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The Reckoning
Chonghaile weaves a complex narrative covering conflict, secrets, judgement and what it takes to sever family ties.I have a story to tell you, Diane. It is my story and your story and the story of a century that remade the world. When we reach the end, you will be the ultimate arbiter of whether it was worth your time. You will also sit in judgment on me.
In a cottage in Normandy, Lina Rose is writing to the daughter she abandoned as a baby. Now a successful if enigmatic author, she is determined to trace her family’s history through the two world wars that shaped her life. But Lina can no longer bear to carry her secrets alone, and once the truth is out, can she ever be forgiven?
'A gorgeous, absorbing tale. The characters' experiences of loss and their stoic sense of survival brought history to life in a way I had never seen it before… a compelling and captivating story, filled with adventure, love and regret' Nicola Cassidy, author of December Girl
'Ní Chonghaile is a writer who knows her subject matter inside out. At times philosophical, in parts emotional, The Reckoning is a great example of how a natural storyteller can take a genre and make it their own' Daniel Seery, author of A Model Partner
'Chonghaile has succeeded in writing a moving story about memories, regret, and the ties that bind. Both wise and gentle, The Reckoning is a novel with heart' Tiffany McDaniel, Not-the-Booker Prizewinning author of The Summer that Melted Everything
'Clár Ní Chonghaile has done it again… The Reckoning is a novel about family, memory, and the possibility of forgiveness – and it will stay with you long after you have savoured the last page' Léan Cullinan, author of The Living
In a cottage in Normandy, Lina Rose is writing to the daughter she abandoned as a baby. Now a successful if enigmatic author, she is determined to trace her family’s history through the two world wars that shaped her life. But Lina can no longer bear to carry her secrets alone, and once the truth is out, can she ever be forgiven?
'A gorgeous, absorbing tale. The characters' experiences of loss and their stoic sense of survival brought history to life in a way I had never seen it before… a compelling and captivating story, filled with adventure, love and regret' Nicola Cassidy, author of December Girl
'Ní Chonghaile is a writer who knows her subject matter inside out. At times philosophical, in parts emotional, The Reckoning is a great example of how a natural storyteller can take a genre and make it their own' Daniel Seery, author of A Model Partner
'Chonghaile has succeeded in writing a moving story about memories, regret, and the ties that bind. Both wise and gentle, The Reckoning is a novel with heart' Tiffany McDaniel, Not-the-Booker Prizewinning author of The Summer that Melted Everything
'Clár Ní Chonghaile has done it again… The Reckoning is a novel about family, memory, and the possibility of forgiveness – and it will stay with you long after you have savoured the last page' Léan Cullinan, author of The Living
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2018
6 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Clár Ní Chonghaile
5 books25 followersClár Ni Chonghaile is the author of Fractured (Legend Press, 2016), Rain Falls on Everyone (Legend Press, 2017), The Reckoning (Legend Press, 2018), and No Good Deed (Kindle, 2023).
Clár grew up in Ireland, the eldest of seven children. She left aged 19 to work as a graduate trainee journalist at Reuters in London. Clár has worked as a journalist for over 20 years and has lived in Madrid, Paris, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Kenya.
Clár now lives in St Albans with her husband and two daughters.
Clár grew up in Ireland, the eldest of seven children. She left aged 19 to work as a graduate trainee journalist at Reuters in London. Clár has worked as a journalist for over 20 years and has lived in Madrid, Paris, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Kenya.
Clár now lives in St Albans with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 15, 2018
I am always eager to read more from the literary fiction genre and thought this sounded like a novel I would enjoy and appreciate. However, there was a lot of aspects of the plot and characters that annoyed me somewhat. I feel that with such an emotional story the main character should be one a reader at most likes, or at worst can relate to, but, here, Lina Rose is highly unlikable. Arrogant, boastful and a very selfish sounding woman, it is difficult to enjoy the subtle nuances of this novel because of her.
Not only that but the writing style was so staccato that I had a problem getting into the whole book. However, I did think that the structure was an inspired move by the author - told in the form of letters that Lina writes to her daughter, Diane, who she abandoned as a baby. Although there are some beautifully tender moments where Lina opens her heart to us, there are still instances where she said or did things that I felt were not believable in the situation. She writes of her regret at not having kept her daughter close and attempts to explain and justify the reasons behind her decision.
Not only that but the writing style was so staccato that I had a problem getting into the whole book. However, I did think that the structure was an inspired move by the author - told in the form of letters that Lina writes to her daughter, Diane, who she abandoned as a baby. Although there are some beautifully tender moments where Lina opens her heart to us, there are still instances where she said or did things that I felt were not believable in the situation. She writes of her regret at not having kept her daughter close and attempts to explain and justify the reasons behind her decision.
October 8, 2018
Although I’m always excited to discover new authors, this wasn’t for me! I couldn’t get past the dry, short-sentenced, sometimes patronizing “Whatever you might think of me as your mother, you cannot deny my talent,” and occasionally blasé writing style “The rest, as they say, is history.” If this was done intentionally, to make the main character, Lina Rose, unlikable to the reader, then it succeeded.
Clár Ní Chonghaile’s book involves a family affected by both world wars, with the two generations of men, Lina’s father and her husband, traumatized by their horrors, and I found this parallel intriguing. The plot isn’t bad, I’ve seen this literary device done before: in Graham Swift’s “Tomorrow,” Kathleen Rooney’s “Lillian Boxfish Tales a Walk,” for example.
Even though I loved the premise of this novel, I can’t ignore the fact that I didn’t enjoy the way the story was delivered. It is told in letters, or rather instalments - as Lina compares herself with the likes of Dickens (“modesty has never been my strongest quality”) -, written to her daughter, Diane, whom she had left when she was a baby. Lina is trying to explain why she made that decision, but stumbles way too often into self-praise or digressions, such as “why reading fiction is escapism” and how “writers are the real gods.”
If you are looking for a book that portrays a successful enigmatic woman, this is a decent pick.
*Thanks to NetGalley & Legend Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Clár Ní Chonghaile’s book involves a family affected by both world wars, with the two generations of men, Lina’s father and her husband, traumatized by their horrors, and I found this parallel intriguing. The plot isn’t bad, I’ve seen this literary device done before: in Graham Swift’s “Tomorrow,” Kathleen Rooney’s “Lillian Boxfish Tales a Walk,” for example.
Even though I loved the premise of this novel, I can’t ignore the fact that I didn’t enjoy the way the story was delivered. It is told in letters, or rather instalments - as Lina compares herself with the likes of Dickens (“modesty has never been my strongest quality”) -, written to her daughter, Diane, whom she had left when she was a baby. Lina is trying to explain why she made that decision, but stumbles way too often into self-praise or digressions, such as “why reading fiction is escapism” and how “writers are the real gods.”
If you are looking for a book that portrays a successful enigmatic woman, this is a decent pick.
*Thanks to NetGalley & Legend Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
October 19, 2018
I received electronic copy of this book from net galley. I’m grateful for the ARC, and my opinions are my own. This book takes the form of a series of letters from a woman traumatized by WW2 and the personal losses immediately afterwards to her adult daughter that she gave up for adoption. I found this book in the literary fiction category on net galley; it also could have been categorized as historical fiction, although I would perhaps describe it as popular fiction - closer to Danielle Steele than what I was expecting. I was interested in the topic - of the ravages of trauma in the post partum period, and of the daily details of being in London in the war, and of the many political conflicts that the protagonist witnessed as a frontline journalist in later years. But this is where I struggled the most. I felt that this book tried to hit the heavy topics, but it was missing the research, and therefore was very superficial. Post partum depression was not really described, the details of what happened in many conflicts were skimmed over, and the few details that did emerge seemed rushed, and hard to contextualize without more background information. I did not allow myself to google any references while I read this book, and often felt left adrift. I also felt that it fell closer to maudlin than to emotionally impactful, and this frustrated me as I wanted to relate as a mother and as a frontline worker who works in trauma. The twist at the end also had a showy quality to me that, rather than deepening the narrative, just shifted things inexplicably - it didn’t need it. I could not connect with the protagonist and her chirpy tone, and it all rang a bit false for me. Oh also, this description of Her experience in Kenya: “Men, women and children walked in tidy lines on either side of the highway. In the rising sun’s rays, they were faceless, austerely beautiful silhouettes, like the polished ebony statues sold in craft markets”. Just, I mean, no. fear that I was not the intended audience for this book.
March 19, 2019
Lina Rose’s life has been defined by war and conflict, from her father's service in WWI, to that of the love of her life and her own in WWII to her own later career as a war correspondent. It’s been a life of change and challenge. Now nearing the end of her life, she is writing a long confessional letter to her daughter Diane, to explain, to justify, to exonerate her own sometimes questionable behaviour and perhaps ultimately to understand and come to terms with her life’s trajectory. It’s a story of love, grief, loss and family and a panoramic portrait of much of the 20th century. I found it readable, indeed enjoyable much of the time, but Lina herself is not a likeable or empathetic character and a whole book of her voice ultimately becomes wearing, and I found the potential emotional power of the novel was thus diminished. This letter maunders on and on and sometimes I just wanted to exclaim “enough already”. The style is unnecessarily wordy and I felt the author was trying just a bit too hard with her metaphors and similes and a tighter, sparer style would have been more effective. A bit of healthy editing certainly wouldn’t have come amiss. Nevertheless, good storytelling and an unpredictable plot kept me reading.
October 23, 2018
Set between the years leading up to World War I, all the way into the 90’s, we follow the life of Lina, a 70 something woman who was born shortly after World War I, and survives World War II, along with her parents and fiancé, only to lose him to suicide a couple years later, and her parents in a tragic accident a few months after that. In her grief, she decides the only way to escape it all is to walk away from what remains of her life entirely and start anew. She begins by giving her 14-month-old daughter up for adoption. The book consists of letters she has written to that daughter, explaining all the circumstances that led to her choice, and all the things that happened afterwards.
This is one of those books that started off on the wrong foot for me. The narrator was a bit pretentious, and sometimes it felt as though someone – narrator or author is unclear – was “trying too hard”. However, knowing that first chapters tend to be the roughest, and committed to giving it at least 10% before setting it aside, I continued. Once again, perseverance paid off! Lina did take some getting used to, and I still found her rather irritating from time to time, she eased up and let go of some of that “shell” as she let go of herself and embraced her past. And admittedly, it becomes clear from the start that she gave her young daughter up for adoption, and because of her age (14 months old!), the mother in me was judging her for what felt like abandonment. And in the end, I was reminded of the dangers of judging without context.
Much of the historical fiction I read falls during one of the two World Wars, and that is because it interests me, but also because there is a ton of it out there. But this book isn’t like those books. For one, it goes beyond Europe and America, touching on the involvement of the East, even Africa. Also, Lina becomes a war correspondent and covers the conflicts that came after, taking us through war history in more recent decades. And through it all, we see a really thorough examination of her life, and of the times, in a way I haven't seen in other books written about the same time period. The character development is superb. Lina’s humanity is laid bare, and through this most vulnerable act of exposing herself fully, she reminded me of my own humanity, and the importance of forgiveness and empathy.
If you love historical fiction and/or character driven novels, I simply can’t recommend this book enough.
Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.
This is one of those books that started off on the wrong foot for me. The narrator was a bit pretentious, and sometimes it felt as though someone – narrator or author is unclear – was “trying too hard”. However, knowing that first chapters tend to be the roughest, and committed to giving it at least 10% before setting it aside, I continued. Once again, perseverance paid off! Lina did take some getting used to, and I still found her rather irritating from time to time, she eased up and let go of some of that “shell” as she let go of herself and embraced her past. And admittedly, it becomes clear from the start that she gave her young daughter up for adoption, and because of her age (14 months old!), the mother in me was judging her for what felt like abandonment. And in the end, I was reminded of the dangers of judging without context.
Much of the historical fiction I read falls during one of the two World Wars, and that is because it interests me, but also because there is a ton of it out there. But this book isn’t like those books. For one, it goes beyond Europe and America, touching on the involvement of the East, even Africa. Also, Lina becomes a war correspondent and covers the conflicts that came after, taking us through war history in more recent decades. And through it all, we see a really thorough examination of her life, and of the times, in a way I haven't seen in other books written about the same time period. The character development is superb. Lina’s humanity is laid bare, and through this most vulnerable act of exposing herself fully, she reminded me of my own humanity, and the importance of forgiveness and empathy.
If you love historical fiction and/or character driven novels, I simply can’t recommend this book enough.
Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.
January 27, 2022
[2.5 stars]
I guess after finishing this book I could summarise all my thoughts with
that’s it.
The Reckoning is a story written as a letter from a mother to the daughter she abandoned as a baby. And in concept, I would love this idea. I’ve always loved historical fiction and books in the format. However, holy shit did this book feel like nothing to me. I finished it, put it on my shelf, and am already slowly forgetting it - so let’s make this quick.
My main problem with the book was the narrator/main character, Lina Rose, and the simple fact that she was annoying. All of her comments that had nothing to do with the storyline just got on my nerves. And not to mention the amount of times they were repeated. You could play a drinking game with the amount of times Lina said something along the lines of ‘You can’t judge me, Diane’ or ‘I’m trying to be fair on both of us, Diane’ or ‘I’m not asking for forgiveness I’m simply stating my story, Diane’.
Perhaps I exaggerated how many times they were said, but who knows. However, I just know that this book could be 100 pages less, that much is repeated. And was it even good enough to be repeated once? It felt ‘fake-deep’ - mind the Reddit reference. It lacked depth, for me.
The most interesting part of the story followed Lina’s parents and how the wars affected them. In fact, my favourite part to read was from Lina’s mother’s perspective. Which made me realise that I think the author has good ideas and writing, she just chose the wrong narrator for this book.
Would I recommend this? Yeah? If you like wordy books and discussions on the two world wars. Then again, I like both of those things and I didn’t like this. I know there are people that like this book: good for them. Unfortunately, no, not for me.
There’s a lot more I could say on this book so I’ll summarise it very quickly:
- Robert’s storyline was interesting but felt slightly underwhelming
- Now what was underwhelming was the ‘twist’ at the end. Don’t understand it, it didn’t really add much to the story
- The first half of the book is the better half
- The last 50 pages? Torture. Other than the last 10 or so, they were okay.
Did make me rethink my rating system so, thanks for that.
I guess after finishing this book I could summarise all my thoughts with
that’s it.
The Reckoning is a story written as a letter from a mother to the daughter she abandoned as a baby. And in concept, I would love this idea. I’ve always loved historical fiction and books in the format. However, holy shit did this book feel like nothing to me. I finished it, put it on my shelf, and am already slowly forgetting it - so let’s make this quick.
My main problem with the book was the narrator/main character, Lina Rose, and the simple fact that she was annoying. All of her comments that had nothing to do with the storyline just got on my nerves. And not to mention the amount of times they were repeated. You could play a drinking game with the amount of times Lina said something along the lines of ‘You can’t judge me, Diane’ or ‘I’m trying to be fair on both of us, Diane’ or ‘I’m not asking for forgiveness I’m simply stating my story, Diane’.
Perhaps I exaggerated how many times they were said, but who knows. However, I just know that this book could be 100 pages less, that much is repeated. And was it even good enough to be repeated once? It felt ‘fake-deep’ - mind the Reddit reference. It lacked depth, for me.
The most interesting part of the story followed Lina’s parents and how the wars affected them. In fact, my favourite part to read was from Lina’s mother’s perspective. Which made me realise that I think the author has good ideas and writing, she just chose the wrong narrator for this book.
Would I recommend this? Yeah? If you like wordy books and discussions on the two world wars. Then again, I like both of those things and I didn’t like this. I know there are people that like this book: good for them. Unfortunately, no, not for me.
There’s a lot more I could say on this book so I’ll summarise it very quickly:
- Robert’s storyline was interesting but felt slightly underwhelming
- Now what was underwhelming was the ‘twist’ at the end. Don’t understand it, it didn’t really add much to the story
- The first half of the book is the better half
- The last 50 pages? Torture. Other than the last 10 or so, they were okay.
Did make me rethink my rating system so, thanks for that.
April 14, 2019
The Reckoning is an outstanding work of literary fiction - a raw and unapologetic reflection on life, love and what it takes to survive.
"Dislikeable people are never truly evil. We are all just trying to survive as best we can."
This epistolary novel charts the life of Lina Rose - a rather imperious character who seems immune to other peoples' opinions of her. But she does want to set the record straight, in the winter of her life, and so the novel shifts from the present to her past; recounting a life marred by war and loss. She is writing letters to her daughter in an attempt to explain why she put her up for adoption, but this is no sentimental tale. It is by turns haunting, touching, ruthless and heartbreaking.
I have read many historical fiction novels set in World War II, but nothing so visceral and unflinching (perhaps this is a result of Ní Chonghaile's background in journalism). I felt like I was in WWII! The romance and adventure of the early years - the section where Lina meets her husband Robert - war brides and the urgency of their love as an antidote to war. Then the terror and futility of war - the arbitrary nature of survival and the guilt that ensues. I also found the connection with World War I (the war to end all wars) and the affect of facing another world war on ordinary people an interesting vantage point.
Ní Chonghaile writes such beautiful prose, I often found myself having to pause and re-read, and the book's title is the perfect description for what we all must face one day - when we will have to explain our actions and hopefully be able to stand over them and take ownership of them. The first couple of chapters were a little difficult to get into - possibly because Lina is such a prickly character! But she is one that will get under your skin and stay with you long after you've finished the book. A highly compelling read.
"Dislikeable people are never truly evil. We are all just trying to survive as best we can."
This epistolary novel charts the life of Lina Rose - a rather imperious character who seems immune to other peoples' opinions of her. But she does want to set the record straight, in the winter of her life, and so the novel shifts from the present to her past; recounting a life marred by war and loss. She is writing letters to her daughter in an attempt to explain why she put her up for adoption, but this is no sentimental tale. It is by turns haunting, touching, ruthless and heartbreaking.
I have read many historical fiction novels set in World War II, but nothing so visceral and unflinching (perhaps this is a result of Ní Chonghaile's background in journalism). I felt like I was in WWII! The romance and adventure of the early years - the section where Lina meets her husband Robert - war brides and the urgency of their love as an antidote to war. Then the terror and futility of war - the arbitrary nature of survival and the guilt that ensues. I also found the connection with World War I (the war to end all wars) and the affect of facing another world war on ordinary people an interesting vantage point.
Ní Chonghaile writes such beautiful prose, I often found myself having to pause and re-read, and the book's title is the perfect description for what we all must face one day - when we will have to explain our actions and hopefully be able to stand over them and take ownership of them. The first couple of chapters were a little difficult to get into - possibly because Lina is such a prickly character! But she is one that will get under your skin and stay with you long after you've finished the book. A highly compelling read.
September 4, 2023
Straight away we meet Lina.
A spirited and very opinionated lady who knows what she wants to say and has a very good reason for saying it, doesn't take any flack from anyone and has lived through a war that terrorised our planet due to the arguments of power hungry evilness. Not just a war, but other important turning points in history thought the years.
But this isn't about the way, the 70 year old lady who is the main character and all round brilliantly, clever and funny lady.. It's about her. Diane.
As we are taken through the murky memories of someone, who's mind has seen more than it should have, saved too much information to be classed as helpful and lived through so many lifetimes in her imagination she's not sure which one she would like to be in today, we start to be given small puzzle pieces in the ever evolving jigsaw of her life.
This book was brilliant. Lina was spectacular and from the first few pages, as soon as i saw three words I had to look up in a thesaurus, I knew it was going to be a good read.
I mean for a book that technically only lasted a few days as the writer typed.. It's a piece of art
I was hooked from the first page, fell in love with characters, hated and was shocked by events. I even nearly burnt the house down because my dinner was turned to charcoal when I reached a pivotal point in the story!!!
Amazing Story, beautifully written from a mind I cannot wait to delve into again with another book by them 😍😍😍😍😍
A spirited and very opinionated lady who knows what she wants to say and has a very good reason for saying it, doesn't take any flack from anyone and has lived through a war that terrorised our planet due to the arguments of power hungry evilness. Not just a war, but other important turning points in history thought the years.
But this isn't about the way, the 70 year old lady who is the main character and all round brilliantly, clever and funny lady.. It's about her. Diane.
As we are taken through the murky memories of someone, who's mind has seen more than it should have, saved too much information to be classed as helpful and lived through so many lifetimes in her imagination she's not sure which one she would like to be in today, we start to be given small puzzle pieces in the ever evolving jigsaw of her life.
This book was brilliant. Lina was spectacular and from the first few pages, as soon as i saw three words I had to look up in a thesaurus, I knew it was going to be a good read.
I mean for a book that technically only lasted a few days as the writer typed.. It's a piece of art
I was hooked from the first page, fell in love with characters, hated and was shocked by events. I even nearly burnt the house down because my dinner was turned to charcoal when I reached a pivotal point in the story!!!
Amazing Story, beautifully written from a mind I cannot wait to delve into again with another book by them 😍😍😍😍😍
February 27, 2020
3 ⭐️ review
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the epistolary format of the The Reckoning and learning more about Lina’s life pre and post WWII. It read like a nonfiction memoir instead of a work of historical fiction. Lina was born to parents who lived through and fought in WWI and while her parents hoped there wouldn’t be another Great War. Sadly, Lina and her beau Robert would live through WWII which would set off a chain of events that would change Lina’s life forever.
Who is the Diana that Lina is writing to and what is her reasoning?
I do wish there had been some more plot during her time in Paris, Asia, and Kenya. Although by the end of the book I understood why there wasn’t much plot.
November 28, 2018
Moving, beautifully written and thought-provoking.
The Reckoning is a poignant meditation of love, loss and the price of freedom. In a cottage in Normandy, ageing author Lina is writing to the daughter she abandoned as a baby. She is determined to trace her family's history through the two world wars that shaped her life. Flawed, brittle and heartbreakingly human, Lina struggles to justify her choices, her actions and reactions. Truth is elusive but as she recalls her life, through the two world wars and her work as a journalist in Korea, Vietnam and Kenya, she approaches a kind of self-realisation that offers a measure of salvation.
The Reckoning is a poignant meditation of love, loss and the price of freedom. In a cottage in Normandy, ageing author Lina is writing to the daughter she abandoned as a baby. She is determined to trace her family's history through the two world wars that shaped her life. Flawed, brittle and heartbreakingly human, Lina struggles to justify her choices, her actions and reactions. Truth is elusive but as she recalls her life, through the two world wars and her work as a journalist in Korea, Vietnam and Kenya, she approaches a kind of self-realisation that offers a measure of salvation.
January 23, 2022
I loved this story! It was heartwarming, heartbreaking and very gripping. I loved how we covered Lina’s mother’s story and how she met her husband (Lina’s father). I enjoyed hearing about how the characters dealt with the wars as well as afterwards.
This was a solid story and was well written. The first chapter felt a bit slow and I felt I had to adjust to the writing style and how the book was going to be set out.
If you’re interested in reading family drama stories or historical books, I feel like this is the perfect story for you! I would recommend this book, I think it’s a solid story, with great characters and it never gets boring! It’s emotional at points too as things happen when you least expect them to which keeps you on your toes!
This was a solid story and was well written. The first chapter felt a bit slow and I felt I had to adjust to the writing style and how the book was going to be set out.
If you’re interested in reading family drama stories or historical books, I feel like this is the perfect story for you! I would recommend this book, I think it’s a solid story, with great characters and it never gets boring! It’s emotional at points too as things happen when you least expect them to which keeps you on your toes!
October 26, 2018
The Reckoning is a book that completely consumed me; you know that feeling when everyday life just gets in the way and all you want to do is hide in a corner and read your book? Well that’s exactly how I felt reading The Reckoning. I loved its central character Lina Rose. I think she may be one of my favourite characters ever in literary fiction. Yes, I loved her that much. Lina is brusque, selfish, flawed. She is also witty, courageous and full of humanity. To read my full review, please go to https://noveldelights.com/2018/10/25/...
June 29, 2021
Was a bit wordy for my liking but ultimately the story was unashamedly told.
Lina living a life through the 2nd world war and falling in love with Robert, awaiting his return so they can continue their life together.
The narrative is written in is a letter format to Lina's daughter, Diane. Told to recreate the history of where Diane came from and why she is where she is now.
The ending was truly wonderful and close to my heart. I think if you can get past the lengthy prose I would definitely suggest reading. So very different with difficult subjects told in an empathetic way.
Lina living a life through the 2nd world war and falling in love with Robert, awaiting his return so they can continue their life together.
The narrative is written in is a letter format to Lina's daughter, Diane. Told to recreate the history of where Diane came from and why she is where she is now.
The ending was truly wonderful and close to my heart. I think if you can get past the lengthy prose I would definitely suggest reading. So very different with difficult subjects told in an empathetic way.
October 11, 2021
A gripping telling of the lives of Lina and her parents during WWI and WWII in England, especially the affects of grief and loss. Lina's life depicted her coping skills and early years as a working woman. Her years as a journalist and later a novelist while exploring the world are engrossing, and portray a version of motherhood seldom explored.
Bonus points for the author's Martha Gellhorn quote who said that novels as opposed to journalism contain "all that objectivity shit".
Birmingham library
Bonus points for the author's Martha Gellhorn quote who said that novels as opposed to journalism contain "all that objectivity shit".
Birmingham library
March 10, 2023
Found this novel very absorbing with a great, if rather self indulgent, narrator. She's a 70 yr old mother writing to explain herself to the adult daughter she gave up for adoption and it's done really well. As is the coverage of both World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam Wars and post-colonial Africa that happen along the way, in particular the harm war and other conflicts cause to everyone concerned and for generations to come. Like most books that are letters I don't know anyone who actually writes letters like this but nevertheless it made a good story.
January 23, 2022
I've read other novels that dealt with war but none of them conveyed so well the lingering trauma and damages that stay with communities and in particular, families. I was really impressed with how the author handled this and I think she fulfilled what she was trying to do. Even though the book is only a little over 300 pages, I came away feeling like I know Lina's life.
May 28, 2025
3.5☆ An absorbing tale with so much historical detail, I liked the idea of the way the story was told and the beginning and end for me were the best parts. I struggled a bit in the middle to keep engaged with the story. My feelings for Lina's character moved with the story and the different revelations A worthwhile read but for me the story lost it's pace in the middle.
June 12, 2021
This was a beautiful story, so captivating. I was fully absorbed into Lina’s story from the moment I picked the book up.
Received through Box of Stories, highly recommend.
Received through Box of Stories, highly recommend.
October 11, 2023
war goes brrrrrrr
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews