Slapton Sands, 1943
War has not been kind to Carol Porter. It took her husband and baby, and with them her heart. At last she’s found some peace, working as a land girl at Coombe Farm. But Carol’s sanctuary, the whole local area in fact, is about to be disrupted.
When Pauline Reilly hears Carol’s news she’s worried for her little sister. But as rumours about Slapton Sands reach Cliffehaven, Pauline can’t help be more concerned for her only surviving son. And despite her sister-in-law Peggy’s best efforts, nothing soothes Pauline’s fears.
As Carol prepares to face the impending upheaval alone her beloved mother, Dolly, swoops in to Slapton, and packing up Carol’s life presents unexpected opportunities for them both: Carol looks to her future while Dolly confronts a ghost from her past, and they both have a chance to mend their broken hearts.
I really enjoy historical fiction and love nothing better than reading a good family saga so I was delighted to discover Ellie Dean, a new author for me, although I had previously read one book with her writing under the name Tamara McKinley which I adored. Judging on the blurb The Waiting Hours looked like it would be a good read and I was keen to give Ellie Dean's writing a try, it was only later I discovered that this was book thirteen in the Cliffhaven series. Normally I wouldn't go near a book so deep into a series if I hadn't read any of the other stories. I'm one of those people who likes to start at the beginning of something and work their way through, I hate the feeling of missing out on a crucial plot or character. Even with a TV series I'd have to start at series one and bring myself up-to-date.
So I readily admit I was apprehensive about this book because I felt so much must have previously happened and the characters, setting and plot-lines would be so well established that I feared I would be lost and find it very confusing. The fact that the book was well over 500 pages didn't help matters either but I went ahead with it and boy am I glad I did. If ever there was a book that proves you can read it as a standalone then this it. It took a few chapters for me to settle into the story and the background of the numerous characters and where they were in 1943, fours years into the war but once I became familiar with everything I raced through the book. I didn't notice all those pages flying by and this proved to be a just one more chapter kind of book and then you notice you have read a 100 pages or more, one that's hard to leave it out of your hands once you really get stuck into it.
Ellie Dean has written a wonderful saga with characters full of heart and strength at its centre. Clearly a lot of care and attention has gone into building up these characters over the course of the series and it radiates from the pages. This book for the most part focuses on Carol who is working as a land girl on Coombe Farm in Devon. She has her own cottage nearby but lives alone following the death of her husband away fighting in the war but also she bears the loss of her baby. Carol right from the outset struck me as someone very capable, confident and independent. She guards her privacy and works hard on the farm with the other girls but relishes her time away in her own cottage where she can continue to grieve by herself. That's not to say she doesn't enjoy friendships with the girls and the camaraderie they share together. I loved the character of Carol from beginning to end and I would have loved to have read more of her back story which I presume must have featured in the book previous to The Waiting Hours, she was intriguing and full of determination.
Carol was dedicated and passionate and would do anything even if it seemed inconsequential to her to help with the war effort. This was never more called in to question than when the area she is living in is requisitioned by the army who need the land around Slapton Sands to practice for a major push in the next stages of the war. The culminating event of this within the book left me in horror at what unfolded and such needless loss of life was infuriating. I think it was just awful that so many people had to give up their homes, packing up everything and moving to a random place away from their home comforts and all things familiar. I know it was only for a year or two but still if you have lived there all your life and put your heart and soul into the land and your home it must have been beyond heartbreaking to be forced to leave not fully knowing will your house be standing upon your return. Carol and all the residents were brave and selfless in their actions as they could see it was to help with the bigger war picture. She was lucky she could move to the farm during this time.
The story had lots of other characters to focus on, and it took some time to figure out all their connections and who may have had major storylines in previous books, but the author did provide back stories and information on the relevant characters. The reader just had to piece these aspects together. It was very helpful to have a family tree at the beginning of the book and I often referred back to it to see who was related to who or had married into what family. For new readers like me this was very beneficial and I would hope this would be included in every book.
Peggy Reilly seems to be the matriarch figure in this series and she runs the Beachview Boarding House. She wasn't the dominant figure in this book but I can sense she has played an important role in the previous books. She is a real mother hen figure and is doing her best to keep everything going while her husband Jim is away fighting. Midway through the books chapters from Jim's viewpoint appeared and I thought it quite random at first but then in fact the scenes from Burma were so well written and vivid I wanted even more from them. In fact the book moved around quite a bit from Peggy and and her sister-in-law Pauline in Cliffehaven, to Carol near Slapton Sands and even London where Carol's mother Dolly was working. This would have normally really frustrated me in a book having too many characters and too many settings but here it all felt so well established and each storyline played a crucial role in the overall plot of the book and they all gelled so well together.
There is a lot more depth to The Waiting Hours than some sagas I have read and I found myself deeply invested in the characters and how they were coping with everything the war was throwing at them. They were affected on a day-to-day basis but they kept their chins up and were determined that their spirits would remain strong. I can't imagine what it would have been like to live in fear everyday that bad news would come of a loved one lost but also their lives had to continue on which in turn brought their share of dramas and traumas. That's what I thinks sets this book apart from other sagas I have read is that the author writes of ordinary people and the challenges they face in their lives but do so in such a realistic, down to earth way that I felt like I was reading about friends and I was allowed an opportunity to have a glimpse into their lives for a brief period. The author never spared the emotions or the highs and lows as experienced by all the characters.
I think having the book set solely on Carol wouldn't have made for as good a read, all the different characters made for a fascinating read and in particular the work Dolly was partaking in. It made me realise how multi faceted all the strands of the war were and how no one was left untouched by such a life changing event. As alluded to by the author, Dolly may not have been the best of mothers to Carol and Pauline but I felt her she really showed her metal. She may have come across as slightly ditzy and not the role model she should be but she kept secrets the reader was privy too and I think she deserved much admiration. I did have a sneaking suspicion as to the connection with the General Felix Addington brought over from America to lead the manoeuvres at Slapton Sands. I was proven to be correct but in no way did it take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.
I really enjoyed the time I spent reading The Waiting Hours and would definitely read future books written based in and around Cliffhaven. I really got that feeling of discovering a new and exciting author that would become a firm favourite. I want to go back and read the series from the beginning and I know I have the pleasure of being able to read one after the other which I will prove a real treat. Saga fans will love The Waiting Hours and I would definite recommend you buy it as soon as possible.
Many thanks to Becky McCarthy from Arrow publishing for my copy of The Waiting Hours to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment