Another great book by Beryl Kingston.

I started reading this and within days I had finished it.. I was on holidays and this just made each evening so much more enjoyable.

It had so much to offer with tales of the war and of suffragette as well as tales of Octavia, her life, her family and love. It was such a full and enlightening novel, it kept me reading and made me want more. The way people lived in the times, the way in which women seemed to be second class citizens and they way women endeavoured to make a life for themselves and the struggles they endured.

I would recommend this to all those who love historical fiction as well as those who love a good strong storyline.

This book completely blew away my expectations. I was expecting something dry and heavy-going and was not too enamoured by the cover. Instead, I found this book highly interesting and highly enjoyable.

Although I did not get stuck into this book immediately, it was a narrative that certainly grew as the plot developed. Following Octavia, we quickly understand that she is from a privileged family, used to comfort and money. However, her actions are the antithesis of so many women around her at the time. Octavia is determined to join the fight for women’s rights, even leading to her becoming a political prisoner. The scenes detailing Octavia’s imprisonment were equally harrowing and interesting, reflecting Kingston’s research into this period. Octavia is emotionally scarred by her experience and is frustrated by the lack of change in government. Despite this, she dreads going through this again and decides to take a step back from the more pro-active demonstrating that she began with.

Therefore, the novel then shifts to Octavia becoming a teacher. Amongst this, we have the backdrop of the First World War. The impact in London remained relatively slight, although it was interesting to see how food prices were impacted – even felt by the rich and comfortable like Octavia’s family. Like the suffragette movement, I found this stage of the story vivid and insightful, demonstrating the importance of propaganda and censorship to ensure soldiers did not reveal the truth from the Front Line.

The historical element was interesting throughout this saga. The different stages of suffrage, war and education all appealed to my interests. I found it satisfying to read of Octavia’s successes in education and was rooting for her to establish herself. I had not realised that female teachers were not allowed to marry so really sympathised with Octavia’s conflict of love or career? It was a frustrating time to be a woman with expectations of marrying and raising a family – no voice, no vote and no career. Therefore, I appreciated the contrast that is established between Octavia and her cousin. Emmeline has the fancy engagement party, appears to be in a wonderful relationship and churns out children – much to the satisfaction of her detached husband. However, as the narrative progresses, it is clear that Emmeline is desperately lonely and unhappy. With Octavia’s frustrations and Emmeline’s sadness, Kingston demonstrates the challenges that women faced during such a turbulent time.

A well-crafted, detailed novel that I read quickly. The chapters slipped away effortlessly because I was so keen to see what happened next to Octavia. She really is an interesting character, a heroine almost, and I applauded her kindness and support – especially when so much tragedy begins to strike around her. This is the beginning of a series and I would be really keen to find out what happens next to this apparent “trail-blazer”. My second read from Kingston and this did not disappoint.

With thanks to Agora books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, it was interesting as it dealt with not only the First World War but also the suffragette movement. I enjoyed this so much that I was sorry to finish it. I’ve read Beryl Kingston’s books before and always enjoyed them. I love her writing. I always look forward to reading her new books when they come out. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.