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The Safest Place in London
On a frozen January evening in 1944, Nancy Levin, and her three-year-old daughter, Emily, flee their impoverished East London home as an air raid siren sounds. Not far away, 39- year-old Diana Meadows and her own child, three-year-old Abigail, are lost in the black-out as the air raid begins. Finding their way in the jostling crowd to the mouth of the shelter they hurry to the safety of the underground tube station. Mrs Meadows, who has so far sat out the war in the safety of London's outer suburbs, is terrified - as much by the prospect of sheltering in an Eastend tube station as of experiencing a bombing raid first hand.
Far away Diana's husband, Gerald Meadows finds himself in a tank regiment in North Africa while Nancy's husband, Joe Levin has narrowly survived a torpedo in the Atlantic and is about to re-join his ship. Both men have their own wars to fight but take comfort in the knowledge that their wives and children, at least, remain safe.
But in wartime, ordinary people can find themselves taking extreme action - risking everything to secure their own and their family's survival, even at the expense of others.
Far away Diana's husband, Gerald Meadows finds himself in a tank regiment in North Africa while Nancy's husband, Joe Levin has narrowly survived a torpedo in the Atlantic and is about to re-join his ship. Both men have their own wars to fight but take comfort in the knowledge that their wives and children, at least, remain safe.
But in wartime, ordinary people can find themselves taking extreme action - risking everything to secure their own and their family's survival, even at the expense of others.
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First published September 16, 2016
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About the author
Maggie Joel
7 books38 followersMaggie Joel is a British-born writer who lives in Sydney, Australia. She has been writing fiction since the mid-1990s and her short stories have been widely published in Australia in Southerly, Westerly, Island, Overland and Canberra Arts Review, and broadcast on ABC radio.
She has had five novels published: 'The Past and Other Lies' (Pier 9,2009), 'The Second Last Woman in England' (Pier 9, 2010) winner of the FAW Christina Stead Award for Fiction, 'Half the World in Winter' (Allen & Unwin, 2014), 'The Safest Place in London' (Allen & Unwin 2016) and 'The Unforgiving City' (Allen & Unwin 2019).
She has had five novels published: 'The Past and Other Lies' (Pier 9,2009), 'The Second Last Woman in England' (Pier 9, 2010) winner of the FAW Christina Stead Award for Fiction, 'Half the World in Winter' (Allen & Unwin, 2014), 'The Safest Place in London' (Allen & Unwin 2016) and 'The Unforgiving City' (Allen & Unwin 2019).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 31, 2024
January 1944 in London – freezing outside but the dinner of hot fried chips Nancy Levin was cooking her three year old daughter Emily would warm them. That all changed in an instant when the air raid siren sounded and Nancy and Emily immediately deserted their dinner and rushed to the Bethnal Green underground tube station to join hundreds of others doing the same.
Joining them, but unknown to each other was Diana Meadows and her three year old daughter Abigail – Diana had the misfortune of being in the wrong area that evening; far from her own home she had taken the wrong bus with Abigail and ended up at Bethnal Green. The confusion and jostling crowd terrified Diana as she sat on the floor with Abigail in her lap. Nancy and Emily were nearby and though they didn’t speak Nancy and Diana acknowledged each other with a brief, tremulous smile.
As the bombers screamed overhead and the loud whump noises as the bombs hit made everyone jump and scream in fear, Gerard, husband of Diana was in North Africa in the tank regiment and Joe, husband of Nancy was about to join his ship after surviving a torpedo attack. They both believed their wives and daughters were in the safest place in London; that was one thing less for them to worry about.
But the horrors of that January raid would alter the lives of many on that fateful night – in wartime survival was paramount, sometimes to the detriment of others.
The Safest Place in London by Aussie author Maggie Joel was a heart wrenching, uplifting read; the comparison of the two classes in wartime London – the poor and starving residents of East London and the wealthy from the outer suburbs – is highlighted. But it also shows that one is no different to the other in the big scheme of things. The two women, Nancy and Diana are both strong characters, but in different ways – and both would do anything to keep their daughters safe. I thoroughly enjoyed this rendition of London during the Blitz, while knowing how lucky I am not to have lived during that terrible time. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Joining them, but unknown to each other was Diana Meadows and her three year old daughter Abigail – Diana had the misfortune of being in the wrong area that evening; far from her own home she had taken the wrong bus with Abigail and ended up at Bethnal Green. The confusion and jostling crowd terrified Diana as she sat on the floor with Abigail in her lap. Nancy and Emily were nearby and though they didn’t speak Nancy and Diana acknowledged each other with a brief, tremulous smile.
As the bombers screamed overhead and the loud whump noises as the bombs hit made everyone jump and scream in fear, Gerard, husband of Diana was in North Africa in the tank regiment and Joe, husband of Nancy was about to join his ship after surviving a torpedo attack. They both believed their wives and daughters were in the safest place in London; that was one thing less for them to worry about.
But the horrors of that January raid would alter the lives of many on that fateful night – in wartime survival was paramount, sometimes to the detriment of others.
The Safest Place in London by Aussie author Maggie Joel was a heart wrenching, uplifting read; the comparison of the two classes in wartime London – the poor and starving residents of East London and the wealthy from the outer suburbs – is highlighted. But it also shows that one is no different to the other in the big scheme of things. The two women, Nancy and Diana are both strong characters, but in different ways – and both would do anything to keep their daughters safe. I thoroughly enjoyed this rendition of London during the Blitz, while knowing how lucky I am not to have lived during that terrible time. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2025
War, class divides and moral dilemmas are the focus of accomplished Australian author Maggie Joel’s fourth novel, The Safest Place in London. Joel takes her reader into the very heart of London during the air raids, zoning in on the experience of those taking shelter in the underground areas of London’s east end. Joel’s compelling novel brings together two couples experiences of war and draws them together. She shows us how one fateful night spent in a bomb shelter has the ability to change these characters lives in an instant.
The Safest Place in London is a story divided into two parts. The first part is set in the underground, describing events that take place in an east end London underground air raid shelter. The second part is focussed on the overground experience, as those who survive a vicious air raid attack, deal with the aftermath and the choices they make. The first part of the novel concentrates on two contrasting families. The Levin family are from a struggling area of the east end. When the sirens sound one cold January evening, Nancy and her daughter Emily are forced to abandon their home and find shelter in a nearby underground station. At the same time, Diana Meadows and her daughter Abigail hail from a very different area, the country outskirts of London. This mother and daughter are making their way into the capital to watch a pantomime. Their journey is disrupted by the air raid sirens and they are forced to find safety in the nearest shelter they can find, which happens to be in the unfamiliar east end of London tube station. The bombing takes its toll on the occupants of the tube station that night and not all survive. As rash, as well self serving decisions are made in the aftermath of this air raid, the two men of this tale are fighting for their own survival – in the back of their minds they want to believe their wives and children are relatively safe. Or are they?
The times of the Blitz in London is a era that has always fascinated me, so any literature based around this period always grabs my attention. Joel works hard at building a thorough sketch of London at this perilous time. As soon as the characters entered the underground tube shelter, I felt like I was transported to sights, sounds, smells and feelings of the time. Joel’s descriptions are evocative, as well as authentic, alluding to the depth of research she must have taken to write these scenes.
What stood out about The Safest Place in London was the way in which Joel has chosen to offer her reader a contrast in characters. Joel’s central protagonists are polar opposites class wise and this enables the reader to receive different perspectives of the Blitz experience. I also appreciated how Joel provided contrasting war experiences of the soldiers featured in the story. While one husband is serving in North Africa, the other husband is based on a submarine. No matter what the story or experience, the tension was high.
At the heart of this story is the human face of war. Joel explores the feelings experienced by those living the war at this time. The uncertainty, the desperation and the will to survive all emerge as common sentiments. The plot twist Joel delivers just past the halfway mark in the novel, places the characters, along with the reader, in a moral quandary.
The Safest Place is London offers the reader a heart wrenching and profound study of the human experience of war during the Blitz. It is a refined piece of writing and will appeal to those who appreciate a well woven historical fiction novel.
The Safest Place in London is a story divided into two parts. The first part is set in the underground, describing events that take place in an east end London underground air raid shelter. The second part is focussed on the overground experience, as those who survive a vicious air raid attack, deal with the aftermath and the choices they make. The first part of the novel concentrates on two contrasting families. The Levin family are from a struggling area of the east end. When the sirens sound one cold January evening, Nancy and her daughter Emily are forced to abandon their home and find shelter in a nearby underground station. At the same time, Diana Meadows and her daughter Abigail hail from a very different area, the country outskirts of London. This mother and daughter are making their way into the capital to watch a pantomime. Their journey is disrupted by the air raid sirens and they are forced to find safety in the nearest shelter they can find, which happens to be in the unfamiliar east end of London tube station. The bombing takes its toll on the occupants of the tube station that night and not all survive. As rash, as well self serving decisions are made in the aftermath of this air raid, the two men of this tale are fighting for their own survival – in the back of their minds they want to believe their wives and children are relatively safe. Or are they?
The times of the Blitz in London is a era that has always fascinated me, so any literature based around this period always grabs my attention. Joel works hard at building a thorough sketch of London at this perilous time. As soon as the characters entered the underground tube shelter, I felt like I was transported to sights, sounds, smells and feelings of the time. Joel’s descriptions are evocative, as well as authentic, alluding to the depth of research she must have taken to write these scenes.
What stood out about The Safest Place in London was the way in which Joel has chosen to offer her reader a contrast in characters. Joel’s central protagonists are polar opposites class wise and this enables the reader to receive different perspectives of the Blitz experience. I also appreciated how Joel provided contrasting war experiences of the soldiers featured in the story. While one husband is serving in North Africa, the other husband is based on a submarine. No matter what the story or experience, the tension was high.
At the heart of this story is the human face of war. Joel explores the feelings experienced by those living the war at this time. The uncertainty, the desperation and the will to survive all emerge as common sentiments. The plot twist Joel delivers just past the halfway mark in the novel, places the characters, along with the reader, in a moral quandary.
The Safest Place is London offers the reader a heart wrenching and profound study of the human experience of war during the Blitz. It is a refined piece of writing and will appeal to those who appreciate a well woven historical fiction novel.
August 13, 2016
Originally posted on my blog https://missmichellemck.blogspot.com....
I was fortunate enough to receive Proof copy of the book from Allen & Unwin and Goodreads in return for an honest review. I have been very fortunate with the books I have recently received from them because each and everyone has been AMAZING and this was no exception.
The book starts in London during the Blitz, the story is told in two halves, underground and above ground. Stories that are set in a confined space are often my favourite, and I was automatically hooked once we were in the bomb shelter in an unfinished tube station.
First meet Nancy, who has had a tough life but she sees things in a really straight forward way and just tries to get on with things. Growing up an orphan taking care of her daughter is one of the most important things to her. She conceived her baby just before her husband, Joe went to war and her little girl Emily is 3 years old before she gets to meet her Dad for the first time.
Next we meet Diana and her daughter, Emily. Diana's husband Gerard is in North Africa fighting in tank Regiment. After years of marriage they finally have a daughter, Abigail, Gerard was not yet deployed when their baby was born and was able to meet her before he was sent away. Abigail, like Emily is also 3 and she has no memories of her father.
As the story unfolds Diana and Nancy are sitting side by side in the underground with their daughters. I won't say any more about the plot from here as they way it unfolds is compelling and I couldn't stop turning pages.
I enjoyed getting to know Nancy and Diane especially and the journey that Gerard has to go through is also incredibly compelling. Its one of those stories where you sit back at the end and wonder what you would have done in the same situation. I can not imagine the horror of being sat in a tube station listening and feeling bombs falling above you, the terror and need to keep your child safe is unimaginable but you feel the tension and stress coming off the page especially through Diana who has never experienced the Blitz as she and Abigail have been in the relative safety of the country.
The story is told from each of the four main characters and this gave great insight into the different experiences of the war told through their unique experiences. The last third of the book especially I could not turn away and I could not put the book down, there is a moment of the book where I was sat up in bed and was like, did that just happen!! I wanted to talk to someone about it immediately.
I loved this book, I will be giving this to a few people for Christmas this year if they haven't read it already because its a story I want to be able to talk to people about.
I was fortunate enough to receive Proof copy of the book from Allen & Unwin and Goodreads in return for an honest review. I have been very fortunate with the books I have recently received from them because each and everyone has been AMAZING and this was no exception.
The book starts in London during the Blitz, the story is told in two halves, underground and above ground. Stories that are set in a confined space are often my favourite, and I was automatically hooked once we were in the bomb shelter in an unfinished tube station.
First meet Nancy, who has had a tough life but she sees things in a really straight forward way and just tries to get on with things. Growing up an orphan taking care of her daughter is one of the most important things to her. She conceived her baby just before her husband, Joe went to war and her little girl Emily is 3 years old before she gets to meet her Dad for the first time.
Next we meet Diana and her daughter, Emily. Diana's husband Gerard is in North Africa fighting in tank Regiment. After years of marriage they finally have a daughter, Abigail, Gerard was not yet deployed when their baby was born and was able to meet her before he was sent away. Abigail, like Emily is also 3 and she has no memories of her father.
As the story unfolds Diana and Nancy are sitting side by side in the underground with their daughters. I won't say any more about the plot from here as they way it unfolds is compelling and I couldn't stop turning pages.
I enjoyed getting to know Nancy and Diane especially and the journey that Gerard has to go through is also incredibly compelling. Its one of those stories where you sit back at the end and wonder what you would have done in the same situation. I can not imagine the horror of being sat in a tube station listening and feeling bombs falling above you, the terror and need to keep your child safe is unimaginable but you feel the tension and stress coming off the page especially through Diana who has never experienced the Blitz as she and Abigail have been in the relative safety of the country.
The story is told from each of the four main characters and this gave great insight into the different experiences of the war told through their unique experiences. The last third of the book especially I could not turn away and I could not put the book down, there is a moment of the book where I was sat up in bed and was like, did that just happen!! I wanted to talk to someone about it immediately.
I loved this book, I will be giving this to a few people for Christmas this year if they haven't read it already because its a story I want to be able to talk to people about.
October 1, 2016
“Walk a mile in my shoes … see what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel … then maybe you’ll understand why I do what I do … until then, don’t judge me.”
The above expression encapsulates this latest novel by Maggie Joel, as she brings us a touching and poignant tale of two families who get caught up in a London air raid in 1944, changing their lives forever – six people who will become victims of circumstance with no black and white answers to any of the questions raised by the reader.
Divided into two parts, the novel opens with Nancy Levin and her three year old daughter Emily, just about to sit down to dinner when the air raid siren goes off and they have to make their way to a shelter. Not long after, we are introduced to Diana and Abigail who are lost and trying to find a shelter in an area they are not familiar with.
As these two women from vastly different social classes wait for the all-clear to sound, their fear and loneliness is palpable when it becomes apparent that the night will be a long one, with the unused tube station at Bethnal Green becoming their shelter for the duration. When a large incendiary bomb drops on the shelter, lives will be altered when one of them is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision.
In the second part of the book, we are introduced to Joe Levin and Gerald Meadows, the women’s husbands, who have returned to London in the midst of the chaos that has taken place, only to be left reeling both by the memories of the horrors of the war they have been fighting and the fact that their hopes of finding their families look grim.
Told from their viewpoints it soon becomes apparent that desperate choices, unforeseen circumstances and relationships will combine to show us that no matter how distinctly different we are, we are all connected.
This one kept popping up on my Facebook newsfeed and when I first saw the cover, I was instantly drawn to it but even more so after reading the blurb and I couldn’t wait for it to get to the top of my reading pile because WWII stories have always fascinated me.
This one intrigued me even more because it held the promise of suspense and, whilst I finished it some time ago, it’s one of those reads that I needed to simmer for a while in my head. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was an outstanding read but it’s one that’s not easy to review for fear of giving something away because of the way in which Maggie has so intricately layered it.
The subject matter is also very different to any other WWII book I’ve read before because the war is not the main subject but merely a backdrop that highlights the impact that war can have on the human race, the complexities of human nature in a fight for survival, the struggles of those that become morally afflicted and the emotional fallout and consequences of shameful choices made. Whilst some readers may be uncomfortable with the moral complexity of these characters, I found this part of human nature fascinating!
One of this novel’s greatest strengths is its sense of time and place with Maggie evoking this period in London’s history brilliantly by painting a portrait of what life must have been like – from the rationing, the blackouts, trudging the war-torn streets, the hunger, endless hours spent sheltering from the bombs, searching for loved ones, to the desperate measures that people resorted to in order to survive and the harsh realities that most of them faced.
Maggie's characters are also well drawn and she portrays all of them with sympathy by profiling the marriages and the manner in which the war has forced these families to separate, thereby showing their vulnerabilities and shedding light on the difficulties they experience once reunited.
Without being preachy, the scope of people that were affected by WWII (or any war for that matter) is hard for you and I to imagine but no doubt a reality and this is a story that needs to be read with an open mind and with no judgments as to what we may think is morally correct because some thought-provoking questions are raised, such as how many other people committed these same acts in similar circumstances; where do we draw the line between right and wrong, moral or immoral; and, what would it take for your morals to fall by the wayside?
Difficult questions, I know! But ones which her amazingly distinct narrative voices raise by the sheer complexity of emotion and reasoning of characters who have been challenged by unimaginable hardship and grief.
A page turner that is both emotionally engaging and involving, Maggie Joel has penned a unique albeit bittersweet tale with a compelling human story and complex moral dilemmas at its heart, showing us that good people can be placed in impossible situations. Highly recommended.
The above expression encapsulates this latest novel by Maggie Joel, as she brings us a touching and poignant tale of two families who get caught up in a London air raid in 1944, changing their lives forever – six people who will become victims of circumstance with no black and white answers to any of the questions raised by the reader.
Divided into two parts, the novel opens with Nancy Levin and her three year old daughter Emily, just about to sit down to dinner when the air raid siren goes off and they have to make their way to a shelter. Not long after, we are introduced to Diana and Abigail who are lost and trying to find a shelter in an area they are not familiar with.
As these two women from vastly different social classes wait for the all-clear to sound, their fear and loneliness is palpable when it becomes apparent that the night will be a long one, with the unused tube station at Bethnal Green becoming their shelter for the duration. When a large incendiary bomb drops on the shelter, lives will be altered when one of them is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision.
In the second part of the book, we are introduced to Joe Levin and Gerald Meadows, the women’s husbands, who have returned to London in the midst of the chaos that has taken place, only to be left reeling both by the memories of the horrors of the war they have been fighting and the fact that their hopes of finding their families look grim.
Told from their viewpoints it soon becomes apparent that desperate choices, unforeseen circumstances and relationships will combine to show us that no matter how distinctly different we are, we are all connected.
This one kept popping up on my Facebook newsfeed and when I first saw the cover, I was instantly drawn to it but even more so after reading the blurb and I couldn’t wait for it to get to the top of my reading pile because WWII stories have always fascinated me.
This one intrigued me even more because it held the promise of suspense and, whilst I finished it some time ago, it’s one of those reads that I needed to simmer for a while in my head. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was an outstanding read but it’s one that’s not easy to review for fear of giving something away because of the way in which Maggie has so intricately layered it.
The subject matter is also very different to any other WWII book I’ve read before because the war is not the main subject but merely a backdrop that highlights the impact that war can have on the human race, the complexities of human nature in a fight for survival, the struggles of those that become morally afflicted and the emotional fallout and consequences of shameful choices made. Whilst some readers may be uncomfortable with the moral complexity of these characters, I found this part of human nature fascinating!
One of this novel’s greatest strengths is its sense of time and place with Maggie evoking this period in London’s history brilliantly by painting a portrait of what life must have been like – from the rationing, the blackouts, trudging the war-torn streets, the hunger, endless hours spent sheltering from the bombs, searching for loved ones, to the desperate measures that people resorted to in order to survive and the harsh realities that most of them faced.
Maggie's characters are also well drawn and she portrays all of them with sympathy by profiling the marriages and the manner in which the war has forced these families to separate, thereby showing their vulnerabilities and shedding light on the difficulties they experience once reunited.
Without being preachy, the scope of people that were affected by WWII (or any war for that matter) is hard for you and I to imagine but no doubt a reality and this is a story that needs to be read with an open mind and with no judgments as to what we may think is morally correct because some thought-provoking questions are raised, such as how many other people committed these same acts in similar circumstances; where do we draw the line between right and wrong, moral or immoral; and, what would it take for your morals to fall by the wayside?
Difficult questions, I know! But ones which her amazingly distinct narrative voices raise by the sheer complexity of emotion and reasoning of characters who have been challenged by unimaginable hardship and grief.
A page turner that is both emotionally engaging and involving, Maggie Joel has penned a unique albeit bittersweet tale with a compelling human story and complex moral dilemmas at its heart, showing us that good people can be placed in impossible situations. Highly recommended.
September 12, 2016
This book was riveting from start to finish. The author expertly conveyed the raw emotions of the main characters. These emotions ranged across the spectrum from horror, betrayal, despair, anger, remorse, empathy, resignation and even hope.
1944 London came alive to me in all its bombed out mess and mass of starving humanity. War does bring out the worst and the best in people and how clearly the writer reveals these qualities as well as the apathy brought on by years of wartime deprivation. One thing I have pondered which The Safest Place in London revealed in people during war, and for that matter during other disasters, was the unexpected ways people behave. The example I mention, without giving away the storyline, is how some people who live by the laws of society with right and wrong clearly defined in their minds, can deviate from this code and justify such behaviour.
I am reminded how fortunate I am living in a country where there is no war and of the sacrifices of my parents and grandparents who endured such hardship both in the field of battle and on the Homefront.
1944 London came alive to me in all its bombed out mess and mass of starving humanity. War does bring out the worst and the best in people and how clearly the writer reveals these qualities as well as the apathy brought on by years of wartime deprivation. One thing I have pondered which The Safest Place in London revealed in people during war, and for that matter during other disasters, was the unexpected ways people behave. The example I mention, without giving away the storyline, is how some people who live by the laws of society with right and wrong clearly defined in their minds, can deviate from this code and justify such behaviour.
I am reminded how fortunate I am living in a country where there is no war and of the sacrifices of my parents and grandparents who endured such hardship both in the field of battle and on the Homefront.
March 29, 2020
"Thank you to Goodreads and Allen & Unwin for this ARC. What follows is my honest opinion as always;
So let's start with a bold statement. IF YOU LIKE THE BOOK THIEF, AS SO MANY OF US DO, READ THIS BOOK, YOU WILL ENJOY IT.
I accepted this book in two minds as to whether or not I would like this. I liked the idea and timeline but in the first few pages I was concerned that this may be more of a romance than I had expected. WRONG!! I am glad I stuck it out because this is a fantastic read.
The story is of 1944 London during the period of air raids from the German bombers. The end of the war not too far away as the Germans had already begun to get pushed back by the allies th
rough mainland Europe.
We follow two married couples, each with one child. Diana and Gerald Meadows and Nancy and Joe Levin. Diana and Gerald have a daughter, Abigail and Nancy and Joe have a daughter named Emily, both girls are roughly the same age.
The story is seen from the point of view of each of the four adults. As couples they live very similar lives, both in London and both women are left looking after the child as the husband is away on active duty. Neither woman really knows where her husband is at any stage. The Meadows' and the Levins do not know each other but their lives intertwine on more than one occasion.
Each of the four deals with tragic events of their own and both families are torn apart. This book, like the book thief, gives you a clear insight into the difficulties of life during the war. However, more than that, you get a real sense into the human spirit. Anger, love, loss, need, companionship, depravity, selfishness and despair as people from their pasts drift in and out of the plot. On more than one occasion you will find yourself wondering if you would do the same thing as the characters if you were faced with the same situations.
As I mentioned earlier, the two families do not know one another. However by the end of this book they are closer than any two families could possibly be.
"
So let's start with a bold statement. IF YOU LIKE THE BOOK THIEF, AS SO MANY OF US DO, READ THIS BOOK, YOU WILL ENJOY IT.
I accepted this book in two minds as to whether or not I would like this. I liked the idea and timeline but in the first few pages I was concerned that this may be more of a romance than I had expected. WRONG!! I am glad I stuck it out because this is a fantastic read.
The story is of 1944 London during the period of air raids from the German bombers. The end of the war not too far away as the Germans had already begun to get pushed back by the allies th
rough mainland Europe.
We follow two married couples, each with one child. Diana and Gerald Meadows and Nancy and Joe Levin. Diana and Gerald have a daughter, Abigail and Nancy and Joe have a daughter named Emily, both girls are roughly the same age.
The story is seen from the point of view of each of the four adults. As couples they live very similar lives, both in London and both women are left looking after the child as the husband is away on active duty. Neither woman really knows where her husband is at any stage. The Meadows' and the Levins do not know each other but their lives intertwine on more than one occasion.
Each of the four deals with tragic events of their own and both families are torn apart. This book, like the book thief, gives you a clear insight into the difficulties of life during the war. However, more than that, you get a real sense into the human spirit. Anger, love, loss, need, companionship, depravity, selfishness and despair as people from their pasts drift in and out of the plot. On more than one occasion you will find yourself wondering if you would do the same thing as the characters if you were faced with the same situations.
As I mentioned earlier, the two families do not know one another. However by the end of this book they are closer than any two families could possibly be.
"
December 8, 2017
I enjoyed this book. Good characters, good plot and good writing.
May 25, 2017
Well researched and gives a good understanding of life during the war. Makes you realise how blessed we are now!
November 5, 2016
I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous Maggie Joel books which I have read, so I was thrilled to see a new one. I felt that unlike her previous novels which had that flow to them which disguises the fact that you have read far more than you thought, this one faltered slightly during the first half, leaving one wondering when, but not how, the pace would pick up. It did, certainly, in the second half, but the resolution became more of a tapering off than an actual ending. Joe's story, however, was open to interpretation, an interpretation which the author did not make clear enough, or possibly was included to muddy the waters. Was Joe really a deserter or the victim of trauma associated with the torpedoing of his ship? The scene, of course, has been well set for a sequel. It's not a new or even novel premise; switching a live, presumably orphaned child for a dead one, especially in the chaos and uncertainty of war. It's not even a particularly immoral one. It actually seems to be a good, if not convenient solution, but one which will have the inevitable consequences as the wartime standards are replaced by the standards and the changes of postwar England.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2016
Loved, loved, loved this historical fiction novel. So much narrative tension hinging on the question of 'what would you do?' Because nobody behaves as they think they would during war.
May 23, 2023
I wanted to like this book but it ended up being a letdown. Storyline wasn’t believable and it just ended without really tying up any lose ends. Almost needs a sequel. Disappointing
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March 21, 2024Originally published on Rocky Street Press.
On a blustery evening in January 1944, two mothers seek shelter from an air raid in the east of London. The women are polar opposites in everything from appearance to personality to class: Nancy Levin is a young mum from an impoverished background, struggling to keep herself and her daughter afloat in the East End while her husband returns to sea with the British Navy; Diana Meadows is posh but not wealthy, living a comparatively comfortable life in upper middle class Birmingham, her own husband fighting in a tank regiment in Africa. But the lives of these two women and their young daughters are inexplicably linked, and the bombing on this dreadful night changes their world in ways they can't possibly imagine.
The Safest Place in London, the fourth novel from British-born Australian author Maggie Joel, paints a startlingly vivid picture of wartime London. It's a compelling story about people doing desperate things in dire situations, with half of the novel detailing the two young mother's experience in the air raid shelter and the other half following their husbands in the aftermath. Joel examines the ideals of family and love under the most extraordinary of circumstances, as well as exploring the profound grief that goes hand in hand with war.
The book is a little slow starting, with much of the first act being spent building the characters' backgrounds and motivations in preparation for its conflict, but picks up the pace at the ninety page mark. The ending, too, falls a little flat; it feels as though, after building such a compelling conflict, Joel wasn't quite sure how to resolve it.
Nonetheless, the narrative is incredibly moving and Joel does a great job of making the reader care about her characters despite their shortcomings. Her writing is rich and atmospheric, capturing the very essence of World War II era England. If you're interested in war stories set outside the realms of the battlefield, this will be a most enjoyable read.
On a blustery evening in January 1944, two mothers seek shelter from an air raid in the east of London. The women are polar opposites in everything from appearance to personality to class: Nancy Levin is a young mum from an impoverished background, struggling to keep herself and her daughter afloat in the East End while her husband returns to sea with the British Navy; Diana Meadows is posh but not wealthy, living a comparatively comfortable life in upper middle class Birmingham, her own husband fighting in a tank regiment in Africa. But the lives of these two women and their young daughters are inexplicably linked, and the bombing on this dreadful night changes their world in ways they can't possibly imagine.
The Safest Place in London, the fourth novel from British-born Australian author Maggie Joel, paints a startlingly vivid picture of wartime London. It's a compelling story about people doing desperate things in dire situations, with half of the novel detailing the two young mother's experience in the air raid shelter and the other half following their husbands in the aftermath. Joel examines the ideals of family and love under the most extraordinary of circumstances, as well as exploring the profound grief that goes hand in hand with war.
The book is a little slow starting, with much of the first act being spent building the characters' backgrounds and motivations in preparation for its conflict, but picks up the pace at the ninety page mark. The ending, too, falls a little flat; it feels as though, after building such a compelling conflict, Joel wasn't quite sure how to resolve it.
Nonetheless, the narrative is incredibly moving and Joel does a great job of making the reader care about her characters despite their shortcomings. Her writing is rich and atmospheric, capturing the very essence of World War II era England. If you're interested in war stories set outside the realms of the battlefield, this will be a most enjoyable read.
December 8, 2020
Set around the Bethnal Green area of London in 1944 this story shows evidence of serious research, believable characters and a highly possible storyline. Despite this I didn’t particularly enjoy the book and it’s hard to articulate the reason for that. When two women - each with a three year old daughter - but from very different backgrounds end up in an air raid shelter during bombing, only one mother and daughter survives. There's a lot of backstory about the respective fathers of the two little girls and the very different roles they play during WW2. The build up was a bit of a hard slog for me to read and I felt the ending was somewhat rushed and somehow left unresolved. Maybe that was author Maggie Joel's intention - to leave the reader with many questions. Now I need to see if there's a sequel - but not sure that I would read it if there is one.
April 13, 2024
I enjoyed the very different type of book this was in war time. The life for people above ground and then the underground. The black market and how cleverly that was completed in secret and as usual all the corrupt police etc.
the book gave interesting views on one husband in the navy that had taken part in the black market and then his fear of getting caught decides to go AWOL
Then you get the husband who was in the army in the desert and he comes back to a wife who has taken someone else’s child as hers was killed in the underground along with her mother. The husband is devestaed with what his wife has done and goes in search of the family. He cannot find any relative so after getting in touch of authorities they are able to keep the child legally. Good story and a few twists and turns I really enjoyed it.
the book gave interesting views on one husband in the navy that had taken part in the black market and then his fear of getting caught decides to go AWOL
Then you get the husband who was in the army in the desert and he comes back to a wife who has taken someone else’s child as hers was killed in the underground along with her mother. The husband is devestaed with what his wife has done and goes in search of the family. He cannot find any relative so after getting in touch of authorities they are able to keep the child legally. Good story and a few twists and turns I really enjoyed it.
March 1, 2020
Maggie Joel in the 1980s worked for me as an interviewer in Ultimo Sydney leaving to live near Newcastle to write books. I wanted to see how she had developed as a writer and have not been disappointed. Her characters are believable, traumatized by WW11 from different class backgrounds that are followed by both male and female characters. If you know of London you will recognise the places mentioned very well. Not so sure Aussie readers unless they know the UK would be able to follow one family as they move to the Northern parts of England. i have now to read another of her books but this one set in Sydney in 1899
July 14, 2023
Oooh I so liked this one.
I don't remember reading a book which gave more realistic descriptions of living through an air raid or trying to exist with food rationing. (I do remember my mother telling me that when onions weren't available there were signs up saying that 'onions are all water and stink'). The book weighs up win and lose, whether to take the hard moral decision or whether to do what is personally more desirable. The answer at the end won't please everyone but it struck me as the likely realistic one. I'll seek out more by this author.
I don't remember reading a book which gave more realistic descriptions of living through an air raid or trying to exist with food rationing. (I do remember my mother telling me that when onions weren't available there were signs up saying that 'onions are all water and stink'). The book weighs up win and lose, whether to take the hard moral decision or whether to do what is personally more desirable. The answer at the end won't please everyone but it struck me as the likely realistic one. I'll seek out more by this author.
April 27, 2024
The book did bring home the terrible conditions that the English suffered during the war years. Initial plot an interesting premise, and I found most of the book about the two women really interesting, I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. I mostly skipped over the Africa bits. Didn't really like the back end of the story, too many coincidences and a not overly convincing story line.
March 31, 2025
It is an interesting book, set during the Blitz raids on London. The description of the war situation was very good, however, I wasn't much impressed by the fact, that the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster was changed into a real bombing with just two fatalities to fit the story.
On the whole, it is well written and told, though, and brings home the dreadful time during WWII.
Helen Lloyd's narration is very good.
On the whole, it is well written and told, though, and brings home the dreadful time during WWII.
Helen Lloyd's narration is very good.
December 31, 2017
Quickly spotted this title by Maggie Joel. I have read 2 of her other books and enjoyed them both.
Great to read about historical London...as always. Interesting section about WW2 in North Africa, too.
A good page turner with a little more of the grit and seediness about war torn London than in many of the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ variety.
Great to read about historical London...as always. Interesting section about WW2 in North Africa, too.
A good page turner with a little more of the grit and seediness about war torn London than in many of the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ variety.
October 28, 2020
A good, solid, historical fiction. Characters were all well-developed. A very interesting and well written storyline. Heartbreaking in places and the ending, well I'll not sure about hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Overall a great read especially as I find that some historical fictions are boring. This one was not.
January 10, 2021
Set in London during World War II, this book focuses around a moral/ethical dilemma. I am not sure that I agree with the actions taken by the main protagonist, but who knows what any of us would do in a similar situation?
March 22, 2021
Maggie Joel is a wonderful story teller. It is well researched and the plot paces along holding the readers interest and making the reader question what will happen next. The character are well developed and believable. It is a most entertaining read.
July 3, 2022
I really enjoyed. I found the setting very interesting and the lives of the characters as they became more intertwined, heartbreaking.
Maggie Joel does a great job as writing Interesting, flawed and sometimes pretty unlikeable characters that keep you wanting to know what happens next!
Maggie Joel does a great job as writing Interesting, flawed and sometimes pretty unlikeable characters that keep you wanting to know what happens next!
January 11, 2024
Intriguing, reminding you how difficult and terrible life was and is during war. Great reading, that you are just not sure what will be the outcome as it transpires. Would have liked the proof reading to be more thorough though.
November 11, 2025
I read alot of WW2 fiction, this was an interesting story about the Blitz, as an underground shelter receives a airstrike. It is an interesting tale about how strangers lives can collide. The beginning was a bit of a slow start but ultimately i really enjoyed this book.
September 28, 2021
A fairly dry drama lacking the pull of personable protagonists.
January 11, 2017
Enjoyable story.
November 23, 2016
Okay I admit that this is not the kind of book I would naturally pick up to read. The blurb and cover had already warned me of impending tragedy. So I put on my stiff upper lip and prepared for the worst in that overcrowded, cold, dark, smelly half-finished tube station . But first chapter in and I put down my tin hat and gas mask. I was hooked.
I just had to know what weak, frightened upper middle class Diana Meadows was going to do in that shelter full of the poorest of London, eyeing her expensive handbag, fawn gloves and real fur collared coat. What possessed her to leave the safety of the suburbs and take her little girl to London? In a country where women stepped up in every area left vacant by men serving in the military she has even failed at growing a vegetable garden. I found myself muttering ‘Come-on woman, man-up’. Especially when sitting right next to her was Nancy Levin who has learned to cope, who has “even, on occasion, gone out at dawn scavenging in bins and in the gutters for whatever she might find”; who Diana thinks of as “fearless and splendid”.
As the tense tedious hours crawl by, the story cleverly backfills our character’s lives. There is a social commentary floating beneath the narrative. It is a vastly different war being experienced by the ‘better classes’ compared to the poor. “A child born during a war in the downstairs room of a house in Odessa Street had realistic expectations about her life and the options that were available.” Despite this, Diana and Nancy’s similarities start to show – both have no family, married their first love and are now raising a child their husbands have barely met.
Nancy and Diana don’t exchange a single word, but a lattice of little irrevocable decisions funnel them into the tragic pivotal moment. You can’t help reflecting on all of your own “if only …” and “what if …” moments. I was not prepared when the bomb went off, even though I knew it was coming. For a few sentences I was as confused and deafened as anyone else. I reread those words a few times, rummaging about in the rubble sorting out who was alive and who wasn’t.
I was surprised when the book broke into a second section and we joined Gerald’s tank crew trundling about in North Africa. Although we found out all about his war, there was no loitering. In no time we flew back to England and the rest of the story, where the threads were swiftly pulling together. The ending was poignant, simple, realistic, messy and so very plausible. After all, what else could anyone do? “It’s this damn war.”
It left me with a dozen questions. In this interwoven story of families there is a hint of unfinished tales as if there could be a return to their story in the next generation. The secret might be buried for now, but eventually someone is going to ask questions.
A well-woven web of characters and situations in an entertaining, fast-paced tale. Readers of historical fiction and drama would enjoy this.
I just had to know what weak, frightened upper middle class Diana Meadows was going to do in that shelter full of the poorest of London, eyeing her expensive handbag, fawn gloves and real fur collared coat. What possessed her to leave the safety of the suburbs and take her little girl to London? In a country where women stepped up in every area left vacant by men serving in the military she has even failed at growing a vegetable garden. I found myself muttering ‘Come-on woman, man-up’. Especially when sitting right next to her was Nancy Levin who has learned to cope, who has “even, on occasion, gone out at dawn scavenging in bins and in the gutters for whatever she might find”; who Diana thinks of as “fearless and splendid”.
As the tense tedious hours crawl by, the story cleverly backfills our character’s lives. There is a social commentary floating beneath the narrative. It is a vastly different war being experienced by the ‘better classes’ compared to the poor. “A child born during a war in the downstairs room of a house in Odessa Street had realistic expectations about her life and the options that were available.” Despite this, Diana and Nancy’s similarities start to show – both have no family, married their first love and are now raising a child their husbands have barely met.
Nancy and Diana don’t exchange a single word, but a lattice of little irrevocable decisions funnel them into the tragic pivotal moment. You can’t help reflecting on all of your own “if only …” and “what if …” moments. I was not prepared when the bomb went off, even though I knew it was coming. For a few sentences I was as confused and deafened as anyone else. I reread those words a few times, rummaging about in the rubble sorting out who was alive and who wasn’t.
I was surprised when the book broke into a second section and we joined Gerald’s tank crew trundling about in North Africa. Although we found out all about his war, there was no loitering. In no time we flew back to England and the rest of the story, where the threads were swiftly pulling together. The ending was poignant, simple, realistic, messy and so very plausible. After all, what else could anyone do? “It’s this damn war.”
It left me with a dozen questions. In this interwoven story of families there is a hint of unfinished tales as if there could be a return to their story in the next generation. The secret might be buried for now, but eventually someone is going to ask questions.
A well-woven web of characters and situations in an entertaining, fast-paced tale. Readers of historical fiction and drama would enjoy this.
July 27, 2016
This book is set in 1944 in London Nancy Levin is a mum with a 3 year old daughter Emily has found it really tough getting through the last 3 years of the war.Her husband Joe has just ended a period of leave after being torpedoed.An air raid siren sends her and her daughter to the nearest shelter of the underground station near by.
Meanwhile Dianna Meadows and her daughter Abigail get caught out by the raid .She was up in town from her safe town and is bewildered by her very first air raid.Her husband is also away in the army so she too is on her own.
The two families shelter close to each other on the tracks of the railway station.One family obviously poor and the other well to do .It is a very hard shelling which has serious consequences when the bombing becomes closer to the shelter.
While Nancy believes her husband has gone back to his ship the reader is told he is up to other things and hasn't been honest in what he has got up to while on leave.Dianna is unaware her husband is on his way home when a space on a plane becomes free.So both men are in London close to the raid occurring.
The story tells us about the two men,their experiences during the war and how they miss their families, homes and their subsequent search for their families after the bombing.With all the confusion one of the mothers and a child are killed and identified by a warden from the area.As no one is there to claim or identify the bodies it becomes a mystery to Gerald as to where his wife and daughter are.
Joe Levin has a difficult time evading police,seeking his family and eventually has to face his past deeds while Gerald questions how his life will be now he is home while hunting for his family.
The resolution of an awful mess and sadness for the families is sensible but questionable but I will leave it to the reader to find out what happens.
The book drew me in to finish it quickly and I liked the way it told us about how the men coped during their war experience as well as the wives problems during the war.The ending reaches a conclusion but I was left feeling there could have been many alternative endings and I felt perhaps there may be a part two.
I would recommend this book to all readers and for me having been born in the same area the book was set I could see where places were.
Meanwhile Dianna Meadows and her daughter Abigail get caught out by the raid .She was up in town from her safe town and is bewildered by her very first air raid.Her husband is also away in the army so she too is on her own.
The two families shelter close to each other on the tracks of the railway station.One family obviously poor and the other well to do .It is a very hard shelling which has serious consequences when the bombing becomes closer to the shelter.
While Nancy believes her husband has gone back to his ship the reader is told he is up to other things and hasn't been honest in what he has got up to while on leave.Dianna is unaware her husband is on his way home when a space on a plane becomes free.So both men are in London close to the raid occurring.
The story tells us about the two men,their experiences during the war and how they miss their families, homes and their subsequent search for their families after the bombing.With all the confusion one of the mothers and a child are killed and identified by a warden from the area.As no one is there to claim or identify the bodies it becomes a mystery to Gerald as to where his wife and daughter are.
Joe Levin has a difficult time evading police,seeking his family and eventually has to face his past deeds while Gerald questions how his life will be now he is home while hunting for his family.
The resolution of an awful mess and sadness for the families is sensible but questionable but I will leave it to the reader to find out what happens.
The book drew me in to finish it quickly and I liked the way it told us about how the men coped during their war experience as well as the wives problems during the war.The ending reaches a conclusion but I was left feeling there could have been many alternative endings and I felt perhaps there may be a part two.
I would recommend this book to all readers and for me having been born in the same area the book was set I could see where places were.
September 1, 2016
I love reading about 1900s London. I've come across several books with similar time periods, but never have I ever come across one that's this.. captivating and tragic. There are a few flaws in the book, but I still find it to be extremely expressive.
One thing I'm not particularly fond of is the pacing of this book. I often find it really hard to get used to the flow of a Historical Fiction, but this one was unbearable... The plot is thick with suspense and mystery, but I can't quite grasp what I think the author is trying to convey, much less enjoy it.
The multiple perspectives, however, makes a good bridge that connects the story together. We get different views of the war from different parts of the world and it makes the story more gripping. It also takes a twist halfway through the book which, truth be told, actually caught me by surprise. It's very smartly done, too.
So that's when the pacing picked up. I basically devoured the second half of the book in one sitting and the ending left me completely out of breath, as if I were running a marathon. When I finished the book I took a good minute or two to ponder on the thought of having to go through leaps and bounds just to save your loved ones. The story really did speak to me. Even though things were a bit wonky at the beginning, the ending and plot twist definitely made up for it.
Overall, a very unique take on 1940s London. The characters in the story taught me so much. Joel's personas are unlike anything I've ever read about. They're honest, wistful, and just like everybody else, they yearn to just live.
Many thanks to Allen&Unwin for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
One thing I'm not particularly fond of is the pacing of this book. I often find it really hard to get used to the flow of a Historical Fiction, but this one was unbearable... The plot is thick with suspense and mystery, but I can't quite grasp what I think the author is trying to convey, much less enjoy it.
The multiple perspectives, however, makes a good bridge that connects the story together. We get different views of the war from different parts of the world and it makes the story more gripping. It also takes a twist halfway through the book which, truth be told, actually caught me by surprise. It's very smartly done, too.
So that's when the pacing picked up. I basically devoured the second half of the book in one sitting and the ending left me completely out of breath, as if I were running a marathon. When I finished the book I took a good minute or two to ponder on the thought of having to go through leaps and bounds just to save your loved ones. The story really did speak to me. Even though things were a bit wonky at the beginning, the ending and plot twist definitely made up for it.
Overall, a very unique take on 1940s London. The characters in the story taught me so much. Joel's personas are unlike anything I've ever read about. They're honest, wistful, and just like everybody else, they yearn to just live.
Many thanks to Allen&Unwin for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
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