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And in the Morning
In the winter of 1919, Lily and her three-year-old son, Ted, rush through the streets of Melbourne to welcome home Lily' s husband, Bert, who has spent the last four years fighting with the Light Horse in the Middle East. Twenty-three years later, as the same city awaits a Japanese invasion, Frankie, a young servicewoman on a night' s leave, meets an airman, Ed, at a dance. Almost three decades on, as Melbourne convulses with anti-war protests, single mother Fran prepares a funeral for her only son, a young conscript killed in Vietnam. And in the Morning is a novel about war and the ways in which its tragedies, both great and small, transform the intimate lives of the mothers, wives and lovers who must live with its consequences.
- GenresWar
243 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 30, 2026
Set in Melbourne, this novel follows the experiences of three women in 1919, 1942 and 1969. Lil is the first women we meet, in 1919, as she and her son Teddy rush to the train station to meet her husband Bert who has returned after four years serving in World War I. Teddy, born after his father went to war, has no knowledge of his father. Bert has brought back problems of his own and, somehow, Lil must re-establish her life with him and negotiate several unexpected challenges.
Next, we meet Fran, a widow, in 1969 as she prepares for the funeral of her son Robbie, a conscript, who died in Vietnam. Finally, in 1942, we meet Frankie, a member of the WAAAF, who meets Ed, a member of the RAAF, at a dance.
Different chapters drop into the lives of each woman. Lil realises that the Bert who has returned to her has changed and does not seem to appreciate that the war also had an impact on her life. And Teddy? How will he adapt?
In 1942, Frankie is part of a frenetic period in Melbourne, when fears of an imminent Japanese invasion were real, the presence of American servicemen was not always welcomed, and women alone had to be particularly cautious because of a serial killer.
But it is Fran in 1969 who held my attention. How does a widow, whose husband died after his experience in World War II, cope with the death of her only child conscripted to fight in a contentious undeclared war? How do any of us cope with such a tragedy?
I was drawn into the worlds of these women, into memories of stories in my own family, of sweethearts and sons lost during World War I, of sacrifices made during World War II, and the shameful treatment of soldiers who returned after the Vietnam War.
A powerful debut novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Next, we meet Fran, a widow, in 1969 as she prepares for the funeral of her son Robbie, a conscript, who died in Vietnam. Finally, in 1942, we meet Frankie, a member of the WAAAF, who meets Ed, a member of the RAAF, at a dance.
Different chapters drop into the lives of each woman. Lil realises that the Bert who has returned to her has changed and does not seem to appreciate that the war also had an impact on her life. And Teddy? How will he adapt?
In 1942, Frankie is part of a frenetic period in Melbourne, when fears of an imminent Japanese invasion were real, the presence of American servicemen was not always welcomed, and women alone had to be particularly cautious because of a serial killer.
But it is Fran in 1969 who held my attention. How does a widow, whose husband died after his experience in World War II, cope with the death of her only child conscripted to fight in a contentious undeclared war? How do any of us cope with such a tragedy?
I was drawn into the worlds of these women, into memories of stories in my own family, of sweethearts and sons lost during World War I, of sacrifices made during World War II, and the shameful treatment of soldiers who returned after the Vietnam War.
A powerful debut novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
October 4, 2026
A debut literary fiction tale set in Melbourne, And in the Morning (2026) by Lenny Robinson, has three alternating time periods. In 1919, Lily and her son rush to meet her husband Bert, who has returned from the Great War. In 1942, Frankie is a servicewoman who meets Ed, a pilot who invites her to a dance. Then in 1969, Fran has to organise a funeral for her son Robbie, having been conscripted to fight in Vietnam. The story of these three different women reveals the impact of war, and its consequences for those left behind. A small yet powerful novel, it graphically captures the lives of three different women in a heartfelt, insightful tribute, which has a four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.
August 4, 2026
Winner of the 2026 UQP Quentin Bryce Award (see below), And in the Morning is the debut novel of Melbourne author Lenny Robinson. According to the press release, the genesis of the novel lies in Robinson’s family history. She knew that her grandfather fought in WW1 with the Australian Light Horse, but was a ‘difficult’ man on his return.
From this beginning, the novel explores the interwoven stories of three generations of women who lived with the consequences of 20th century wars: the First World War; the Second World War and the Vietnam War.
All three strands of the novel, therefore, are focussed on the women’s experiences. For Lily, it is the realisation that there is a gulf between her and Bert because of his experiences, and because he seems to have no understanding that she made sacrifices too. There is the delicate issue of little Teddy’s relationship with a father he’s never met. This is foreshadowed early when he does not understand Lily’s haste to be at the station to meet Bert. Readers will judge for themselves whether he has been a bit indulged. He’s three, past the Terrible Twos but he still throws tantrums. Lily hasn’t prepared him to vacate the bed they’ve been sharing through her long years of loneliness — but who knew about child psychology in the early 20th century, eh?
It’s a shock to Lily that a man for whom violence has been a daily event has brought some of that home with him. But nobody talked about that in the early 20th century either.
In 1942, for shy and diffident Frankie, a WAAAF whose work is to free up men to fight the threat of the Japanese, a night at a dance with more lively friends brings conflict of a different sort.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/08/05/a...
I also wondered what it would be like to be my grandmother, to live with a man who done things and seen things barely imaginable, who clearly lived with the trauma of war but could not or would not talk about it.
From this beginning, the novel explores the interwoven stories of three generations of women who lived with the consequences of 20th century wars: the First World War; the Second World War and the Vietnam War.
All three strands of the novel, therefore, are focussed on the women’s experiences. For Lily, it is the realisation that there is a gulf between her and Bert because of his experiences, and because he seems to have no understanding that she made sacrifices too. There is the delicate issue of little Teddy’s relationship with a father he’s never met. This is foreshadowed early when he does not understand Lily’s haste to be at the station to meet Bert. Readers will judge for themselves whether he has been a bit indulged. He’s three, past the Terrible Twos but he still throws tantrums. Lily hasn’t prepared him to vacate the bed they’ve been sharing through her long years of loneliness — but who knew about child psychology in the early 20th century, eh?
It’s a shock to Lily that a man for whom violence has been a daily event has brought some of that home with him. But nobody talked about that in the early 20th century either.
In 1942, for shy and diffident Frankie, a WAAAF whose work is to free up men to fight the threat of the Japanese, a night at a dance with more lively friends brings conflict of a different sort.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/08/05/a...
August 24, 2026
AND IN THE MORNING (UQP 2026) by Lenny Robinson collates three stories of women and men (often sons) woven together into a compelling tale of love, sacrifice, desire, grief and survival.
The first story, set in 1919, sees Lily and her three-year-old Teddy rushing through the streets of Melbourne to welcome home her husband Bert who has returned from the war and never met his son. Four years of trauma in the Middle East has irrevocably changed Bert, and the fledgling romance and passion he and Lily shared before he left is now complicated by the addition of Teddy, and the hurt Bert carries from the war.
The second story is also set in Melbourne, during World War Two, on the eve of what many suspect may be a Japanese invasion. A young servicewoman, Frankie, is celebrating a night of leave when she meets an airman at a dance. The juxtaposition of the heavy seriousness of war and the spontaneous flirtation of a romantic spark makes for strange bedfellows.
The third section of the book is perhaps the most moving. In 1969, amid anti-war protests, Fran is mourning her only son and preparing for his funeral after he was conscripted to fight – and subsequently died – in Vietnam, a war nobody seems able to explain.
Each of these sections is moving and evocative, each placing the reader firmly in the time and place in which it’s set. Each involves complex relationships threaded with doubt, desire, longing, love, grief, fear, regret, worry, anger, desperation, loss and the feeling that this experience, whether fleeting or sustained, might be too much to bear.
Although I did enjoy dropping in and out of each of the main characters’ lives, I would have preferred that each section was written in one piece, rather than a chapter from each woman’s perspective, ever changing, first Lily, then Fran, then Frankie. At times I felt this pulled me out of the story. But as the novel continues, the reader begins to see threads of connection and it becomes clear that there is more binding together these three women than at first is apparent.
Robinson writes with empathy of the conflicted relationship between Lily and Bert, which had only just begun before he was whisked off to war, and the complications that arise when he returns and has to not only re-learn his love for his wife, but find love for a toddler he’s never met and who doesn’t take kindly to this man, this father, competing for the attentions of his mother.
The author also captures really well the flights and fancy of servicewomen and men on leave during the Second World War, when every day could be your last, the concept of enjoying every moment is paramount, and nobody knows what is around the corner.
But it’s perhaps Fran’s section that is most empathetic and compelling. She moves through the blurred treacle of the empty days after the news of her son’s death, and attempts to cope with the practicalities of organising his burial and contemplating her own role in his fate (should she have forbidden him to go? Could she have prevented him doing his duty even though he was conscripted? In the long history of mother-guilt, how on earth could she have allowed such a thing to happen?) I found this thread particularly intimate, gripping and powerful.
This remarkable debut incorporates authentic dialogue and high emotion with the delicate minutiae of living, and the forces greater than ourselves that control our lives and set us on paths not of our own making. A heartrending and moving story of love and loss.
The first story, set in 1919, sees Lily and her three-year-old Teddy rushing through the streets of Melbourne to welcome home her husband Bert who has returned from the war and never met his son. Four years of trauma in the Middle East has irrevocably changed Bert, and the fledgling romance and passion he and Lily shared before he left is now complicated by the addition of Teddy, and the hurt Bert carries from the war.
The second story is also set in Melbourne, during World War Two, on the eve of what many suspect may be a Japanese invasion. A young servicewoman, Frankie, is celebrating a night of leave when she meets an airman at a dance. The juxtaposition of the heavy seriousness of war and the spontaneous flirtation of a romantic spark makes for strange bedfellows.
The third section of the book is perhaps the most moving. In 1969, amid anti-war protests, Fran is mourning her only son and preparing for his funeral after he was conscripted to fight – and subsequently died – in Vietnam, a war nobody seems able to explain.
Each of these sections is moving and evocative, each placing the reader firmly in the time and place in which it’s set. Each involves complex relationships threaded with doubt, desire, longing, love, grief, fear, regret, worry, anger, desperation, loss and the feeling that this experience, whether fleeting or sustained, might be too much to bear.
Although I did enjoy dropping in and out of each of the main characters’ lives, I would have preferred that each section was written in one piece, rather than a chapter from each woman’s perspective, ever changing, first Lily, then Fran, then Frankie. At times I felt this pulled me out of the story. But as the novel continues, the reader begins to see threads of connection and it becomes clear that there is more binding together these three women than at first is apparent.
Robinson writes with empathy of the conflicted relationship between Lily and Bert, which had only just begun before he was whisked off to war, and the complications that arise when he returns and has to not only re-learn his love for his wife, but find love for a toddler he’s never met and who doesn’t take kindly to this man, this father, competing for the attentions of his mother.
The author also captures really well the flights and fancy of servicewomen and men on leave during the Second World War, when every day could be your last, the concept of enjoying every moment is paramount, and nobody knows what is around the corner.
But it’s perhaps Fran’s section that is most empathetic and compelling. She moves through the blurred treacle of the empty days after the news of her son’s death, and attempts to cope with the practicalities of organising his burial and contemplating her own role in his fate (should she have forbidden him to go? Could she have prevented him doing his duty even though he was conscripted? In the long history of mother-guilt, how on earth could she have allowed such a thing to happen?) I found this thread particularly intimate, gripping and powerful.
This remarkable debut incorporates authentic dialogue and high emotion with the delicate minutiae of living, and the forces greater than ourselves that control our lives and set us on paths not of our own making. A heartrending and moving story of love and loss.
September 5, 2026
Reviewed by Nan van Dissel for University of Queensland Press and Bluewolf Reviews.
Most readers will recognise the title of this beautifully written book, And In The Morning, as being a line from Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’, which is part of every remembrance ceremony, and where the emphasis generally tends to be on those who have died in war. Lenny Robinson debut prize winning novel, however, focuses on the women left behind in three of these wars; World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. This impressive novel explores the interwoven stories of three generations of women, who have experienced the consequences of these conflicts.
It is 1919 and young mother Lily anxiously awaits the return of her husband Light Horseman Bert, who has seen the horrors of Gallipoli. Resuming their married life is difficult, as neither Bert nor Lily can fully understand the sacrifices which each of them had made during their forced time apart. Their three-year-old son Teddy, who has never met his father, struggles with the concept of a new man in his mother’s bed.
Melbourne 1942 is a city crowded with American servicemen who cause trouble for the local soldiers. On the eve of deployment, shy and reticent Fran, newly joined up with the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, and friends spend a carefree night at a dance. Fran meets serviceman Ed and an immediate attraction is felt by them both.
In 1969, grieving widow Fran is preparing for the funeral of her one and only beloved child, conscripted son Robbie who has been killed in Vietnam. Fran is haunted by the belief that she could have done something to stop Robbie from going to Vietnam.
I highly recommend this wonderful book, And In The Morning which honours the courage and resilience of Australian women in war. It is a marvellous read giving the reader a perfect insight into their lives.
Most readers will recognise the title of this beautifully written book, And In The Morning, as being a line from Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’, which is part of every remembrance ceremony, and where the emphasis generally tends to be on those who have died in war. Lenny Robinson debut prize winning novel, however, focuses on the women left behind in three of these wars; World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. This impressive novel explores the interwoven stories of three generations of women, who have experienced the consequences of these conflicts.
It is 1919 and young mother Lily anxiously awaits the return of her husband Light Horseman Bert, who has seen the horrors of Gallipoli. Resuming their married life is difficult, as neither Bert nor Lily can fully understand the sacrifices which each of them had made during their forced time apart. Their three-year-old son Teddy, who has never met his father, struggles with the concept of a new man in his mother’s bed.
Melbourne 1942 is a city crowded with American servicemen who cause trouble for the local soldiers. On the eve of deployment, shy and reticent Fran, newly joined up with the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, and friends spend a carefree night at a dance. Fran meets serviceman Ed and an immediate attraction is felt by them both.
In 1969, grieving widow Fran is preparing for the funeral of her one and only beloved child, conscripted son Robbie who has been killed in Vietnam. Fran is haunted by the belief that she could have done something to stop Robbie from going to Vietnam.
I highly recommend this wonderful book, And In The Morning which honours the courage and resilience of Australian women in war. It is a marvellous read giving the reader a perfect insight into their lives.
September 25, 2026
I really loved this. The writing is just beautiful. Lenny Robinson has such a lyrical way of writing that there were sentences I wanted to go back and read again just because of how beautifully they were put together.
But what really hit was the absolute senselessness of war. The sheer stupidity and waste of it. All these young people with whole lives ahead of them, and then all the people who love them whose lives are completely changed too. Just makes you think about how one person being lost to war is never actually just one loss. It ripples out through families and friendships and communities, and there are so many people left carrying the consequences.
I also loved the women in this book. The female protagonists are strong without being unrealistically so. They’re complicated and flawed and determined, and they have their own stories rather than just existing as the women left behind while the men go off to war. I really appreciated that.
I think that’s what made this one hit me so hard too. The writing is so beautiful while what it’s describing is so incredibly sad and pointless. There’s no romanticising war here. It just left me thinking about how many lives are lost to wars, how many other lives were changed forever because of those losses, and what an enormous bloody waste the whole thing is.
Beautifully written, heartbreaking and one that will stay with me.
But what really hit was the absolute senselessness of war. The sheer stupidity and waste of it. All these young people with whole lives ahead of them, and then all the people who love them whose lives are completely changed too. Just makes you think about how one person being lost to war is never actually just one loss. It ripples out through families and friendships and communities, and there are so many people left carrying the consequences.
I also loved the women in this book. The female protagonists are strong without being unrealistically so. They’re complicated and flawed and determined, and they have their own stories rather than just existing as the women left behind while the men go off to war. I really appreciated that.
I think that’s what made this one hit me so hard too. The writing is so beautiful while what it’s describing is so incredibly sad and pointless. There’s no romanticising war here. It just left me thinking about how many lives are lost to wars, how many other lives were changed forever because of those losses, and what an enormous bloody waste the whole thing is.
Beautifully written, heartbreaking and one that will stay with me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I think this debut novel will touch the heart of every reader. We meet 3 women whose lives have been affected by war. Lily is struggling with the changes in her husband who returns in 1919. Frankie meets Ed on a night's leave, which is there brief moment of respite in 1942. Carol has lost her only son in 1969 in the Vietnam War.
The style of language in this book in beautiful. I felt like I was in the settings with the characters. It is so easy to visualise their neighbourhoods and their lives
The emotional impact of this book is incredible. The stories truly show the impact of war on women. The last few chapters are beautifully written with a special connection.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that will stay with you after you have read it.
The style of language in this book in beautiful. I felt like I was in the settings with the characters. It is so easy to visualise their neighbourhoods and their lives
The emotional impact of this book is incredible. The stories truly show the impact of war on women. The last few chapters are beautifully written with a special connection.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that will stay with you after you have read it.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I found this book to be an easy and heartfelt read. Growing up in the shadow
of family that lived lives like the characters, I connected with it.
War has effects on many people and they can be far reaching. It changes people
and so many suffer.
I recall neighbours in the 60s that were like family and would
just walk in the door. I love the strong and caring relationship between Fran and her
neighbour Carol.
of family that lived lives like the characters, I connected with it.
War has effects on many people and they can be far reaching. It changes people
and so many suffer.
I recall neighbours in the 60s that were like family and would
just walk in the door. I love the strong and caring relationship between Fran and her
neighbour Carol.
August 27, 2026
And in the Morning by Lenny Robinson is made up of three stories told across three different times, three different wars, seperate yet interlinked.
I loved the compassion and tenderness portrayed within each story. I also really liked the clever way the relationships between the stories developed the further I read.
There wasn’t much to dislike in this book, it was a fantastic read that draws on emotions and makes you question the reasoning behind these things happening.
I loved the compassion and tenderness portrayed within each story. I also really liked the clever way the relationships between the stories developed the further I read.
There wasn’t much to dislike in this book, it was a fantastic read that draws on emotions and makes you question the reasoning behind these things happening.
September 9, 2026
WOW! Yes, it's not about Harold Holt so it is a bit out of my comfort zone BUT this was terrific. Had a good laugh reading this and would definitely read again. The death of Fran's only son reminded me a bit of last Tuesday but thats a long story. Only reason its not 5 stars is because the lack of Harold Holt and honestly I am slightly disappointed because he is such an easy character to integrate into ALL books, but beggars can't be choosers 🤷♂️
August 24, 2026
It took me a while to get the characters straight in my head and once they’d clicked I could track the story much better. It was such an interesting dynamic, using three timelines and the three major wars relevant to Australia. I thought the depiction of the way war impacts each character (both the women and the men) was well done.
September 6, 2026
In 1919 Melbourne Lily's husband Bert returns from the middle east after four years, to her and their young son Ted.
In 1942 Frankie meets airman Ed at a dance, who is soon to head to war.
In 1969 Fran's son Robbie has died in Vietnam and she is devastated.
All three stories eventually connect, a powerful story about three women and the impact of war.
A good read.
In 1942 Frankie meets airman Ed at a dance, who is soon to head to war.
In 1969 Fran's son Robbie has died in Vietnam and she is devastated.
All three stories eventually connect, a powerful story about three women and the impact of war.
A good read.
September 16, 2026
My book club and I have spent the last month reading this and it truly has been a journey. Yes, it was a lot more WINEing then dining 🤣 but we did get through this book and certainly enjoyed it. My wife recommended it to me (and the book club) after we discovered her ex husband was reading it too. I am however pleasantly surprised and find this to be the only decent book he has ever read.
September 1, 2026
This is an impressive debut and each of the stories are beautifully written. Strangely I enjoyed 1919 and 1969 but couldn’t get into 1942 and didn’t enjoy it.
September 1, 2026
So hard to believe this was a debut novel.
What a heartbreaking read at times, from the perspectives of 3 very strong women.
What a heartbreaking read at times, from the perspectives of 3 very strong women.
September 28, 2026
A wonderful book. It describes the pain of three women who lost men in WW1, WW2, and Vietnam. Written with much empathy
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews