Julia's Story

The Quantock Quartet #3

by Ruth Elwin Harris

Four independent-minded sisters come of age in the early 1900s - and four interwoven novels tell their stories, each through a different sister's eyes.
The year is 1910, and the four Purcell sisters have only each other. Their mother has died, leaving them orphans in a rambling country estate. But with the help of the Mackenzies - their guardian and his family, whom the sisters come to love in very different ways - Sarah, Frances, Julia, and Gwen find the courage to follow their own paths in a world that is rapidly changing.
Avid readers and fans of historical-fiction classics will love these spirited heroines - named "the Little Women of our times" by the TIMES of London - and will be thoroughly absorbed by their intertwining tales, full of feistiness, creativity, and young romance.

The Dividing Sea (Book Three) is Julia's story. It tells of her eventful time as a volunteer nurse in France during the Great War and her ill-started love story with Geoffrey Mackenzie.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Childrens, 20th Century, British Literature

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Ruth Elwin Harris says that her historic quartet of novels, THE SISTERS OF THE QUANTOCK HILLS, had its beginnings while she was growing up during World War II. To escape the wartime bombing, she and her brother were sent to live with their grandfather in rural Somerset, England. His house and garden became the model for Hillcrest, the Purcell sisters' family home in the four-part series.

Another influence came later, when Ruth Elwin Harris emigrated to Canada at the age of twenty-one . "There was no such thing as e-mail then," the author says, "and the telephone was rarely used -- it was expensive and calls had to be booked. Letter writing was the way we kept in touch. Friends and family wrote often, and I was amazed at how accounts of the same incidents and people were often so different."


Years later, when Ruth Elwin Harris sat down to tell the story of the orphaned Purcell sisters, she remembered those letters and their different viewpoints and incorporated the idea into her writing. Each book has a different sister as heroine, and the story is told from that sister's point of view. "It was strange how partisan I became," the author says . " When I was writing SARAH'S STORY, the first in the series, I became very indignant about the way Frances was behaving, yet when I came to write about the same incidents in FRANCES'S STORY Frances's behavior seemed to me absolutely logical and right."


Ruth Elwin Harris won writing competitions as a schoolgirl, and also dramatized a children's novel for a school production. Before starting on the Quantocks series she wrote short stories for the British Broadcasting Corporation and for magazines. While researching the background for JULIA'S STORY, she came across a collection of family letters in the Imperial War Museum in London, which resulted in her only nonfiction book, BILLIE: THE NEVILL LETTERS 1914-16.


The author enjoys gardening ("very good for working out writing problems in one's mind"); music, particularly opera; traveling; and, of course, reading. She lives with her husband in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.

Reviews

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is #3 out of 4 stories of each Purcell sister. I was introduced
first to story #1 – Sarah – through a book club. I enjoyed that book, but
really wanted to learn more about Julia. So I got my hands on a copy of
Julia’s Story.

I actually stayed up all night finishing it. I just couldn’t put it down.
This book moved me in a way that doesn’t happen too often. Julia is a
fascinating character who experienced some extremely tragic events and
managed to slowly work through them. Despite these events, there were
times I was able to laugh along with her. It was fun to experience her
first crush, to feel the butterflies with the first kiss and to realize the
depth of her love for Geoffrey. It was inspiring to watch her exert
herself to help those in need. She had a calling and did not shy from it
regardless if others disapproved. During her war efforts, I felt her
desperation, her anxiety, and her frustration. In reading book #1 I knew
how some things would end, but I was so caught up in Julia’s emotions, that
I began to hope for something different. I was so sad when that didn’t
happen. I cried a lot with Julia and wanted to hug her. Especially since
it seemed no-one really knew the extent of her loss. It was comforting in
the end to see she made peace with her situation and to realize she could
be happy with her life. She was lucky to be surrounded by wonderful,
caring family and friends.

I borrowed this book from the library, but loved it so much that I bought a
copy for myself. I know that this is one book I will re-read

[Erin72 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most interesting of the quartet, although I found the ending disappointing.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite of the four books and the one I return to again and again. Julia always struck me as the most sensible and normal of the sisters, much less cocooned than everyone else.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first time I had reread this series in many, many years, and for the most part I still enjoyed it. I did, however, find these books rather more slowly going than I remember them being. The writing is very descriptive - beautiful! Yet descriptive. And yet there were scenes I remember being powerful and heartbreaking that on this reread felt emotionally lacking. An interesting reread of a series I remember fondly, but not sure I would recommend to many younger readers today (even if it wasn't out of print!).

[Kassidy Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next installment is a good one. Looking forward to reading number 4

[Stephanie Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third part of a lovely series

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Quantock Quartet has got to be one of my favourite series, but I think this one will be my least favourite.

While I loved it, there were certain things I couldn't help resenting. I didn't like the way Julia thought of her sisters, for instants, and I thought she was a little dull as a character. Especially towards the end. But even then, there was something I still liked about her. The final chapter was so dissatisfying! I think it was meant to be a happy ending, but all I could think of was how wrong it all went! I kept comparing Julia to Frances, who is my favourite of the four sisters, so that could be one reason I didn't like her as much the others. Though I haven't read Gwen's Story yet!

Another thing I didn't like about this book, was that there was no hope. I started the book with a heavy heart, and ended it so. I knew Geoffrey was going to die! Yes, there was Major Elliott, but who cares about him compared with Geoffrey? I had a mad hope about halfway through the book that Geoffrey would turn up somewhere, since he was only 'missing' but, that ended. Geoffrey was why I liked the book so much! I liked his personality and everything. (though I didn't like him as much as Gabrial in Frances's story)
Geoffrey shouldn't have died! I just couldn't get over it! The ending was all wrong! But I did like seeing Frances after all those years, with Gabrial, and Gwen. I loved all the things that went on in the book, and seeing everyone in a new perspective. I liked Julia the most when she was at home. She was a knew person then. She was interesting. The way she took charge, and tried her best to make peace with everyone.

I thought the book was beautifully written, and the characters well developed, so I won't say I didn't enjoy reading it. Even if I thought the book was a bit depressing.

You can probably tell, I have very mixed feelings about this book. It almost sounds like two different people writing the review!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sorry I waited so long to re-read this series. Each book only gets better, and goes a little further in time, filling in more of the Purcell's (and Mackenzie's) story. Julia's Story spans 1910-1930, ten years past the previous two books. I relate to something in each sister, and each is my "favorite" while I'm reading her book, which is a testament to what an amazing author Ruth Elwin Harris is. In memory this was the most romantic of the books, and I would still say so, though the romance is bittersweet and takes up less page time than I remember. I love how the writing manages to be both restrained and descriptive in equal force. The sparser the words the harder the feelings hit. After Sara's Story the writing and content feels much more adult than young adult, not in risque content or language, but rather the age and experience of the characters. While I loved these stories before, I feel like I understand them better now. These books made (make) me want to be a better writer.

The British title of this book is The Dividing Sea, which is much more romantic and less utilitarian than the Julia's Story we get in America.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is surprisingly well written, when I came home with the books I had a sinking feeling I would be returning all four after the first chapter. Not by a long shot. Each one gets better.

spoiler............








I had held out a hope that since there was never a body recovered that Geoffrey would somehow turn up. A victim of amnesia? An AWOL soldier to ashamed to come home. Even in the end when Canada was brought up I thought she would go and find him there.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and 1/2 stars
JULIA'S STORY is a touching book that explores some of the deeper issues of living through World War I. I also got caught up in Julia's emotions as second-oldest of the four orphaned sisters. Maybe because her character is somewhat reserved and reluctant, I found myself rooting for Julia. She seemed to need encouragement and reassurance along the way, in her process of understanding her artistic gifts, developing a love relationship, and finding lasting happiness.

[Katherine Trail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is still my favourite of the four books. The story set in France with Julia working as a nurse during WW1 is really interesting. I would have liked even more background between Geoffrey and Julia and I definitely found his death more sad this time. I also felt I understood Julia more.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

personages: 5
verhaallijn: 4
schrijfstijl: 3.75
doorlezen: 4
==> 84/100