heartfelt reminder that history often repeats its lessons.
March 31, 2025
'You are historic figures, never forget that. The first women to matriculate at Oxford, the greatest university in the world'.
It's 1920, England, the aftermath of the Great War still lingers yet it is time for celebration, Beatrice, Dora, Otto and Marianne are some of the first women to be officially enrolled at Oxford University. Allocated to the corridor 8 rooms, the women are encouraged to mingle with each other but the daily trial of navigating this male-dominated institution quickly forces them to rely on each other, 'This is not how she imagined Oxford; not as a place where women are mocked and derided for wanting to learn'. As the year progresses, it becomes clear that 'The Eights' have each brought more than a thirst for learning with them, they have secrets that might just hold them back from really achieving.
'The Eights' is an enjoyable story that imagines how the first, matriculated, women students got on at Oxford. The book not only focuses on the strength of female friendship, forged in a male-dominated and somewhat unwelcoming environment but it also highlights the ongoing effects of WW1 on both the town, country and its citizens. I enjoyed Miller's use of mixed media to highlight some of the college rules and articles about lady students to give a greater depth of context. I did find it hard, at times, to keep track of who each character was and what their background story was. However, Miller's endnotes are robust, giving a guide on her research process as well as the many ways a reader can dive deeper into this topic.
'We don't have to prove we deserve to be here anymore. We just have to get on with living'.
It's 1920, England, the aftermath of the Great War still lingers yet it is time for celebration, Beatrice, Dora, Otto and Marianne are some of the first women to be officially enrolled at Oxford University. Allocated to the corridor 8 rooms, the women are encouraged to mingle with each other but the daily trial of navigating this male-dominated institution quickly forces them to rely on each other, 'This is not how she imagined Oxford; not as a place where women are mocked and derided for wanting to learn'. As the year progresses, it becomes clear that 'The Eights' have each brought more than a thirst for learning with them, they have secrets that might just hold them back from really achieving.
'The Eights' is an enjoyable story that imagines how the first, matriculated, women students got on at Oxford. The book not only focuses on the strength of female friendship, forged in a male-dominated and somewhat unwelcoming environment but it also highlights the ongoing effects of WW1 on both the town, country and its citizens. I enjoyed Miller's use of mixed media to highlight some of the college rules and articles about lady students to give a greater depth of context. I did find it hard, at times, to keep track of who each character was and what their background story was. However, Miller's endnotes are robust, giving a guide on her research process as well as the many ways a reader can dive deeper into this topic.
'We don't have to prove we deserve to be here anymore. We just have to get on with living'.
September 28, 2024
'Gentlemen,' says the don. 'We should pity these poor women who have been encouraged to believe they are the intellectual equal of men.'
This is an engaging novel about four young women who are part of the first intake of female students allowed to formally matriculate at Oxford in order to take degrees. It's very much in the tradition of female friendship narratives as the four bond instantly and support each other through trials and tribulations but it's heart-warming for all that.
I have to confess that even by the end I couldn't keep Beatrice, Dora and Marianne separate in my head: the only one who was absolutely clear is Otto with her wealthy, flapper background. But as a quartet of different experiences in the 1920s, this works very well. Miller is attentive to the aftermath of WW1 and its impact on young women as well as the more usually studied men, and also carefully places historical and cultural markers: Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Thomas Hardy, D.H. Lawrence, the renewal of suffragette and suffragist activism.
I assume the epigraphs of Oxford college rules and regulations are accurate: they're both hilarious in their primness but also indicative of how women had to conform to unnatural standards just to be allowed to learn.
Although the focus is strongly on female experience, this doesn't fall into a 'man-hating' stance: 'good' female allies have a presence here too though they don't swamp the women: 'the most exquisite and unexpected acts of kindness. From strangers. From men.'
At times, the structure gets a little clumsy with the regular flashbacks to the four women's lives before Oxford, but I was willing to forgive craft issues as I was enjoying the storytelling - just the thing for commute and/or holiday reading with a reliable historical backbone.
Thanks to Penguin/Fig Tree for an ARC via NetGalley
August 20, 2025
I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
Literary fiction that’s bordering on being erudite, THE EIGHTS, is Joanna Miller’s debut foray into long form fiction. Her prior writings have been in poetry, award winning, at that.
Readers are invited into the ivy draped halls adjacent to Oxford University, shortly after the end of WWI. Four young women, from disparate backgrounds, come together in the same housing hall. They are the 8’s for a variety of reasons. Supposedly part of Oxford University’s first class to include women in 1000 years, Dora, Marianne, Beatrice and Otto need more than a passport to actually enter the esteemed university. The rules and requirements are “cringe”, (as contemporary students would say ), but the coping mechanisms are not so far removed from my own collegiate experiences some 50 years ago, well, minus all the imbibing…
Getting to know each character is overwhelming at the start of the novel; precariously close to info dumping. Taking time to read the author’s notes will help to alleviate some potential confusion. Also, take the time to familiarize yourself with the list of terms, especially if you’re not British or very familiar with their academic lingo from 100 years ago.
In perusing a few other reviews, I saw the words “misogynistic” and “archaic” but for me, these are contemporary accusations. In the 1920’s, post war, men and women had roles that were defined differently and in some cases, there were laws governing them. That didn’t necessarily make it right BUT it doesn’t make for misogyny; again, IMO, too bad it’s in the publishing blurb.
Author, Joanna Miller, does a very good job showing the burgeoning spirit of women into the world of academia at its most elite level. It’s an extremely complicated time in history: young men have been decimated by war, many that did return are wounded and/or traumatized without the benefit of proper psychological treatment and now are expected to resume their lives as if nothing happened - go back to school, work, girlfriends, families. Women had stepped up to fill the jobs men were forced to evacuate, or the very few unsung heroes who served in the service now were unceremoniously ignored or fired, and expected to return to their lives of tea and frippery. War had changed them all and its ongoing intrusion into the lives of each character in unique and sometimes insidious ways, is masterfully done.
Many of the events and secondary characters included in the storyline are actual historic figures or events. Weaving these into the narrative provides veracity readers will notice. The text is very classic in its construction employing complex sentences, proper grammar and punctuation, albeit with contemporary guidelines; sigh. Miller has chosen to take the high road in every avenue: no gratuitous descriptions of violence, sexual content and no foul language; kudos.
There are characters who experience rape, war trauma, social abuse, parental abuse/neglect, difficulty with relationships, and peer pressure.
THE EIGHTS is not a book you’ll flip thru quickly. I enjoyed it greatly because I like books that make me think, pay attention and invest in the characters. These four women are well drawn and I will remember two of them for a good long time. In fact, they would be worthy of a book of their own. Maybe this is Friendship Fiction with a side of Coming Of Age, just a tad older than usual. It’s WWI and it’s Historical Fiction but it’s also Women’s Fiction. Men are portrayed fairly and this is a book that will have wide appeal for those who appreciate meat, not just fluff📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks
Literary fiction that’s bordering on being erudite, THE EIGHTS, is Joanna Miller’s debut foray into long form fiction. Her prior writings have been in poetry, award winning, at that.
Readers are invited into the ivy draped halls adjacent to Oxford University, shortly after the end of WWI. Four young women, from disparate backgrounds, come together in the same housing hall. They are the 8’s for a variety of reasons. Supposedly part of Oxford University’s first class to include women in 1000 years, Dora, Marianne, Beatrice and Otto need more than a passport to actually enter the esteemed university. The rules and requirements are “cringe”, (as contemporary students would say ), but the coping mechanisms are not so far removed from my own collegiate experiences some 50 years ago, well, minus all the imbibing…
Getting to know each character is overwhelming at the start of the novel; precariously close to info dumping. Taking time to read the author’s notes will help to alleviate some potential confusion. Also, take the time to familiarize yourself with the list of terms, especially if you’re not British or very familiar with their academic lingo from 100 years ago.
In perusing a few other reviews, I saw the words “misogynistic” and “archaic” but for me, these are contemporary accusations. In the 1920’s, post war, men and women had roles that were defined differently and in some cases, there were laws governing them. That didn’t necessarily make it right BUT it doesn’t make for misogyny; again, IMO, too bad it’s in the publishing blurb.
Author, Joanna Miller, does a very good job showing the burgeoning spirit of women into the world of academia at its most elite level. It’s an extremely complicated time in history: young men have been decimated by war, many that did return are wounded and/or traumatized without the benefit of proper psychological treatment and now are expected to resume their lives as if nothing happened - go back to school, work, girlfriends, families. Women had stepped up to fill the jobs men were forced to evacuate, or the very few unsung heroes who served in the service now were unceremoniously ignored or fired, and expected to return to their lives of tea and frippery. War had changed them all and its ongoing intrusion into the lives of each character in unique and sometimes insidious ways, is masterfully done.
Many of the events and secondary characters included in the storyline are actual historic figures or events. Weaving these into the narrative provides veracity readers will notice. The text is very classic in its construction employing complex sentences, proper grammar and punctuation, albeit with contemporary guidelines; sigh. Miller has chosen to take the high road in every avenue: no gratuitous descriptions of violence, sexual content and no foul language; kudos.
There are characters who experience rape, war trauma, social abuse, parental abuse/neglect, difficulty with relationships, and peer pressure.
THE EIGHTS is not a book you’ll flip thru quickly. I enjoyed it greatly because I like books that make me think, pay attention and invest in the characters. These four women are well drawn and I will remember two of them for a good long time. In fact, they would be worthy of a book of their own. Maybe this is Friendship Fiction with a side of Coming Of Age, just a tad older than usual. It’s WWI and it’s Historical Fiction but it’s also Women’s Fiction. Men are portrayed fairly and this is a book that will have wide appeal for those who appreciate meat, not just fluff📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks
March 23, 2025
I absolutely loved this book set in 1920s Oxford when women were allowed to attend University for the first time. It follows Dora, Beatrice, Otto and Marianne who, for various different reasons, have made their way to Oxford to study. Sharing corridor number eight, they quickly become firm friends.
All of these women have their own powerful back stories, some of them keeping secrets they find difficult to share. I loved each of them for very different reasons, but what I loved about all of them was their strength and resilience to fight for their rights in a man's world where many didn't want them.
This is a brilliant debut from Joanna Miller. Thought provoking, emotional and powerful, and told with such great heart. Bravo to Joanna - I'm hoping to read much more from her in the future!
All of these women have their own powerful back stories, some of them keeping secrets they find difficult to share. I loved each of them for very different reasons, but what I loved about all of them was their strength and resilience to fight for their rights in a man's world where many didn't want them.
This is a brilliant debut from Joanna Miller. Thought provoking, emotional and powerful, and told with such great heart. Bravo to Joanna - I'm hoping to read much more from her in the future!
February 27, 2025
I found this frightfully dull. Very little happens and at times the author delves into extreme minutia on a scholarly tome or the scenery. I frequently forgot who was whom because the characters are so thinly drawn.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2024
An exquisite novel! This is my type of historical fiction: a lesser-known moment in history that is meticulously researched; a cast of characters, each so real, one swears they are based on actual people. Miller's storytelling is so engaging; every corner of Oxford University during post-World War I came alive. I became vested in Berniece, Dora, Marianne, and Otto's success as some of the first women to be admitted to the all-male Oxford University. The women struggle with misogyny, their own PTSD from volunteering during the Great War, and the double-standards for women in higher education at that time, all while struggling with personal secrets and tragedies. The issues then are still relevant today. Not an ounce of fluff in this wonderful novel. I was hooked from the first page and did not want this story to end.
Look for this in Spring 2025.
Look for this in Spring 2025.
August 26, 2025
I love historical fiction (and history in general) because it invites me to be curious beyond what my mind thinks of on its own. I've never thought to ask what daily life was like for the first class of female students at Oxford who were eligible to receive degrees in 1920. Of course this was a contentious issue at the time, so the four women whose stories we follow through their first year at Oxford in 1920-1921 are up against a lot. I love how Joanna Miller worked in documents from the time, like a list of rules on women's conduct. These young women had to be so much more proper than the men to prove to the doubters that they deserved to be there. (Like taking a chaperone nearly everywhere...wild!) Miller does a great job of showing the nuance of men's behavior towards the women through the year.
My favorite scene in the whole book is when Beatrice attends a lecture that she was denied access to the first time and gets tokens of support from two men in the lecture. I was so moved both by Beatrice's courage in showing up at the lecture despite the professor's earlier shaming attempt and the small but meaningful gestures of two men who showed her that she belonged. It takes history from the vast to the particular in a beautiful way.
The other wonderful nuancing of history in this novel is the shadow of WWI on all the characters, men and women alike. Each of our four main characters, Otto, Beatrice, Marianne, and Dora, are coping with their experiences from the war. Oxford itself looks so different from pre-war times. There are older students, students with scars and PTSD, young men who were too young for the war who have a disorienting freshness. The questions for women post-war are a whisper through the novel: Will there be men to marry? Do they want to marry at all when they can get an education and career? What if the man has scars, internal or external? Is marriage still a good idea? What if the man who is available to marry is one's second choice? These are vital questions for women and Miller asks them through the living out of the characters' lives.
I am reading a book by Bishop Barron ('Heaven in Stone and Glass) and came across this interesting quote: "Now eight, coming just beyond seven, which is the symbol for completed time, stands for that dimension of reality that is beyond time, that is, eternity" (32). Otto, the mathematician, loves the number eight. I wish I had read this quote before reading the book but it does make me think about the enduring 'beyond time' elements of this novel. I think the big one is the friendship of the four young women. Through their friendship in the intense atmosphere of college, they form a particular and special bond with each other. They each see each other's deepest vulnerabilities and when the novel ends, they are each healthier in soul and spirit than when they started. The novel ends with an image of friendship that is lovely to read. Oxford is in the distance, still in view, but the feeling is that these friendships will be just as lasting as their formal education. It reminds me of Dorothy Sayers and the lasting female friendships she formed at Oxford.
I did have a few quibbles about the style of the novel. It's set in the present tense, which I always find a bit jarring. I ceased to notice it once I began to read for the day, but it's not my favorite. Miller did a great job of balancing the perspectives of each of the four main characters. We get flashbacks for each of them and live alongside each of them in the present. It worked and even worked well, but I missed character depth in this approach--perhaps, ideally for me, we would have settled more fully into Marianne's perspective (she was my favorite) and gotten even more about the actual life of the college and the tutorials, etc. As my friend Melody mentioned, I would also have loved to see a more religious dimension to the story. These are just my own preferences though.
This is definitely a novel worth reading and enjoying. I look forward to more novels from Joanna Miller. This was a fantastic debut!
My favorite scene in the whole book is when Beatrice attends a lecture that she was denied access to the first time and gets tokens of support from two men in the lecture. I was so moved both by Beatrice's courage in showing up at the lecture despite the professor's earlier shaming attempt and the small but meaningful gestures of two men who showed her that she belonged. It takes history from the vast to the particular in a beautiful way.
The other wonderful nuancing of history in this novel is the shadow of WWI on all the characters, men and women alike. Each of our four main characters, Otto, Beatrice, Marianne, and Dora, are coping with their experiences from the war. Oxford itself looks so different from pre-war times. There are older students, students with scars and PTSD, young men who were too young for the war who have a disorienting freshness. The questions for women post-war are a whisper through the novel: Will there be men to marry? Do they want to marry at all when they can get an education and career? What if the man has scars, internal or external? Is marriage still a good idea? What if the man who is available to marry is one's second choice? These are vital questions for women and Miller asks them through the living out of the characters' lives.
I am reading a book by Bishop Barron ('Heaven in Stone and Glass) and came across this interesting quote: "Now eight, coming just beyond seven, which is the symbol for completed time, stands for that dimension of reality that is beyond time, that is, eternity" (32). Otto, the mathematician, loves the number eight. I wish I had read this quote before reading the book but it does make me think about the enduring 'beyond time' elements of this novel. I think the big one is the friendship of the four young women. Through their friendship in the intense atmosphere of college, they form a particular and special bond with each other. They each see each other's deepest vulnerabilities and when the novel ends, they are each healthier in soul and spirit than when they started. The novel ends with an image of friendship that is lovely to read. Oxford is in the distance, still in view, but the feeling is that these friendships will be just as lasting as their formal education. It reminds me of Dorothy Sayers and the lasting female friendships she formed at Oxford.
I did have a few quibbles about the style of the novel. It's set in the present tense, which I always find a bit jarring. I ceased to notice it once I began to read for the day, but it's not my favorite. Miller did a great job of balancing the perspectives of each of the four main characters. We get flashbacks for each of them and live alongside each of them in the present. It worked and even worked well, but I missed character depth in this approach--perhaps, ideally for me, we would have settled more fully into Marianne's perspective (she was my favorite) and gotten even more about the actual life of the college and the tutorials, etc. As my friend Melody mentioned, I would also have loved to see a more religious dimension to the story. These are just my own preferences though.
This is definitely a novel worth reading and enjoying. I look forward to more novels from Joanna Miller. This was a fantastic debut!
May 20, 2025
Be warned. There is not one ounce of plot in this book. This book is powered by characters.
If you can get past that notion and you love female friendships, this was a lovely read. Just don’t expect anything to necessarily happen.
The author wanted to document this history of Oxford ( which I am fascinated by and must visit someday) when females were finally allowed to receive degrees. Also, just following the Great War, it is a touching tribute to those men that returned home and didn’t.
Now, with that being said, I do not know how historically accurate these 4 women are in their thoughts, deeds and actions. I was able to relax into the story and enjoy it for what it brought.
If you can get past that notion and you love female friendships, this was a lovely read. Just don’t expect anything to necessarily happen.
The author wanted to document this history of Oxford ( which I am fascinated by and must visit someday) when females were finally allowed to receive degrees. Also, just following the Great War, it is a touching tribute to those men that returned home and didn’t.
Now, with that being said, I do not know how historically accurate these 4 women are in their thoughts, deeds and actions. I was able to relax into the story and enjoy it for what it brought.
September 4, 2025
In 1920 Oxford University Congregation voted to admit women to its student body.
The Eights is a novel about four very bright young women from very different backgrounds who are accepted to Oxford. They are assigned rooms on the same dormitory floor and form an unbreakable friendship.
Joanna Miller weaves a coming of age story that blends fact and fiction. The young women face many challenges in addition to difficult courses - blatant misogyny, the influenza outbreak, and the after effects of World War I. They encourage and support each other through it all.
I was amazed at the “rules” of conduct for the young female students and learned a lot about life for young ladies at that time.
The Eights is an enjoyable read, with likable characters but quite a bit of the terminology was very specific to the British educational system and I wasn’t familiar with that. In addition, the description of various settings was very detailed and probably would be familiar to students at Oxford, but not for the average reader. Ms Miller has included a glossary at the end of the book which was very helpful.
The Eights is a novel about four very bright young women from very different backgrounds who are accepted to Oxford. They are assigned rooms on the same dormitory floor and form an unbreakable friendship.
Joanna Miller weaves a coming of age story that blends fact and fiction. The young women face many challenges in addition to difficult courses - blatant misogyny, the influenza outbreak, and the after effects of World War I. They encourage and support each other through it all.
I was amazed at the “rules” of conduct for the young female students and learned a lot about life for young ladies at that time.
The Eights is an enjoyable read, with likable characters but quite a bit of the terminology was very specific to the British educational system and I wasn’t familiar with that. In addition, the description of various settings was very detailed and probably would be familiar to students at Oxford, but not for the average reader. Ms Miller has included a glossary at the end of the book which was very helpful.
April 16, 2025
I really enjoyed this one. It is set in 1920, the first time that women are allowed to study for a degree at Oxford University, previously they have been allowed to study, but wouldn't be able to get a degree.
The story follows four women all living on corridor eight, so they become known as The Eights. The Great War has not long ended, and all are affected by it to varying degrees, it is always there in the background, and often in the foreground.
The Eights consist of Otto - a socialite with a head for figures, Dora, who lost both her brother and fiance in quick succession, Beatrice - the daughter of a prominent suffragette and Marianne - the daughter of a vicar, who returns home once a fortnight for the weekend. Their characters are well drawn, and I found myself drawn into their dramas, and rooting for them. They encounter plenty of kickback from men at the Uni, but also a lot of support. With so many surplus women, they feel the need to be able to support themselves if the need should arise. I loved the cameos from Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby. While the are some romantic subplots, the main thrust of the novel is the strong ties of female friendship forged between these women, something that is often lacking in novels today. Would recommend, especially for anyone with an interest in this era.
*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
The story follows four women all living on corridor eight, so they become known as The Eights. The Great War has not long ended, and all are affected by it to varying degrees, it is always there in the background, and often in the foreground.
The Eights consist of Otto - a socialite with a head for figures, Dora, who lost both her brother and fiance in quick succession, Beatrice - the daughter of a prominent suffragette and Marianne - the daughter of a vicar, who returns home once a fortnight for the weekend. Their characters are well drawn, and I found myself drawn into their dramas, and rooting for them. They encounter plenty of kickback from men at the Uni, but also a lot of support. With so many surplus women, they feel the need to be able to support themselves if the need should arise. I loved the cameos from Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby. While the are some romantic subplots, the main thrust of the novel is the strong ties of female friendship forged between these women, something that is often lacking in novels today. Would recommend, especially for anyone with an interest in this era.
*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
April 11, 2025
Oof… I really wish I was beta reading this story instead of reading a review copy a few days before the pub date…
To me, this reads like an early working draft. Certain chapters are more developed than others. For the most part, The Eights does not illicit any emotion nor is written to be particularly interesting. The author frequently uses two (or five) sentences where one would have sufficed and has littered in an unbearable amount of rogue similes. Nothing unfolds in this story - every detail is revealed through painfully boring conversation between characters I did not get to know well enough to care about or narration stating historical facts. We do not get to LIVE the history with our characters. I believe this story would’ve benefited heavily from choosing a main character from the bunch.
From the publisher’s description I should’ve LOVED this book for several reasons but I could not even like it even a little.
Though I dislike rating debut authors poorly, two stars is the absolute most I can give for “The Eights”
To me, this reads like an early working draft. Certain chapters are more developed than others. For the most part, The Eights does not illicit any emotion nor is written to be particularly interesting. The author frequently uses two (or five) sentences where one would have sufficed and has littered in an unbearable amount of rogue similes. Nothing unfolds in this story - every detail is revealed through painfully boring conversation between characters I did not get to know well enough to care about or narration stating historical facts. We do not get to LIVE the history with our characters. I believe this story would’ve benefited heavily from choosing a main character from the bunch.
From the publisher’s description I should’ve LOVED this book for several reasons but I could not even like it even a little.
Though I dislike rating debut authors poorly, two stars is the absolute most I can give for “The Eights”
April 15, 2025
Wonderful read!! This novel is based on a real story of the first women to go to Oxford University. The characters are so good so different from each other,each with much to leave behind and the determination to stay in school and work very hard to do so. I would have loved to be at school with them.the details are very clear and i could picture where they were- their rooms the campus. such very good writing. when i went to school in London at 17 yrs old i took the train to see Bath and Oxford on my own wandered around all day and had a meal in a pub and caught the train back. I was quite proud .
October 13, 2025
4-1/2 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional account of four women in the first class of Female Oxford students who will earn degrees. I found the friendships engaging and hardships the women endured to be incredibly moving.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional account of four women in the first class of Female Oxford students who will earn degrees. I found the friendships engaging and hardships the women endured to be incredibly moving.
November 17, 2025
Highly readable, book club-suitable fiction, a sort of cross between In Memoriam and A Single Thread: the first women to attend Oxford in the 1920s, the suffrage movement, the plight of spare women after WWI. Different aspects are illuminated by the four central friends and their milieu. A good sense of place and reasonably strong characters, with some filling somewhat stereotypical roles. Despite some difficult subject matter, it remains resolutely jolly.
April 17, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This book was an absolute delight! An ode to female friendship and empowerment against the backdrop of the recent end of the First World War.
This is set in a similar time as The Artist (another recent read) and I find the post war period a really interesting time to read about - the collective trauma and guilt and the fundamental change to gender and class politics.
The Eights is a fictionalised account of the first women to be admitted to Oxford University, focusing specifically on four women who live on the same corridor. I found them to each be beautifully written and they immediately came alive with memorable differing personalities allowing the multi POVs to be read easily.
There were some incredibly moving moments and lovely romantic elements too. A few times, particularly with Beatrice, I could really feel the characters speaking fully to my own thoughts and feelings
I'm really looking forward to hearing Joanna Miller talk in June in Corbridge and would recommend this book to anyone!
This book was an absolute delight! An ode to female friendship and empowerment against the backdrop of the recent end of the First World War.
This is set in a similar time as The Artist (another recent read) and I find the post war period a really interesting time to read about - the collective trauma and guilt and the fundamental change to gender and class politics.
The Eights is a fictionalised account of the first women to be admitted to Oxford University, focusing specifically on four women who live on the same corridor. I found them to each be beautifully written and they immediately came alive with memorable differing personalities allowing the multi POVs to be read easily.
There were some incredibly moving moments and lovely romantic elements too. A few times, particularly with Beatrice, I could really feel the characters speaking fully to my own thoughts and feelings
I'm really looking forward to hearing Joanna Miller talk in June in Corbridge and would recommend this book to anyone!
July 27, 2025
Wow, this is boring and has almost no plot, and the characters bleed into one another. It would have been better from a single perspective. But also, it needed more development and better editing -- cut out a bunch of stuff, make the narrative less plodding.
June 25, 2025
It's a long time since I've found a campus novel fresh and compelling; for the most part they've become a sort of addiction that never really scratches the itch. This is true to such an extent that I started The Eights almost resentfully - only to find that first time author Joanna Miller had me tossing out presumed disappointment, reminding me instead why I enjoy this genre so much, growing a little ivy on my walls as I read on.
It's not only the author's interesting historical premise - friendships amongst the first female students at Oxford University - but that the usual repeated tropes aren't the foundation of the story. Yes, it's another Girl Quad novel, it's always four women, this time sharing part of the 8th floor of their dormitory, but they're more fleshed out than this genre usually allows. The common formula contains four women from different backgrounds thrust into living and/or working together, one wealthy, one poor, one with a Terrible Secret, and one who'll wrap everything up at the end, though she may do so from her grave. Miller's four have more varied and detailed backstories. Beatrice struggles with a lack of attention or love from her highly regarded suffragette mother. Marianne's sole parent is a village pastor, a man she couldn't bear to let down.
Otto in particular moved me, perhaps because I expected her not to; wealthy, confident and vampy, I thought she was there to provide, if not full comic relief, then at least relief in general from the wartime deprivation and family drama. Instead she turned out instead to be someone with her own weaknesses, uncertainties, and an unsettling moment of cruelty uncovering how much sorrow she had long been carrying.
The male students turn up as a group of raucous, self confident noisemakers. You can almost hear them slapping each other's backs with congratulations for nothing more than being a young man at Oxford. No surprise, I suppose, that I much preferred following the female students, even if I sometimes tired of their flashback sequences, or individual devotions to one of those smug male classmates.
Perhaps what kept me reading more than anything else was that The Eights doesn't strain to show off every endless hour of research undertaken to create a vibrant picture of Oxford in 1920. Contemporary novels with historic settings often leave me wincing as I come across yet another list interrupting the plot to detail, for example, clothing layers, every fold of fabric, sleeves right down to their intricate mother of pearl buttons. Miller doesn't showcase her knowledge, but employs it: one woman hurriedly gets into the tub before the heated water goes cold, the gas lamps are lit without detail or fuss, but simply because it's dark; bicycle spokes get splattered with mud which in turn transfers to the students' long skirts, ugh, more wash to be done.
Anyway, a good, immersive read. Not a novel my thoughts will likely return to, but so much better than recent others in this genre. Even the ending wasn't entirely predictable, and offered just enough of an epilogue to bring the stories of Beatrice, Dora, Otto and Marianne to a satisfying close.
It's not only the author's interesting historical premise - friendships amongst the first female students at Oxford University - but that the usual repeated tropes aren't the foundation of the story. Yes, it's another Girl Quad novel, it's always four women, this time sharing part of the 8th floor of their dormitory, but they're more fleshed out than this genre usually allows. The common formula contains four women from different backgrounds thrust into living and/or working together, one wealthy, one poor, one with a Terrible Secret, and one who'll wrap everything up at the end, though she may do so from her grave. Miller's four have more varied and detailed backstories. Beatrice struggles with a lack of attention or love from her highly regarded suffragette mother. Marianne's sole parent is a village pastor, a man she couldn't bear to let down.
Otto in particular moved me, perhaps because I expected her not to; wealthy, confident and vampy, I thought she was there to provide, if not full comic relief, then at least relief in general from the wartime deprivation and family drama. Instead she turned out instead to be someone with her own weaknesses, uncertainties, and an unsettling moment of cruelty uncovering how much sorrow she had long been carrying.
The male students turn up as a group of raucous, self confident noisemakers. You can almost hear them slapping each other's backs with congratulations for nothing more than being a young man at Oxford. No surprise, I suppose, that I much preferred following the female students, even if I sometimes tired of their flashback sequences, or individual devotions to one of those smug male classmates.
Perhaps what kept me reading more than anything else was that The Eights doesn't strain to show off every endless hour of research undertaken to create a vibrant picture of Oxford in 1920. Contemporary novels with historic settings often leave me wincing as I come across yet another list interrupting the plot to detail, for example, clothing layers, every fold of fabric, sleeves right down to their intricate mother of pearl buttons. Miller doesn't showcase her knowledge, but employs it: one woman hurriedly gets into the tub before the heated water goes cold, the gas lamps are lit without detail or fuss, but simply because it's dark; bicycle spokes get splattered with mud which in turn transfers to the students' long skirts, ugh, more wash to be done.
Anyway, a good, immersive read. Not a novel my thoughts will likely return to, but so much better than recent others in this genre. Even the ending wasn't entirely predictable, and offered just enough of an epilogue to bring the stories of Beatrice, Dora, Otto and Marianne to a satisfying close.
April 26, 2025
“I often ask myself,” she begins, “if women had always been taught to paint, sculpt, publish, report, write, calculate, translate, and experiment, what kind of world would we live in now?”
A historical novel set at 1920s Oxford, The Eight centers around four young women who live in Corridor Eight and are among the first to officially matriculate through the college. We see their ups and downs as they traverse their first year, learning each of their back stories and seeing how the Great War has drastically impacted each of their lives.
Each of the characters had a distinct voice and personality, and they all felt realistically flawed in a way that the reader feels for each of them and wants them to succeed. Through their stories, the book covers topics such as women’s rights, the widespread tragedies of war, class differences, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the unequal and unfair standards female scholars were held to.
I loved the bond that these very different women grew during the book, as well as learning more about this time period in Oxford’s history. If you enjoy historical fiction, this one might be right up your alley!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Putnam for the advanced copy of the ebook!
A historical novel set at 1920s Oxford, The Eight centers around four young women who live in Corridor Eight and are among the first to officially matriculate through the college. We see their ups and downs as they traverse their first year, learning each of their back stories and seeing how the Great War has drastically impacted each of their lives.
Each of the characters had a distinct voice and personality, and they all felt realistically flawed in a way that the reader feels for each of them and wants them to succeed. Through their stories, the book covers topics such as women’s rights, the widespread tragedies of war, class differences, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the unequal and unfair standards female scholars were held to.
I loved the bond that these very different women grew during the book, as well as learning more about this time period in Oxford’s history. If you enjoy historical fiction, this one might be right up your alley!
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Putnam for the advanced copy of the ebook!
August 27, 2025
I'm really torn between 3 and 4 stars ... when is Goodreads going to enable halves?
Anyway, loved the 1920 setting and was fascinated by the topic of the first class of women to matriculate at Oxford. The emotional pull of women forming friendships in an era of upheaval, post-war grief and the dawn of modern feminism was ripe for storytelling.
It just never all came together with the impact I craved. Clearly this author did an enormous amount of research, but instead of enhancing the story, all the historical details distracted. It felt a little clunky.
I did enjoy this novel, but for me, The Dictionary of Lost Words is a better historical take on Oxford and feminism.
Anyway, loved the 1920 setting and was fascinated by the topic of the first class of women to matriculate at Oxford. The emotional pull of women forming friendships in an era of upheaval, post-war grief and the dawn of modern feminism was ripe for storytelling.
It just never all came together with the impact I craved. Clearly this author did an enormous amount of research, but instead of enhancing the story, all the historical details distracted. It felt a little clunky.
I did enjoy this novel, but for me, The Dictionary of Lost Words is a better historical take on Oxford and feminism.
May 17, 2025
I was looking forward to this as I love this plot - first generation of women to break down education barriers somewhere that doesn't deserve them, usually a stuffy higher academic institution. But the women are a bit bland and not terribly interesting. Their brilliance is much discussed but not shown. And surely actual studying at the time took up most of their time, not soap opera antics? Still, some good atmosphere and period details, if a little too eager to be made into a Sunday night telly drama.
August 17, 2025
I love finding historical fiction about unique time periods, especially when I have a connection to the subject matter. Here we follow 4 women who are among the first to matriculate into Oxford University in 1920. The Oxford setting is richly drawn and the look into student life was super interesting. The 4 characters are all unique, well-written, and fun to follow. I loved the whole book from start to finish.
July 6, 2025
4.4 stars
January 22, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an early kindle copy of this delightful book.
The Eights by Joanna Miller is an excellent debut novel that follows four very different young women in 1920, the first year women could receive degrees at Oxford. Set in St. Hugh’s College, it explores their struggles with misogyny, activism, and the lingering shadows of World War I and the influenza pandemic. The characters are vividly drawn, their flaws and strengths making them very relatable, and the story balances their experiences almost equally. I was particularly impressed by the depth and realism of this novel and will follow Joanna Miller’s future work.
The Eights by Joanna Miller is an excellent debut novel that follows four very different young women in 1920, the first year women could receive degrees at Oxford. Set in St. Hugh’s College, it explores their struggles with misogyny, activism, and the lingering shadows of World War I and the influenza pandemic. The characters are vividly drawn, their flaws and strengths making them very relatable, and the story balances their experiences almost equally. I was particularly impressed by the depth and realism of this novel and will follow Joanna Miller’s future work.
July 31, 2025
When I read the synopsis for this historical fiction book, I knew immediately that it was one I wanted to read. A blend of fact and fiction, the story is about four young women who are accepted as undergraduate students at Oxford University in 1920, the first year that women were allowed entry.
The plot unfolds during the course of the academic year and is told from each woman’s perspective. Chapters from their past are interwoven with the 1920s timeline. In her notes at the end of the novel, the author said that she strove to accurately recreate the life of women at Oxford in 1920 and she certainly did. For example, details about the university’s chaperone rules for women and the numerous other regulations they had to abide by (and which the men didn’t), really immersed me in the time and place.
I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed seeing their friendship develop and how it helped each of them deal with issues such as dysfunctional family relationships, past traumas, societal expectations, and the ever-present misogynistic university culture. I was rooting for these women throughout.
Readers of historical fiction with friendship at its heart will enjoy this one. Another great debut novel that I’ve read this year!
Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.
The plot unfolds during the course of the academic year and is told from each woman’s perspective. Chapters from their past are interwoven with the 1920s timeline. In her notes at the end of the novel, the author said that she strove to accurately recreate the life of women at Oxford in 1920 and she certainly did. For example, details about the university’s chaperone rules for women and the numerous other regulations they had to abide by (and which the men didn’t), really immersed me in the time and place.
I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed seeing their friendship develop and how it helped each of them deal with issues such as dysfunctional family relationships, past traumas, societal expectations, and the ever-present misogynistic university culture. I was rooting for these women throughout.
Readers of historical fiction with friendship at its heart will enjoy this one. Another great debut novel that I’ve read this year!
Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.
July 13, 2025
A great debut focusing on the lives of some of the first women to be accepted into Oxford University. A great story of friendship, set in the interim war period. People are still recovering after the war, and no one is particularly accepting of the fact that women are at the university. We follow four women and how their lives intersect as they all board together at the university. We learn about their pasts, secrets, and romantic interests. You can tell this is written by someone who attended Oxford and did good research as you are thrown into the lingo and "Britishness" of the school and time period. As an American who is unfamiliar with all that, it took a little bit to get into, but otherwise was a great read!
September 4, 2025
This should have been better. Historical moment for women yet I was often bored.
May 12, 2025
4 stars. 🎧
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