The Book: Kezia and Thea are old school friends who find they have less in common now that they are adults. Thea is a passionate suffragette. Kezia becomes engaged to marry Tom, Thea's brother, and seems bound for a traditional life on a farm. Then World War I intervenes and everyone is forced into a role they did not expect. he world is in turmoil and the role of women in society is changing.
The Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Genre: Historical fiction
Length: 260 pp on e-reader (ipad mini)
One good thing: The title of the novel comes from the fact that none of the characters are entirely truthful with each other about their lives, especially during the War. Each wants to shield the other from any unnecessary pain.
One not-so-great thing: The letters that Kezia sends to Tom during the War are filled with long detailed descriptions (lies) about the dinners she is making "for him" while he is gone so that he can pretend to be home with her, eating a good meal. This worked for a while but got old very soon.
Nancy Pearl's "Four Doorways":
Story: This is not a page turner. I purchased this book at least three years ago and it sat in my Nook library for at least a year before I began it. It took me two years to finish because the story just dragged along. Winspear was constrained by real life events, I understood, but I was just not invested enough in the story or the characters and would put it down for months at a time. It ended up being the book that I would read when I was stuck somewhere with nothing to read. I think the only reason I kept reading was because I am a sucker for WWI novels and I like Winspear's Mazie Dobbs books.
Characters: What happens to the characters seems very realistic and I did not dislike the characters. But they seemed more like sketches of characters than fully fleshed characters.
Setting: I think Winspear does do a good job of evoking rural Britain just before and during the first years of the War. And while she doesn't spend a lot of time in France with the troops, that part is evoked well.
Writing: The writing is very accessible but there is nothing remarkable about it.
