I’m thrilled to share my thoughts about this time slip historical novel on my book review blog today. Thank you to One More Chapter and Rachel’s Random Resources for a digital review copy via NetGalley – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.

Synopsis:

Two women, a world apart.

A secret waiting to be discovered…

VE Day 1945: As victory bells ring out across the country, war bride Ellie Burgess’ happiness is overshadowed by grief. Her charismatic Newfoundlander husband Thomas is still missing in action.

Until a letter arrives explaining Thomas is back at home on the other side of the Atlantic recovering from his injuries.

Travelling to a distant country to live with a man she barely knows is the bravest thing Ellie has ever had to do. But nothing can prepare her for the harsh realities of her new home…

September 11th 2001: Sophie Parry is on a plane to New York on the most tragic day in the city’s history. While the world watches the news in horror, Sophie’s flight is rerouted to a tiny town in Newfoundland and she is forced to seek refuge with her estranged aunt Ellie.

Determined to discover what it was that forced her family apart all those years ago, newfound secrets may change her life forever…

This is a timeless story of love, sacrifice and resilience perfect for fans of Lorna Cook and Gill Paul.

My thoughts:

This is the first historical fiction novel I’ve read involving Newfoundland – I must admit that I had to look up Newfoundland to check exactly where it is. If you read some of the other blog tour posts for The English Wife, you can read about the author growing up in the area.


This book involves two distinct time periods – we follow Ellie through the war years in the UK, then her early years in Newfoundland. We also meet her again when her niece Sophie has an unexpected visit to Newfoundland in September 2001, returning again in 2011. This is not a ‘light read’ due to the time periods it is set in (war and terrorist attacks) and needing to move between the different time periods. However it is a well written and thought provoking book, looking at how the events of the 1940’s impacts on the life of Sophie.

I enjoyed travelling to the different time periods, each with their own challenges for the characters of this story. There is romance, love, loss, hardship, new friendships, in-laws, mystery and lots of secrets. My favourite time period was 2001 when Sophie met her aunt and other family members for the first time.

A wonderfully lyrical, emotional and captivating read, Adrienne Chin’s The English Wife is the perfect book to lose oneself in this summer.

VE Day was the day everybody across the land was waiting for. After years of endless anguish and tragedy, the enemy has finally been defeated and vanquished, the eerie sound of sirens and bombs falling is no longer the nerve-twisting melody of everybody’s life and renewal and happiness are within reach. But not for everybody. While war bride Ellie Burgess is absolutely delighted that the Germans have surrendered, her happiness is tinged with sorrow. Thomas, her charismatic husband from Newfoundland, is still missing in action and Ellie does not know whether she will ever see the husband she barely knows ever again. Or whether he was another casualty of this terrible war. However, when all hope is lost, Ellie receives a letter that Thomas is alive and in Newfoundland recovering from his injuries. With her husband on the other side of the world, Ellie realises that she must bid farewell to her family and to her life in England and head over to Newfoundland. But Ellie is ill-prepared for the harsh realties of her new home…

Decades later, Sophie Parry has always heeded her mother’s wise words and strove to be the best she could possibly be. Sophie was a model student who always got top grades, worked hard at university and now has a successful career as an architect that has taken her from Norwich to New York. But her high-flying success has come at a great price. Sophie’s professional life might be thriving, but her personal life is suffering. With no commitments or relationships, Sophie has started to wonder what the coming decades have in store for her. Will she find fulfilment, happiness and serenity away from the pressures of her job? Or will she end up frustrated and bitter like her mother?

Sophie is well aware that her family’s past is shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Yet, when her flight is re-routed to a tiny town in Newfoundland during 9/11, she seeks refuge with her aunt and begins to slowly peel away the layers of the past. Determined to discover what had torn her family asunder all those years ago, Sophie uncovers secrets and revelations that have been buried for so long. But will these discoveries provide her with the answers she has been looking for? Or should some secrets remain firmly in the past?

Adrienne Chinn’s The English Wife is a sumptuous, dramatic and enthralling family saga that is beautifully layered, wonderfully written and imbued with emotion, heart and pathos. I was not only completely and utterly drawn into the stories of Ellie and Sophie, but fascinated by the vivid and brilliantly rendered descriptions of Newfoundland, a part of the world which I confess I did not know much about.

Adrienne Chinn writes straight from the heart and The English Wife is a compulsively readable page-turner that is simply magical.

This split dual time narrative moves forwards and backwards in time in a family drama which sweeps between the story of Ellie in 1945, and Sophie in both 2001 and 2011.

Ellie's story is much about her relationship with her sister, Dottie, and the two men who were to have such an effect on the rest of her life. Moving between England and Newfoundland, I found Ellie's story to be such an interesting account of the dilemma's faced by women when their menfolk were away fighting in the war. The reasons for her move to Newfoundland were particularly interesting.

Sophie's story is very much that of a modern, young woman, with huge career choices ahead of her, and the realisation that, if you work hard enough, you can have everything, but at what cost?

The story is nicely written, although it took me a while to get used to the three different time frames but once I had each of the main characters in my imagination, I found that the story became much more interesting. I really enjoyed spending time in the remote Newfoundland community of Tippy's Tickle, what a glorious place name, which is, for me, where the story came alive. The author describes everything so well that I felt like I had stepped ashore and mingled with the townsfolk as they went about their daily lives.

The English Wife is a nicely written family saga which takes us on an intricate and complex journey through a whole host of family secrets.

The English Wife is the story of how one marriage destroys a family and secrets can't always stay hidden. During WWII Ellie Mae meets Newfoundlander, Tom Parsons at a dance in Norwich England. Even though Ellie is supposed to be engaged to George she falls in love with Tom. Ellie's sister Dottie does everything she can to keep Ellie from marrying Tom and instead marrying George.

After the war Ellie moves to Tippy's Tickle to be with her husband and son. For the next almost sixty years Ellie has almost no contact with Dottie and her family until a plane gets diverted on September 11, 2001 to Gander Newfoundland. On that plane is Sophie Parry, Ellie's niece.

This story is told in two parts over four time periods. Part one, 1940s England and 2001 Newfoundland. Part two, 1940s-1960s Newfoundland & England and 2011 Newfoundland. Through these times you learn about what happened between Ellie, Dottie, Tom, and George and then in more recent times you see how those decisions have effected their children (not necessarily for the better). It is a great story about love and how secrets destroy those around us.

The English Wife is a romantic historical ficrion book that takes us from 1940 then sweeps the decades all the way through to 2011. It concentrates on young Ellie Burgess from England who meets and marries a young soldier from Newfoundland called Thomas Parsons. He is away at war for a few years but when the war ends she has to travel to Newfoundland as a nervous and new young mother, to finally see her husband again and start a new life.
2011, Sophie Parry, Ellie's niece is forced to land in Newfoundland as she is flying as the Twin Towers have suffered 2 terrorist attacks.She has to take refuge at her Aunt Ellie's and decides to discover what blew their family apart many years ago, but is she really ready for the secrets she may find out?
The story is written from a few perspectives so you get each side of the story as you read. Just need to get to grips with the narrative but it adds something to the story that causes you to want to keep reading to find out.
A story emphasies how love can cause us to make sacrifices we never thought we would in our lifes and just how much damage lies and deceit can cause to each other and our family. Damage that can take decades to correct.
I thoroughly loved this story, I was discovering Newfoundland with Ellie as a young mother and was so caught up in the past with all the bitterness that had been created over the years. Thanks to Rachels Random Resources and Netgalley for the copy of the book and allowing me to be part of the blog tour for this sweeping romantic historical fiction story.

The English Wife is a captivating novel about two women and how their lives are intertwined. 

As a reader, I'm always cautious when I pick up a novel when duel times lines are involved because quite often I feel overwhelmed trying to remember names and details. I needn't have worried about The English Wife as Ms Chinn has produced an easy to follow narrative which also includes multiply points of view too. The novel has two distinct parts. The first follows Ellie's life in Norwich during World War II and Sophie's unscheduled arrival in Newfoundland in 2001. Part two focuses on Ellie's life after she arrives in Newfoundland in 1946, and Sophie's second visit back to the island in 2011. 

Tippy's Tickle, what a wonderful place it is. The descriptions bring the place alive making it easy to visualise the rugged landscape and to see it through the eyes of Ellie as she arrived in Newfoundland after travelling thousands of miles from Norwich. I enjoyed learning about the lifestyles of the habitants and the history. Mostly I appreciated how Ellie's life evolved away from her family and the people she surrounded herself with.

Family drama, secrets and the complexities of relationships. The English Wife is emotionally charged, with tragedy and heartbreak as well as regret and sacrifice as the lives of Ellie and Sophie collide in an unexpected way. The outcome gives both women closure in what turns out to be a complicated situation and highlights that actions have consequences. The narrative begins slowly, but there's a gradual increase in pace building to a satisfying but bitter-sweet outcome. 

Overall, expect to embark on an emotional journey full of twists and turns in this beautifully written and engaging novel. 

4.5 stars 

***arc generously received courtesy of 0ne More Chapter via NetGalley***

What sounds from the book description like a dual timeline story is actually a triple, if not quadruple, timeline story although most of the first part of the book takes place either in WW2 Norwich or in Newfoundland in 2001. Some concentration is needed to keep track of the different storylines as the chapters switch frequently back and forth in time. However, it’s well worth the effort as you’re soon drawn into what is an increasingly multi-layered story.

In essence, all roads lead to the quaintly named Tippy’s Tickle in Newfoundland. Coincidence or fate? Ellen arrived there in 1946 as a war bride to join her husband, Thomas, and Sophie, Ellen’s niece, finds herself there when the plane in which she’s travelling to New York is rerouted to Newfoundland due to the 9/11 terror attacks. As to how Sophie ends up in Tippy’s Tickle, well, that’s less “of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine” from Casablanca as “of all the tea queues in all the world he ends up in mine”.

In dual time stories I sometimes find myself more invested in the story set in the past than in the present. This wasn’t the case with The English Wife. Not that the events that see young Ellen travelling across the world from her home in Norwich aren’t compelling, it’s just that the reader pretty much knows the trajectory of her story from the book description. Although, having said that, there are secrets to be discovered even there and the author keeps the reader waiting quite a while until these are revealed.

Sophie’s unplanned – and unwanted – stopover in Newfoundland in 2001 is an obstacle in her otherwise organised-to-the-last-detail life. (Her determination to get to New York for an interview reminded me of the wonderful 1945 film I Know Where I’m Going, in which Joan Webster, played by Wendy Hiller, is prevented by bad weather from making the crossing to the island of Kiloran.) Sophie soon falls under the spell of Tippy’s Tickle and who could blame her because there’s a lovely sense of community about the place and it is surrounded by beautiful, rugged landscape. Although outsiders are known as “Come-From-Aways”, its inhabitants are welcoming and hospitable as well as accepting of difference. It was good to see diverse characters playing such a part in the story. As it happens, Tippy’s Tickle isn’t the only thing to cast a spell on Sophie during her stay. However, sometimes things don’t work out the way you want.

Ten years later – to the day – Sophie is travelling back to Tippy’s Tickle on an assignment for the architectural practice for which she works. They are planning a lavish leisure development – hotel, golf course, the works. If you know the film Local Hero [Ed: that’s enough of the film references], you’ll have an idea that the plans may not be greeted with universal enthusiasm, especially as it affects people to whom Sophie has grown close. For some, it threatens their sense of security and a way of life that is all they have ever known; something they will do anything to prevent. How will Sophie negotiate this dilemma? You’ll need to read the book to find out.

I can’t finish this review without commenting on the fabulous insight into Newfoundland culture the book provides, including colloquialisms such as being “gut-foundered” (hungry).

The English Wife is a skilfully-crafted, multi-layered story about family secrets, missed opportunities, second chances and finding out what’s really important in life.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Adrienne Chinn for my copy of The English Wife.

England 1946.
Ellie Parsons is nervous, she’s leaving England with her baby son Emmett to finally live with her husband Thomas in Newfoundland Canada and due to WW II she hasn’t seen him in two years. Saying goodbye to her father Henry and sister Dottie is really hard and she’s traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to the other side of the world and when will she ever see them again? Thomas is living at home, he’s staying with his parents, he’s recovering from his war wounds and she has no idea how severe his injuries are? She leaves England, sets sail on a ship full of very excited war brides and young children. Ellie gets a big shock when she arrives, her husbands injuries are worse than she thought and Newfoundland is nothing like home. The living conditions are very primitive in Tippy’s Tickle, the newlyweds are living with her husband’s parents her mother in law finds fault with everything she does and doesn’t like her.

September 2001.
Sophie Parry is on a plane when it’s diverted to Newfoundland and she was on her way to an important business meeting in New York. She has no idea what happened, she’s shocked to discover America had been attacked by terrorists, she decides to call her aunt Ellie who lives in Newfoundland, to see if she can stay with her for a few days and finally meet her. For some reason Sophie’s mum Dottie didn’t have a very good
relationship with her sister, they didn’t keep in contact with each other and she’s always wondered why?

Newfoundland 2011.
Sophie returns to Newfoundland to visit her aunt, she’s now 89 and her only living relative. Sophie is really there on business, the land in Tippy’s Tickle might be suitable for a golf course and a possibly a resort?
This is when the story starts to get confusing; having three time lines, multiple characters, crazy plots and farfetched secrets was too much for me. I would have preferred the story to have been about war brides and only have two timelines. It would have been a far more enjoyable, easier to follow and I gave the book three stars.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The English Wife by Adrienne Chinn is a sweeping historical fiction novel with strong romantic elements. The story covers the time from 1940 to 2011 and Is mainly the story of Ellie Burgess a young art student in Norwich England who during the war meets a soldier from Newfoundland named Thomas Parsons with whom she falls in love, and after the war journeys to an isolated fishing village in Newfoundland as a bride and young mother. The chapters move between the present and the past and tell the stories of Ellie’s estranged sister Dottie, George Parry, her former fiancé, and Sophie Parry, her niece who arrives in Tippy’s Tickle Newfoundland after her plane is forced to land at Gander on September 11, 2001. The story encompasses love of all sorts, the sacrifices we make for those we love and how secrets and lies weave a web of bitterness that can take generations to heal.
I enjoyed this book and do recommend it. Publishing Date: June 23, 2020 #TheEnglishWife #AdrienneChinn #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter #bookstagram #historicalfiction

Family, friendships, and love are at the center of this novel by Adrienne Chinn. At first I was confused by the jumps between time periods, but as I got further into “The English Wife” I found I couldn’t put it down. A well written historical fiction novel, it takes place during the periods of WW2, 2001, and 2011.

Dual timelines, one in 1940 England and the other in 2001 Newfoundland. I found the Newfoundland story very interesting, as it centers on the planes that were diverted there during the 911 crisis. The stories are connected, and the women try to figure out what happened in their family years ago that led to a disconnect between sisters.

This is my first book by this author. The story has a triple timeline which makes for an interesting read and demands the readers attention. The timeline switches between England during WWII and Newfoundland on September 11, 2001, then England again and Newfoundland after WWII and then Newfoundland September 11, 2001 and lastly Newfoundland post WW2 and Newfoundland 10 years later in September of 2011.

Each story individually in this triple timeline was interesting. The characters were well done and you definitely like some and dislike others. The author has a gift for describing the scenery. I felt like I could stand in Newfoundland or England and picture it very clearly.

The book is definitely a study in family dynamics. As the story moves on it reveals a very dysfunctional family. There are choices and secrets that are made early on that aren’t revealed until the end. All of these events and choices are intertwined between all of the three timelines and all come together to present day. I did feel, at times, the chapters were too short. Sometimes, the chapter was just getting started and then suddenly the timeline switches and the chapter ends abruptly and the reader is jolted into a new chapter and timeline.

The story itself keeps you turning the pages. The concept was good. I did not anticipate the ending at all and while I thought I knew the characters well enough the ending totally shocked me. Can the past ever be buried and be allowed to remain there?

I would like to thank the author, the publisher Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic! It follows relatives on both sides of the Atlantic during catastrophic events in their countries. I really enjoyed both ladies, but I think I enjoyed Ellie's story a bit better. All in all a great read. 4 stars!

When Sophie's plane lands in Newfoundland on 9/11, she has no idea that she's about to open a door into her family's past. She meets Sam who takes her to her aunt Ellie, who moved to Newfoundland with her husband as a war bride- leaving her sister Dottie behind in the UK. Moving back and forth in time between WWII (and what came after), 2001, and 2011, this is the story of a family split by something that should not have caused such a big rift. I'll admit to enjoying the sections in Newfoundland the most- because of the characters but also because it's a good setting (and I learned a bit). There's perhaps a bit much in this sprawling novel (tightening might have increased the emotional impact) but I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was the first book I have read by this author and I very much enjoyed it.I liked the way the story was told, each chapter in part one going back and forth between 2001 Newfoundland and the WWII era England. At times I felt that part one was dragged out but I feel like that was just me being impatient and wanting to know the story faster. lol. Part two was mostly in 2011 Newfoundland, the present time for this book and I loved that story.

We follow architect, Sophie as she gets diverted to Newfoundland in 2001 along with so many others on that dread day, but for Sophie, she connects with her aunt, a family member she has never met and her life will never be the same. When Sophie leaves to return to her usual life a couple of weeks later, little does she know it will take her more than ten years to return to Tippys Tickle.

Sophie's aunt Ellie lived in England during the war and falls in love with a Newfoundland soldier, she does not realize when she leaves to be with him, she will never return to her homeland, and her sister, Dottie, will never forgive her or speak to her again.

I will definitely be waiting for another book by this author.

The story is set around England, WWII. Newfoundland 2001 & 2011

Ellie and Dottie were sisters and this story revolves around them, their husbands and their children. Dottie didn't like when Ellie met Thomas. She tries to control her and keep her from breaking up with her long term boyfriend, George. But Ellie eventually marries Thomasand emigrated to Newfoundland. The sisters are estranged.

9/11 2001: Dotties daughter is on a flight to New York. It's diverted to Newfoundland.

The chapters tell us what era we are going to read about. I felt some parts of the story dragged out while others were beautifully written. This is an interesting read and look into how family dynamics, secrets and the choices they made connected. It's one of those stories that you could go on about , but it's best you read it for yourself and make your own opinions. There's parts of the story that are out of sync, but that didn't put me off.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A well written historical fiction, by a new author for me. It is the stories of two women, one in 1940 and the other after 9/11. The journey of a young
English girl during WWII and her marriage to a Newfoundlander, from war torn England to the post war era of the strange, wild coast of the island.
This is a tale of families, their struggles, their secrets and the burden of failed dreams and disappointments. It focuses on the strength of Ellie, determined to make a life for her children, when faced with a strange country, a mother in law that hates her and the love of a man burdened with a war injury that leads him to drink and despair. Leaving a loving father behind, a sister who feels betrayed by her leaving, for a man they didn’t really know, Ellie manages to make the most of her dreary life.
I enjoyed the book, although I often found the alternating time frames confusing and disruptive to the flow of events. Adrienne Chinn is a talented writer, with wonderful descriptions of the landscape and characters.
I thank #OneMoreChapter and #NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was a lot more multi-layered than I'd expected. Everyone has secrets to hide and reasons for their actions. The time changes were important but we're just long enough to suck me back into the relevant era before there was another change. Because of that the book seemed to fly by very quickly but also pack a lot in. Recommended.

The story is avidly set in the time zones, WW2, 2001 and 2011. Ellie is engaged to George, a nice but boring man who she has known since they were children. Then along comes Thomas, over from Newfoundland to help prepare Britain's defence against invasion.
In 2001 Sophie's plane is diverted to Newfoundland when the twin towers are attacked in New York,. She decides to visit her aunt Ellie, who she has never met.
In 2011 she again visits her aunt, this time for work as the company that she works for is looking to build a holiday complex where her aunt lives
This wasn't an easy book for me to read, jumping between different times meant that I couldn't easily dip in and out as it is easy to lose where you are. This does work though as it enables the story to be told without revealing to much and keeping the suspense going. With some secrets being revealed that I genuinely didn't see coming this story ended up really growing on me and went from good to excellent for me.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Two women - years apart - one place Newfoundland. Tales of heartbreak, romance and secrets kept. They come together in a wonderful story. You will love this book!