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The Victory Garden

Rhys Bowen (Goodreads Author)

4.16 · Rating details · 23,307 ratings · 1,669 reviews

From the bestselling author of The Tuscan Child comes a beautiful and heart-rending novel of a woman’s love and sacrifice during the First World War.

As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot that she can do more, and it is ...more

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Paperback, 368 pages

Published February 12th 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

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Feb 04, 2019 Liz rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Rhys Bowen specializes in historical fiction with a heavy side of romance. This time, she turns her attention to the last year of WWI. Emily is a young lady of means, at a loss of purpose when she meets a young Australian flyer recuperating at the hospital next to her home and they quickly fall in love. Once she turns 21, she signs up to be a land girl, much to the consternation of her parents. It doesn’t take long for her to end up engaged, pregnant and her fiancé dead.

This book is heavy on ro ...more

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Nov 02, 2018 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, rhys-bowen, nature-themes, historical-fiction

The simple message of a garden is hope that sprouts from tiny seeds.

Rhys Bowen presents a story in the midst of The Great War. It's May of 1918 in Devonshire and Emily Bryce is about to celebrate her twenty-first birthday. Being the daughter of a judge and living on quite a sizable estate, Emily is removed from the hardships that have worked their way into the lives of most families in England. But that is all about to change.

Emily corresponds with her best friend, Clarissa, who has become a nur ...more

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Mar 05, 2019 ✨ Gramy ✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: c-drama, five-star-shelf-it-was-amazing

.
It did seem to take an awfully long time (nearly six chapters) to set the scene, develop the plot, and build the characters. But after all the groundwork was constructed, the story flourished into an intricately detailed drama, entertaining the reader by allowing them to visit another time and place with hours of pleasure.

This quote is a very minor influence of the book, but it rings so true"
Books are wonderful. You can get transported away by a good story. If we're living in a place like th .
It did seem to take an awfully long time (nearly six chapters) to set the scene, develop the plot, and build the characters. But after all the groundwork was constructed, the story flourished into an intricately detailed drama, entertaining the reader by allowing them to visit another time and place with hours of pleasure.

This quote is a very minor influence of the book, but it rings so true"
Books are wonderful. You can get transported away by a good story. If we're living in a place like this, we can read about Paris or a tropical island and feel like we are there.

The focus was on the last year of WWI. However, its central point of the attention was shone on the people at home that suffered traumatically from the effects of the war, especially the women. The women learned so much about life and how to survive. The skills they learned and the friends they made provided them with hope, strength, and peace of mind. There were a lot of changes for women during this era and you get a feel for how some of them were introduced.

The main character was brought up in the upper class and chose to volunteer to serve their country in the Women's Land Army, against her parent's wishes. After receiving a harsh rebuke from her parents and hearing their thoughts and beliefs about the situation a neighbor girl had found herself in, she was left with only the ability to react by separating herself from them to save their reputation. She battled with feeling defenseless against hope, trust, and faith.

The tale provided very little in the romance department but made up for it by unfolding hardship, the mystery of the 'wise woman', and successfully overcoming afflictions, instead of submitting to defeat when things were difficult. The villagers learned to trust the outsiders and eventually welcomed them into their fold. I was intrigued about the herbs and their uses, which drew me into the story more compellingly when they were introduced. Some parts were far-fetched, but it is a fiction read, so you can just 'sigh' and move on.

There did not appear to be any grammatical errors that I observed. I was not that impressed with the conclusion, which came abruptly, even though it reflected things in a positive light. It just left some loose ends I had hoped would be tied. However, I was extremely delighted with this being a clean and wholesome read.
...more

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Feb 11, 2019 Phrynne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 5000-2019

Set in 1918, towards the end of "the war to end all wars" the story tells of the trials and tribulations of 21 year old Emily Bryce. She has been kept close at home by her parents who are still grieving the loss of their son, Emily's brother Freddie. The moment she comes of age Emily leaves her home, becomes engaged to an Australian fighter pilot and joins the Land Army. All very brave moves! Of course things do not turn out the way she hopes, but Emily ends up making life long friends and findi ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Laura rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019

I love Rhys Bowen’s books, especially the recent stand alone historical fiction such as In Farleigh’s Field and the Tuscan Child. Therefore, it pains me to write this review. I found Victory Garden to be predictable, forced, and unrealistic. With few exceptions, I found the characters two dimensional, like they were playing a stereotyped role. I did enjoy the main character Emily, but even she fell into a predictable and disappointing pattern. I also think the title was misleading. Overall, I wa ...more

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Oct 04, 2018 Rachel McMillan rated it really liked it

This is the first non-mystery book by Rhys Bowen I have read. I am a huge fan of her mysteries because I love the accessible style, her capable ability to render a historical setting and world to life and her characters. Such memorable characters.

The Victory Garden proves that Bowen can write with easy elasticity in any genre. While I found the book lacked a certain emotional depth; it was still a worthy snapshot of one woman's experience during a time when women were seen to have much more agen ...more

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Aug 02, 2019 Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-bingo-2019, 2019-books

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
Rhys Bowen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, who has published a range of award winning historical fiction novels. The Victory Garden, published in 2019, is her latest a standalone historical fiction title. Set in the last year of World War I, it is the story of a young woman who experiences love, loss, duty, commitment and independence, during a time of great uncertainty. It is a compelling period piece that demanded my undivide *https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
Rhys Bowen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, who has published a range of award winning historical fiction novels. The Victory Garden, published in 2019, is her latest a standalone historical fiction title. Set in the last year of World War I, it is the story of a young woman who experiences love, loss, duty, commitment and independence, during a time of great uncertainty. It is a compelling period piece that demanded my undivided attention from the opening page, to the final word.

The Victory Garden is a stunning portrait of the final stages of the Great War, that places an emphasis on relations on the home front. It tells the story of a determined young woman, Emily Bryce, who wants to break free from the stiff clutches of her sheltered home and contribute to the war effort. When Emily encounters a charismatic Australian pilot, her life is turned upside down. She embraces her new independence and she falls desperately in love with the dashing Australian. Much to ire of her parents, who would rather Emily settle for a man close to home, Emily falls into the arms of her brave pilot. Emily accepts his proposal, just as he is shipped off for another death defying mission in the air. To keep her mind off the danger faced by her beloved, Emily throws all her energy into her work as a land girl. Emily’s role as a fully fledged land girl sees her posted to the stately home of Lady Charlton on a substantial estate. In the run down cottage on the estate grounds that Emily calls home, she makes a startling discovery. A legacy left by those who once resided in the cottage lives on. Emily is inspired to carry on their work, as a herbalist. It is a welcome distraction for Emily, especially when she discovers some shocking news about her Australian airman. Nursing a broken heart, Emily must pick up the pieces of her broken life, as she is about to face the biggest battle she has even known – alone.

The Victory Garden proved to be a truly delightful piece of historical fiction. I do love stories about the Great War, and Bowen’s book was a slight departure from the usual books I have read set in this time period. Bowen has based The Victory Garden in the latter stages of the war, a different move that I appreciated very much. It provided an alternative bird’s eye view of the war, with much emphasis placed on the impact of the Great War on the home front. Bowen focuses much of her book on the impact of the loss of loved ones had on those left behind. The devastating emotions experienced by mothers, fathers, grandmothers, siblings, loved ones and friends. Everyone was stretched to their emotional limit and Bowen does an excellent job of depicting the very heart of the feelings expressed by those left behind.

As this is a home front based novel, there is a strong emphasis on the work of the hardworking division known as the ‘Land Army’. These were able bodied women from all walks of life, across Britain, who bravely volunteered to do their bit for their country. Bowen outlines the huge dent left by the men who went away to fight in the war. The author also looks at the high death rate. As a result, a large gap was felt in the farming and agricultural areas of work. Emily, the lead, answers to this call, boldly defying her family who would rather she not work at all following the loss of their only son. This area of the book highlights the class differences and expectations that were prevalent at this time. Emily’s parents are absolutely horrified, rather than proud of their daughter’s work for the war.

Emily is an appealing lead who goes through quite a transformation as the book progresses. I saw The Victory Garden as an enlightening coming of age experience. Emily is naive and sheltered to begin with, but she grows in independence as the story unfolds. I enjoyed the romance and addition of the cheeky Australian airman, Robbie. This was a genuine and sweet romance.

The relationships between Emily and her many of the subsidiary characters form a significant portion of the narrative. We witness a strong bond, told mostly through letters, between Emily and her best friend Clarissa. There is also a focus on the often restrictive relations between Emily and her parents. Then there are the strong bonds formed between Emily and her fellow land army workmates. Finally, there is a lovely friendship forged between Emily and the aged Lady Charlton, the owner of the Devonshire based estate.

A side thread involving the work of a herbalist and taming a once lost herb garden, thanks to a journal unearthed by Emily, provides a nice offset to the war experiences. Emily really comes into her own through this experience and I appreciated following her journey. Along the way I learnt about the medicinal properties and the power herbs have to save lives. Bowen also outlines the pitfalls of this alternative form of medicine, through the persecution and lack of understanding of a female herbalist.

I really enjoyed my first experience of the work Rhys Bowen, who is a world renowned author. I am very tempted to select more of Bowen’s work in the future, based on my full appreciation of The Victory Garden. ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 The Lit Bitch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I stopped reading the review pitch once I saw ‘WWI’ in the description, which was basically the first line in the summary. I have read a lot of stand alone novels by Bowen and have been impressed with her writing and historical research.

Her stand alone books have mostly been set in WWII, but WWI is truly my favorite period in historical fiction, so seeing that this book was set during that time earned this book and instant and enthusiastic, ‘yes’ from me.

I have consistently enjoyed reading Bowen I stopped reading the review pitch once I saw ‘WWI’ in the description, which was basically the first line in the summary. I have read a lot of stand alone novels by Bowen and have been impressed with her writing and historical research.

Her stand alone books have mostly been set in WWII, but WWI is truly my favorite period in historical fiction, so seeing that this book was set during that time earned this book and instant and enthusiastic, ‘yes’ from me.

I have consistently enjoyed reading Bowen’s books, whether they are one of her historical mysteries or her stand alone novels. She as an incredible gift for writing vastly different content and managing to keep all of her heroines fresh and interesting.

This novel started toward the end of the war rather than the beginning which caught me off guard. So many writers tend to start at the beginning of the war and pace their story in time with the war. While it caught me off guard, it was nice to not relive the entire war beginning to end. This allowed the audience to focus mostly on Emily’s story rather than getting carried away in the vastness of the period. I know when I read a WWI novel I inevitably end up down a rabbit hole researching the war, and with this book picking up with the war already established, help keep me on track with the characters and story.

I was most intrigued by the ‘land girls’ angle. That was one aspect that I wasn’t familiar with and was eager to learn more about. It provided a new historical interest for me and I was eager to continue reading about it. I enjoyed Emily’s character and the romantic bits with Robbie, but the story over all lacked the heavy hitting emotional impact that I was expecting in a book with this setting and content.

It was a pleasure to read and I eagerly picked up this book whenever the opportunity arose, but I just didn’t feel like it reached above and beyond the average novel of the same period. In some ways I was grateful for that. I wasn’t in the mood for an overly heavy, emotional novel, but at the same time I almost expect to be taken on a roller coaster of emotions.

In the end, Bowen’s writing and experience writing believable stories with memorable characters and romance mixed in, made me give this book a solid four stars. What can I say, I’m a sucker for the WWI era and all the romantic drama one expects from books in this period!

See my full review here ...more

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Oct 22, 2019 Ankit Garg rated it liked it

"The Victory Garden" by Rhys Bowen is apparently a historical fiction novel revolving around World War I. It is fiction alright, but historical only up to the extent that the events are scheduled around a war of the writer's choosing, WWI in this case. It could have been any other war in history, and the story would have still kept afloat with no to few changes. Meaning to say, I would have loved more details about the war itself for the tag to make sense.

Apart from that, the plot is predictable ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 Kate Carlisle rated it it was amazing

I read The Victory Garden last weekend, and it was the perfect book for a long, cozy weekend of reading. We ate leftovers because I didn't want to stop reading long enough to pull together dinner. Rhys Bowen is a masterful writer. She transported me to another time and place--England, toward the end of the Great War and then the time immediately afterward. Emily was a character to cheer for. When she found herself alone, unmarried and pregnant, she had the grit and determination to forge a life ...more

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Mar 20, 2019 Mary Ann rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Whew, this is the last of this author I had on my shelves! I know Ms. Bowen is a very popular and prolific writer, beloved of many, and I respect that. I think I've figured out why I'm not a fan myself. It's not the plotting; I've read other books with predictable plots which I nevertheless enjoyed. It's not the characters; they are pleasant enough, and many have potential, especially her older characters. The settings for the stories I've read are lovely-the English countryside, the southwest c ...more

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Jul 08, 2019 Paige rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

The description on the back of this book was on point, nothing else to this story.

This follows the fictional life of the main character Emily during WWI. The story does include her life among the Women's Land Army, albeit not into much detail. Since the book covers the very end of the war, the land girls and Emily's life there were only given about one fourth time of this novel. I was disappointed. Next, the story tries to then focus on the main character using natural herbal remedies as the ne ...more

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Jan 27, 2019 Jypsy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I expected more from The Victory Garden. I heard a lot about this book before I read it. I tried several times, but unfortunately, I couldn't get interested in the story. It didn't hold my interest at all. I skimmed through. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Jun 30, 2020 Lisa rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Fast paced soap opera based in 1918 during WWI. A young British girl from a wealthy family leaves home to exert her independence. She joins the Land Girls and learns how to farm and garden. Emily Bryce yearns to do her part during the war. She’s inspired by her best friend Celeste who is a nurse tending to the injured men back from the front. When Emily is rejected as a nurse she takes the only opportunity in front of her. She leaves home against her domineering parent’s wishes and they disown h Fast paced soap opera based in 1918 during WWI. A young British girl from a wealthy family leaves home to exert her independence. She joins the Land Girls and learns how to farm and garden. Emily Bryce yearns to do her part during the war. She’s inspired by her best friend Celeste who is a nurse tending to the injured men back from the front. When Emily is rejected as a nurse she takes the only opportunity in front of her. She leaves home against her domineering parent’s wishes and they disown her. She makes a family among her friends in the women’s Land Army and never looks back. She’s determined to be her own woman.

Emily falls in love with an Australian flier, gets engaged, gets pregnant and becomes a war widow within 50 pages of the book. My biggest criticism of this author is her haste. She writes so much and crams its into a lightning speed pacing, it makes the story all the more unbelievable and almost fairy tale like. A weakness on the writer’s part.

The story is entertaining - not historical so don’t read it to learn about the war or the Land Girls.

Ironically, the Spanish flu epidemic hit in 1918 and the description is eerily similar to our Covid 19.

This story also has a 100 year old mystery which Emily uncovers by accident. She finds a hidden diary-Nancy Drew anyone? This part of the story felt like filler. It wasn’t necessary but the author used it as a way to explain the history of the cottage Emily was living in. After leaving the Land Girls she approaches the wealthy and aristocratic widow of a local estate. It’s fallen into disrepair and Emily offers her skills as a gardener and her friend Daisy as a housemaid. The dowager accepts her and her friend and soon the little village is home. Emily shares her news of the impending pregnancy and the rich old dowager doesn’t bat an eye. She offers Emily a home for as long as she needs it.

As her pregnancy progresses, Emily learns how to keep an herb garden and administers tonics and draughts to the locals. She soon wins them over. Toward the end of the book, it becomes even more incredulous by the unexpected arrival of the rich dowagers grandson who had been held prisoner by the Germans for two years. He suffered from amnesia, of course and therefore couldn’t alert his only remaining relative of his plight. He is the heir to the estate but rejects it for a life in London. You see what I mean when I call it a soap opera?

The war ends. Food is now abundant and the men return home. Women are expected to go home, marry and become pregnant. But, Emily’s women friends want more. So would I had I lived back then. I won’t give away the ending.

This book is a distraction from the world around us. It will take you away from your life for a little while. Isn’t that what the best books do? For that reason, I recommend.

This is my last review for a while. I’m taking a break from Goodreads. I’ll see you in the fall.

...more

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Mar 08, 2019 Ami rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, war, 2019, romance, historical, 20th-century, the-uk, epistolary, australia

An overly sweet bit of fluff chock full of anachronisms that must surely have taken place in an alternate reality because it was all too good to be true and everything was much too easy for our erstwhile heroine although, the author would certainly have us believe otherwise. I had expected something more along the lines of Mary Stewart's Thornyhold; how disappointing. ...more

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Jan 14, 2019 Jen rated it really liked it

What I love most about Rhys Bowen’s writing is her ability to sweep you away to another locale. She engages all of the senses and allows the reader to escape to a different time and place. While reading this I was no longer on my couch, in the midst of a Minnesota winter. I was completely wrapped up in this story, the distinct smell of a wood burning fire in my nose and the damp feel of a stone cottage in my bones. This sweeping saga is beautifully written and I adored the characters, the settin ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 Maureen O'Connor rated it did not like it

One always hesitates to be the lone negative review in a sea of five star reports but this book was no where near worth the time to read it.

The author took 2/3 of the book to get the plot to the same point the book flap had gotten with little added to justify the slog. The "atmospheric " touches were banal and the use of 17th century language in the retelling of "recipes" (a 20th century word) was laughable and unworthy of one who regularly writes historical fiction.

Stereotypical, one dimensio ...more

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Feb 26, 2019 Lizzy (Bent Bookworm) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, arc, read-in-2019, historical-fiction, received-for-review

~*Review first appeared on The Bent Bookworm!*

The Victory Garden is a poignant, sweet book that takes place at the end of WWI in England. Emily is just turning twenty-one as the book starts, and she at last has the legal standing to shake off her overprotective parents and really DO something for the war effort. Having already lost her brother, she feels the need to do something to honor him.

“I want to be useful. I want to do my bit, so that Freddie’s death was somehow not in vain.”

In the proces ...more

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Jul 22, 2019 Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very enjoyable if a bit predictable. But that didn’t detract from the emotion and the loveliness of the characters.

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Feb 19, 2019 Susan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

While I have enjoyed her royal spyness series, I found this book to be insipid, predictable and boring.

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Feb 12, 2019 Mark Baker rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019

Emily Bryce is about to turn twenty-one, and she is ready to start doing something to help with the war effort. Her parents have kept her at home with her mom hoping to find someone from the aristocracy to marry her off to, but Emily is determined to find her own path. Then Emily meets Robbie, an Australian pilot recovering from an injury at a hospital in the area. Even though her parents forbid it, she keeps seeing him behind their back. She also soon joins up with the Women’s Land Army, helpin ...more

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Apr 26, 2019 Tracy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: giveaways-winner-kindle

The ending was a complete and utter surprise! Did not see this revelation coming and what a great way to conclude this lovely novel. Overall, its entirety was fascinating, as I not only learned much appreciated factual information, the character development was spectacular and I found the strong female friendships, bonds, and resilience which developed during this time of tremendous hardships and losses inspiring and empowering!

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May 08, 2019 Kathy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Young woman finds her own path during WWI. It is a tender heart warmer.

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Jan 20, 2019 Tanja ~ T's Book ~ KT Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: from-publisher, arc, romance, sweet, standalone, angst-personal-drama, excited-to-read, mystery-action-adventure, historical, requested-read

The Victory Garden proves that beauty can grow and envelope the darkness. It also embodies the saying "Hope Springs Eternal". I truly feel that fans of Bowen are in for a real treat. It's an amazing tale of history, love, and the real struggle of being a woman in a time where perception is everything. I can't sing its praises enough. Another 5 star read from Rhys Bowen.

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Mar 24, 2020 Joe Larson rated it did not like it

I read a lot of books that I don’t particularly enjoy. It’s my preference to finish them nonetheless, so I power through and once I’m done I probably don’t ever think about the book again.

This one though… oh boy. I finished reading this book at 12:30 in the morning and it left such a horrible taste in my mouth that I got out of bed, grabbed my computer, and started hate typing this review.

TLDR Version: For me this novel has absolutely no roots. Nothing drew me in and nothing made me care about ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Jonathan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020

Excellent.

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Jan 04, 2019 Yvonne (Fiction Books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“The simple message of a garden is hope that sprouts from tiny seeds”

This is going to be quite a difficult review to put together – not because I didn’t love the book, because I did – but because on Rhys’s recent visit to Fiction Books, she answered questions so fully and in depth, that there seems to be little else I can add without repeating the interview, or giving away too many spoilers. You really do need to check out the lovely conversation we had – and of course, read this amazing novel f “The simple message of a garden is hope that sprouts from tiny seeds”

This is going to be quite a difficult review to put together – not because I didn’t love the book, because I did – but because on Rhys’s recent visit to Fiction Books, she answered questions so fully and in depth, that there seems to be little else I can add without repeating the interview, or giving away too many spoilers. You really do need to check out the lovely conversation we had – and of course, read this amazing novel for yourself …
So here goes!
I truly admire authors who can write across multiple genres, for diverse reading audiences and different age groups – and most importantly – do it well! With that in mind, I fully intend to check out the several mystery series Rhys has also written, as I have very eclectic reading tastes and like to mix up my genres.
The Victory Garden is the third in a small series of war-time stand alone novels, which form exceptionally thoughtful, sensitively written and well constructed works of social history and commentary from the times.
The book was littered with strong moral messages: Death and destruction of the human mind and body to breaking point; women’s empowerment; the role and rights of women in society; the breaking down of class barriers; the culmination of the Suffragette movement; witchcraft or simply a new way of healing? – all difficult and controversial mores of an early 20th Century society at war.
All this and much more, laid bare and raw, in The Victory Garden.
The issues were incorporated seamlessly into a storyline which was well constructed, flowed smoothly and moved along at a pace which kept me engaged, interested and eager to know the eventual outcome.
If I had one very small niggle, it would be that for me personally, perhaps this story dealt with too many issues and none of them in any great depth. However, I appreciate that to have expanded on many of them in any more detail, would have made The Victory Garden a chunkster of a book and would probably have verged on the non-fiction by the time it was finished. So in retrospect, I came to the conclusion that Rhys got this this just about spot on and opened up plenty of opportunities for me to carry out more detailed research on individual aspects of the story in my own time – which I did!
The cast of characters were all well defined, strong and brought to life with every stroke of the author’s pen. Whilst none of them was perfect and all flawed to one degree or another, each was given the bandwidth and opportunity to grow into their respective roles, both physically and emotionally. Especially the main protagonist Emily for whom life is turned completely upside down and will never be the same again, after the many life-changing experiences she has to adapt to and overcome.
There was also some lighthearted banter and almost comedic exchanges between Emily and her new found friends, which whilst they highlighted the vast differences in class structure and life expectations between them, also served to bring them together as a force to be reckoned with, as they journeyed, united, on their voyage into a future of self discovery and empowerment. They learned to work as a team towards the common goal, whilst still respecting their own self-imposed boundaries and conventions, still not yet confident enough to challenge them completely, but knowing that the time is near.
Because of the lifestyle and social changing nature of World War I, much of the story revolves around female friendships and struggles, although the male characters were also treated to the same level of nurture and care, as they too had to adapt to their new and changing roles in a society which had hitherto held them in much higher esteem than their female counterparts. This also begged the question in my mind – who really had the greatest changes in social standing and convention to deal with – men or women?

https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews... ...more

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May 18, 2019 Lissa rated it it was ok

Shelves: mehhhhhhh, library-book, fiction, historical-fiction, could-have-been-so-much-better, ebook, women, friendship, wwi-fiction, read-in-2019

I've been on a bit of a kick when it comes to fiction set in WWI lately, so I was happy to pick this up at my local library. Unfortunately, it wasn't that good of a book.

My main problem with this book is that it just wasn't that compelling. The romance was tepid and the conflicts are generally solved within the same chapter in which they're introduced, only to have yet another "major conflict" to be introduced in another couple of chapters to be solved in the same manner. It was tedious.

(view ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Laura rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley, british-literature, hf-world-war-i, historical-romance, fiction, read-2019

I received this book as a digital ARC from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest review.

This is the story of Emily Bryce, a twenty-one-year-old young lady, who tries to collaborate in the war effort in order to gain her own identity against her family. She then becomes a "land girl". While living in Devonshire state, she discovers a forgotten diary on herbal garden.

There are some parallel and secondary plots linked to the main one which makes the reader to anticipate the final ...more

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Jun 07, 2019 Literary Soirée rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-review, reviewed, historical-fiction

I’ve grown more enamored of WWI historical fiction since reading the Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford series, and this latest by beloved mystery writer Rhys Bowen adds to that entrancement. Emily Bryce falls in love with a handsome pilot sent off to the front, but is left “with child” and grief-stricken when he dies. Her work as a land girl leads to discovery of a medicine woman’s journals on healing herbals, near disaster as she learns more about their mysterious power, then redemption in a story ...more

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Historical > Historical Fiction

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Fiction

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Historical

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War

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War > World War I

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European Literature > British Literature

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About Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen

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"I'm a New York Times bestselling mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.

I have recently published two internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, the other selling almost half a million copies to date.

I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in th ...more

Books by Rhys Bowen

Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #1)

Malice at the Palace (Her Royal Spyness, #9)

Queen of Hearts (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #8)

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New Historical Fiction Not Set During World War II

Many of today's historical fiction novels are set during World War II. To help you broaden your reading list beyond those war years, we looked a...

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“I’m teaching you how to survive in a difficult world. You can’t be under your parents’ thumb forever. You have to take charge of your own life now you’re going to be twenty-one.” — 2 likes

“There is nothing to say except that life is unfair. You will get over it, … but only time will heal your wounds, and then not completely. We just have to made do with what we have left and treasure those around us who are still alive.” — 1 likes

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