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When I Was Yours
1939. War has broken out – hundreds of children are evacuated to the countryside to keep them safe from the bombs raining down on the cities. Wrenched from her family in the East End and sent more than a hundred miles away, seven-year-old Pearl Posner must adapt to a new life away from everything familiar.
Vivienne didn’t ask for an evacuee child. In fact, she’s not sure her heart can take it. So many years, so many disappointments… Vivi’s ability to feel love left her the day she learned the truth about her husband Edmund, and when she made the worst decision of her life and left her cherished sister to her fate. But like it or not, Pearl is here to stay, and what with the rumours about what’s happening to children in mainland Europe, it might be the last safe place for her.
As Pearl and Vivi learn how to live together, they discover that they have a connection that runs more deeply than they could ever have guessed – from before Pearl was born, and deep into Vivienne’s past. And will it be Pearl – the little girl who says so little and sees so much – who forces Vivi to finally confront what happened in her marriage… and to the long-lost sister she loved so dearly and let fall so far, just when she needed Vivi most?
A beautiful and emotional wartime historical novel – heartbreaking, moving and unforgettable. Perfect for fans of Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours.
Vivienne didn’t ask for an evacuee child. In fact, she’s not sure her heart can take it. So many years, so many disappointments… Vivi’s ability to feel love left her the day she learned the truth about her husband Edmund, and when she made the worst decision of her life and left her cherished sister to her fate. But like it or not, Pearl is here to stay, and what with the rumours about what’s happening to children in mainland Europe, it might be the last safe place for her.
As Pearl and Vivi learn how to live together, they discover that they have a connection that runs more deeply than they could ever have guessed – from before Pearl was born, and deep into Vivienne’s past. And will it be Pearl – the little girl who says so little and sees so much – who forces Vivi to finally confront what happened in her marriage… and to the long-lost sister she loved so dearly and let fall so far, just when she needed Vivi most?
A beautiful and emotional wartime historical novel – heartbreaking, moving and unforgettable. Perfect for fans of Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours.
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First published April 16, 2019
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About the author
Lizzie Page
14 books188 followersHello and thank you for stopping by.
I love reading ALL the books, and I've always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to me to write historical fiction.
I live with my family by the sea in South East England. And with my dog. How did I forget my dog? I enjoy traveling and lived in Japan for several years. I've had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling - but being a writer is my absolute favourite.
I hope my novels help shine a light on the achievements, love and relationships of twentieth-century women, and that the books are entertaining and moving.
I'd love to hear what you think - feel free to send me a message on twitter @LizziePagewrite or on FB or leave a review here.
Happy reading,
Love Lizzie xx
I love reading ALL the books, and I've always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to me to write historical fiction.
I live with my family by the sea in South East England. And with my dog. How did I forget my dog? I enjoy traveling and lived in Japan for several years. I've had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling - but being a writer is my absolute favourite.
I hope my novels help shine a light on the achievements, love and relationships of twentieth-century women, and that the books are entertaining and moving.
I'd love to hear what you think - feel free to send me a message on twitter @LizziePagewrite or on FB or leave a review here.
Happy reading,
Love Lizzie xx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
September 3, 2019
By no means is this a light read.
It’s based around war time and gave me greater insight than I ever thought about.
When my grandparents were alive I heard lots about the war, the rationing and the “war effort”.
I heard about the children who were safely sent to live with others in the country. However that didn’t always have an happy ending.
This book gave me yet another angle on things.
A moving, emotional read. Not all doom and gloom, but very realistic.
My thanks to Bookoutour
It’s based around war time and gave me greater insight than I ever thought about.
When my grandparents were alive I heard lots about the war, the rationing and the “war effort”.
I heard about the children who were safely sent to live with others in the country. However that didn’t always have an happy ending.
This book gave me yet another angle on things.
A moving, emotional read. Not all doom and gloom, but very realistic.
My thanks to Bookoutour
February 7, 2020
The book is a duel timeline, though one I haven't read before. It is the story of Vivienne Lowe and tells her story of being the dutiful oldest daughter, helping her father in his carpet business in the early 1900's, keeping an eye on her more spirited younger sister, Olive, and the "courtship" with Edmund Lowe. The other timeline is Vivienne's life in the early 1940's as she takes in an evacuee from London during the early days of World War II.
We find out that Vivienne was an ambulance driving in France during the Great War with her sister and Edmund was fighting in Belgium. As with working with many injured soldiers, Vivienne befriends a British pilot, Sam, knowing she finds him extremely interesting but she never could be with him. Being the kid of person she is, she tells him no she is engaged and she is bound to Edmund. Even though she does not love Edmund, she marries him after the war, his secrets and all. But it is her relationship with her sister, as close as they once were, is torn.
In 1939 she was assigned a child being evacuated from London to come and live with her. The child is Pearl and Vivienne finds the child so familiar, much like her sister Olive, and then she gets the surprise she never saw coming.
This was a good book, a good comparison to her life working in the Great War and how her relationships worked out. To her life in WWII, and how Vivienne finally broke that mold of being the oldest child and having to take care of everyone else, to finally living as Vivienne wanted to live. Would definitely recommend to readers who like historical fiction.
We find out that Vivienne was an ambulance driving in France during the Great War with her sister and Edmund was fighting in Belgium. As with working with many injured soldiers, Vivienne befriends a British pilot, Sam, knowing she finds him extremely interesting but she never could be with him. Being the kid of person she is, she tells him no she is engaged and she is bound to Edmund. Even though she does not love Edmund, she marries him after the war, his secrets and all. But it is her relationship with her sister, as close as they once were, is torn.
In 1939 she was assigned a child being evacuated from London to come and live with her. The child is Pearl and Vivienne finds the child so familiar, much like her sister Olive, and then she gets the surprise she never saw coming.
This was a good book, a good comparison to her life working in the Great War and how her relationships worked out. To her life in WWII, and how Vivienne finally broke that mold of being the oldest child and having to take care of everyone else, to finally living as Vivienne wanted to live. Would definitely recommend to readers who like historical fiction.
April 8, 2019
I’ll be honest - it took me a while to get into this book. The blurb emphasised the evacuation storyline, so I was anticipating something like my favourite childhood drama – Carrie’s War. This is no Carrie’s War, and on reflection, the evacuation story isn’t the main theme. This book is about love and prejudice.
Vivi, the main character, keeps missing her chances of love- be it marital, sisterly or maternal, - because of attitudes about what is expected, respectable and normal. There are plot twists. One of them is well-signalled and it’s just a matter of waiting for Vivi to catch on. The other, about her marriage, is more of a shocker.
Having read one of Page’s previous books, I know that she researches thoroughly and likes to fictionalise real people. The more unlikely the names sound, the more likely they are to be true ... yes, there was (and still is!) a volunteer group called FANY (who knew?), and you wouldn’t make up a surname like Mudie-Cooke would you?
So I would say, don’t be fooled by the rather maudlin evacuee on the cover. Allow yourself – like I did – to get sucked into the lives of women who lived through two world wars, and you’ll find the yourself engrossed till the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Vivi, the main character, keeps missing her chances of love- be it marital, sisterly or maternal, - because of attitudes about what is expected, respectable and normal. There are plot twists. One of them is well-signalled and it’s just a matter of waiting for Vivi to catch on. The other, about her marriage, is more of a shocker.
Having read one of Page’s previous books, I know that she researches thoroughly and likes to fictionalise real people. The more unlikely the names sound, the more likely they are to be true ... yes, there was (and still is!) a volunteer group called FANY (who knew?), and you wouldn’t make up a surname like Mudie-Cooke would you?
So I would say, don’t be fooled by the rather maudlin evacuee on the cover. Allow yourself – like I did – to get sucked into the lives of women who lived through two world wars, and you’ll find the yourself engrossed till the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
March 19, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this arc.
I really enjoyed this one and I mostly find "woman's fiction" to be empty reads. It was the historical fiction that drew me into this. While I've read a lot about WWII, WWI or the "greatest war" has mostly escaped me. This book straddled both wars with Vivienne's story. It's told in dual timelines, young & dumb and older & wiser. The atmosphere of war was very well captured and it hit on a lot of contemporary issues as well. I also enjoyed the war participation depictions... on the front line as well as on the home front. Vivienne's character was fully developed and it was wonderful seeing her come into a mature adulthood. There was also a sweet romance running through the background.
4.5 stars rounded up
I really enjoyed this one and I mostly find "woman's fiction" to be empty reads. It was the historical fiction that drew me into this. While I've read a lot about WWII, WWI or the "greatest war" has mostly escaped me. This book straddled both wars with Vivienne's story. It's told in dual timelines, young & dumb and older & wiser. The atmosphere of war was very well captured and it hit on a lot of contemporary issues as well. I also enjoyed the war participation depictions... on the front line as well as on the home front. Vivienne's character was fully developed and it was wonderful seeing her come into a mature adulthood. There was also a sweet romance running through the background.
4.5 stars rounded up
February 9, 2020
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture for my copy of: When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page.
The story has a dual time line, the story alternates between 1914 to 1939.
In 1914, a young Vivienne Mudie-Coates falls in love with her cousin Richards best friend, Edmund Lowes. After Richard dies during the first world war, Vivi and her sister Olive decide to go to France to help the war effort and become ambulance drivers.
During this time Vivi saves a young English pilot Sam Isacc from his burning plane, Vivi and Sam feel an instant connection to each other, but Vivi is engaged to Edmund and feels that she can't let him down after she discovers he he's been injured and she decides to do the right thing and they marry at the end of the war.
In 1939, Vivi and Edmund are stuck in a very unhappy marriage, they basically live separate lives and sadly don't have any children.
Due to it not being safe in London many children are evacuated to the English countryside, all houses are inspected and if households have any spare bedrooms their names are added to a list and they're informed of how many evacuees they will be required to look after.
Vivi and Edmund have one spare room, Edmund isn't happy about having a child stay but they have no choice and Vivi goes to meet the evacuees. She meets a sweet little girl called Pearl Posner who seems a suitable choice and she takes her home.
Looking after Pearl gives Vivi a new purpose, her life has been rather predictable, boring and she discovers that her life and Pearl's has an unexpected link to Vivi's past.
The story goes back and forth between what happens to Vivi and her sister Olive during WW I and the current time frame of 1939 and what happened to Vivi's family and friends during WW II.
Lets just say Vivi made a huge mistake marrying Edmund and she might get an unexpected second chance at finding true love.
I enjoyed When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page, but the story did jump around a lot due to being set during two different wars, two time frames, and it made the story confusing at times. I gave When I Was Yours three stars, I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Australian Amazon and on my blog.https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
The story has a dual time line, the story alternates between 1914 to 1939.
In 1914, a young Vivienne Mudie-Coates falls in love with her cousin Richards best friend, Edmund Lowes. After Richard dies during the first world war, Vivi and her sister Olive decide to go to France to help the war effort and become ambulance drivers.
During this time Vivi saves a young English pilot Sam Isacc from his burning plane, Vivi and Sam feel an instant connection to each other, but Vivi is engaged to Edmund and feels that she can't let him down after she discovers he he's been injured and she decides to do the right thing and they marry at the end of the war.
In 1939, Vivi and Edmund are stuck in a very unhappy marriage, they basically live separate lives and sadly don't have any children.
Due to it not being safe in London many children are evacuated to the English countryside, all houses are inspected and if households have any spare bedrooms their names are added to a list and they're informed of how many evacuees they will be required to look after.
Vivi and Edmund have one spare room, Edmund isn't happy about having a child stay but they have no choice and Vivi goes to meet the evacuees. She meets a sweet little girl called Pearl Posner who seems a suitable choice and she takes her home.
Looking after Pearl gives Vivi a new purpose, her life has been rather predictable, boring and she discovers that her life and Pearl's has an unexpected link to Vivi's past.
The story goes back and forth between what happens to Vivi and her sister Olive during WW I and the current time frame of 1939 and what happened to Vivi's family and friends during WW II.
Lets just say Vivi made a huge mistake marrying Edmund and she might get an unexpected second chance at finding true love.
I enjoyed When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page, but the story did jump around a lot due to being set during two different wars, two time frames, and it made the story confusing at times. I gave When I Was Yours three stars, I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Australian Amazon and on my blog.https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
January 23, 2021
Due to the cover picture and the book title I expected the story to be about children being evacuated from London during WW2.
There is an evacuee, a Jewish 7-year old child named Pearl Posner, but it is Vivienne, the evacuee parent, who is the major character.
Vivienne is not the most engaging character you will ever meet in a book. She, at first, simply appears to be a bit timid – but the book alternates in two time lines 1939 WW2 and 1914 WW1.
Vivienne and her sister Olive (based upon real life artist Olive Mudie-Cooke) are part of the VAD driving ambulances in France for FANY in WW1. So maybe Vivienne is not so timid after all.
WW2 finds Vivienne married to her childhood boyfriend. From the beginning this is not a happy union. The husband is especially not happy when Vivienne is encouraged to bring an evacuated child into the home.
Vivienne, unable to have children, takes to the child Pearl quite easily.
This should have been a story about Pearl, but it turns out that Pearl appears to have been written into the story to (rather cunningly) bring together Vivienne and someone other than her husband. The love story that is the real basis of the book.
Vivienne just doesn’t show bad judgement she comes across as too naïve, even stupid, to be believable. I could not warm up to her and felt that Pearl was being ‘used’ by the author to promote a story that had little to do with evacuees.
3-stars because the writing wasn’t terrible, I just didn’t care for the construction and the use of Pearl to enhance a love story.
There is an evacuee, a Jewish 7-year old child named Pearl Posner, but it is Vivienne, the evacuee parent, who is the major character.
Vivienne is not the most engaging character you will ever meet in a book. She, at first, simply appears to be a bit timid – but the book alternates in two time lines 1939 WW2 and 1914 WW1.
Vivienne and her sister Olive (based upon real life artist Olive Mudie-Cooke) are part of the VAD driving ambulances in France for FANY in WW1. So maybe Vivienne is not so timid after all.
WW2 finds Vivienne married to her childhood boyfriend. From the beginning this is not a happy union. The husband is especially not happy when Vivienne is encouraged to bring an evacuated child into the home.
Vivienne, unable to have children, takes to the child Pearl quite easily.
This should have been a story about Pearl, but it turns out that Pearl appears to have been written into the story to (rather cunningly) bring together Vivienne and someone other than her husband. The love story that is the real basis of the book.
Vivienne just doesn’t show bad judgement she comes across as too naïve, even stupid, to be believable. I could not warm up to her and felt that Pearl was being ‘used’ by the author to promote a story that had little to do with evacuees.
3-stars because the writing wasn’t terrible, I just didn’t care for the construction and the use of Pearl to enhance a love story.
June 19, 2019
I had high hopes for this book about WWI and WW2. A little shy girl and many other children were sent to the country for protection from the bombs falling in London. Although heartbreaking in parts the story was disappointing because it dragged along and I nearly lost interest.
2.5✭
2.5✭
August 8, 2020
Another well done historical fiction focusing on women’s efforts during both WWI and WWII. Vivienne and her sister Olive work as ambulance drivers during the Great War. The author shows the different ways in which what we see and experience effects how we choose to live our lives afterward.
Although the book cover and the reviews seem to focus on the children evacuated from London during WWII the real story is about the two sisters growing up from naive teenagers to adult women and the lessons life teaches them along the way. Vivi focuses on family expectations and obligations while Olive takes the road less traveled.
Unwilling to take a child from London into her home, but given no choice, Vivi begins a life changing journey.
Lizzie Page gives her readers a well written story with interesting characters, historical insight, and societies’ views of right and wrong.
Although the book cover and the reviews seem to focus on the children evacuated from London during WWII the real story is about the two sisters growing up from naive teenagers to adult women and the lessons life teaches them along the way. Vivi focuses on family expectations and obligations while Olive takes the road less traveled.
Unwilling to take a child from London into her home, but given no choice, Vivi begins a life changing journey.
Lizzie Page gives her readers a well written story with interesting characters, historical insight, and societies’ views of right and wrong.
April 17, 2019
When I was Yours by Lizzie Page is an immersive story set during WWII. During this time, children are being sent from London to the countryside for safety. Vivienne Lowe does not want an evacuee child , but fate has a way of stepping in and she soon finds herself a host to a seven year old Jewish girl, Pearl Posner. In Pearl, Vivienne slowly starts to find herself and opens herself up to love which she neither wants or thinks she deserves. Little does Vivienne know, but Pearl is going to bring Vivienne back to a past she has never forgotten or forgiven herself for. Will Vivienne finally find her way out of all of the hurt in her past?
There is something about WWII novels that has a certain quality to it that remarkably atmospheric and beautiful even though it is set during a horrible war. People were so different back then and you can really see the determination in people to help during the war effort. Lizzie Page really poured her heart out in this story especially when it came to both Vivienne and her sister, Olive. Vivienne is the more practical of the two. She has her heart set on marrying Edmund, the best friend of her cousin, even though her sister, Olive thinks Edmund is the wrong one for her. Olive is the artist, I would say she is more of a rebel and doesn’t quite fit into the norm of women during that time period. Olive is an artist and is passionate and determined. Often times it leads to both sisters butting heads and not seeing eye to eye.
This story is told in dual timelines, during the the start of WWI and in the present right at the beginning of WWII in 1939. While I loved the present story, my heart really went out to the women during the war effort in 1914. Lizzie Page really showed what is was like for women who became nurses to help soldiers in distress. You can really see the research and the love that went into the writing and it really shines through page after page. I loved learning about FANY, a first aid nursing Yeomanry which was an all female registered charity.
I will admit that at first, I did feel sorry for Vivienne as she seems to be trapped in a loveless marriage and I felt like she had no backbone, which for a good part of the story she doesn’t. But, slowly I started to see her growth as both a woman capable of love, capable of making friends and having a life outside of her marriage and finally, finding it in her heart to love a child, something she never had during her marriage.
If you love an immersive war time story, I encourage you to read When I was Yours. It is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Lizzie Page shows true strength and perseverance at the heart of this story. This is definitely a story to be remembered.
There is something about WWII novels that has a certain quality to it that remarkably atmospheric and beautiful even though it is set during a horrible war. People were so different back then and you can really see the determination in people to help during the war effort. Lizzie Page really poured her heart out in this story especially when it came to both Vivienne and her sister, Olive. Vivienne is the more practical of the two. She has her heart set on marrying Edmund, the best friend of her cousin, even though her sister, Olive thinks Edmund is the wrong one for her. Olive is the artist, I would say she is more of a rebel and doesn’t quite fit into the norm of women during that time period. Olive is an artist and is passionate and determined. Often times it leads to both sisters butting heads and not seeing eye to eye.
This story is told in dual timelines, during the the start of WWI and in the present right at the beginning of WWII in 1939. While I loved the present story, my heart really went out to the women during the war effort in 1914. Lizzie Page really showed what is was like for women who became nurses to help soldiers in distress. You can really see the research and the love that went into the writing and it really shines through page after page. I loved learning about FANY, a first aid nursing Yeomanry which was an all female registered charity.
I will admit that at first, I did feel sorry for Vivienne as she seems to be trapped in a loveless marriage and I felt like she had no backbone, which for a good part of the story she doesn’t. But, slowly I started to see her growth as both a woman capable of love, capable of making friends and having a life outside of her marriage and finally, finding it in her heart to love a child, something she never had during her marriage.
If you love an immersive war time story, I encourage you to read When I was Yours. It is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Lizzie Page shows true strength and perseverance at the heart of this story. This is definitely a story to be remembered.
April 16, 2019
Lizzie Page has gone and done it again with this beautiful, poignant and immensely emotional story that spans across two world wars. I have been a fan Of Ms Pages work for a while now, her grasp of this particular era is amazing, she really draws you into the past with her eloquent and sensitive writing. She is by far one of my favourite authors, and this is a brilliant addition to her rapidly growing CV.
What I particularly loved about this is the cleverly written duel time line, set in both wars. We see the lead character Vivienne make her way through WW1 as a young woman and then into WW2. I love each part of the Vivi’s story but I was particular taken with her years in WW1 – but that’s not because those parts of the story written any differently, every part of the book is just as great as the next, It’s just I have a soft spot for that era and I’m fascinated with the roles women took at the time.
In 1914 and very young Vivienne and her sister Olive want to do something for the war effort, so they start working as ambulance drivers – it is this aspect of the story which really caught my attention, it is both historically detailed so much so that you can see every scene with absolute clarity, and it is also hugely emotional to read. Vivi has fallen in love with her cousin’s best friend; Edmund, and becomes engaged to him. Then she suddenly she meets charismatic pilot Sam, that does capture Vivi’s attention but she is a good, loyal women she has made a promise to him and she won’t go back on it no matter what she feels for Sam.
In 1939, Vivi and Edmund are not quite so happily married, they are living separate lives, there are various factors into why they aren’t living in happily married bliss which I really won’t go into – no spoilers here – and on top of that they never did have children of their own, which you can really sense that is a tough subject for Vivi, but her unhappiness comes from more than that. Personally speaking, I think that Vivi marrying Edmund was the worse decision of her live and that has really ingrained itself on her.
Anyway they have been informed that she will be having an evacuee staying with them. Edmund doesn’t want a child in the house, especially someone else’s and like so many others he believes that this won’t come to anything that there will be no war. Vivi is both fearful and nervous about the prospect of having a child in the house, she doesn’t even know how to look after one. But she must soon learn, and once she meets her evacuee; a little girl named Pearl, she learns far more than to look after children she learns to love again and to open her heart which has been closed off for so long.
The relationship that blossoms between Vivi and Pearl is really something, looking after this sweet, quiet little girl gives Vivi something that has never thought to have; hope, a sense of being wanted and needed, a purpose, friendship and love, all things that she thought was lost to her so long ago and when she realises that there is more to this little girl, that there is a link between them really touches the reader and Vivi.
I absolutely love how this is written, Lizzie you have blown me away with your beautiful words, wonderful imagination and emotional story. I love how it tells us what happened to Vivi and her sister Olive during WW1 and then we move forward to see how Vivi is faring in 1939, the leaps from one era to the other is perfectly written, I found that there was no confusion of where you are in the story and each era seamlessly flows into one.
It is a lovingly written story that has real heart, and one that I cannot recommend enough. The story flows with so much ease, but it is the character’s especially Vivi which really steals the reader’s attention, she is a marvelous woman, her journey through live is one that many can relate to.
What I particularly loved about this is the cleverly written duel time line, set in both wars. We see the lead character Vivienne make her way through WW1 as a young woman and then into WW2. I love each part of the Vivi’s story but I was particular taken with her years in WW1 – but that’s not because those parts of the story written any differently, every part of the book is just as great as the next, It’s just I have a soft spot for that era and I’m fascinated with the roles women took at the time.
In 1914 and very young Vivienne and her sister Olive want to do something for the war effort, so they start working as ambulance drivers – it is this aspect of the story which really caught my attention, it is both historically detailed so much so that you can see every scene with absolute clarity, and it is also hugely emotional to read. Vivi has fallen in love with her cousin’s best friend; Edmund, and becomes engaged to him. Then she suddenly she meets charismatic pilot Sam, that does capture Vivi’s attention but she is a good, loyal women she has made a promise to him and she won’t go back on it no matter what she feels for Sam.
In 1939, Vivi and Edmund are not quite so happily married, they are living separate lives, there are various factors into why they aren’t living in happily married bliss which I really won’t go into – no spoilers here – and on top of that they never did have children of their own, which you can really sense that is a tough subject for Vivi, but her unhappiness comes from more than that. Personally speaking, I think that Vivi marrying Edmund was the worse decision of her live and that has really ingrained itself on her.
Anyway they have been informed that she will be having an evacuee staying with them. Edmund doesn’t want a child in the house, especially someone else’s and like so many others he believes that this won’t come to anything that there will be no war. Vivi is both fearful and nervous about the prospect of having a child in the house, she doesn’t even know how to look after one. But she must soon learn, and once she meets her evacuee; a little girl named Pearl, she learns far more than to look after children she learns to love again and to open her heart which has been closed off for so long.
The relationship that blossoms between Vivi and Pearl is really something, looking after this sweet, quiet little girl gives Vivi something that has never thought to have; hope, a sense of being wanted and needed, a purpose, friendship and love, all things that she thought was lost to her so long ago and when she realises that there is more to this little girl, that there is a link between them really touches the reader and Vivi.
I absolutely love how this is written, Lizzie you have blown me away with your beautiful words, wonderful imagination and emotional story. I love how it tells us what happened to Vivi and her sister Olive during WW1 and then we move forward to see how Vivi is faring in 1939, the leaps from one era to the other is perfectly written, I found that there was no confusion of where you are in the story and each era seamlessly flows into one.
It is a lovingly written story that has real heart, and one that I cannot recommend enough. The story flows with so much ease, but it is the character’s especially Vivi which really steals the reader’s attention, she is a marvelous woman, her journey through live is one that many can relate to.
April 21, 2019
Heartbreaker
1939 WW2 Vivienne and Edmund Lowe living in Hinckley are taking in one child from London its wartime and evacuees are needing homes to protect them from bombed out London. They have no children of their own, and take in seven year's old Pearl Posner.1914 WW1 sister's Vivienne and Olive Mudie-Cooke sisters both posted to Lamarck hospital in northern france. This book I found enchanting to read right through. With Vivienne and Mrs Burton doing their bit keeping the home fires burning with the women's voluntary service at the village hall. This book is definitely a heart breaker. I was left so emotional all the way through back and forth with all the characters lives. Sad happy times during both these wars. This book is going to pull at your heartstrings as you read. One of my top favourites so far this year.
1939 WW2 Vivienne and Edmund Lowe living in Hinckley are taking in one child from London its wartime and evacuees are needing homes to protect them from bombed out London. They have no children of their own, and take in seven year's old Pearl Posner.1914 WW1 sister's Vivienne and Olive Mudie-Cooke sisters both posted to Lamarck hospital in northern france. This book I found enchanting to read right through. With Vivienne and Mrs Burton doing their bit keeping the home fires burning with the women's voluntary service at the village hall. This book is definitely a heart breaker. I was left so emotional all the way through back and forth with all the characters lives. Sad happy times during both these wars. This book is going to pull at your heartstrings as you read. One of my top favourites so far this year.
March 17, 2023
I got completely immersed in this. I don’t normally like dual time line stories but it’s more like flash backs to the First World War which affects the main storylines in the Second World War so that worked really well for me. Memorable characters and plenty of plot twists I didn’t see coming, it’s heartbreaking but ultimately a comforting read. I loved reading the background about the real characters involved in the author notes at the back. Fascinating. A Lovely read and just what I needed.
May 15, 2019
Absolutely read this
This is a great story that takes you back and forth through the years of life during and after the War.If you like this kind of story it will amuse you and tear you up.Try it !
This is a great story that takes you back and forth through the years of life during and after the War.If you like this kind of story it will amuse you and tear you up.Try it !
April 28, 2019
SUPERB!
This is one of the best books about the Great WR and WWII. The characters were easy to know and live! I did not want this bill to end!
This is one of the best books about the Great WR and WWII. The characters were easy to know and live! I did not want this bill to end!
March 20, 2019
A book that lets you walk in the shoes of those who lived and fought in WWI and WWII, and we are in England with bombs being dropped.
The name of the book made me think of a previous read, and yes, children are involved, but they a very different story. While I did know about children from London going to the country during the blitz, we see where some of these youngsters go, and try to see what their lives were like.
Surprises here, but when some facts are released you want to cringe, so selfish, and so much pain.
I felt myself quickly involved in Vivienne’s life, and wanted to continue when the book ended, but we are left with a good idea of what is about to happen.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookoutour, and was not required to give a positive review.
The name of the book made me think of a previous read, and yes, children are involved, but they a very different story. While I did know about children from London going to the country during the blitz, we see where some of these youngsters go, and try to see what their lives were like.
Surprises here, but when some facts are released you want to cringe, so selfish, and so much pain.
I felt myself quickly involved in Vivienne’s life, and wanted to continue when the book ended, but we are left with a good idea of what is about to happen.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookoutour, and was not required to give a positive review.
April 21, 2019
It had been quite some time since I'd read an historical saga set during one the world wars, yet here I am reading two back to back this week. At one time I read a lot of these types of books, and after this week I really won't be leaving it so long - I've really appreciated the change from thriller after thriller and am reminded how much I do like historical fiction - especially that set in the late 19th and early 20th Century.
When I Was Yours has a somewhat unique approach - at least one I have never come across before - with a dual narrative set in both WW1 and WW2. I thought this was brilliant, not only in demonstrating the differences in the periods through the eyes of main character, Vivienne, but also in seeing the impact the wars had on those who lived through them both.
I enjoyed both time frames, which are told in alternating chapters. I was intrigued by Vivienne's story - as a brave ambulance driver during WW1 and an anxious and reluctant evacuee host during WW2 and wanted to know what had happened in the intervening years to change her so much? I loved the characterisation of her vivacious sister, Olive, in particular and found her tragic story both inspiring and heartbreaking. Having grown up on my own grandmother's stories of her time as an evacuee, I fell head over heels for Pearl Posner and the impact her arrival had on Vivienne. I still find it staggering that children were sent away to live with what could be anyone!
There's a strong theme of intolerance running through this book. Not just between warring countries, but also at home where expectations and attitudes are slowly shifting. It's interesting and quite poignant to see the shift played out between both WW1 and WW2, both within the community but individually as Vivienne developes and grows as a fully formed character.
When I Was Yours was an emotional and thought provoking read with the fascinating perspective of both wars. It brought tears to my eyes several times and yet also managed to make me smile. Well worth a read!
When I Was Yours has a somewhat unique approach - at least one I have never come across before - with a dual narrative set in both WW1 and WW2. I thought this was brilliant, not only in demonstrating the differences in the periods through the eyes of main character, Vivienne, but also in seeing the impact the wars had on those who lived through them both.
I enjoyed both time frames, which are told in alternating chapters. I was intrigued by Vivienne's story - as a brave ambulance driver during WW1 and an anxious and reluctant evacuee host during WW2 and wanted to know what had happened in the intervening years to change her so much? I loved the characterisation of her vivacious sister, Olive, in particular and found her tragic story both inspiring and heartbreaking. Having grown up on my own grandmother's stories of her time as an evacuee, I fell head over heels for Pearl Posner and the impact her arrival had on Vivienne. I still find it staggering that children were sent away to live with what could be anyone!
There's a strong theme of intolerance running through this book. Not just between warring countries, but also at home where expectations and attitudes are slowly shifting. It's interesting and quite poignant to see the shift played out between both WW1 and WW2, both within the community but individually as Vivienne developes and grows as a fully formed character.
When I Was Yours was an emotional and thought provoking read with the fascinating perspective of both wars. It brought tears to my eyes several times and yet also managed to make me smile. Well worth a read!
April 2, 2019
I truly enjoyed this book. First I must say I absolutely despised Edmund. Besides him though, I really loved the characters and their stories. I love that the novel spanned both WWI and WWII and went back forth between the two. While I have read a lot of WWII fiction and non fiction, I have not read as much about WWI and I find it fascinating to learn more about it. This book taught me some things I hadn't known about either war and made me interested to learn more. I loved the relatioship that grew between Pearl and Vivienne and how it tied together so much more than expected. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction and are looking for a different type of story to the typical war novel.
As a side note I didn't realize this was the third in a series, but it didn't make a difference in terms of understanding the storyline.
I received an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.
As a side note I didn't realize this was the third in a series, but it didn't make a difference in terms of understanding the storyline.
I received an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.
July 12, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It bounced back and forth but was easy to keep up?
April 16, 2019
This is a really hard book for me to review. It started out in 1939 and I really liked it. Then it switched to 1914 and I felt the story line went flat. The story is written in a dual timeline format between the World War I (or the Great War as it is referred to) and World War II. The story begins in 1939 when Vivienne is unhappily married to Edmund and she has to take in a Jewish girl, Pearl, from London for her safety. Then, the story switches back to 1914 and the story line focuses on sisters Vivienne and Olive who are 18 and 19 at that time. As the wars intensifies, the sisters decide to join up to do their part and they are selected to be ambulance drivers. I liked the parts of the book that focused on WWII but I had a hard time getting through the parts that focused on WWI. I am not sure if I did not like the WWI parts because most of the characters were unlikeable or what but it fell flat in those parts for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2019
When I Was Yours is the third book from Lizzie Page centred around women and their experiences of war. This book is slightly different in that it has a dual timeline focusing on one woman’s experiences of both World Wars. I thought this was an interesting slant to war time fiction as normally books in this genre focus on one war over the other. Admittedly it did take me until the 25% mark to really get stuck into the story but once I passed this point I thought the book really found its footing and took off. For the first quarter I thought things jumped around an awful lot and I couldn't work out where it was going. There seemed to be an awful lot of unnecessary description which didn't move the story forward or reveal too much as to what the actual story was going to be about. I couldn't determine the common thread that would join the two strands of the storyline together but that all changed and I was glad I kept going as When I was Yours turned into a fascinating read and gave the reader a deep insight into the life of Vivi.
If one was to judge this book on the cover and blurb alone you would be forgiven for thinking it was based upon a little girl's participation in the evacuation of young children from London during World War Two due to the threat of bombing raids. It soon became apparent that this wasn't the focus although Pearl does feature heavily throughout the book as she has such an affect on Vivi and she is the catalyst and connecting factor that brings about change for Vivi. I hope people do not pass this book over thinking it was another run of the mill wartime story for it is so much more than that and Lizzie Page has done a wonderful job of bringing her characters and the story to life.
Each chapter alternates between World War One and World War Two and once the reader becomes aware of this, and after the first quarter as I have said when the book settles into its rhythm, you do become engaged with and concerned for the welfare of Vivi and her family. Vivi was a very complex character and as we see where she is during the late 1930's and early 1940's we question how she has come to be in a loveless marriage to childhood sweetheart Edmund. All through the book I could tell she was haunted by something or even several things in her past that affected how she lived her life. I was desperate to know what had happened to her to make her a woman who seemed in fear almost of Edmund. She didn't seem to be able to stand up for herself and it was as if she was just merely existing from day to day with no sense of real purpose in her life. With the arrival of Pearl from London she finds an objective to keep her going. It was almost as if Pearl replaced the hole in her heart due to the absence of the much longed for family which she believed would pull herself and Edmund together.
Edmund was a very cold and aloof character and I thought Vivi was always tiptoeing around him and doing her best to please him. I couldn't fathom why she didn’t just up and leave him despite it being frowned upon at the time. Looking to the past may very well provide us with the answers but this was not to be an easy road to travail and I thought the manner in which the story progressed as in having the dual time line showed us there were many reasons for the position Vivi found herself in. I think I preferred the chapters set during WW1 as they provided a very different insight into Vivi and they were necessary to show us what had happened to her to make her into this person who couldn't seem to escape the shadows of the past and break free from a marriage that was clearly doing her no good in terms of self esteem and strength.
It is only as we near the conclusion that I felt everything was coming full circle and the chapters during WW2 began to make sense. At times I thought nothing much was happening and that there was just detail regarding Vivi and her neighbour Mrs. Burton as they do their bit in the Women's Voluntary Service or else there were just chapters concerned with how Pearl was getting on. Where really this story wasn't about her although she does have a pivotal and vital role to play. But as things become clearer I was racing through the final chapters to see would resolution, forgiveness and acceptance be found and would all the innumerable questions I had be supplied with definitive answers?
Vivi during WW1 was a very different person from the person we meet over twenty years later. I wouldn't say she was strong and independent and someone who knew her viewpoints and wasn't afraid to express her opinions. Between her and her sister Olive I think Vivi was the one who played it safe. Who never wanted to upset anyone or bring confrontation upon herself. She seemed to follow the crowd and do what was expected of her. Whether that was allowing her to follow her heart or not it didn't seem to matter. I desperately wanted her to go with the flow, to break out of the mould of convention she had surrounded herself with just like Olive seemed to do. But Vivi appeared to be too stiff upper lip so to speak and because she couldn't or wouldn't defy what was expected of her maybe that changed the course of her life.
If she had been more free spirited perhaps she would not have been shackled by Edmund. In my mind she made wrong choices at every fork in the road and although the loyalty and duty she felt to her father and Aunt and Uncle were to be admired she could have been like Olive and didn't give a jot for what people thought of her. She made choices that pleased other people not herself and as it said in the book times have to change but not by themselves - people have to change, it's people who have to change the times. But did Vivi have the ability to do this or was she too caught up in the past brooding over the one thing she could have altered but chose not to at the time and certainly couldn't later instead of focusing on what she could achieve now?
Following Vivi and Olive's experiences during The Great War as they worked as FANYS: First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was intense and as always with Lizzie Page the detailed provided was very well researched. The constant threats and danger were always apparent and it was evident that what the women saw and lived through during their time of service deeply affected them. So twenty years later Vivi cant believe that the same thing is happening again. So much loss, devastation and heartbreak is about to be unleashed again but this time she cannot serve. But yet I sensed there was several things that had happened in her time in France which she had not had any resolution for and maybe now was the time when she can confront what has eaten away at her.
At times I found Vivi to be a very frustrating character and I didn't always like her whereas Olive was someone who threw caution to the wind. She was a daredevil, fearless and ambitious but yet there were signs that she wasn't always comfortable in her own skin. That she would rather be at home with the bohemian set of people she had become involved with instead of on the battlefields witnessing unspeakable sights. I think she would rather have her life continue the way it was and that she could indulge her passion for art. Instead her experiences made her more wild and reckless and a chasm between herself and Vivi grew. I don't think Vivi ever truly understood Olive or was she just closing her eyes in an attempt to not see what was right before her?
When I was Yours is an excellent read and one which I think would be an ideal for a book club as there is so much that could be debated and discussed. The characters are all complex and flawed even more so after their varying experiences of war. I loved the contrast between the two wars as it really allowed you to get inside the head of Vivi in order to gain a deeper understanding of her although you mightn't always agree with her ways of thinking or her actions. With the longer timeframe for the story it allowed Lizzie to explore more than just a snapshot of life which all too often we are only given in books set during this time period and I think the book was all the better for it. There are numerous issues dealt with throughout the book and it was good to see themes ad emotions outside the realm of Vivi herself being explored.
With the Easter holidays fast approaching I think this certainly a book that you should pick up and read and lose yourself in for a couple of hours. Lizzie Page is a real talent and I'm excited to see what she has in store for us next.
If one was to judge this book on the cover and blurb alone you would be forgiven for thinking it was based upon a little girl's participation in the evacuation of young children from London during World War Two due to the threat of bombing raids. It soon became apparent that this wasn't the focus although Pearl does feature heavily throughout the book as she has such an affect on Vivi and she is the catalyst and connecting factor that brings about change for Vivi. I hope people do not pass this book over thinking it was another run of the mill wartime story for it is so much more than that and Lizzie Page has done a wonderful job of bringing her characters and the story to life.
Each chapter alternates between World War One and World War Two and once the reader becomes aware of this, and after the first quarter as I have said when the book settles into its rhythm, you do become engaged with and concerned for the welfare of Vivi and her family. Vivi was a very complex character and as we see where she is during the late 1930's and early 1940's we question how she has come to be in a loveless marriage to childhood sweetheart Edmund. All through the book I could tell she was haunted by something or even several things in her past that affected how she lived her life. I was desperate to know what had happened to her to make her a woman who seemed in fear almost of Edmund. She didn't seem to be able to stand up for herself and it was as if she was just merely existing from day to day with no sense of real purpose in her life. With the arrival of Pearl from London she finds an objective to keep her going. It was almost as if Pearl replaced the hole in her heart due to the absence of the much longed for family which she believed would pull herself and Edmund together.
Edmund was a very cold and aloof character and I thought Vivi was always tiptoeing around him and doing her best to please him. I couldn't fathom why she didn’t just up and leave him despite it being frowned upon at the time. Looking to the past may very well provide us with the answers but this was not to be an easy road to travail and I thought the manner in which the story progressed as in having the dual time line showed us there were many reasons for the position Vivi found herself in. I think I preferred the chapters set during WW1 as they provided a very different insight into Vivi and they were necessary to show us what had happened to her to make her into this person who couldn't seem to escape the shadows of the past and break free from a marriage that was clearly doing her no good in terms of self esteem and strength.
It is only as we near the conclusion that I felt everything was coming full circle and the chapters during WW2 began to make sense. At times I thought nothing much was happening and that there was just detail regarding Vivi and her neighbour Mrs. Burton as they do their bit in the Women's Voluntary Service or else there were just chapters concerned with how Pearl was getting on. Where really this story wasn't about her although she does have a pivotal and vital role to play. But as things become clearer I was racing through the final chapters to see would resolution, forgiveness and acceptance be found and would all the innumerable questions I had be supplied with definitive answers?
Vivi during WW1 was a very different person from the person we meet over twenty years later. I wouldn't say she was strong and independent and someone who knew her viewpoints and wasn't afraid to express her opinions. Between her and her sister Olive I think Vivi was the one who played it safe. Who never wanted to upset anyone or bring confrontation upon herself. She seemed to follow the crowd and do what was expected of her. Whether that was allowing her to follow her heart or not it didn't seem to matter. I desperately wanted her to go with the flow, to break out of the mould of convention she had surrounded herself with just like Olive seemed to do. But Vivi appeared to be too stiff upper lip so to speak and because she couldn't or wouldn't defy what was expected of her maybe that changed the course of her life.
If she had been more free spirited perhaps she would not have been shackled by Edmund. In my mind she made wrong choices at every fork in the road and although the loyalty and duty she felt to her father and Aunt and Uncle were to be admired she could have been like Olive and didn't give a jot for what people thought of her. She made choices that pleased other people not herself and as it said in the book times have to change but not by themselves - people have to change, it's people who have to change the times. But did Vivi have the ability to do this or was she too caught up in the past brooding over the one thing she could have altered but chose not to at the time and certainly couldn't later instead of focusing on what she could achieve now?
Following Vivi and Olive's experiences during The Great War as they worked as FANYS: First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was intense and as always with Lizzie Page the detailed provided was very well researched. The constant threats and danger were always apparent and it was evident that what the women saw and lived through during their time of service deeply affected them. So twenty years later Vivi cant believe that the same thing is happening again. So much loss, devastation and heartbreak is about to be unleashed again but this time she cannot serve. But yet I sensed there was several things that had happened in her time in France which she had not had any resolution for and maybe now was the time when she can confront what has eaten away at her.
At times I found Vivi to be a very frustrating character and I didn't always like her whereas Olive was someone who threw caution to the wind. She was a daredevil, fearless and ambitious but yet there were signs that she wasn't always comfortable in her own skin. That she would rather be at home with the bohemian set of people she had become involved with instead of on the battlefields witnessing unspeakable sights. I think she would rather have her life continue the way it was and that she could indulge her passion for art. Instead her experiences made her more wild and reckless and a chasm between herself and Vivi grew. I don't think Vivi ever truly understood Olive or was she just closing her eyes in an attempt to not see what was right before her?
When I was Yours is an excellent read and one which I think would be an ideal for a book club as there is so much that could be debated and discussed. The characters are all complex and flawed even more so after their varying experiences of war. I loved the contrast between the two wars as it really allowed you to get inside the head of Vivi in order to gain a deeper understanding of her although you mightn't always agree with her ways of thinking or her actions. With the longer timeframe for the story it allowed Lizzie to explore more than just a snapshot of life which all too often we are only given in books set during this time period and I think the book was all the better for it. There are numerous issues dealt with throughout the book and it was good to see themes ad emotions outside the realm of Vivi herself being explored.
With the Easter holidays fast approaching I think this certainly a book that you should pick up and read and lose yourself in for a couple of hours. Lizzie Page is a real talent and I'm excited to see what she has in store for us next.
September 13, 2022
This is just not about The War, it's about love, family, and things gone wrong and how it could have been.
I have to admit like a lot of other reviewers on here, that I thought it was going to be more about Pearl Posner, who was 8 and an evacuee when Vivienne took her in for the war effort like a lot of her neighbors and really had no choice. She always wanted children but had problems in conceiving. Her husband Edmund was not really there for Vivi and when I heard why she couldn't "hold" a baby, I was angry that she married him. She should have never married him in the first place and was just settling. Her sister Olive was a brilliant artist but with a different lifestyle. Totally opposite to Vivi but they loved each other and went to France together to help out the troops. Vivi meets a soldier Sam but she lets him go because of her commitment to Edmund (before they were married) and there is a connection between him and Pearl which was a little too contrived and coincidental.
This book was sad and depressing and the characters were never happy but who could be during the war. The epilogue was happy though.
I have to admit like a lot of other reviewers on here, that I thought it was going to be more about Pearl Posner, who was 8 and an evacuee when Vivienne took her in for the war effort like a lot of her neighbors and really had no choice. She always wanted children but had problems in conceiving. Her husband Edmund was not really there for Vivi and when I heard why she couldn't "hold" a baby, I was angry that she married him. She should have never married him in the first place and was just settling. Her sister Olive was a brilliant artist but with a different lifestyle. Totally opposite to Vivi but they loved each other and went to France together to help out the troops. Vivi meets a soldier Sam but she lets him go because of her commitment to Edmund (before they were married) and there is a connection between him and Pearl which was a little too contrived and coincidental.
This book was sad and depressing and the characters were never happy but who could be during the war. The epilogue was happy though.
September 28, 2020
What a pleasant surprise! Way over my expectations mark. I tend to drift to gritty wartime reads, and I thought this might be kind of a "Land Girls-styled" "lighter" story but - wow - was I wrong. Great story and writing; Vivienne's voice pulled me straight in (brilliant opening!) and I wanted to know everything. And I got it and then some. Well developed characters and a very good plot. The dual timelines were no problem.
This was my first book by Lizzie Page and because I really loved "When We Were Yours", I thought I'd give this a shot (I seriously picked this because of the cover). And like "When We Were Yours", this packed a punch. I may just have to Pac-Man my way through Page's backlist. And never mind that the narrator of the audiobook sounds exactly like Judi Dench. Curl up by the fire and enjoy.
This was my first book by Lizzie Page and because I really loved "When We Were Yours", I thought I'd give this a shot (I seriously picked this because of the cover). And like "When We Were Yours", this packed a punch. I may just have to Pac-Man my way through Page's backlist. And never mind that the narrator of the audiobook sounds exactly like Judi Dench. Curl up by the fire and enjoy.
July 27, 2019
Good Read
The storylines did not give me a joyful reading experience. The book is about Vivienne and her relationships with her sister, father, husband, evacuee child, a lover, and assorted lesser characters during The Great War and World War II. The principal setting is England, but there is travel over the continent. The things written are the things that made Vivienne's life a near total disaster, but I could not connect with Vivienne; therefore, what happened to her did not matter to me.
The author's other good writing mechanics kept me reading.
Thank you, Ms. Page, for a good read.
The storylines did not give me a joyful reading experience. The book is about Vivienne and her relationships with her sister, father, husband, evacuee child, a lover, and assorted lesser characters during The Great War and World War II. The principal setting is England, but there is travel over the continent. The things written are the things that made Vivienne's life a near total disaster, but I could not connect with Vivienne; therefore, what happened to her did not matter to me.
The author's other good writing mechanics kept me reading.
Thank you, Ms. Page, for a good read.
May 9, 2019
Lizzie Page's latest novel, When I Was Yours, follows Vivienne Mudie-Cooke, as she experiences not only the Great War, as a young girl on the brink of marriage, and then skips to WW2, where she is married to her childhood sweetheart, but life did not turn out quite as Vivienne hoped.
As London is experiencing the Blitz, young Pearl Posner is evacuated from the city and settles in Hinckley, with Vivi and her nasty husband Edmund. You know something is not right with the marriage because Edmund is just never home, and when he is, he is mostly out in his shed. But Vivi is so glad to have Pearl for company. Vivi learns Pearl is Jewish, and though she's heard a lot about "Jews", this turns out to be an eye opening opportunity for Vivi to really get a chance to learn first hand about Jewish people.
Flashing back to the Vivi as a teen ager, she is growing up with her Dad and younger sister, Olive in London. Olive is the more vibrant sister, who has a passion for art and loves to draw. While Olive goes to study art, Vivi stays home and helps in the family carpet business, dreaming of the day, her childhood sweetheart Edmund, will court her and propose marriage. It does not seem to be happening.... With conditions deteriorating in London, Vivi and Olive decide to do their bit, and volunteer to be ambulance drivers in France.
The story in both timelines is gripping and it takes many unexpected twists and turns. In the author's note, Lizzy Page says that her own Dad was evacuated to Hinckley as a young boy, and she included some of his own stories. I love how Lizzie Page highlights women who "did their bits" in the war efforts. When I was yours shows how women helped not only in the small country towns, but on the front lines of the war, evacuating wounded soldiers. Vivi's sister, Olive Mudie-Cooke, was actually a true war artist and whose paintings are kept at the Imperial War Museum.
This is actually the third book in a series by Lizzie Page, which I did not know until I read the book, but it can be read independently, and I highly recommend reading it. Five stars for Lizzie Page's When I was Yours. Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read #wheniwasyours.
Keep the home fires burning
While your hearts are yearning
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home
Lyrics by Mrs. Lena Gilbert Brown Ford:
Music by Ivor Novello.
As London is experiencing the Blitz, young Pearl Posner is evacuated from the city and settles in Hinckley, with Vivi and her nasty husband Edmund. You know something is not right with the marriage because Edmund is just never home, and when he is, he is mostly out in his shed. But Vivi is so glad to have Pearl for company. Vivi learns Pearl is Jewish, and though she's heard a lot about "Jews", this turns out to be an eye opening opportunity for Vivi to really get a chance to learn first hand about Jewish people.
Flashing back to the Vivi as a teen ager, she is growing up with her Dad and younger sister, Olive in London. Olive is the more vibrant sister, who has a passion for art and loves to draw. While Olive goes to study art, Vivi stays home and helps in the family carpet business, dreaming of the day, her childhood sweetheart Edmund, will court her and propose marriage. It does not seem to be happening.... With conditions deteriorating in London, Vivi and Olive decide to do their bit, and volunteer to be ambulance drivers in France.
The story in both timelines is gripping and it takes many unexpected twists and turns. In the author's note, Lizzy Page says that her own Dad was evacuated to Hinckley as a young boy, and she included some of his own stories. I love how Lizzie Page highlights women who "did their bits" in the war efforts. When I was yours shows how women helped not only in the small country towns, but on the front lines of the war, evacuating wounded soldiers. Vivi's sister, Olive Mudie-Cooke, was actually a true war artist and whose paintings are kept at the Imperial War Museum.
This is actually the third book in a series by Lizzie Page, which I did not know until I read the book, but it can be read independently, and I highly recommend reading it. Five stars for Lizzie Page's When I was Yours. Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read #wheniwasyours.
Keep the home fires burning
While your hearts are yearning
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home
Lyrics by Mrs. Lena Gilbert Brown Ford:
Music by Ivor Novello.
April 9, 2021
“No two readers read the same book, because we all see the words through different eyes, filter the story through different life experiences.” ~Lisa Wingate
When I Was Yours. What can I say, other than to reference the above quote? I gave it a generous 3 stars from my filter. This book was misleading from the cover. It was not really about the little evacuee girl named Pearl, but rather was centered on the the main character, Vivienne & her deplorable family. The only character I liked was ViVi’s sister, Olive.
Before I dive into the many reasons I found this book utterly boring & infuriating all at the same time, let me add that my “filter” & “life experiences” do not involve being raised to put up with & stay with a dreadful man for 25 years because of his “money & status”. I broke up with my wealthy fiancée & married a teacher. I also have to put up with a dear family member who acts just like Vivienne. It’s painful to watch.
Okay...the basis for the story is heartbreaking (like the cover says). Children leaving their families during World War II to live with complete strangers, who may or may not have even wanted them. The story shifts between the past (WWI) & “present” (WWII). While I enjoyed learning about the FANYS, the bulk of the book focuses on ViVi’s "heartbreaks" over her deliberately chosen, miserable life. And don't get me started on her antisemitism, racism & homophobia. Most historical fiction novels about WWII feel like time travel with the intention to rescue voices & stories never heard. However, When I Was Yours is simply a story of a women that did the"right" thing for the wrong reasons & regretted it all her life. To me it showed woman at their weakest & had the opposite effect intended.
I honestly couldn't wait to be finished with this book. I could've stopped part way through, but I plugged away because it was the April book club pick. I do hope other ladies in my club read this book through a different lens & can enlighten me on some good discussion.
If you’d like some amazing WWII historical fiction recommendations, read these: The Nightingale, The Orphan Train, All the Light You Cannot See, Sarah’s Key, The Tattooist of Auschwitz & The Book Thief.
When I Was Yours. What can I say, other than to reference the above quote? I gave it a generous 3 stars from my filter. This book was misleading from the cover. It was not really about the little evacuee girl named Pearl, but rather was centered on the the main character, Vivienne & her deplorable family. The only character I liked was ViVi’s sister, Olive.
Before I dive into the many reasons I found this book utterly boring & infuriating all at the same time, let me add that my “filter” & “life experiences” do not involve being raised to put up with & stay with a dreadful man for 25 years because of his “money & status”. I broke up with my wealthy fiancée & married a teacher. I also have to put up with a dear family member who acts just like Vivienne. It’s painful to watch.
Okay...the basis for the story is heartbreaking (like the cover says). Children leaving their families during World War II to live with complete strangers, who may or may not have even wanted them. The story shifts between the past (WWI) & “present” (WWII). While I enjoyed learning about the FANYS, the bulk of the book focuses on ViVi’s "heartbreaks" over her deliberately chosen, miserable life. And don't get me started on her antisemitism, racism & homophobia. Most historical fiction novels about WWII feel like time travel with the intention to rescue voices & stories never heard. However, When I Was Yours is simply a story of a women that did the"right" thing for the wrong reasons & regretted it all her life. To me it showed woman at their weakest & had the opposite effect intended.
I honestly couldn't wait to be finished with this book. I could've stopped part way through, but I plugged away because it was the April book club pick. I do hope other ladies in my club read this book through a different lens & can enlighten me on some good discussion.
If you’d like some amazing WWII historical fiction recommendations, read these: The Nightingale, The Orphan Train, All the Light You Cannot See, Sarah’s Key, The Tattooist of Auschwitz & The Book Thief.
April 18, 2019
I read two of Lizzie Page's previous books and extremely enjoyed them so I couldn't wait to see what When I Was Yours had in store. The book is in actual fact, the third in a series, but don't let this put you off because all three work fine on an individual basis.
It is set between the two world wars and shows the lives of the main character Vivienne and her sister Olive. They struggle to do what they can for the war effort from volunteering as ambulance drivers in WWI, then on to 1939 when Vivienne takes a young evacuee into her home.
I found the first chapters a little slow to start with. I understood that Vivienne was trapped in a loveless marriage and her life seemed extremely mundane. I was initially frustrated that she didn't welcome the idea of taking in an evacuee. So, with that in mind, it was lovely to see the story of Vivi and Pearl flourish right in front of me and to discover an amazing connection between the two of them. I could actually feel Vivienne's heart open out as she slowly started to embrace the love of a child, something that she desperately wanted for herself, but had accepted that it was not to be.
I loved the character of Olive the artist who I believe was based on the famous wartime artist Olive Mudie-Cooke. I desperately wanted Vivienne to listen to Olive and her friends when they warned her about the ghastly Edmund, whom she followed around like a lovesick puppy and eventually married.
The book gives such an insight into wartime Britain, how it wrecked families, hopes and dreams. It also shows the great strength and warmth of people at that time, not just the ones fighting abroad but the loved ones who 'kept the home fires burning'.
As always, Lizzie's writing is meticulously researched and beautifully written. Anyone who loves historical wartime fiction will be fascinated by When I Was Yours and I can't wait for the next book from Lizzie Page.
It is set between the two world wars and shows the lives of the main character Vivienne and her sister Olive. They struggle to do what they can for the war effort from volunteering as ambulance drivers in WWI, then on to 1939 when Vivienne takes a young evacuee into her home.
I found the first chapters a little slow to start with. I understood that Vivienne was trapped in a loveless marriage and her life seemed extremely mundane. I was initially frustrated that she didn't welcome the idea of taking in an evacuee. So, with that in mind, it was lovely to see the story of Vivi and Pearl flourish right in front of me and to discover an amazing connection between the two of them. I could actually feel Vivienne's heart open out as she slowly started to embrace the love of a child, something that she desperately wanted for herself, but had accepted that it was not to be.
I loved the character of Olive the artist who I believe was based on the famous wartime artist Olive Mudie-Cooke. I desperately wanted Vivienne to listen to Olive and her friends when they warned her about the ghastly Edmund, whom she followed around like a lovesick puppy and eventually married.
The book gives such an insight into wartime Britain, how it wrecked families, hopes and dreams. It also shows the great strength and warmth of people at that time, not just the ones fighting abroad but the loved ones who 'kept the home fires burning'.
As always, Lizzie's writing is meticulously researched and beautifully written. Anyone who loves historical wartime fiction will be fascinated by When I Was Yours and I can't wait for the next book from Lizzie Page.
April 16, 2019
I'm a big fan of Lizzie Page's writing and enjoyed this, her third book, so very much. The three books kind of make up a trilogy of war fiction but don't worry about reading them in order as each story is completely standalone (but with some lovely little touches that I will talk about later).
So When I Was Yours. This one appears, from the blurb, to be set during the Second World War. The previous two books were set in the First World War. I wondered to myself how the author would fare writing about the second war when her writing had previously been very much entrenched in the first. Well no worries at all, as it happens, for two reasons. The first is that Page is a wonderful writer, one that draws me in to the story completely and utterly (by the end of the first chapter I thought to myself that I was going to love this book). The second reason is that this is actually a dual timeline novel with one strand set during World War Two and the other during World War One so the familiarity from the previous books remains.
In her notes at the end of the book Page states that she wanted to explore one character living during both of the wars and that character is Vivienne. In 1939, she finds herself taking in an evacuee from London, Pearl. Vivienne is living a half life with her husband, Edmund, and it turns out that Pearl being around gives Vivienne the chance to try and make her life whole again.
Back in 1915, Vivienne and her sister, Olive, had been FANYs (the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry), ambulance drivers in France during the carnage of the first war. This is where the author is back on familiar ground as her first two books had similar themes. I really liked how the two strands came together, in alternating chapters, so that I could see how what had happened previously was affecting what was happening 'now'. At times, I wanted to put my hands into the book, get hold of Vivienne and give her a damn good shake. She's a lovely person, but my goodness, also naive and capable of making some really bad decisions.
One thing that I absolutely love about Lizzie Page's books is the way she always weaves some real life characters and events into the story. This time, she has Olive Mudie-Cook, a renowned war artist and, for the purposes of this book, Vivienne's younger sister. And she also has Ivor Novello when he was still called David, and Lena Guilbert Ford, actually composing Keep the Home Fires Burning (one of my favourite wartime songs ever). It makes for fascinating reading along with the return of one or two characters from The War Nurses. I love this sort of thing!
When I Was Yours has it all going on. It has wonderful characters (despite what I said earlier, I loved Vivienne), is brilliantly plotted with a delightfully intertwined story, it has the heartbreak of war and a gorgeous love story. Once again, Lizzie Page has written a book that transported me off to the hell of the war front but this time adding the stoicism of the home front. I thought it was fantastic.
So When I Was Yours. This one appears, from the blurb, to be set during the Second World War. The previous two books were set in the First World War. I wondered to myself how the author would fare writing about the second war when her writing had previously been very much entrenched in the first. Well no worries at all, as it happens, for two reasons. The first is that Page is a wonderful writer, one that draws me in to the story completely and utterly (by the end of the first chapter I thought to myself that I was going to love this book). The second reason is that this is actually a dual timeline novel with one strand set during World War Two and the other during World War One so the familiarity from the previous books remains.
In her notes at the end of the book Page states that she wanted to explore one character living during both of the wars and that character is Vivienne. In 1939, she finds herself taking in an evacuee from London, Pearl. Vivienne is living a half life with her husband, Edmund, and it turns out that Pearl being around gives Vivienne the chance to try and make her life whole again.
Back in 1915, Vivienne and her sister, Olive, had been FANYs (the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry), ambulance drivers in France during the carnage of the first war. This is where the author is back on familiar ground as her first two books had similar themes. I really liked how the two strands came together, in alternating chapters, so that I could see how what had happened previously was affecting what was happening 'now'. At times, I wanted to put my hands into the book, get hold of Vivienne and give her a damn good shake. She's a lovely person, but my goodness, also naive and capable of making some really bad decisions.
One thing that I absolutely love about Lizzie Page's books is the way she always weaves some real life characters and events into the story. This time, she has Olive Mudie-Cook, a renowned war artist and, for the purposes of this book, Vivienne's younger sister. And she also has Ivor Novello when he was still called David, and Lena Guilbert Ford, actually composing Keep the Home Fires Burning (one of my favourite wartime songs ever). It makes for fascinating reading along with the return of one or two characters from The War Nurses. I love this sort of thing!
When I Was Yours has it all going on. It has wonderful characters (despite what I said earlier, I loved Vivienne), is brilliantly plotted with a delightfully intertwined story, it has the heartbreak of war and a gorgeous love story. Once again, Lizzie Page has written a book that transported me off to the hell of the war front but this time adding the stoicism of the home front. I thought it was fantastic.
March 30, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page. This is the first book I have read that linked characters who lived during World War I and World War II. I found this very interesting and as I was reading was surprised I had never read another book, or at least I don’t remember ever reading one linking the two wars together. I enjoyed he book, the writing, and the characters. I was disappointed in the lack of development of war details during this time. Vivi was the main character yet I enjoyed reading about her sister Olive much more. I would have liked to seen more development between Viivi and Sam. All this being said I look forward to reading more books by Lizzie Page. 3.5 stars
April 30, 2019
I enjoyed this emotional book, especially the characters of Pearl and Olive, as it spans two world wars and all the changes that those times brought to the people of England. I loved the dual time format, and to see how ultimately those two intersect. The experiences of Vivienne during World War I were really fascinating and among my favorite parts of the book. There were mentions of the way the war was affecting their lives during World War II, which were nice touches and historically accurate.
Why Vivienne wanted to take in a war orphan seemed so real, I really felt for her. Otherwise, the character of Vivienne seemed to lack self-awareness and self-reflection at points which made her a frustrating character. Also, this isn't really a spoiler but how did she not develop any real friendships the whole time after she left London?! She seems so social before, it seems odd. On the other hand, her sister Olive's throwing off of social conventions made her a more interesting character that I would have liked to see more of. While there were aspects to Olive that could have been explored much more in depth, I appreciated eventually learning them (even if they were things I long suspected). The character of Pearl was adorable, and I liked that she was Jewish although it wasn't explored as much as it could have been. The ending was very satisfactory as well and demonstrated some nice growth from the characters. I would definitely recommend this book to friends. *received from NetGalley in exchange for a review*
Why Vivienne wanted to take in a war orphan seemed so real, I really felt for her. Otherwise, the character of Vivienne seemed to lack self-awareness and self-reflection at points which made her a frustrating character. Also, this isn't really a spoiler but how did she not develop any real friendships the whole time after she left London?! She seems so social before, it seems odd. On the other hand, her sister Olive's throwing off of social conventions made her a more interesting character that I would have liked to see more of. While there were aspects to Olive that could have been explored much more in depth, I appreciated eventually learning them (even if they were things I long suspected). The character of Pearl was adorable, and I liked that she was Jewish although it wasn't explored as much as it could have been. The ending was very satisfactory as well and demonstrated some nice growth from the characters. I would definitely recommend this book to friends. *received from NetGalley in exchange for a review*
April 22, 2019
Loved this book. It starts with the 'now' and Vivienne at the start of the second world war, unhappily married and anxious about taking in Pearl, an evacuee child from London. Each chapter alternates with the 'then' of Vivienne's life choices during the first world war, the death of her cousin, her relationship with Edmund and her work as an ambulance driver in France.
It is a story about relationships, Vivienne and her sister, Vivienne and her husband, Vivienne and her mother-in-law. As the book progresses we learn how the decisions Vivienne made during the Great War influenced the rest of her life and her relationships with those around her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page, in return for an honest review.
It is a story about relationships, Vivienne and her sister, Vivienne and her husband, Vivienne and her mother-in-law. As the book progresses we learn how the decisions Vivienne made during the Great War influenced the rest of her life and her relationships with those around her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page, in return for an honest review.
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