Snapshot of wartime Britain

Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Josie Banks is living in a poor part of London when WW2 breaks out and her life changes forever. Her spouse, Stan, joins the military leaving her without income; she stumbles upon a little Tea Shop run by an old Russian émigré who teaches her about baking, good china tableware and 'manners'.
After the Tea Shop is bombed killing the elderly Russian owner, Josie's home is also hit leaving her trapped under the rubble. This gives her a lifelong dislike of city living and a fear of sirens.
Eventually she is evacuated to the emptiness of the Norfolk countryside where she lodges with a cold, aristocratic Miss Harcourt. Money is still tight and food is scarcer so Josie sets to work planting crops and opening a Tea Shop near a USAF base.
Characters come and go in this story and even return again! The book provides an interesting snapshot of the dangers of wartime in the UK. Plucky, resourceful Josie is a bit much to take at times but the story comes to an enjoyable conclusion.

Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Spy Series, published his spouse's review.



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Where the Sky Begins