This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing

by Jacqueline Winspear

The author of the Maisie Dobbs series offers a personal memoir of her family’s resilience in the face of war and privation.

Jacqueline Winspear's memoir tackles family issues like her paternal grandfather's shellshock, her mother's evacuation from London during the Blitz, her soft-spoken animal-loving father's torturous assignment to an explosives team during WWII, her parents’ years living with Romani Gypsies; and Jacqueline’s own childhood working on farms in rural Kent, capturing her ties to the land and her dream of being a writer at its very inception.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, British Literature, History

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2020

About the author

Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Following higher education at the University of London’s Institute of Education, Jacqueline worked in academic publishing, in higher education and in marketing communications in the UK.

She emigrated to the United States in 1990, and while working in business and as a personal / professional coach, Jacqueline embarked upon a life-long dream to be a writer.

A regular contributor to journals covering international education, Jacqueline has published articles in women's magazines and has also recorded her essays for KQED radio in San Francisco. She currently divides her time between Ojai and the San Francisco Bay Area and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom and Europe.

Jacqueline is the author of the New York Times bestsellers A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, Among the Mad, and An Incomplete Revenge, and other nationally bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex,
and Macavity awards for the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs, which was also nominated for the Edgar Award for best novel and was a New York Times
Notable Book.

Series:
* Maisie Dobbs

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jacque...

Reviews

[Elizabeth George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I know Jackie Winspear as she is a fellow crime writer with whom I've done panel presentations. Having said that, I loved her memoir, which will be available later in the summer. The memoir covers her childhood and adolescence in Kent, England, along with an exploration and description of the early years of her parents' marriage. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read. She brings to life not only the period of time during which she grew up but also the period of time that preceded her birth, when her mother's enormous, boisterous Irish family lived through the Blitz in London. She explores the childhood she experienced on the land in agrarian England where picking hops and strawberries and apples was just a way people like Jackie's parents earned enough to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. No indoor plumbing, no electricity, a bath taken in a tin tub in the kitchen, trenches dug when the outhouse needed to be moved. The joy of simple things like a Sunday visit from the clan and running around with a multitude of cousins, a barely functioning car, walks on the frosty ground with Dad. It's a delightful book all the way round.

[Chrissie · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, but not good.......at least for me.

How do I explain my reaction without raising hackles? I must explain explicitly what failed and what worked for me.

I am a fan of memoirs, biographies and autobiographies. Why? Because how one views oneself and others fascinates me. I like getting into other people’s heads. How individuals react to life events varies dramatically. What can we learn from each other? This is the underlying question for me. Secondly, historical events are made relevant and meaningful through the effects they make on a person’s life.

I look separately at the two points in relation to this book.

I feel the book skims the surface, doesn’t go down in depth. The author speaks of her large, boisterous family. Her cousins are enough to pack a whole bus—I am not making this up, she tells us this. There are so many individuals touched upon, one leaves the book not knowing any one person well. How they think is left a mystery. Understanding specific individuals and family relationship is made difficult because the author rapidly jumps back and forth between individuals and in time. This leads to both repetition and confusion. No one life is covered thoroughly. Not even the author’s. There are holes everywhere.

Halfway through, Winspear zeroes in on her own youth ad her relationships with her father and mother. This middle section is best. Later the focus starts hopping around again. Winspear tells us repeatedly that she loves, I mean loves in big letters, both her parents, yet she definitely has not gotten along well with her mother. When the author reached her teens, their relationship became rocky, which is normal. Her mother began criticizing her in a cruel and unwarranted fashion. Why? As an explanation, we are told that her Mom knew her daughter would love her anyhow, and so ultimately it didn’t matter how she treated her daughter. I don’t buy this reasoning. It’s simplistic. It’s superficial and indicative of the shallowness with which family relationships are analyzed. The mother’s cruel behavior continues through to the end of her life!

This book reads as a feel good novel. Problems are smoothed over and sanitized. Past events are looked on with nostalgia. Rather than seeking a true understating of that which has occurred and the underlying causes of troubled relationships, the emphasis is shifted to forgiveness.

Winspear does also speak of how the First and Second World Wars shaped and left indelible marks on the lives of family members. In this way, history is made personal. These snippets, these stories are interesting. Some of these family stories cannot be taken for fact. The point being made is that this is less relevant than that the storytellers believe what they are saying is true.

There is a childishness to the prose that does not appeal to me. “Dr. Google” is the proffered authority when events related to medical difficulties arise. Again and again, rather than getting to the bottom of a question or a problem, an easy answer is found and accepted.

The audiobook is narrated by the author. Her reading is fine. Most words are spoken clearly. Both English and American accents come across well. She speaks quickly at the start but then slows down. Three stars for the narration; it’s good.

If you are a fan of the author’s Masie Dobbs books, you might like this more than me. I presume that events in her life are mirrored in her books. The author’ prose style might be more to your taste.

[TXGAL1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating and moving “re-memory” of best-selling author Jacqueline Winspear’s life and family.

This memoir breathes life into the soul of the Winspear clan and we readers are privileged to share in their experiences.

Highly recommended for everyone!

[Elyse Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having enjoyed more Audiobook memoirs since the pandemic...( often making easy-listening-enjoyable walking companions), I chose this book for a couple of reasons...
1-
I really enjoyed Lorna’s review ( Goodreads member and friend)
I got a sense from Lorna, that this memoir shed some light and insights about characters in Jacqueline Winspear’ novels....especially her ‘Maise Cobb’s’ series.

2-
I also had the impression-a gut feeling - that this memoir was quite personal and important to the author. And... given I had never read Jacqueline Winspear ( and she was reading her own book), I thought this might be a great place to start ....get a taste of Jacqueline’s writing — learn a little about her - then maybe try one of her novels.

3- Lorna also told me that Jacqueline was living in the Bay Area ( Marin)....and I’m ‘always’ up for reading at least one book from all the authors living in my neck-of-the-woods....be it by birth or transplanted.

Soooo...I dived into listening to the Audiobook - 10 hours and 7 minutes long on a long hilly hike.

Themes include past family historical WWII stories — growing up in rural England in the 50’s and 60’s.
Stories of trauma, injustice, and the development of PTSD for all members of Jacqueline’s family....horrific memories of the war—bombings, ( being pulled out of the rumble)....shocking stories her mother started telling 3-year old Jacqueline.....( scary stories for such a young child)....but Jacqueline adored her mother - and loved listening to her mom’s stories through all her growing years.
The paternal grandfather’s stories were devastating. Jacqueline grew up learning details upon details of graphic war horrors. Which years later — many years later ( a wife, mother, and author)....Jacqueline learned she- herself- had 2nd-removed PTSD.
Just ‘hearing’ years of stories about her mother’s suffering alone — created a type of its own PTSD ....for Jacqueline too.

I found the transfer of family suffering quite fascinating....( not in a happy way— but interesting to learn)....
Stories we pass on to our children, are important, but age appropriate really needs to be considered.

Jacqueline’s father was different - he had stories too - but he didn’t dish them out, like her mother did. It was on her father’s death - when she heard more stories from her father.

I enjoyed this book - kept me engaged. I learned a little more about the incredible bright, observant, kind, compassionate as can be Jacqueline Winspear ....[I had the joyful feeling of camaraderie and thought: “what a wonderful friend Jacqueline must be - and devotee to her family].....

But.....here is my little quibble....
This memoir definitely felt personal.... which I can appreciate.... but Jacqueline talked about so many people, uncles, cousins, friends ( friends when she was little, friends when she was a teenager), rules she grew up with from her parents,.... stories about so many people that I started to feel removed. I had no experience with the many people Jacqueline shared about.
Plus I didn’t have a connection with Jacqueline to begin with — not even from a distance (as I did with memoirs such as with Matthew McConaughey - Bruce Springsteen - Gary Sinise - Pete Buttigieg -Gabriel Byrne, etc.).
So I felt I was at a slight disadvantage. I didn’t feel the close connection through all of the storytelling.
I did take away the year Jacqueline’s parents married - 1949. She repeated it 3 different times.

I know one thing about myself ( perhaps a fault - maybe just my tribal loyalty)....but if I feel a personal connection - myself - to an author who writes.....I’m interested in every detail they share.

So ....I felt a little excluded.
People who have read her other books — must have been eating this memoir up....( which I’m sure I would have too).
I imagined they had a nostalgia glow.

I don’t read tons of mysteries— and certainly not many mystery series....
but I admit, the Maisie Dobbs series .....with their historical complexities sound rather engrossing.

For me....this book is about 3 stars...3.5....
I liked it - admire Jacqueline Winspear... love your sincerity- love and loyalty to her family - and family history.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing was a lovely memoir by Jacqueline Winspear, the author of the beloved and heralded Maise Dobbs Series about a former World War I nurse, now a psychologist and private investigator in London, England. And I must say that it is one of my favorite series as it is truly an intelligent and literary masterpiece. Because I enjoy reading the books about Maise Dobbs, I found the insight into her character and the themes of those books all through the pages of Winspear's memoir. In the author's words:

"Change is woven into the fabric of my stories, probably because when I was a child the dueling senses of belonging and being out of place were ever-present, along with a fear that the rug could be pulled out from under us at any moment."

"The land where I grew tall is filled with meaning for me--it's the land of hop gardens and apple orchards, of farms and fields, of trees to climb and streams flanked by pungent wild garlic and golden sun-reflecting celandines. This deep love of place is part of my family mythology, a delicate web across my heart."

And one of the big themes throughout the Maise Dobbs series is the trauma suffered by so many during World War I. In her memoir, Jacqueline Winspear related the suffering that her grandfather endured after the Great War, both physically and psychologically. Her parents also suffered during World War II and the repeated bombing of London. Winspear describes her secondary trauma as she became witness to her mother's frequent stories of the war-torn country during World War II. One of her father's favorite sayings became the title of her memoir.

"'Never mind--this time next year, we'll be laughing.' It was one of his favorite phrases, and it sums up not only his own attitude to life, but an attitude of a whole generation who lived through the darkest of times."

This memoir is very non-linear and apparently written over a thirty-year period which may account for the free-association of ideas and stream-of-consciousness writing. What I found interesting is that after she had emigrated to the United States, she enrolled in a class to write a memoir, but as Winspear relates:

". . .in a moment of artistic grace, I wrote a war story that slipped into my imagination while I was stuck in traffic on a rainy day in California. It never rains in California, it pours. I was living almost six thousand miles away from the land of hops and apples, of farms and fields, of wild garlic and celandines, and of London in darker times, but it was as if the voices of those elderly women and their secret loves echoed down the years, along with the images of young men lost to war and the sweethearts left behind. The story became a manuscript, and the manuscript became my first novel. And the rest, as they say, is history."

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winspear is my favorite hf author; her Maisie Dobbs series a masterpiece. I expected nothing less from her memoir with the ebullient title, which engaged me from cover to last page.

PERFECT MEMORY
Her writing is elegant, rich in detail as an accident when young gave her an eidetic memory — and full of humanity that comes from living through especially tragic times.

SILENCE AND RAGE
This is a stream-of-conscious look at generations of the author’s family, reflecting memories that don’t arise in chronological order. We see a grandfather with shell shock from WWI, whose rages impacted everyone around him, including Winspear’s father, who preferred things to be always quiet. His preference for silence also came from work as a messenger boy dodging bombs while delivering missives during the WWII London blitz.

BURIED
The blitz nearly took her mother’s life as a child. One day, she was at home ironing a favorite blouse and waving through the window at a neighbor child. Then bombs hit, blowing her clothes off while covering her with rubble. Miraculously, she survived unlike the other child who was blown to pieces where she’d played.

UNSAFE
As the bombing worsened, she and her sibs were evacuated to the countryside, the girls abused by the man supposed to shelter them. Trauma dogged the Winspears, as it did generations who lived through both World Wars.

FOR RICHER, FOR POORER
Her parents later met and married in London, moving to the Kentish countryside dirt poor, living in a Romany community and working on a farm to harvest hops and apples. The author and her younger brother were born there, later recalling happy memories in nature despite their poverty.

HURTFUL
Her mother, astoundingly beautiful and bright, nonetheless had sharp, unpredictable emotions. One moment kind and loving, the next verbally cruel to her daughter. She told constant stories, many involving war trauma, and Jacqueline listened intently, internalizing what she heard over time. The author developed crippling anxiety and sought therapy as an adult, learning that her mother’s stories had caused secondary post-traumatic stress in her.

HAUNTED
I’m reminded of a line about Maisie Dobbs, once a nurse injured near the front lines in WWI France: “She is as shell-shocked as any man who went to war.” A reviewer described the book’s era as “the wartime period that continues to haunt [the author].” Winspear later said she felt exposed, because the reviewer saw through her. “She knew I was haunted... And sixty years is a long time to put up with ghosts.”

HEALING
Writing this memoir 30 years in the making seems cathartic for Winspear, as I suspect writing the series has been. Maisie lovers will see elements from the series that derive clearly from the author’s life.

ECHOES
Maisie’s kind father reminds us so of Jacqueline’s. The death of Maisie’s mother when young reflects the hole in the author’s life without consistent maternal affection. The Romany stories and hop picking, Maisie’s breakdown at one point, wars that kill, maim and traumatize. Her healing through emotional and spiritual growth that echoes Jacqueline’s own. It’s all here.

LAUGHING!
But not all was bleak. Winspear truly loves her family, allowing her to forgive her mother and show her in an understanding light. We also see the family’s resilience reflected by her father’s pronouncement whenever they suffered misfortune: “This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing.” What a remarkable philosophy, what a courageous clan, what an astounding memoir!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to listen to this book due to my love of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. I became absorbed in the story of her life and her relationship with her parents. Learning more about wartime England was interesting also, as was learning the inspiration for her books.

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Digital audiobook read by the author
4****

Jacqueline Winspear, perhaps best known for her Maisie Dobbs cozy mystery series, turns to autobiography / memoir in this wonderful work. With honesty, humor, tenderness and compassion she explores her family background and her own childhood in the English countryside.

Winspear’s paternal grandfather served in “The Great War” and suffered from “shell shock” (today, recognized as PTSD) the remainder of his days, sometimes leading to behavior that others were unable to explain. She explores her parents’ experiences in WWII; her mother was evacuated from London during the Blitz, while her gentle, animal-loving father was assigned to an explosives team during the war. No wonder, then, that once married, her parents sought a quieter life outside London, and spent years living among the Romany people in rural Kent. Winspear recounts childhood memories of picking hops and fruit on farms, while she dreamed of being a writer.

I doubt I would have picked up this heartfelt and touching memoir were it not a book-club selection. I’m so glad I read it, and I think knowing Winspear’s own background will give me additional insight into her characters in the Maisie Dobb series.

Winspear read the audiobook herself. I cannot imagine anyone else doing a better job.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting memoir by the author of the popular Maisie Dobbs series. Winspear grew up in post-war England and her descriptions of the conditions in the country and the effects on the two World Wars on people she loved was fascinating.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir was pleasingly readable, interestingly historical, moving without unnecessary sentimentality, and oddly suspenseful quiet memoir—though not at all oddly in fact, since Winspear is a fine storyteller. The memoir goes very well with her historical mystery series.

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Yes,” I thought when I first spotted this title, “yes, if there’s anyone who’s lived an interesting enough life to write a memoir about, it would be the person who invented Maisie Dobbs,” and I was right.

But this isn’t just a memoir about a person, or even a family; it’s a meditation on place and memory, myths both personal and cultural. As much about an unusual, almost anachronistic upbringing, as much about a magically surreal worldview, this is a lovely memory palace of a book, as delicate as a house of cards.

Sure to delight fans of memoirs and biographies as well as WWII buffs, the slow pacing and nonlinear construction may be frustrating for readers who prefer a more straightforward, unambiguous narrative.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all of the Maisie Dobbs WWI mysteries and the one stand alone novel that Winspear has written and yet, still, this memoir was not exactly what I expected, in either style or subject. It is rather dis-jointed, not tightly plotted like her novels, but to be fair, she says in the first chapter, "this is my memoir of a time and place in a series of vignettes, screen shots, portraits and panoramas." .

Place itself is centered around rural Kent, where Winspear was born and lived until college. Her parents had left London as young adults, even though their large extended families remained in the "Big Smoke". And rural England for 20-30 years after WWII seemed poor and struggling, with the parents mostly working as farm labor in their decade or more of marriage. Book not really about Winspear herself but centers on her parents. Interesting to see how much Winspear has mined her family's history and her own early life into the Maisie Dobbs books. Good book for Maisie Dobbs hard core fans (like me).

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual Winspear's writing is exquisite. The experiences she relates from her own life and that of her parents are sometimes harrowing but at other times heart warming and funny. I was surprised by the organization, while roughly chronological, she chose to tell these stories almost as a series of vignettes rather than an over-arching narrative. I was impressed by the deep love and respect she shows her mother even when relating some truly ugly parenting moments.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this enthralling and enjoyed the book from beginning to end. It's not just a memoir, its a dedication to her parents and family.

I especially liked the interweaving of three generations, and giving an inside look at how the World Wars in England affected families, not just in the moment, but generations after. Besides the war, it was also an interesting look at her parents starting out their lives together, living almost as Romani's, scraping to get by, but living a life. Despite hardships and personalities, you can still feel the love and respect contained in the pages.

One doesn't need to know anything about Maisie Dobbs (Winspear's main character in her mystery novels) to read the book, she only touches on that briefly here and there. As well, Jacqueline's adult life is the smallest part of the book, the focus is mainly on her family and her childhood. I also like that the memoir feels honest. There are highs and lows, excitements and disappointments and even sadness about a familial relationship that is laid bare.

I've not read all the Maisie Dobbs novels, but I do want to go back and start them again and see if I can remember any of the stories played out in the books.

If you like Memoirs, history of England during the war years, especially WWII, or Jacqueline Winspear, I would highly recommend this book.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the Maisie Dobbs series so found this rather loose, stream-of-consciousness writing somewhat disconcerting. Probably just me as I don't generally care for memoirs anyway.

[Bebe (Sarah) Brechner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The autobiography of Winspear’s life is fascinating and impressionistic. Her family suffered lingering effects of both world wars in Great Britain, and this is artistically reflected in Winspear’s superb fictional series “Maisie Dobbs.” Fans will enjoy reading this history of her family and her upbringing. There is no chronology here, more of a series of memories, back and forth in time, which makes it a bit challenging to keep it all straight.

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winspear has lived an unusual life, and I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of memories of not just her own life, but that of her grandparents, parents and large extended family. Her family was heavily affected by WWI and WWII, stories of which she heard from her storyteller mother from a young age. Winspear's family, situated in rural Kent, England, was materially poor but rich in experience and lore. If you read her Maisie Dobbs mystery series (the 16th book of which is coming out at the end of this month), you will see how she has mined her and her family's lives to create her novels. A very satisfying read for this Maisie Dobbs fan!

Why I'm reading this: When I saw that this was coming out in Nov 2020, I immediately put it on hold at the library. It just came in - as a big fan of the Maisie Dobbs books, I'm eager to read Winspear's memoir.

[Anne Slater · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed.

I read it all-- I adore JW's books for their coherent story lines, their character portraits, the clarity of the settings and situations. I found this memoir rather haphazard, as if she simply transcribed what was in her diaries with no sense of the progression of time.

Three quarters of the way through she mentions something from her pre-8 yr childhood. I never could find the description of what must have been a horrifying scalding accident that happened when she was a toddler. It was referred to several times before she actually said "scalding" more than half way through. Somewhere in the parade of removals from one house to another, she describes the Big House that her family lived near, and how entranced she was with the books. Foreshadowings of Maisy Dobbs.

I was truly engaged in the last fifth of the book which spoke of how she got involved in writing the novels.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winspear narrated the audiobook version of her memoir. Her voice was wonderful and I could hardly stop listening to it. I was just so engrossed in her story. Tears rose to my eyes a number of times through this literary journey, I am so filled with love for this gorgeous book.

Brilliant!

Well done, Jacqueline Winspear.

[Margaret Galbraith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely love this author’s Maisie Dobbs book series but sadly I did not enjoy this one. If I didn’t see the author’s name on the cover I would not have believed it was the same writer.

I enjoyed reading bits but it read like a it was taken from old childhood diaries … maybe it was, but it was kind of all over the place like some of my journal entries of my childhood memories and I’m by no means an author.

She did have an interesting childhood and this could have been good but for me it missed the mark in the style of writing. I was brought up in the same era but in Scotland and could relate to a few of the memories of foods and clothes worn and I’m sure if you lived during that time or in the same area of Jacqueline you could really go back in time.

Now I really must add to my memories to pass onto our grown up children and grandchildren as they’ve never had grandparents here like I had back home who told me many tales of our family’s history.

[Gina Mendola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Winspear’s relationship with her mother sounded similar to the one I had with mine, although she seemed to recognize the bullying for what it was much sooner than I did. It’s a beautiful memoir told in the “mustn’t grumble” style of a true Brit. Mrs Winspear’s gratitude and graciousness go hand in glove.

[Michelle Ule · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like memoirs and I enjoyed this tale of a British girlhood--out in the countryside picking hops and apples with her memorable parents.

A beautifully written story of people making do with love, laughter, and, most importantly, family.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Popsugar 2020-A book published in the month of your birthday

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fascinating stories of her upbringing.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not one for memoirs, but having read all of the Maisie Dobbs books, I found listening to Jacqueline Winspear's autobiography most interesting. I loved learning about her parents' earlier lives, Jacqueline's growing up years in Kent, and seeing how she wove so many of her own and her parents' experiences in her wonderful books. A must read for Maisie Dobbs fans.

[Marth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed all of the books in the Maisie Dobbs series. This new memoir by Winspear opens a window into her life growing up in the countryside of post WWII Britain. I understand more clearly the rich inspirations of her stories in her novels. Growing up and working on hop, fruit, and vegetable picking farms, living in a Romany community, and hearing about her interesting family background is a gift to the reader of a unique time and place. The idyllic English countryside is peppered with colorful characters and historic detail. I had to go online to see a video of the Hawkhurst train line mentioned in her memoir, which closed in 1961. I can almost see Jacqueline, her mother and brother traveling on these trains, the detail is so vivid. Living in this serene setting away from the noise of London is good for Winspear’s family but there is no lack of hardship or laborious hard work. Details of harsh effects on loved ones proves wars don’t end with armistices. Interspersed with poignant and eye opening stories is love of family and friends, especially among Jacqueline and her father as they go on walks in the country, learn about the value of work, frugality and resilience. This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing is a true gem of time and place gone by but teaches us to have faith in things that matter. Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review of this book.

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked forward to this memoir, being a big fan of Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. Winspear and I are of an age, and it was sadly interesting how the post WWII childhood experience was so very different in England and in the U.S. Winspear definitely focuses on the positive aspects of growing up in the countryside: the communion with and appreciation of nature, the natural responsibility given to children, the work ethic and the simple joys. But certainly there were some stark times with financial challenges and lack of amenities we take for granted, like indoor plumbing and washing machines and the abundance of food. But you get the feeling she wouldn't have traded any of it, because of the lessons and strength of character she gained.

She writes with great care and affection of her parents, but it's clear her relationship with her mother was difficult. She adored her mother but suffered from her acerbic tongue and belittling. She is thoughtful when trying to fairly describe some of their interactions. The amount of detail that she remembers is amazing -- even given that she went back and interviewed family members and took notes. Obviously she remembers scenes and emotions very well -- and it shows beautifully in her fiction works too. This is a loving but honest portrayal of her family and relatives and of the time and place she grew up in.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Daniel Shindler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been an admirer of Jacqueline Winspear since 2003 when she published Maisie Dobbs. Her memoir is a departure from her series . It is well written and insightful. Primarily, it is a paean to her family and a rural way of life that has mostly vanished.
She chronicles her parents moving from post war London to rural Kent, picking hops and fruit to earn a living. The narrative encompasses the personal traumas of the generations that endured two World Wars. I was moved by the description of her grandfather still removing shrapnel from his legs fifty years after World War 1. Ms Winspear writes without melodrama and takes the reader on her family’s journey through a transformative period of post World War 2. This journey is engaging and inspiring. As an additional bonus, the narrative provides additional insights into the subject matter and characters in the esteemed Maisie Dobbs series.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating reflection from the author Jacqueline Winspear about her family and their influence on her.

My mother read it and said that it really helped her understand more about her own large family and growing up poor in rural Canada. She felt that her experiences and struggles were not isolated and she was comforted to learn other families were quite similar to hers. If you are in your 70s or 80s you might relate quite a bit to this book, if your parents are of this generation you will learn quite a bit. Anything that helps us all understand each other better is definitely worth the read.

Jacqueline is an excellent author and this is a book definitely worth reading.

Five stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Sue Trav · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although it was a memoir it also felt like a historical fiction novel. The writing style was perfect. Just enough detail to clearly paint a picture of the scene without extra words or fluff added.

The themes of family and perseverance dominate this story. I found it both entertaining and educational. The stories of growing up in post-war England were fascinating. Her parents sounded like quite the characters and I felt like I really knew them through her story telling.

Jacqueline Winspear is new to me and I am a fan after reading this book.

Thank you to publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.