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Shelter
Early spring 1944.
In a clearing deep within an English forest two lost souls meet for the first time.
Connie Granger has escaped the devastation of her bombed out city home. She has found work in the Women's Timber Corps, and for her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose.
Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. But in the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom.
Their meeting signals new beginnings. In each other they find the means to imagine their own lives anew, and to face that which each fears the most.
But outside their haven, the world is ravaged by war and old certainties are crumbling. Both Connie and Seppe must make a life-defining choice which threatens their fragile existence. How will they make sense of this new world, and find their place within it? What does it mean to be a woman, or a foreign man, in these days of darkness and new light?
A beautiful, gentle and deeply powerful novel about finding solace in the most troubled times, about love, about hope and about renewal after devastation. It asks us to consider what makes a family, what price a woman must pay to live as she chooses, and what we'd fight to the bitter end to protect.
In a clearing deep within an English forest two lost souls meet for the first time.
Connie Granger has escaped the devastation of her bombed out city home. She has found work in the Women's Timber Corps, and for her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose.
Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. But in the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom.
Their meeting signals new beginnings. In each other they find the means to imagine their own lives anew, and to face that which each fears the most.
But outside their haven, the world is ravaged by war and old certainties are crumbling. Both Connie and Seppe must make a life-defining choice which threatens their fragile existence. How will they make sense of this new world, and find their place within it? What does it mean to be a woman, or a foreign man, in these days of darkness and new light?
A beautiful, gentle and deeply powerful novel about finding solace in the most troubled times, about love, about hope and about renewal after devastation. It asks us to consider what makes a family, what price a woman must pay to live as she chooses, and what we'd fight to the bitter end to protect.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 2017
15 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Franklin
26 books23 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Elrena Evans holds an MFA from The Pennsylvania State University, and is co-editor of Mama, Ph.D.: Women Write about Motherhood and Academic Life (Rutgers University Press, 2008). Her writing has also appeared in Brain, Child, Hip Mama, MotherVerse, Literary Mama, Mamazine, and the anthologies Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers (Random House, 2006) and How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel (Seal Press, 2008). She is the Marketing and Publicity Manager for Literary Mama, where she also writes the monthly column Me and My House. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family and blogs at her website, http://www.elrenaevans.com. "
Elrena Evans holds an MFA from The Pennsylvania State University, and is co-editor of Mama, Ph.D.: Women Write about Motherhood and Academic Life (Rutgers University Press, 2008). Her writing has also appeared in Brain, Child, Hip Mama, MotherVerse, Literary Mama, Mamazine, and the anthologies Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers (Random House, 2006) and How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel (Seal Press, 2008). She is the Marketing and Publicity Manager for Literary Mama, where she also writes the monthly column Me and My House. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family and blogs at her website, http://www.elrenaevans.com. "
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 6, 2017
Shelter is an interesting take on a typical WW2 novel, in that it doesn't focus on life in London or any of England's big cities during the war. It's almost entirely based in the countryside, and follows two people brought together by the work that needs doing in the forest: one is Connie, who is seemingly running from something and is starting afresh in training in the Women's Timber Corps (again, an organisation during the war that isn't generally given much attention in novels), and the other is Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war.
Both characters are interesting and well-developed, but as the novel went on I found myself going from hating to liking then hating Connie again - she seemed really selfish and unlikable at times, but I'd then swing back to feeling sorry for her/ respecting her again. It's a mark of Sarah Franklin's writing that she can make the reader feel such conflicting emotions - much like Connie's own confusing emotions, I imagine - but still make the reader want to read on regardless. I also liked that Connie isn't portrayed as the typical 'feminine' character and doesn't follow the normal maternal instincts that is so expected of women - even in today's society, nevermind back in the 1940's! Seppe, however, seemed like a lovely character, though not perfect himself. I really enjoyed reading as their relationship with one another develops.
Shelter jumps back and forwards in time, revealing a little more at a time about life for the characters before the war - particularly Connie's. Sarah Frankling really made me think about how the war effort didn't just consist of those fighting and those in munitions factories, etc - it was fought all over, with different people contributing and helping out in their own ways. It also highlights the way that a prisoner of war during WW2 would not necessarily have been German, something I to be honest never properly considered until now.
I'd really recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical or is just a real fan of stories set in WW2, as I am. It's a fairly easy read but it has some serious issues and parts to it which provoke the reader to think a little bit, something which I really enjoyed.
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Readers First for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
Both characters are interesting and well-developed, but as the novel went on I found myself going from hating to liking then hating Connie again - she seemed really selfish and unlikable at times, but I'd then swing back to feeling sorry for her/ respecting her again. It's a mark of Sarah Franklin's writing that she can make the reader feel such conflicting emotions - much like Connie's own confusing emotions, I imagine - but still make the reader want to read on regardless. I also liked that Connie isn't portrayed as the typical 'feminine' character and doesn't follow the normal maternal instincts that is so expected of women - even in today's society, nevermind back in the 1940's! Seppe, however, seemed like a lovely character, though not perfect himself. I really enjoyed reading as their relationship with one another develops.
Shelter jumps back and forwards in time, revealing a little more at a time about life for the characters before the war - particularly Connie's. Sarah Frankling really made me think about how the war effort didn't just consist of those fighting and those in munitions factories, etc - it was fought all over, with different people contributing and helping out in their own ways. It also highlights the way that a prisoner of war during WW2 would not necessarily have been German, something I to be honest never properly considered until now.
I'd really recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical or is just a real fan of stories set in WW2, as I am. It's a fairly easy read but it has some serious issues and parts to it which provoke the reader to think a little bit, something which I really enjoyed.
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Readers First for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
August 9, 2017
It’s springtime 1944 and two lonely people find themselves in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, both have already suffered during the war years and now, amongst the closed community of Foresters, they learn new skills while they face the next hurdle in their journey of life.
I knew as soon as I heard about this book that I wanted to read it because it is set in the Forest of Dean, the place where I grew up and in the World War II time period which is of huge interest to me, especially when it focusses on the changing role of women. Sarah Franklin surpassed my expectations weaving a story about a Lumberjill alongside that of an Italian POW.
Connie Granger hails from Coventry until the war her life was going along predictable lines, but this is a young woman who wanted more than working in the factory until she met a man and got married. Connie wants to see the world and when the Americans come to the UK there is nothing she likes more than to don her pretty dress and dance with them. Maybe one of these young men could be her ticket to seeing more than Coventry, more than helping her mother out with her younger siblings and more than the life she sees stretching before her on a path strewn with a generation of expectations. Connie veers off the path and has joined the Timbre Corps and has been sent to the Forest of Dean for her training.
Nearby Seppe is contemplating his fate in a truck transporting him to the POW camp at the top of a hill. Seppe carves wood, he is good with his hands and he’s relieved he has been captured. This was one young man who was fighting a war that he doesn’t believe in but that just means he also feels apart from many of his fellow prisoners some of whom hail from the same small town he does, a place where his father doesn’t just rule his family with a sharp tongue and an even worse bite; a whole community reveres the man.
So our two main protagonists have had a tough time with the causes not just created by the war when they are put to work in the Forest to clear the timber to keep up with the quotas demanded by the Ministry of War and we witness the struggle as Seppe and Connie make life-changing decisions
The strength in this book is not just the accurate portrayal of a community one that even when I lived their in the 80s was distinctly separate from those that surround it, at a time when for those living there leaving the Forest was a big deal, but also in the brilliant characters Sarah Franklin has created. Every character is special, these lifelike people take in not just Connie and Seppe, but the whole supporting cast from Amos whose house Connie lives in, a house where she sleeps in his son’s bed while Billy is off fighting his own war, to Joyce the next door neighbour who has a heart of gold but is no pushover, all are real people with characteristics that reminded me of the older generation of Foresters that I grew up amongst. They also give depth to a story that is both emotional and yet speaks of a generation for whom duty was threaded through their bodies despite what their hearts yearned for.
With letters home from Billy and excerpts from the paper lightly scattered in between the, at times, heart-wrenching story, there was simply so much to savour and enjoy in this historical novel.
I knew as soon as I heard about this book that I wanted to read it because it is set in the Forest of Dean, the place where I grew up and in the World War II time period which is of huge interest to me, especially when it focusses on the changing role of women. Sarah Franklin surpassed my expectations weaving a story about a Lumberjill alongside that of an Italian POW.
Connie Granger hails from Coventry until the war her life was going along predictable lines, but this is a young woman who wanted more than working in the factory until she met a man and got married. Connie wants to see the world and when the Americans come to the UK there is nothing she likes more than to don her pretty dress and dance with them. Maybe one of these young men could be her ticket to seeing more than Coventry, more than helping her mother out with her younger siblings and more than the life she sees stretching before her on a path strewn with a generation of expectations. Connie veers off the path and has joined the Timbre Corps and has been sent to the Forest of Dean for her training.
Nearby Seppe is contemplating his fate in a truck transporting him to the POW camp at the top of a hill. Seppe carves wood, he is good with his hands and he’s relieved he has been captured. This was one young man who was fighting a war that he doesn’t believe in but that just means he also feels apart from many of his fellow prisoners some of whom hail from the same small town he does, a place where his father doesn’t just rule his family with a sharp tongue and an even worse bite; a whole community reveres the man.
So our two main protagonists have had a tough time with the causes not just created by the war when they are put to work in the Forest to clear the timber to keep up with the quotas demanded by the Ministry of War and we witness the struggle as Seppe and Connie make life-changing decisions
The strength in this book is not just the accurate portrayal of a community one that even when I lived their in the 80s was distinctly separate from those that surround it, at a time when for those living there leaving the Forest was a big deal, but also in the brilliant characters Sarah Franklin has created. Every character is special, these lifelike people take in not just Connie and Seppe, but the whole supporting cast from Amos whose house Connie lives in, a house where she sleeps in his son’s bed while Billy is off fighting his own war, to Joyce the next door neighbour who has a heart of gold but is no pushover, all are real people with characteristics that reminded me of the older generation of Foresters that I grew up amongst. They also give depth to a story that is both emotional and yet speaks of a generation for whom duty was threaded through their bodies despite what their hearts yearned for.
With letters home from Billy and excerpts from the paper lightly scattered in between the, at times, heart-wrenching story, there was simply so much to savour and enjoy in this historical novel.
August 12, 2017
I'd like to start by saying that although I'm only giving this a 2 star ranking, my issue isn't with the writing - I just felt that the story lagged a little and could have been edited and structured better.
WWII Gloucester, England. Connie is young and alone and finds herself in the Women's Timber Corps, felling tress for the war effort. While there she meets Seppe, an Italian POW who ends up helping her cut down trees. Together, they begin to come to term with their pasts, and start to think about the future.
Told through alternating points of view, this story shifted from past to present, but not very seamlessly. I also felt that the character of Fredo (another POW who terrorized Seppe) wasn't necessary. Randomly we started to get a third narrator, Amos and his son Billy ... which didn't really move Connie and Seppe's story forward.
Perhaps if the book had been broken up into different parts, with different characters narrating their own part of the book, I would have felt that it was more of a whole unit, rather than bits and pieces put together.
A very strong ending, had the rest of the book been as well paced and structured I think this would have increased my enjoyment of it.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
WWII Gloucester, England. Connie is young and alone and finds herself in the Women's Timber Corps, felling tress for the war effort. While there she meets Seppe, an Italian POW who ends up helping her cut down trees. Together, they begin to come to term with their pasts, and start to think about the future.
Told through alternating points of view, this story shifted from past to present, but not very seamlessly. I also felt that the character of Fredo (another POW who terrorized Seppe) wasn't necessary. Randomly we started to get a third narrator, Amos and his son Billy ... which didn't really move Connie and Seppe's story forward.
Perhaps if the book had been broken up into different parts, with different characters narrating their own part of the book, I would have felt that it was more of a whole unit, rather than bits and pieces put together.
A very strong ending, had the rest of the book been as well paced and structured I think this would have increased my enjoyment of it.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
July 13, 2017
Find all my book reviews, plus author interviews, guest posts and book extracts, on my blog: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.com
All her life Connie’s had the urge to break away, to explore what life has to offer away from the streets and factories of Coventry. She doesn’t know what form this new life will take or how she’s going to do it. What she does know it that she’s got to do it. Spirited, determined and reckless, the Second World War brings Connie the opportunity to seek what she’s looking for but the price for that opportunity is a high one. Forced by circumstances to be totally self-reliant and desperate to leave bad memories behind, she joins the Women’s Timber Corps and finds herself posted to The Forest of Dean to train as a ‘lumberjill’.
Chance brings together Connie and Seppe, an Italian POW, who is trying to escape his own demons. Thoughtful and sensitive, Seppe is initially cowed by his traumatic relationship with his violent father whose malevolent presence seems able to reach even into the confines of the POW camp.
‘The spikes of his father’s rancour were undimmed by the flimsy paper. A spiral of venom rose from the lines, the sheen of anger, pride and sheer vicious temper bitter in Seppe’s mouth.’
Despite being haunted by guilt and by what he witnessed during the war, Seppe gradually grows in inner strength as he finds acceptance from the local community. For Connie and Seppe, the forest provides shelter from the outside world – quite literally at times. However, for those born and bred in the forest, the war, and those it brings in its wake, is an unwanted incursion into their lives.
‘Those evacuees are still out here, causing chaos in the school. And…we’ve got Yanks in the forest, whole regiments of them…The other big change is that we’ve got POWs up at Broadwell.’
The war is also a threat to the very existence of the forest itself with the constant demands for timber to support the war effort.
‘The forest itself warned them of loss even as they chopped it down. Bloody great gaps staring at them in the very woods that had sheltered them all their lives, and people pulled from this life into a new world that swallowed them up.’
I loved the way the author made the forest another character in the story with almost human qualities: ‘Amos pushed in amongst the branches until they almost held him in an embrace.’ I thought the author struck the perfect balance between historical fact about wartime events and the story of Connie, Seppe and the other inhabitants of The Forest of Dean. Sometimes events erred slightly on the side of convenience but I think we must allow an author some artistic licence and, who knows, sometimes things are just meant to be. Finally, I always admire an author who is brave enough not to spell out the conclusion of a book but to let the reader imagine it for themselves.
I thought this was an outstanding debut. Shelter has an authentic period atmosphere with wonderful characters who take you on an intense but heart-warming journey.
I received an advance reader copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers, Bonnier Zaffre, in return for an honest review.
All her life Connie’s had the urge to break away, to explore what life has to offer away from the streets and factories of Coventry. She doesn’t know what form this new life will take or how she’s going to do it. What she does know it that she’s got to do it. Spirited, determined and reckless, the Second World War brings Connie the opportunity to seek what she’s looking for but the price for that opportunity is a high one. Forced by circumstances to be totally self-reliant and desperate to leave bad memories behind, she joins the Women’s Timber Corps and finds herself posted to The Forest of Dean to train as a ‘lumberjill’.
Chance brings together Connie and Seppe, an Italian POW, who is trying to escape his own demons. Thoughtful and sensitive, Seppe is initially cowed by his traumatic relationship with his violent father whose malevolent presence seems able to reach even into the confines of the POW camp.
‘The spikes of his father’s rancour were undimmed by the flimsy paper. A spiral of venom rose from the lines, the sheen of anger, pride and sheer vicious temper bitter in Seppe’s mouth.’
Despite being haunted by guilt and by what he witnessed during the war, Seppe gradually grows in inner strength as he finds acceptance from the local community. For Connie and Seppe, the forest provides shelter from the outside world – quite literally at times. However, for those born and bred in the forest, the war, and those it brings in its wake, is an unwanted incursion into their lives.
‘Those evacuees are still out here, causing chaos in the school. And…we’ve got Yanks in the forest, whole regiments of them…The other big change is that we’ve got POWs up at Broadwell.’
The war is also a threat to the very existence of the forest itself with the constant demands for timber to support the war effort.
‘The forest itself warned them of loss even as they chopped it down. Bloody great gaps staring at them in the very woods that had sheltered them all their lives, and people pulled from this life into a new world that swallowed them up.’
I loved the way the author made the forest another character in the story with almost human qualities: ‘Amos pushed in amongst the branches until they almost held him in an embrace.’ I thought the author struck the perfect balance between historical fact about wartime events and the story of Connie, Seppe and the other inhabitants of The Forest of Dean. Sometimes events erred slightly on the side of convenience but I think we must allow an author some artistic licence and, who knows, sometimes things are just meant to be. Finally, I always admire an author who is brave enough not to spell out the conclusion of a book but to let the reader imagine it for themselves.
I thought this was an outstanding debut. Shelter has an authentic period atmosphere with wonderful characters who take you on an intense but heart-warming journey.
I received an advance reader copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers, Bonnier Zaffre, in return for an honest review.
November 12, 2018
Clare Mackintosh calls Sarah Franklin's debut novel, Shelter, 'life-affirming and compelling', and the Irish Times heralds it 'tender, moving... [and with] an unforgettable heroine'. Historical author Essie Fox writes that the novel 'shows how outsiders in a time of war seek to rebuild their lives again'. Shelter, which was first published in 2017, was also chosen as a book of the month on Netgalley, and has been well-received by a slew of reviewers. I am disappointed then, with all of these positive reviews, my adoration of historical fiction, and the promise of so many elements which I ordinarily enjoy that I failed to enjoy the novel.
Set in rural Gloucestershire in Spring 1944, Shelter follows two protagonists, Connie Granger and Seppe. Connie has joined the Women's Timber Corps, an organisation which I knew nothing about before beginning the novel. Connie hopes that her new job as a lumberjill 'will give her a place of safety, and a place to protect the secret she carries.' Seppe, on the other hand, comes from a markedly different background. He is an Italian prisoner of war, who has been transported to the Forest of Dean. He is, unsurprisingly, haunted by his wartime experiences, 'but is surprised to find a certain liberty in his new surroundings'.
Part of Connie's decision to move to a new area in such a tumultuous time in British history is that she yearned to escape the devastation wreaked on her home city, Coventry, much of which was destroyed in bombing attacks. When she arrives in the Forest of Dean, expecting to find peace, she is surprised: 'The place gave her the willies, always something creaking or scratching. Whoever thought the countryside was still and calm hadn't spent any time in it.'
When we first meet Seppe, he is being transported, along with a group of other soldiers, to the forest: 'Seppe had been the last one on to the truck, shoved aside by the rest of them as usual. From here at the back of the truck he had a good view of the exhaust pipe. He'd been staring at it for hours, fogged into stupidity, assuming the nausea he felt was merely the same nausea that had accompanied him through the months in Africa, intensifying cruelly each time he'd shouldered his weapon. But overlaying the nausea now, overlaying, too, the anxiety of what might lie ahead, was dishonourable relief that they were truly done with fighting. Nobody was sending him back out there into those sheets of dust, that suffocating cacophony of shouts and weapon fire. It made him a bad patriot, but he'd been a bad patriot for a long time.'
The prologue of Shelter opens with Connie attending a dance with fellow lumberjill, Hetty. The first chapter then flits back to the day of her arrival in the forest. Here, 'Connie stepped off the train and quietly joined the throng of muttering girls as they trailed off the platform towards the station entrance. This wasn't like any station she'd seen before, more like a rundown bus shelter, really. There was none of the bustle you'd see at Coventry station of an evening, even with the war on. It gave her the creeps, but she'd keep her opinions to herself for once. She needed to behave, make a good impression; this next billet mattered like none before.'
As demonstrated in the given examples, Franklin's prose is written in a chatty style, particularly with regard to those chapters which follow Connie. Every other chapter, which takes Seppe as its focus, is a little more serious in tone. His state of mind and fragility are hinted at throughout. I found him a far more believable character than I did Connie, and was intrigued to learn more about him.
Shelter is rather slow in terms of its pace, and I found the prose a little repetitive. Whilst Franklin sets the historical period well, I found the narrative both distanced from its characters, and rather uneven in its tone and style. There is a sense of impersonality which suffuses the text, and after a while, I found myself not caring whatsoever about what was going to happen to either main character. The secondary characters are shadowy and typecast, and even elements of the protagonists - particularly I found it very difficult to engage with it, and the story - whilst it sounded right up my street - did not pull me in.
Set in rural Gloucestershire in Spring 1944, Shelter follows two protagonists, Connie Granger and Seppe. Connie has joined the Women's Timber Corps, an organisation which I knew nothing about before beginning the novel. Connie hopes that her new job as a lumberjill 'will give her a place of safety, and a place to protect the secret she carries.' Seppe, on the other hand, comes from a markedly different background. He is an Italian prisoner of war, who has been transported to the Forest of Dean. He is, unsurprisingly, haunted by his wartime experiences, 'but is surprised to find a certain liberty in his new surroundings'.
Part of Connie's decision to move to a new area in such a tumultuous time in British history is that she yearned to escape the devastation wreaked on her home city, Coventry, much of which was destroyed in bombing attacks. When she arrives in the Forest of Dean, expecting to find peace, she is surprised: 'The place gave her the willies, always something creaking or scratching. Whoever thought the countryside was still and calm hadn't spent any time in it.'
When we first meet Seppe, he is being transported, along with a group of other soldiers, to the forest: 'Seppe had been the last one on to the truck, shoved aside by the rest of them as usual. From here at the back of the truck he had a good view of the exhaust pipe. He'd been staring at it for hours, fogged into stupidity, assuming the nausea he felt was merely the same nausea that had accompanied him through the months in Africa, intensifying cruelly each time he'd shouldered his weapon. But overlaying the nausea now, overlaying, too, the anxiety of what might lie ahead, was dishonourable relief that they were truly done with fighting. Nobody was sending him back out there into those sheets of dust, that suffocating cacophony of shouts and weapon fire. It made him a bad patriot, but he'd been a bad patriot for a long time.'
The prologue of Shelter opens with Connie attending a dance with fellow lumberjill, Hetty. The first chapter then flits back to the day of her arrival in the forest. Here, 'Connie stepped off the train and quietly joined the throng of muttering girls as they trailed off the platform towards the station entrance. This wasn't like any station she'd seen before, more like a rundown bus shelter, really. There was none of the bustle you'd see at Coventry station of an evening, even with the war on. It gave her the creeps, but she'd keep her opinions to herself for once. She needed to behave, make a good impression; this next billet mattered like none before.'
As demonstrated in the given examples, Franklin's prose is written in a chatty style, particularly with regard to those chapters which follow Connie. Every other chapter, which takes Seppe as its focus, is a little more serious in tone. His state of mind and fragility are hinted at throughout. I found him a far more believable character than I did Connie, and was intrigued to learn more about him.
Shelter is rather slow in terms of its pace, and I found the prose a little repetitive. Whilst Franklin sets the historical period well, I found the narrative both distanced from its characters, and rather uneven in its tone and style. There is a sense of impersonality which suffuses the text, and after a while, I found myself not caring whatsoever about what was going to happen to either main character. The secondary characters are shadowy and typecast, and even elements of the protagonists - particularly I found it very difficult to engage with it, and the story - whilst it sounded right up my street - did not pull me in.
July 13, 2017
From the rustic window of this rather exquisite cover lies a magnificent view of the purity of nature, its shifting seasons mirroring the struggles of life, as the shadow of a brutal foe falls upon our shores.
Shelter . A simple one word title captures the underlying theme perfectly: the canopy of trees where apprentice Lumberjills are schooled, the welcome the foresters extend to an outsider or the protection offered by the woodland itself, no matter where your own roots may lie.
Narrated throughout the final year of conflict, with fleeting periods of reflection, the ravages of World War II compel the characters to confront the consequences of their actions, stretching their resilience until they rediscover the true meaning of home.
The ancient forest has witnessed significant changes over time yet it perseveres, regenerates and passes no judgement, much like its dependants. The existing species proudly stand guard but they are rivalled by new specimens in the form of the dynamic and determined, Connie, a grounded but troubled POW and closet woodcarver, Seppe, not to mention the unexpected gifts the uncertainty of war can deliver.
It’s a beautifully composed story, almost a forestry guide of challenging reluctant happiness. The locals have a wonderful way of speaking, especially contemplative Amos whose spare room was commandeered for the tornado of the timber corps, Connie! The author has serenely animated the forest and its inhabitants, showering an otherwise two-dimensional page with an energy that leaves its impression on all five senses.
Even though patience, sacrifice and love offer their own rewards, finding Shelter in the most unlikely places proves to be unfamiliar territory for some as there are times when they just can’t see the wood for the trees.
I loved it, and I'm more than happy to recommend.
(I was lucky enough to win a gorgeous hardback copy of this title via the publisher's website - 'Reader's First' - and it's my absolute pleasure to provide this unbiased review.)
Shelter . A simple one word title captures the underlying theme perfectly: the canopy of trees where apprentice Lumberjills are schooled, the welcome the foresters extend to an outsider or the protection offered by the woodland itself, no matter where your own roots may lie.
Narrated throughout the final year of conflict, with fleeting periods of reflection, the ravages of World War II compel the characters to confront the consequences of their actions, stretching their resilience until they rediscover the true meaning of home.
The ancient forest has witnessed significant changes over time yet it perseveres, regenerates and passes no judgement, much like its dependants. The existing species proudly stand guard but they are rivalled by new specimens in the form of the dynamic and determined, Connie, a grounded but troubled POW and closet woodcarver, Seppe, not to mention the unexpected gifts the uncertainty of war can deliver.
It’s a beautifully composed story, almost a forestry guide of challenging reluctant happiness. The locals have a wonderful way of speaking, especially contemplative Amos whose spare room was commandeered for the tornado of the timber corps, Connie! The author has serenely animated the forest and its inhabitants, showering an otherwise two-dimensional page with an energy that leaves its impression on all five senses.
Even though patience, sacrifice and love offer their own rewards, finding Shelter in the most unlikely places proves to be unfamiliar territory for some as there are times when they just can’t see the wood for the trees.
I loved it, and I'm more than happy to recommend.
(I was lucky enough to win a gorgeous hardback copy of this title via the publisher's website - 'Reader's First' - and it's my absolute pleasure to provide this unbiased review.)
June 3, 2018
Originally posted on This is Lit Book Blog.
Shelter is set during World War 2, but is unlike any other WW2 novel you may have read. The main characters are not in any big city, nor are they soldiers in the front line. They meet in the Forest of Dean, where tress are felled for the war effort. Constance Granger is a lumberjill from the Women’s Timber Corps and Seppe is an Italian Prisoner of War (POW) in a forest camp.
Both Connie and Seppe have secrets of their own and pasts they wish to forget. They meet in the Forest of Dean and this is their story of finding solace, love, and a home away from home.
Sarah Franklin has written the characters in this novel brilliantly. Seppe is adorable and Connie is…well…annoying. But I also really liked her on some occasions, the ones where I could she where she was coming from. And I guess that’s how the author wanted us to feel towards Connie. She can be so selfish at times, but she can also be a lovable character occasionally. The other minor characters in this book have also been written well and I would have loved to read more about them.
Another reason for why Franklin is such a top-notch writer is how descriptive she is about the Forest of Dean. This lady knows her trees and she knows how to write about them! It’s as hot as Satan’s backside where I live, and yet reading this book made me feel transported to the forest, cool breeze, pine oil, and all!
Do check this book out if you like world war novels and books about family, loss, and love.
Shelter is set during World War 2, but is unlike any other WW2 novel you may have read. The main characters are not in any big city, nor are they soldiers in the front line. They meet in the Forest of Dean, where tress are felled for the war effort. Constance Granger is a lumberjill from the Women’s Timber Corps and Seppe is an Italian Prisoner of War (POW) in a forest camp.
Both Connie and Seppe have secrets of their own and pasts they wish to forget. They meet in the Forest of Dean and this is their story of finding solace, love, and a home away from home.
Sarah Franklin has written the characters in this novel brilliantly. Seppe is adorable and Connie is…well…annoying. But I also really liked her on some occasions, the ones where I could she where she was coming from. And I guess that’s how the author wanted us to feel towards Connie. She can be so selfish at times, but she can also be a lovable character occasionally. The other minor characters in this book have also been written well and I would have loved to read more about them.
Another reason for why Franklin is such a top-notch writer is how descriptive she is about the Forest of Dean. This lady knows her trees and she knows how to write about them! It’s as hot as Satan’s backside where I live, and yet reading this book made me feel transported to the forest, cool breeze, pine oil, and all!
Do check this book out if you like world war novels and books about family, loss, and love.
November 28, 2017
This is a novel with a backdrop of World War2 novel and I generally do not like such novels.
Though I struggled with parts of it, I like the way Sarah Franklin has described her characters (they are multi faceted) and the settings in this book.
The story is slow moving and well developed and would be a great read for people enjoying this genre.
Though I struggled with parts of it, I like the way Sarah Franklin has described her characters (they are multi faceted) and the settings in this book.
The story is slow moving and well developed and would be a great read for people enjoying this genre.
September 13, 2023
Lovely WW2 story. The book was set in the Forest of Dean, which was my favorite childhood place where my Grandma lived, so there was a lot of nostalgia for me. The author did a great job of making the Forest such an integral part of the story, and so alive and vivid. The characters were impressively nuanced—they jumped off the page for me. The only one I didn’t love is Connie, one of the main characters, though I could see why she was the way she was. I just struggled to like her, and I almost didn’t want her with the love interest as he was the best and kindest. I wanted her to flipping appreciate him. So (slight spoiler, read on only if you don’t care), I wished the ending had shown her in a bit more of a redemption moment—with a sincere apology or grand gesture. But maybe that would have been too neat of a bow on a story about imperfect, broken characters. I enjoyed it a lot, and thought the lumber jill and POW camp combo was really well done.
April 13, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC of this book.
I first heard of this book on Bonnier Zaffre's Instagram and the synopsis seemed really interesting. I love fictional World War II novels for some reason and this one really piqued my interest. I think it also had something to do with the fact that the main character was a lumberjill which was something I was not familiar with.
Anyway, the book is really fantastic. It's Sarah Franklin's debut novel but I really hope she's working on her second one right now. Her writing was really fun. I will admit I tripped up a few times on some of the 40's British slang but that's also what made the book feel really authentic. Also, she builds up each character really well so that you get a sense of who they are and what their "story" is even if they are just background characters. The only thing negative about the book was that I hated but then loved but then hated again the main character, Connie. She could be so cold and selfish at times and I kept screaming at my Kindle for her to stop messing things up but it made her more human. In the end it didn't put me off of the book but it did make me a little frustrated while I was reading it.
I first heard of this book on Bonnier Zaffre's Instagram and the synopsis seemed really interesting. I love fictional World War II novels for some reason and this one really piqued my interest. I think it also had something to do with the fact that the main character was a lumberjill which was something I was not familiar with.
Anyway, the book is really fantastic. It's Sarah Franklin's debut novel but I really hope she's working on her second one right now. Her writing was really fun. I will admit I tripped up a few times on some of the 40's British slang but that's also what made the book feel really authentic. Also, she builds up each character really well so that you get a sense of who they are and what their "story" is even if they are just background characters. The only thing negative about the book was that I hated but then loved but then hated again the main character, Connie. She could be so cold and selfish at times and I kept screaming at my Kindle for her to stop messing things up but it made her more human. In the end it didn't put me off of the book but it did make me a little frustrated while I was reading it.
March 21, 2019
Where the war reaches
Beautifully written in language that is poetic at times but never slushy. Sensitive, funny, gritty as the story brings together two very different characters. Both victims of war: one a life-scarred Italian pow, Seppe, and Connie, a brawny, bonny girl, full of life and sadness that she tries to shoulder alone. The book deals with so many themes: war, family, nature, instinct, prejudice, politics and shelter but it isn't 'heavy'. I loved it, especially the metaphor of the forest that binds it all together. This book was recommended to me by the Italian daughter of one of the real pows in Camp 61. What a brilliant discovery.
Beautifully written in language that is poetic at times but never slushy. Sensitive, funny, gritty as the story brings together two very different characters. Both victims of war: one a life-scarred Italian pow, Seppe, and Connie, a brawny, bonny girl, full of life and sadness that she tries to shoulder alone. The book deals with so many themes: war, family, nature, instinct, prejudice, politics and shelter but it isn't 'heavy'. I loved it, especially the metaphor of the forest that binds it all together. This book was recommended to me by the Italian daughter of one of the real pows in Camp 61. What a brilliant discovery.
May 29, 2017
Such a well written debut. Transports you back to world war two in the Forest of Dean with such evocative writing, beautifully complex characters you grow to adore and a gritty earthiness that grounds you within the story and it's messages of loss, hope, and what home really means.
September 20, 2020
A lovely read. Loved the setting and learning about Forresters during WW2. Really enjoyed this and the characters really came to life.
January 20, 2021
Wow. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I loved this book...
August 11, 2017
This’ll be a shorter review than usual, I think; I’m on holiday, and want to make the most of the time by reading things I have no obligation to consider deeply. Some spoilers ahead.
World War II seems to be endlessly fertile ground for any number of the creative industries. In the UK, especially, I suspect that this springs from a deeply seated national trauma and/or the fact that our oldest living generation came of age during or just after the war, and therefore feel their identities were shaped by it, and therefore are more likely to commission and pay for creative work that deals with it in some way. I have mostly ceased to read WWII books simply on principle (not always a good idea; I nearly missed Kate Atkinson’s A God In Ruins due to this, although I’ve also managed to avoid All the Light We Cannot See, which is proof that on the whole it works). Very occasionally, however, a WWII book deals with the conflict from a fresh angle. These books are valuable in an inherent sense: even if they’re not undying masterpieces, at least they give the reader a relatively original route into the history.
Sarah Franklin’s first novel Shelter is such a book. It is set in the Forest of Dean, where members of the Women’s Timber Corps were sent to assist the woodsmen who had lived there for generations, cutting down trees for the war effort. Franklin’s female protagonist, Connie, is a former Land Girl whose pregnancy got her booted off the farm where she was previously billeted. Her entire family killed in a bomb strike in Coventry, she has nowhere to return to, and she’s confident enough in her own strength and tenacity to sign up for the WTC. When she arrives in Gloucestershire, she meets gruff but kindly foreman Frank, and his wife Joyce, and is eventually assigned to partner Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war from the camp just up the hill. Seppe is a woodcarver and furniture maker; he is our second protagonist, a shy boy growing up under a belligerent Fascist father, unable to stand up for his battered mother or himself. Initially a hopeless forester, he improves under Connie’s instruction, and they’re soon Frank’s best team.
Shelter is one of those books whose strengths are to be found on the macro level. In terms of plot, Franklin is brave to write a female character to whom pregnancy and childbirth are not joyous, natural events, and who views her baby son with discomfort and dread. Seppe is much better with baby Joe than Connie manages to be; despite Joyce’s repeated assertions that everyone finds motherhood hard and she’ll improve, Franklin leaves enough room for us to doubt that wisdom, to think that Connie might be right when she says that she simply isn’t cut out to be a mother. For an author to leave open that possibility—even to acknowledge that not every woman is naturally maternal—is impressive, particularly in historical fiction. Seppe, meanwhile, is a (deliberately) sensitive, even feminised man; he serves as a soothing counterpoint to the toxic masculinity of his fellow prisoner Fredo, of his true-believer father, and of the thousands of young male characters we have already met who valorise conflict, violence, and ambition. Seppe has none of these qualities: he is quiet, shy, a maker and creator, very good with children, deeply domestic. When he and Connie begin a sexual relationship, he falls in love with her, seeing in her an opportunity for the secure and happy home life that he has never had. Connie does not take him nearly as seriously; his proposal of marriage, the thought of living in Gloucestershire in a hut for the rest of her life, terrifies and suffocates her.
On the micro level—that is, on the level of the sentence—Shelter is less innovative. People “swallow hard” (or its briefer equivalent, “gulp”), a lot, generally in response to strong emotion. (I am reasonably confident that I have never used this reflex to pull myself together, nor have I ever witnessed someone do it; it’s one of those things that apparently only happens in fiction.) Characters spell out their thought processes to each other with surprising and unnecessary thoroughness. Forest of Dean dialect permeates not only the locals’ speech, but also their writing, although their letters remain impressively free of spelling errors. (It’s entirely possible that dialect does translate to written language, in which case I’m being a tool, but it doesn’t read naturally; it’s mostly restricted to verb insertions, so that instead of saying “Joyce is at home”, a character will say “Joyce do be at home”, which just sounds a little Thomas Hardy.)
It’s hard to be too pedantic, though, because there’s a sweetness and a joy about Shelter that is very hard to resist. The immediate acceptance of Connie, then her pregnancy, then her baby, as well as Seppe, into the forest community is heart-warming and also rings true. Franklin’s themes dovetail nicely—Connie, whose home and family have disappeared under a pile of rubble; Seppe, who has never felt he had a home or a family at all; the delicate balance between responsible land management (the Forest representing home in a very particularised, local sense) and the demands of the government (representing home in a more general, national, patriotic sense); that is all smartly integrated, if a bit self-evident. Shelter is about people seeking, and finding, a place to belong. In its depiction of the upheavals of a war which both destroyed domestic establishments and enabled the creation of new ones, it is a unique addition to the glut of WWII books. Just move quickly past the bits where people gulp.
Many thanks to Emily Burns at Bonnier Zaffre for the review copy. Shelter was published in the UK on 27 July 2017. This review was originally published on my blog at Elle Thinks.
World War II seems to be endlessly fertile ground for any number of the creative industries. In the UK, especially, I suspect that this springs from a deeply seated national trauma and/or the fact that our oldest living generation came of age during or just after the war, and therefore feel their identities were shaped by it, and therefore are more likely to commission and pay for creative work that deals with it in some way. I have mostly ceased to read WWII books simply on principle (not always a good idea; I nearly missed Kate Atkinson’s A God In Ruins due to this, although I’ve also managed to avoid All the Light We Cannot See, which is proof that on the whole it works). Very occasionally, however, a WWII book deals with the conflict from a fresh angle. These books are valuable in an inherent sense: even if they’re not undying masterpieces, at least they give the reader a relatively original route into the history.
Sarah Franklin’s first novel Shelter is such a book. It is set in the Forest of Dean, where members of the Women’s Timber Corps were sent to assist the woodsmen who had lived there for generations, cutting down trees for the war effort. Franklin’s female protagonist, Connie, is a former Land Girl whose pregnancy got her booted off the farm where she was previously billeted. Her entire family killed in a bomb strike in Coventry, she has nowhere to return to, and she’s confident enough in her own strength and tenacity to sign up for the WTC. When she arrives in Gloucestershire, she meets gruff but kindly foreman Frank, and his wife Joyce, and is eventually assigned to partner Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war from the camp just up the hill. Seppe is a woodcarver and furniture maker; he is our second protagonist, a shy boy growing up under a belligerent Fascist father, unable to stand up for his battered mother or himself. Initially a hopeless forester, he improves under Connie’s instruction, and they’re soon Frank’s best team.
Shelter is one of those books whose strengths are to be found on the macro level. In terms of plot, Franklin is brave to write a female character to whom pregnancy and childbirth are not joyous, natural events, and who views her baby son with discomfort and dread. Seppe is much better with baby Joe than Connie manages to be; despite Joyce’s repeated assertions that everyone finds motherhood hard and she’ll improve, Franklin leaves enough room for us to doubt that wisdom, to think that Connie might be right when she says that she simply isn’t cut out to be a mother. For an author to leave open that possibility—even to acknowledge that not every woman is naturally maternal—is impressive, particularly in historical fiction. Seppe, meanwhile, is a (deliberately) sensitive, even feminised man; he serves as a soothing counterpoint to the toxic masculinity of his fellow prisoner Fredo, of his true-believer father, and of the thousands of young male characters we have already met who valorise conflict, violence, and ambition. Seppe has none of these qualities: he is quiet, shy, a maker and creator, very good with children, deeply domestic. When he and Connie begin a sexual relationship, he falls in love with her, seeing in her an opportunity for the secure and happy home life that he has never had. Connie does not take him nearly as seriously; his proposal of marriage, the thought of living in Gloucestershire in a hut for the rest of her life, terrifies and suffocates her.
On the micro level—that is, on the level of the sentence—Shelter is less innovative. People “swallow hard” (or its briefer equivalent, “gulp”), a lot, generally in response to strong emotion. (I am reasonably confident that I have never used this reflex to pull myself together, nor have I ever witnessed someone do it; it’s one of those things that apparently only happens in fiction.) Characters spell out their thought processes to each other with surprising and unnecessary thoroughness. Forest of Dean dialect permeates not only the locals’ speech, but also their writing, although their letters remain impressively free of spelling errors. (It’s entirely possible that dialect does translate to written language, in which case I’m being a tool, but it doesn’t read naturally; it’s mostly restricted to verb insertions, so that instead of saying “Joyce is at home”, a character will say “Joyce do be at home”, which just sounds a little Thomas Hardy.)
It’s hard to be too pedantic, though, because there’s a sweetness and a joy about Shelter that is very hard to resist. The immediate acceptance of Connie, then her pregnancy, then her baby, as well as Seppe, into the forest community is heart-warming and also rings true. Franklin’s themes dovetail nicely—Connie, whose home and family have disappeared under a pile of rubble; Seppe, who has never felt he had a home or a family at all; the delicate balance between responsible land management (the Forest representing home in a very particularised, local sense) and the demands of the government (representing home in a more general, national, patriotic sense); that is all smartly integrated, if a bit self-evident. Shelter is about people seeking, and finding, a place to belong. In its depiction of the upheavals of a war which both destroyed domestic establishments and enabled the creation of new ones, it is a unique addition to the glut of WWII books. Just move quickly past the bits where people gulp.
Many thanks to Emily Burns at Bonnier Zaffre for the review copy. Shelter was published in the UK on 27 July 2017. This review was originally published on my blog at Elle Thinks.
May 17, 2017
This book could have been so much better in my opinion. I felt it was lacking. The subject matter was good. 2 lost souls getting together, dealing with their life history's... a great foundation to build on. The ending was far from satisfactory also, I thought that it was very odd, I appreciate that it would have been obvious, but, it would have been good to finish it properly. Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Franklin and Bonnier Zaffre for the opportunity.
July 27, 2017
This book surprised me because it's not my usual choice and in the summer I like a happy contemporary book rather than a wartime story but I really enjoyed it. The characters are great - especially Seppe - and the story was well-written. I've already recommended it to someone else.
July 25, 2017
Set in 1944, two out of place strangers meet and find common ground. Connie is a city girl from Coventry. After a devastating bombing raid, she escapes the city and finds refuge in the Women’s Timber Corps, learning to fell trees in the Forest of Dean. Seppe is Italian, sent to a POW camp in the forest after being captured in north Africa. Sick of being trapped among his fascist compatriots after having been forced to fight for a cause he never believed in, Seppe manages to wangle a job outside the camp working with Connie. They become friends and the book follows their journey from outsiders learning to cope with life in a small village where everyone knows each other, to becoming part of a community.
The great strength of this novel is in the detail. Beautifully written, the landscape is the star of Franklin’s book, stealing the limelight from any human character. I was immersed in the Forest of Dean from the moment Connie arrives, and the historical setting is also spot on. In terms of educational value, there is much to learn (and I do appreciate leaving a book knowing more than I did when I started it!). I had no idea that ‘lumberjills’ were a thing, but with the demand for timber increasing as the war went on, and with able bodied men out fighting, Connie’s story is by no means unique. The POW camp too was a revelation, as was the idea that these so-called prisoners could actually wander in and out so long as they stuck to a curfew and weren’t known to be among the hardcore fascists (marked out by being forced to wear a black band over their uniforms). So much research must have been carried out and yet it is drawn so lightly on the page.
Perhaps because the surroundings are so expertly brought to life, I did find the characters less compelling than I would have liked. I never felt that I understood Connie quite, though since she didn’t know herself what she wanted maybe that fits. Seppe was lovely but I did start to wish he’d stand up for himself at some point; bullied for his entire life, both by his fascist father and by an old schoolmate he sees him as a traitor, he couldn’t even tell Connie what he thought of anything. Sheep farmer Amos was a much more believable character. His quiet stoic nature in the face of losing his only son to the war, in addition to having Connie forced upon him when there is nowhere else for her to live, was beautiful to read. A man of few words, I felt his anguish while Connie never shut up and yet I never understood why she was ever attracted to Seppe.
Although the blurb hints at romantic love, I wouldn’t read this novel expecting too much from that angle. I preferred the friendship between Seppe and Connie, before things get unnecessarily messy. I loved Amos, and Joyce and Frank who live next door. I can’t say too much else without spoilers but I suppose I wanted there to be more at stake. The first third of the book hints that there could be some disaster on the cards but it never quite hits home as hard as I wanted it to. There was just a lack of… passion? I’m not sure, but this is a very good book, just not quite as great as I hoped it would be.
Thanks to Readers First for the review copy.
The great strength of this novel is in the detail. Beautifully written, the landscape is the star of Franklin’s book, stealing the limelight from any human character. I was immersed in the Forest of Dean from the moment Connie arrives, and the historical setting is also spot on. In terms of educational value, there is much to learn (and I do appreciate leaving a book knowing more than I did when I started it!). I had no idea that ‘lumberjills’ were a thing, but with the demand for timber increasing as the war went on, and with able bodied men out fighting, Connie’s story is by no means unique. The POW camp too was a revelation, as was the idea that these so-called prisoners could actually wander in and out so long as they stuck to a curfew and weren’t known to be among the hardcore fascists (marked out by being forced to wear a black band over their uniforms). So much research must have been carried out and yet it is drawn so lightly on the page.
Perhaps because the surroundings are so expertly brought to life, I did find the characters less compelling than I would have liked. I never felt that I understood Connie quite, though since she didn’t know herself what she wanted maybe that fits. Seppe was lovely but I did start to wish he’d stand up for himself at some point; bullied for his entire life, both by his fascist father and by an old schoolmate he sees him as a traitor, he couldn’t even tell Connie what he thought of anything. Sheep farmer Amos was a much more believable character. His quiet stoic nature in the face of losing his only son to the war, in addition to having Connie forced upon him when there is nowhere else for her to live, was beautiful to read. A man of few words, I felt his anguish while Connie never shut up and yet I never understood why she was ever attracted to Seppe.
Although the blurb hints at romantic love, I wouldn’t read this novel expecting too much from that angle. I preferred the friendship between Seppe and Connie, before things get unnecessarily messy. I loved Amos, and Joyce and Frank who live next door. I can’t say too much else without spoilers but I suppose I wanted there to be more at stake. The first third of the book hints that there could be some disaster on the cards but it never quite hits home as hard as I wanted it to. There was just a lack of… passion? I’m not sure, but this is a very good book, just not quite as great as I hoped it would be.
Thanks to Readers First for the review copy.
September 29, 2017
I must confess to being pretty ignorant about the Forest of Dean's association with the Women's Timber Corps (a separate branch of the Women's Land Army), and in fact the Forest's involvement in World War Two as a whole. I had no idea for instance that there were Prisoner of War camps in the area, pretty shocking as I don't live very far away. But it seems that the Women's Timber Corps or WTC (much like the Forest's involvement in WW2) have sadly been largely forgotten. This is one of the reasons that this book is so special!
The Women's Timber Corps (WTC), was a civilian organisation created during the WW2 to work in Forestry replacing the men who had left to join the armed forces. Women who joined the WTC were commonly known as 'Lumber Jills'.
Constance (Connie) is posted to the Forest of Dean after losing her previous job in a factory following a family tragedy. Connie is alarmed to be chosen to be in the WTC, she struggles in the classroom and is convinced that she will be sent away, jobless and penniless.
But then she goes outside and meets Frank a forester, who is about to show the girls what they have learnt in the classroom. Connie thinks that she won't be able to put in to practice what she couldn't quite grasp in the classroom. Frank however sees that with her first attempt that Connie is a natural and quickly lobbies to keep her in the forest and not have her billeted elsewhere.
Connie knows that after her devastating past she should be grateful to have a roof over her head, but she feels so alone in the strange forest, the other lumber Jill's are friendly enough, but it just isn't the same as home. The secrets she is harbouring just seem to make it all worse. Then Connie meets Seppe, an Italian Prisoner of War who is being held at nearby Camp 61, he too has secrets that he wants to keep to himself. They shouldn't like each other, the brash outspoken Connie, and the shy, retiring Seppe, but they do, almost instantly.
Despite the odds, they start working together, Seppe quickly learns both the skills of the work, and when to keep his mouth shut and not aggravate Connie's moods. But in a world where the changes come at a breathtaking pace, can they really be friends, or even something more?
Shelter is a beautifully written novel, obviously thoroughly researched and I can't wait to hear more from this author.
The Women's Timber Corps (WTC), was a civilian organisation created during the WW2 to work in Forestry replacing the men who had left to join the armed forces. Women who joined the WTC were commonly known as 'Lumber Jills'.
Constance (Connie) is posted to the Forest of Dean after losing her previous job in a factory following a family tragedy. Connie is alarmed to be chosen to be in the WTC, she struggles in the classroom and is convinced that she will be sent away, jobless and penniless.
But then she goes outside and meets Frank a forester, who is about to show the girls what they have learnt in the classroom. Connie thinks that she won't be able to put in to practice what she couldn't quite grasp in the classroom. Frank however sees that with her first attempt that Connie is a natural and quickly lobbies to keep her in the forest and not have her billeted elsewhere.
Connie knows that after her devastating past she should be grateful to have a roof over her head, but she feels so alone in the strange forest, the other lumber Jill's are friendly enough, but it just isn't the same as home. The secrets she is harbouring just seem to make it all worse. Then Connie meets Seppe, an Italian Prisoner of War who is being held at nearby Camp 61, he too has secrets that he wants to keep to himself. They shouldn't like each other, the brash outspoken Connie, and the shy, retiring Seppe, but they do, almost instantly.
Despite the odds, they start working together, Seppe quickly learns both the skills of the work, and when to keep his mouth shut and not aggravate Connie's moods. But in a world where the changes come at a breathtaking pace, can they really be friends, or even something more?
Shelter is a beautifully written novel, obviously thoroughly researched and I can't wait to hear more from this author.
October 4, 2017
This book is full of trees. The Forest of Dean to be exact. ‘Shelter’ by Sarah Franklin is the story of two outsiders who find themselves in the forest during World War Two. As they struggle to survive, to learn about their surroundings, how to get by from day to day, each finds a way to live the rest of their lives.
Early in 1944 in Coventry, Connie Granger’s life is changed in the course of one night. Escaping the bombing, city-girl Connie takes a job with the Women’s Timber Corps. Unable to follow her dreams, she resents the change of direction. Sent to the Forest of Dean for her training, she turns out to be so good the manager keeps her on. Meanwhile, in the forest, a prisoner-of-war camp is built for Italian soldiers captured during fighting in Africa. Neither prisoner Seppe, nor Connie, know one tree from another but together they learn to fell trees and work timber. And they get to know each other.
The themes of nature, change and new birth are strong throughout ‘Shelter,’ symbolised not just by the trees but by the growth of Joe, Connie’s baby, and the increasingly fluency of Seppe’s English. Both are odd-ones-out. Both feel they don’t ‘fit’. Except in the forest. Connie lodges in the cottage of farmer Amos, who worries for the life of his absent soldier son Billy. Seppe, though he lives in the camp, exploits the lax guards and spends more time amongst the trees. These three, with timber manager Frank and his wife Joyce, completes the cast of characters.
The story of the wartime lumberjills was fascinating. This is a well-written debut novel by a writer brave enough to allow Connie to be determined and selfish, unsure, selfish again, before working out what she wants. There is something honest in Connie’s selfishness which makes her seem real. The switching around of the timeline at the beginning was unnecessarily confusing, but after that the story swung along as Connie transforms from someone who doesn’t recognise bluebells as she walks through a wood, to a woman who stops to watch a hawk swoop in for the kill.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
Early in 1944 in Coventry, Connie Granger’s life is changed in the course of one night. Escaping the bombing, city-girl Connie takes a job with the Women’s Timber Corps. Unable to follow her dreams, she resents the change of direction. Sent to the Forest of Dean for her training, she turns out to be so good the manager keeps her on. Meanwhile, in the forest, a prisoner-of-war camp is built for Italian soldiers captured during fighting in Africa. Neither prisoner Seppe, nor Connie, know one tree from another but together they learn to fell trees and work timber. And they get to know each other.
The themes of nature, change and new birth are strong throughout ‘Shelter,’ symbolised not just by the trees but by the growth of Joe, Connie’s baby, and the increasingly fluency of Seppe’s English. Both are odd-ones-out. Both feel they don’t ‘fit’. Except in the forest. Connie lodges in the cottage of farmer Amos, who worries for the life of his absent soldier son Billy. Seppe, though he lives in the camp, exploits the lax guards and spends more time amongst the trees. These three, with timber manager Frank and his wife Joyce, completes the cast of characters.
The story of the wartime lumberjills was fascinating. This is a well-written debut novel by a writer brave enough to allow Connie to be determined and selfish, unsure, selfish again, before working out what she wants. There is something honest in Connie’s selfishness which makes her seem real. The switching around of the timeline at the beginning was unnecessarily confusing, but after that the story swung along as Connie transforms from someone who doesn’t recognise bluebells as she walks through a wood, to a woman who stops to watch a hawk swoop in for the kill.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
July 27, 2017
Shelter by Sarah Franklin
History is not always kind and neither is life. Families can be difficult, abusive, mean, loving or lost and in this story both Connie and Seppe had families that impacted them greatly.
Seppe is an Italian prisoner of war that is sent to England where he becomes involved in the timber trade. While there he meets Connie, a woman that has moved from pillar to post working in a factory, on a farm and finally as a lumberjill during WWII. She and he find common ground but he wants much more from her than she does from him. There are many aspects of the area and the forest that are brilliantly presented along with supporting characters that were a delight to spend time with. I can see this becoming a series in the future should the author decide to go in that direction.
I found Connie to be a woman that did not “feel” as much as I would like for her to have. She seemed detached and selfish and hedonistic but also very lost. I could not really understand her and am not sure I have ever encountered anyone like her. Trying to figure her out was an interesting challenge. I did like Seppe and wished him a good life. It was easier to like him and want the best for him in the future.
I found the information about the lumberjills intriguing and am glad that I had the opportunity to learn more about them and this time in the past as well as what they contributed to the war.
If this is going to be continued in another book then I would like to find out more about Billy, the Italians who remained behind, Joe and just how Connie and Seppe end up eventually. I found the ending a bit abrupt and would have liked to have an epilogue or at least what happens by the end of the day. IF there is a book to follow then it should definitely pick up right there.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
History is not always kind and neither is life. Families can be difficult, abusive, mean, loving or lost and in this story both Connie and Seppe had families that impacted them greatly.
Seppe is an Italian prisoner of war that is sent to England where he becomes involved in the timber trade. While there he meets Connie, a woman that has moved from pillar to post working in a factory, on a farm and finally as a lumberjill during WWII. She and he find common ground but he wants much more from her than she does from him. There are many aspects of the area and the forest that are brilliantly presented along with supporting characters that were a delight to spend time with. I can see this becoming a series in the future should the author decide to go in that direction.
I found Connie to be a woman that did not “feel” as much as I would like for her to have. She seemed detached and selfish and hedonistic but also very lost. I could not really understand her and am not sure I have ever encountered anyone like her. Trying to figure her out was an interesting challenge. I did like Seppe and wished him a good life. It was easier to like him and want the best for him in the future.
I found the information about the lumberjills intriguing and am glad that I had the opportunity to learn more about them and this time in the past as well as what they contributed to the war.
If this is going to be continued in another book then I would like to find out more about Billy, the Italians who remained behind, Joe and just how Connie and Seppe end up eventually. I found the ending a bit abrupt and would have liked to have an epilogue or at least what happens by the end of the day. IF there is a book to follow then it should definitely pick up right there.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
November 10, 2017
I received the book in exchange for an honest review.
So, this book deserves about 3.5 stars but as I can’t add half a star so I rounded it down a bit (because it’s not really 4 stars book).
The story is happening in 1944 and it is an interesting take on the World War II as it does not happen in the bigger cities or any similar places, but it takes part in the forest.
Connie, a forester who took the job as a ‘lumberjill’, a part of Woman Timber Corps, who took the part in the war effort when men were out fighting the war. Another character that is very important is the Prisoner of War, Seppe, who later starts to help her felling trees.
There are also people who live in the forest, the small group of tightly knit people for whom the forest is their home and what they practically worship.
Connie suffers some consequences from her easygoing life in Coventry where she worked in a factory before she came to the forest, and she has to decide what way she’s going to take with her life.
It is an interesting take, showing the society of people living in the forest. It has different characters from different backgrounds, but all affected by the war in some ways. Maybe it’s their son that went to war, or maybe they have lost family or became a prisoner of war.
What made me take it that 1.5 stars was the switching of characters which was sometimes confusing as well as time periods. I was also bothered with the end a bit, but in general, it was a great and quite unique take on the war.
It is not an easy take on the war, but it is interesting and, while it does not show the more grisly aspects of war, such as actual fighting at the front, but there are consequences even in the calm of the forests. Nothing and no one could escape the war.
So, this book deserves about 3.5 stars but as I can’t add half a star so I rounded it down a bit (because it’s not really 4 stars book).
The story is happening in 1944 and it is an interesting take on the World War II as it does not happen in the bigger cities or any similar places, but it takes part in the forest.
Connie, a forester who took the job as a ‘lumberjill’, a part of Woman Timber Corps, who took the part in the war effort when men were out fighting the war. Another character that is very important is the Prisoner of War, Seppe, who later starts to help her felling trees.
There are also people who live in the forest, the small group of tightly knit people for whom the forest is their home and what they practically worship.
Connie suffers some consequences from her easygoing life in Coventry where she worked in a factory before she came to the forest, and she has to decide what way she’s going to take with her life.
It is an interesting take, showing the society of people living in the forest. It has different characters from different backgrounds, but all affected by the war in some ways. Maybe it’s their son that went to war, or maybe they have lost family or became a prisoner of war.
What made me take it that 1.5 stars was the switching of characters which was sometimes confusing as well as time periods. I was also bothered with the end a bit, but in general, it was a great and quite unique take on the war.
It is not an easy take on the war, but it is interesting and, while it does not show the more grisly aspects of war, such as actual fighting at the front, but there are consequences even in the calm of the forests. Nothing and no one could escape the war.
June 4, 2018
Set to the backdrop of the Forest of Dean during the dark days of World War Two. Shelter by Sarah Franklin is a story of love and solace, a novel that at times is heartbreaking and also uplifting. A novel that is character driven tells a story of two people in a time of darkness when all you had was hope.
Connie is now in the Forest of Dean as part of the Women’s Timber Corps as part of the forests contribution to the war effort, she is grieving for her family. Now she is trying to rebuild as best she can. Connie thinks that she will lose this job and end up homeless and with no job. Also in the forest is a camp for Italian Prisoners of War. They are here to work in the forest and among them is Seppe, for him the war is over and he is pleased to be here also a chance to rebuild his shattered life far from home.
Both leading characters have secrets that they want to hide from the world around them they are both two very different people, then they meet and a relationship starts to develop. Set deep in the forest the war may seem a million miles away but in fact it there thanks to the Franklin’s wonderful descriptive writing she brings the story to life but in a warm and gentle style of writing. I really enjoyed reading about both Connie and Seppe and how they dealt with the past and what they want for the future for themselves.
The story boasts some other great characters that all play a part in a warm and tender story gives hope for the future after tragedy for Connie then for two people who have lost trust in the world around them, love finds a way to give hope for them both. An exceptional debut novel. The perfect summer read.
My copy was provided by the publisher for review.
Connie is now in the Forest of Dean as part of the Women’s Timber Corps as part of the forests contribution to the war effort, she is grieving for her family. Now she is trying to rebuild as best she can. Connie thinks that she will lose this job and end up homeless and with no job. Also in the forest is a camp for Italian Prisoners of War. They are here to work in the forest and among them is Seppe, for him the war is over and he is pleased to be here also a chance to rebuild his shattered life far from home.
Both leading characters have secrets that they want to hide from the world around them they are both two very different people, then they meet and a relationship starts to develop. Set deep in the forest the war may seem a million miles away but in fact it there thanks to the Franklin’s wonderful descriptive writing she brings the story to life but in a warm and gentle style of writing. I really enjoyed reading about both Connie and Seppe and how they dealt with the past and what they want for the future for themselves.
The story boasts some other great characters that all play a part in a warm and tender story gives hope for the future after tragedy for Connie then for two people who have lost trust in the world around them, love finds a way to give hope for them both. An exceptional debut novel. The perfect summer read.
My copy was provided by the publisher for review.
August 19, 2017
This is a WW2 novel from a new voice in fiction. It tells a story that is full of those common tropes – camaraderie, love, conflict, confusion, determination, and battles – but not in the ways that I might have expected to find them, and through perspectives and landscapes that are so rarely used, I found a new angle with which to view a well-trodden history.
Connie Granger is brusque and tests the reader’s sympathies. The never-ending war mirrors the turbulence of her character, and she feels like a woman who has never felt settled in her life. In contrast, Seppe, an Italian POW, appears to find his first escape from life-long traumatic battles within the guarded confines of a camp on foreign soil. The necessities of the war effort have thrown this unlikely pair together. Whilst one is desperate to move on, one desperate to settle. Comfort and conflict. Each seems to magnify the other’s strengths, but also each other’s weaknesses. Back to that comment about tropes, then: This might not have the blood and brick dust of your typical WW2 novel, but here in the depths of a rural English forest, the roots of war still hold firm.
Shelter is a wonderful read, clearly meticulously researched, and though it shows some marks, some slight rough edges; - I think that what it conveys strongly is the promise of a great new storyteller with an assured voice. I would love to see where Sarah Franklin goes next.
Connie Granger is brusque and tests the reader’s sympathies. The never-ending war mirrors the turbulence of her character, and she feels like a woman who has never felt settled in her life. In contrast, Seppe, an Italian POW, appears to find his first escape from life-long traumatic battles within the guarded confines of a camp on foreign soil. The necessities of the war effort have thrown this unlikely pair together. Whilst one is desperate to move on, one desperate to settle. Comfort and conflict. Each seems to magnify the other’s strengths, but also each other’s weaknesses. Back to that comment about tropes, then: This might not have the blood and brick dust of your typical WW2 novel, but here in the depths of a rural English forest, the roots of war still hold firm.
Shelter is a wonderful read, clearly meticulously researched, and though it shows some marks, some slight rough edges; - I think that what it conveys strongly is the promise of a great new storyteller with an assured voice. I would love to see where Sarah Franklin goes next.
July 11, 2017
Connie is shipped off to the Forest of Dean to work as a lumber-jill to contribute towards the WW2 efforts.
Having lost her entire family she has no baggage...well except one huge secret that she's carrying.
Seppe is an Italian POW kept in a camp at the Forest of Dean and paired up with Connie. He discovers her secret and becomes her companion and helper.
I adore WW2 stories, particularly those told from a woman's point of view.
Connie was a conundrum to me. At times I felt for her, at times I really liked her strength and tenacity and other times I could have shaken her for her coldness and selfishness!
But this book is a cracker for a debut. Franklin's writing is rich and decadent, and you could almost smell the earthiness of the Forest and feel the damp and cold of the winter.
There are many likeable characters in this book, all flawed, all relatable which is great achievement given the time period.
This book is full of heart, it's thought provoking and an interesting take on the war as it's set outside a city, yet shows how far and how much devastation the war caused.
That ending left me wanting more, a sign of a great story and writer.
I would like to thank Bonnier Zaffre for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Having lost her entire family she has no baggage...well except one huge secret that she's carrying.
Seppe is an Italian POW kept in a camp at the Forest of Dean and paired up with Connie. He discovers her secret and becomes her companion and helper.
I adore WW2 stories, particularly those told from a woman's point of view.
Connie was a conundrum to me. At times I felt for her, at times I really liked her strength and tenacity and other times I could have shaken her for her coldness and selfishness!
But this book is a cracker for a debut. Franklin's writing is rich and decadent, and you could almost smell the earthiness of the Forest and feel the damp and cold of the winter.
There are many likeable characters in this book, all flawed, all relatable which is great achievement given the time period.
This book is full of heart, it's thought provoking and an interesting take on the war as it's set outside a city, yet shows how far and how much devastation the war caused.
That ending left me wanting more, a sign of a great story and writer.
I would like to thank Bonnier Zaffre for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
July 25, 2017
Sarah Franklin has without a doubt become one of my new favourite authors. Situating Connie's and Seppe's growing relationship into the context of the constraints of World War 2, I immediately came to love Sarah's writing style as she collated pieces of flashbacks into a mosaic which truly represented the bittersweet journey the two main characters found themselves on before reaching the forest. I adored seeing their two individual experiences come together, with Connie learning to leave the death of her family behind after the bombing of her neighbourhood, and Seppe coming to terms with life as a prisoner of war.
The plot was perfect given the lack of freedom Seppe has from his prison camp, explaining just how much of a release it is to meet Connie. It made it all the more heartbreaking when their hopes for the future started to untangle from each other, as their individual wartime experiences shaped their thoughts and feelings about what their lives held for them.
Without revealing any spoilers, this book both warmed my heart and also made me consider the potential fatalities of war that stretch far beyond the battlefield. Credit goes to Sarah Franklin for an ending that encompasses all the lessons that Shelter taught to those who read it.
The plot was perfect given the lack of freedom Seppe has from his prison camp, explaining just how much of a release it is to meet Connie. It made it all the more heartbreaking when their hopes for the future started to untangle from each other, as their individual wartime experiences shaped their thoughts and feelings about what their lives held for them.
Without revealing any spoilers, this book both warmed my heart and also made me consider the potential fatalities of war that stretch far beyond the battlefield. Credit goes to Sarah Franklin for an ending that encompasses all the lessons that Shelter taught to those who read it.
July 18, 2017
Wow .. what a debut novel! Accomplished writing at it's best - plenty going on, several people's lives intertwined and an uncertain future, all beautifully brought together by Sarah Franklin.
This is the story of life in the forest during the second World War, when the demand for wood was sky rocketing. With the majority of men away to war, it was necessary to introduce women - known as lumberjills - to keep up with the orders. Although I have heard of lumberjills, this is the first I have read about their daily duties and there is lots of fantastic detail to be had here. Add in the occupants of forest homes, a young Londoner who lost her entire family to the war, and an Italian pow who is happy that his war is over and you get a diverse mix of people who burst into each others' lives and have to cope with all that is thrown at them.
This is a very engaging read with tough times and tender moments. It is a book I have enjoyed immensely and one which I have no hesitation in recommending to other readers who love a well-written saga.
I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
This is the story of life in the forest during the second World War, when the demand for wood was sky rocketing. With the majority of men away to war, it was necessary to introduce women - known as lumberjills - to keep up with the orders. Although I have heard of lumberjills, this is the first I have read about their daily duties and there is lots of fantastic detail to be had here. Add in the occupants of forest homes, a young Londoner who lost her entire family to the war, and an Italian pow who is happy that his war is over and you get a diverse mix of people who burst into each others' lives and have to cope with all that is thrown at them.
This is a very engaging read with tough times and tender moments. It is a book I have enjoyed immensely and one which I have no hesitation in recommending to other readers who love a well-written saga.
I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
August 7, 2017
Connie was brought up in Coventry, not academic, she found work in a factory as war descended on Britain. After a late night of romance with a GI Connie returns to the family home to find that it has been destroyed by a Luftwaffe raid and all her family killed. She enrols in the land army but finds herself pregnant and ends up in the Forest of Dean as a 'lumberjill'. Connie finds support from Joyce, her neighbour and eventually from Amos, the man who lives in the cottage to where she is billeted. Also Connie meets Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war who is the reluctant son of a fascist bully. Together they fell trees, start to raise Connie's baby son and begin a relationship.
Apart from shedding more light on the hard work undertaken by women during World War II, this is basically the story of two people who have struggled to fit in with the society that they were born into. Connie is brusque, Seppe gentle but together they work. There is a real thread of love for the forest and the way of life within it which holds this book together.
Apart from shedding more light on the hard work undertaken by women during World War II, this is basically the story of two people who have struggled to fit in with the society that they were born into. Connie is brusque, Seppe gentle but together they work. There is a real thread of love for the forest and the way of life within it which holds this book together.
August 12, 2017
An unusual take on the WWII theme in that this novel concentrates on life at home - the devastation caused by the bombing, the prisoners of war who were housed in Britain and, in particular, the role of women.
The two main characters are traumatised by different events, Connie has lost her family during the mass bombardment of Coventry and Seppe by a combination of childhood abuse, a growing abhorrence of war and the fascist regime which took him into it. When Connie starts working for the Women's Timber Corp she finds an outlet for her grief whilst Seppe finds a freedom he has never experienced before, despite being in an Italian prisoner of war camp.
The friendship between these two, thrown together in such difficult times, is beautifully told by the author. What I enjoyed most though was the insight into the work and lives of ordinary men and women and their contribution to the war effort, but also the horrific impact of war on all caught up in it, on every side.
This is a heart warming, poignant story which I really enjoyed and I will certainly be looking forward to more from this author.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.
The two main characters are traumatised by different events, Connie has lost her family during the mass bombardment of Coventry and Seppe by a combination of childhood abuse, a growing abhorrence of war and the fascist regime which took him into it. When Connie starts working for the Women's Timber Corp she finds an outlet for her grief whilst Seppe finds a freedom he has never experienced before, despite being in an Italian prisoner of war camp.
The friendship between these two, thrown together in such difficult times, is beautifully told by the author. What I enjoyed most though was the insight into the work and lives of ordinary men and women and their contribution to the war effort, but also the horrific impact of war on all caught up in it, on every side.
This is a heart warming, poignant story which I really enjoyed and I will certainly be looking forward to more from this author.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.
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