The Alien Corn

The Canadians #2

by Clare Flynn

They faced up to the challenges of war – but can they deal with the troubles of peace?
Canadian, Jim Armstrong, married in haste during the second world war, after a one-night stand. When his wife and their small son join him in Canada it’s four years since they’ve seen each other.

War bride, Joan discovers Jim has no intention of the family returning to England. She struggles to adapt to life on a remote farm in Ontario, far from her family and cold-shouldered by Jim’s mother.

Jim, haunted by his wartime experiences in Italy, Iingering feelings for a former lover, and the demands of the farm, begins to doubt his love for Joan.

From the rolling farmland of Ontario to the ravaged landscapes of war-torn Italy, this sweeping love story is the sequel to The Chalky Sea.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2018

About the author

Clare Flynn is the author of eighteen historical novels and a collection of short stories. She is the 2020 winner of the UK Selfies Adult Fiction prize for her best-selling novel The Pearl of Penang, was shortlisted for the RNA Industry Awards Indie Champion of the Year for 2021 and won the award in 2022.

Clare lives in Eastbourne. on the south coast of the UK. She is a fluent Italian speaker and loves spending time in Italy. In her spare time she likes to quilt, paint and travel often and widely as possible.

Clare Flynn is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an active member of The Romantic Novelists Association, The Hostrical Writers Association, The Alliance of Independent Authors and The Society of Authors. More information about her books can be found at www.clareflynn.co.uk

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joan and her son have joined her husband Jim and family in Canada. They haven't seen each other since their marriage four years before. Joan, from Aldershot, is faced with a culture shock. From the quintessentially British activities of going to the pictures, dances, fish & chips and pubs to a remote grain farm in Canada. She has to acclimatise to a marriage to a taciturn, preoccupied husband who is suffering from CSR or battle fatigue, the ex-fiancee and the hostile mother-in-law. Initially. she is sidelined and has no involvement with the family activities. Does she manage to fit in? There was an interesting account of making maple syrup. On to the third book in the series.

Available on KindleUnlimited

[Frances Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alien Corn picks up the story of Jim and Joan, whom we first met in Clare Flynn’s earlier novel, The Chalky Sea. I actually started reading this as a stand-alone book, but stopped halfway through to read the earlier one just out of curiosity - this could definitely be enjoyed without reading the first one but I liked to have the backstory. The Chalky Sea is set during WWII, and The Alien Corn opens with Jim returning home to Canada, intending to return to Joan in England once he has seen his parents. However, things never go quite as planned...

Clare Flynn is a great storyteller, this is the third novel of hers I’ve read, and each time I’ve found myself completely engrossed in the story and invested in the characters. Both Jim and Joan are easy to engage with and I was keen to know how things would turn out throughout. The story is well paced - it keeps your attentions the whole way through the book.

I look forward to reading future books by the author and would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy historical and/or romantic fiction.

[Debs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness - Clare has only gone and done it again! I absolutely could not put this book down! So much so I used my afternoon off work to finish it. Fast paced, funny, sad and intriguing. Jim and Joan’s life in Canada was harder than they expected and the way they dealt with everything thrown at them kept me hooked. The way these books are written is outstanding I’m just sad that I have finished - please say there’ll be another?!?

[Greta Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant follow up to The Chalky Sea. More or less read in one sitting I found it as good and unputdownable as the last one. I loved the characters, their evolving lives and the period this book is set in and thoroughly recommend, deserving of the 5* awarded.

[Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I previously enjoyed Chalky Sea by Clare Flynn as I love the way she weaves her story whilst also enlightening you on past events.

The Alien Corn book was no different, I found I simply couldn't put the book down as I wanted to know what was going to happen. She wove a fantastic story with memorable characters, the pace of the book was punchy with it taking twists and turns throughout.

I loved the setting in Ontario and how Joan the war bride needed to adapt to a much slower pace of life away from her friends and family with a small child in tow and in a country so vastly different to how Britain was following the war. It highlighted just how hard it was for brides who had never spent time with their husbands after getting married and how they had to adapt to family life and often different circumstances and environments when their husbands returned from war.

This book was written in such a fantastic way that there could easily be another instalment as the characters are people you feel you have gotten to know and you are invested in their journey and what life is going to bring them next. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend both this and Chalky Sea to anyone who loves this genre.

[Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was the first I read in the series and it is absolutely well done as a stand-alone and very entertaining. After requesting the sample from Amazon, I was invested in Joan's new world and with Jim's conflicts and bought the novel. An entertaining treat for an afternoon! Technically and plot-wise, the first 85% of the novel was absolutely sound. It was only thereafter that I lost interest as it seemed to take me to the beginning of the characers' developments. On the whole, I was horrified by the ambiguity shown towards Joan, was really rooting for her, forgave her her faults and insecurities. I got frustrated with Jim early on, but realized he was also coming to the conclusion that he needed to DO something and, therefore, I was also invested in his story. I was totally unsure about Alice. Her affair, however, really rounded out her character. Well done. The jumping about from points of view weren't terribly confusing but a little jarring. The story was going really well and the climax was absolutely well executed. Where I thought things would thereafter come to a nice balance ended up turning into a drawn-out soap opera. The last 15% of the book I ended up skimming because I was frustrated by how the characters seemed to fall right back into their old patterns and their old flaws. Which may very well be true-to-life and this is where, I feel, fiction and real life must part ways. The second troublesome part I had were with the very rare flashbacks for Jim. They seemed ill-fitted and distracted from the story for me. On the whole, The Alien Corn was quite enjoyable, even unique. Again, one does not necessarily have to read the first book to understand what's happened here. That ability to drip-in the characters' pasts was done exceptionally well.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel to 'The Chalky Sea 'kept me reading throughout. I needed to discover what happened to Jim once he returned to his home in Canada.
The descriptions of life on the remote Ontario farm, far from the bright city lights, are vivid and transported me to a different world. I could picture Jim working in the cornfields under the summer sunshine or battling to clear the deep winter snowdrifts. I could identify with war bride Joan's difficulties in adapting to this alien life and settle down in her new environment. Whereas her son, Jimmy, with the adaptability of the young loves his new life. Her unsympathetic mother-in-law makes her daily struggle even more difficult and husband, Jim does not appear to appreciate how many sacrifices she has made in leaving her hometown and her family. He is experiencing a great deal of emotional trauma of his own, due to his participation in the brutal Italian campaign in World War II and his brief affair with a married woman whilst stationed in Britain, for whom he still harbours feelings. The addition of Jim's widowed sister-in-law to the mix; a beautiful woman to whom he was once engaged; adds extra spice to the tale.
I did wonder how Joan, and indeed Jim, managed to find the money to return to Britain, when they were struggling to buy a small house of their own in Canada. However, this was an enjoyable, easy read; a worthy sequel to the author's previous novel.
(This story was sent to me by the author pre-publication in return for an honest review.)

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read. I hadn’t read the first book but Clare fills in the back story so well that it didn’t really matter.
The lives of Jim and Joan (a war bride) in the late 1940’s Canada and the problems facing such couples is vividly described and you can imagine how hard it was for young women to follow their husbands, leaving behind family, friends and everything they knew.
It would be interesting to know how many of these rushed marriages worked out once the glamour and excitement of American GI’s and Canadians wore off.
My thanks to TBConFB and Clare for this copy. Another author to add to my growing. list for good historical novels.

[Teresa “Teri” · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come

[Kamini Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as the first or third. It fed my need to learn more about the fates of the main characters. It just felt a little incomplete.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having just read the first book in the trilogy, I was pleased to be able to read this one straight away.

Jim goes back home to Canada and his war-bride, Joan, follows. They had very little time together in the UK and that time resulted in a baby, little Jimmy. Joan and Jimmy make their way to the farm where Jim and his family are living, and it all comes as a big shock to her system. Joan is a city girl, through and through, and although her son Jimmy takes to country life enthusiastically, she is not so sure that this is going to work out. She loves her husband though, so she needs to find a way to overcome. In the meantime, Jim is working on the family farm, without a lot of help or support from anyone, and trying to battle the demons of his wartime experiences as well.

Tip, his nemesis from his time in the camp in the UK, returns to the village with disastrous consequences for all.

Jim has to find some way to make things work it isn't easy, as everyone adjusts to civilian life after years of war.

This was a solidly written book, and I found the descriptions of the warbrides adjusting to life in a foreign country really interesting. It took some bravery, going half-way across the world like that, into the unknown, never knowing if you would ever see your family again.

4.5 stars from me.

Looking forward to the third book :)

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alien Corn is a sequel to The Chalky Sea, a book which focuses on Canadian soldier Jim Armstrong and his experiences during WW2. In this second book, the author explores how his English wife Joan and small son adapt when moving to Canada after the war. It has been four years since Joan and Jim saw each other after a very brief relationship resulting in young Jimmy and a hurried marriage.  As well as adapting to a very different life on a relatively isolated farm, Joan has to cope with a mother-in-law who doesn't seem to like her at all, a sister-in-law who used to be engaged to Jim and a husband who she barely knows.

Although I haven't read the first book, there was enough back story to fill in any gaps and allow this story to be read as a standalone novel. The story of war bride Joan made me think about my aunt who moved to Canada in the 1960s. She wasn't a war bride though, she moved with my uncle not long after they married. What must have it been like to take that step into the unknown, not knowing when or if you would see your family again? Clare Flynn explores this through Joan's experiences and I feel she captured Joan's concerns perfectly. It was clearly shown how isolated Joan felt. She hardly knew her husband, was moving to a strange land to live a completely different way of life and leaving behind everything she knew and all those she loved. Jim too had been changed by his experiences of war as most soldiers must have been. He had seen his brother die, lost friends and saw and did many things which were almost impossible to forget.

In The Alien Corn, we see two characters begin to come to terms with changes in the wider world and in their smaller more immediate surroundings. They begin to rediscover each other and their feelings for each other in this story which has love at its heart. It's certainly not an easy path to finding that love and acceptance of each other with plenty of unexpected stumbling blocks along the way.  I must just mention how well I felt Clare Flynn creates her setting on the farm in Canada. I got a real sense of the isolation and the hard work of living on this farm with no electricity and an outside toilet - no fun in the harsh Canadian winters! The author has written a really engaging story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am hoping that there might be a third book in the series where we find out more about how life works out for Jim and Joan in Canada.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing!

A definite thumbs up!

This book continues post-WWII as Joan, an English war wife, travels to Canada to be with her husband Jim. She leaves behind everything she knows to begin a new life on his family's farm. She is a town girl. He a country boy. What lies ahead is the story here.

As Joan is introduced to his parents, Jim's mother becomes a huge obstacle by shunning her in favor of his brother's widowed wife Alice. The struggles, uncertainty and trying to adapt to a new country and way of life are made harder by the machinations of her sullen mother-in-law Helga. And the discovery that Alice continues to live with the family causes Joan's feelings of insecurity to flourish, and Jim struggles with the post-trauma of his war experience while working to keep the family farm.

This author is a master at dissecting human emotion making the reading hard to put down. The raw human feelings are so well described that each character comes to life on the page. I was taken back to the time and place of whatever situation presented as the words flowed on the pages.

I had not previously given much thought to wives of post-WWII Era soldiers who left their homes overseas to be with their husband's in a foreign country. Many of my own friends had English, Japanese, Philppino, French and German mothers who had left their own countries to be with their husbands in America. They brought with them, aside from what I seemed funny accents, rich traditions from their previous lives. I have a new perspective and respect for these brave women after reading this story. And I am grateful to the author for bringing realism to their lives. The struggle to endure in a new country with a husband you had not seen in years and the decision to leave everything they ever knew behind is proof of genuine love. The prejudices inflicted upon them was unwarranted and shameful.

I highly recommend this book to readers of historical fiction. Well written.

[Sally Stackhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A follow up book to The Chalky Sea but can be read as a stand-alone.

In this second book we follow the story of Joan and Jim who married in haste when Jim found out Joan’s baby was his son.

The Second World War is over and Jim has returned to his family farm. Joan makes the hard decision to travel to Canada join him with their son. Joan is from Aldershot where there are good shops, cinemas, social places to go within easy distance of her home, now after a long journey to Canada she is living in an isolated farmhouse with meagre facilities and no easy access to towns or shops. Joan has to contend with a less than welcoming mother-in-law, a widowed sister-in-law who has history with her husband and her husband who is suffering with nightly terrors from his experiences in Italy. We learn about some of Jim’s experiences, quite harrowing in places of his time as a soldier. He cannot share these experiences with Joan and she feels left out of his life. People have flaws, make mistakes and then have to find ways to cope with them. Things come to a head and a resolution must be found.

All the characters are fully developed, the book is superbly written and a great read.

[Liza Perrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly-written sequel to The Chalky Sea, I read The Alien Corn in almost a single sitting. After marrying Joan in a hasty war-time marriage, Jim goes home to Canada with the intention of returning to England, and Joan, as soon as possible. However, family circumstances change his plans, and Joan finds herself sailing to Canada to join her husband. I learned, through Clare Flynn’s well-documented story, that this was a situation experienced by many women at this time, who found it difficult to adapt to their new lives.
Accustomed to a city life of dancing, films and pubs, Joan is shocked when she arrives, with their son, at Jim’s remote Canadian farm four years later. As well as cultural extremes, poor Joan must also deal with an unwelcoming mother-in-law, Jim’s strange ex-girlfriend and his suffering from what we would today call PTSD.
I felt sympathetic to every well-drawn character, anxious to know how Jim and Joan’s marriage would evolve. Thanks to the author’s deft descriptions, I truly experienced both rural Canada and war-torn Italy, and would highly recommend The Alien Corn. And once again, as I finished reading, I was anxious to continue the story and immediately started on book 3, The Frozen River.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following her book “The Chalky Sea” is Clare Flynn’s sequel “The Alien Corn”. I guess this could be a stand-alone novel, but it helps I think to read the first one.

The book begins in Ontario, Canada, in September 1945. Jim Armstrong has come home. His brother did not make it back from the war and his widow lives on the farm with her daughter. Joan and their son remain in England. Jim is not the same man who left. He has seen too much, heard too much, experienced too much. He is lonely for his wife and persuades her to bring their son to Canada “for a while”, with the caveat that they would return to England. Joan and Jimmy come to the farm and are lovingly welcomed by Jim. Not so much by Jim’s mother and ex-fiancée. Joan is left adrift, with no one to talk to, nothing to do, stuck in the country away from city life.

This story is as engrossing as the first book in the series and I was hard put to stop reading when I had to do something else. I love Clare Flynn’s writing and will definitely find more of her books to read.

You can find this review on my blog at https://wp.me/p2pjIt-tT. Other reviews can be found at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war is over and Jim married Joan when he discovered she became pregnant after a one night stand. But now it's been 4 years since he's seen her and he is afraid of his feelings. He persuades her to travel to Canada but it takes another 8 months before she can arrive.

When she appears, she has no qualms she still loves him and now their little boy, Jimmy is four. She soon discovers Jim has no intention of moving back to England as the farm is in disrepair and his father is ill. They have to live in the same little farmhouse as his parents sleeping in the same small bedroom he shared with his younger brother and their little 4 year old boy. Not the best of situations. While she finds his father welcoming, Jim's mother seems resentful and refuses any help she offers. She discovers his mother believes Jim would marry his brother, Walt's widowed wife, Alice when he returned. Alice still lives on the farm as well but in a small addition onto the back of the barn that Walt built before he left to join the army.

As Joan slowly adjusts to a very different life, she wonders if Jim really loves her. Can their marriage succeed?

[Dean McIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE ALIEN CORN (TAC) by Clare Flynn continues the story of Jim and Joan started in the first volume, THE CHALKY SEA (TCS). TCS is set during World War II and TAC begins with Jim's return from the war in Europe. Jim returns home to his family in Canada, intending to return to England to start a life with his wife Joan. But finding the farm failing, his mother aging, and his father ill and expecting a not distant death, Jim finally tells his parents about Joan and his daughter and they decide his wife and child will relocate to Canada. The work is difficult, family relationships are intensely strained, and there are past friends, acquaintances, and events that make life stressful and difficult. The author does an excellent job of portraying the difficult Canadian farm life with all those problems and conflicts, and it's easy to become invested in the characters' well-being. It's possible to read TAC as a stand-alone but much better having read TCS first. Looking forward to reading the third volume.

[Chanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm happy to report that in my opinion- book 2 of this series is WAY better then book 1 (The Chalky Sea).

While through most of the book I still struggled with Jim (the MMC). I'm holding out hope that he finally has his act together going into Book 3 (but I'm not holding my breath).

What saved this book to me was a couple things. One- in The Alien Corn we finally get a bit more of a look at Joan (Jim's wife) from her own point of view. In book 1- how we saw Joan was always through Jim's eyes (and lets just say it wasn't usually flattering). Book 2- you understand what makes Joan tick and how much of a struggle it was for many war brides transitioning to their new life. This really isn't something I've read about before and I enjoyed that storyline.

Don (Jim's dad) was also a bright spot character for me and balanced out the wickedness of Helga (Jim's mother) and Alice (Jim's ex-fiancé) through most of the story.

Overall, this book was a huge improvement in this series- onto Book 3- The Frozen River.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clare Flynn has done an excellent job of developing characters you will fall in love with. This story takes place during and after World War 2, a time I am so thankful I was not alive. Joan is a war bride that must learn to adapt to living in a new country with a man she barely knows. A mother in law that doesn't like her and the man doesn't even know if he loves her. A city girl adjusting to life on a farm, far far away from her beloved family. The author has made Joan so real to me that my heart went out to her. I loved this book and the history I learned of the people and what they had lived through and how they had to adjust to life after war. Anyone interested in learning about this time in history and how love can persevere through it will enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book but I was not asked for anything in return. I have written this review because I loved it so much. This review is totally my own opinion.

[Gail Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant sequel to The Chalky Seas. I loved the fact from the very first page, memories of the characters came flooding back.
Jim returns back to his family farm in Canada, to find it run down and not fully functioning; his dad is ill, his mum, Alice and Rosie are still trying to run the farm. Jim knows he has help his family and sends for his family back in England.
Four long years have passed since the couple were last together. Joan and Jimmy embark on the long trip, not knowing how their future will pan out, but glad their small family will be finally reunited.
In Canada, the couple face many barriers and they must fight the problems that surround them.
Great descriptions of post-war England, Canada and families being reunited. The cultural differences as well as dèaling with the actually traumas of war.
Will Jim, Joan and Jimmy live happily ever after.

[Rita Mahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in a trilogy "The Canadians" , loved the first one but this one was not quite as good. Joan and Jim have married in England but not seen each other in three years of the war. Joan must come to Canada to reunite with Jim. This is supposed to be a short time and then they are going back to England. Alas that is not to be. Jim's Dad is seriously ill and their family farm is going to ruin. Of course Jim must save the day but Joan suffers the consequences. Jim's mother is absolutely horrible to Joan and tried to drive her away, Alice who is the widow of Jim's brother and Jim's former girlfriend also lives on the farm and to add insult to injury their is no indoor plumbing on the farm. I found it all a bit much and if I were Joan I would have swam back to England if need be but of course that is not what happens.

[Becki Basley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Alien Corn (book two The Canadians) by Clare Flynn. (Audiobook Read On Hoopla app)
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There were so many times in this book i wanted to kick the Jim Armstrong character right in the shins a few times.. sending for his war wife Joan (a city Girl mind you) and his son to live with him on a canadian farm with his parents (his mom not approving of Joan) and next door to his brother’s widow who was jims first love. Just that Alone is enough to send many woman doing an about face and heading straight back to England.

But Joan stays and her first person tp show her kindness is jims father . She stays and adapts to country Living even with the difficult mother in law . She also managed to befriend the Sister in law and Joan stands by her when No one esle Will. But Jim is still a nincompoop and almost Loses Joan forever.

[Lynn Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I loved reading 'The Alien Corn', the sequel that followed the WW2 drama 'The Chalky Sea' which was taken from the viewpoint of a young Canadian soldier posted to the southern English counties and continuing, in this book, to the viewpoint of his young English bride now living in post-war Canada. The book is so wonderfully descriptive I actually felt I was there, and very uncomfortable it was at times! Clare has the ability to write well-balanced novels without sensationalism or anything unnecessarily gratuitous so that, whilst the subject matter can be harrowing in places, it is never offensive. It has been, for me, a very successful sequel and it makes me wonder if Clare might consider doing other sequels to her other books. Her characters are always so memorable.

[Pnina Savery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating and engaging account of a young war bride moving from a city in England to a country farm in Canada after World War Two. The author describes the setting vividly, and I could not avoid sympathising with the main character who had so many challenges and struggles to overcome. The historical time period was very interesting, as generally stories focus more on the struggles during the war itself, and I liked that this novel looked at the aftermath of the war also. It was a highly enjoyable and gripping sequel to the first book in the series, and I hope that there will be another one coming soon!

[Marzlie Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fine telling of love

I could not put this book down. I would have loved to know how Jim and and Joan do nback at the farm. Maybe another installment with more about farming and more about Alice too. I was not ready for the ending even though it was a happy ever after. Also would like for Ethel to be happy again. I know I am an old romantic. Thank you for telling this World War 2 so deftly. Did not know how the Canadian volunteers were treated and so sad about Dieppe.I

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I could love this book more then I did the first book in this series, but I did. I am now left to look for a 3rd book in this series or to hope one is soon to come out. The storyline did not leave me hanging or sure there is a 3rd book to this series, however. This is a compliment to the author, as I hate it when books end in such a way you are left holding your breath wondering what the heck just happened. This is such a journey, a story told in such a way that you feel it really did happen. I will long remember the story of Jim and Joan, smile and wish them well.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this historical fiction story set in Canada in the post WW2 years.
Jim and Joan may have been United again but they have their share of problems to work through , not knowing each other very well and not even prepared for the life they are leading.
Particularly Joan, who finds herself in a land far away from home in the midst of people who may not really like her.
Does even her husband want her or does he love someone else?
How can she make the life she dreamt of from here?
A very nice read

[Crystal Toller · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the war

This is a continuation of Jim's story from the novel The Chalky Sea. Jim's wife Joan and their son Jimmy come to Canada to be with Jim who can't leave his parents farm after the war because his father is sick. The book details Jim and Joan's struggles to make a life together. This book was so engrossing. I normally don't read novels like this but I couldn't stop reading until the end. Ms. Flynn is a great writer. Highly recommend this book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book, after The Chalky Sea, by Clare Flynn. I enjoyed the first book so much that I had to read this one. The story of war brides shipped to their husband's homeland. The adjustment to a new way of life in a strange place. The nightmares of Jim's war experience. Does he really love her? Does he love Gwen from Eastbourne? Love this book and can't wait to read more books by this author!