Bright Morning

Askham Chronicles #3

by Nicola Thorne

With "Never Such Innocence" and "Yesterday's Promises", the author created a chronicle of Britain from the 1890s to the 1930s through the eyes of three families of different classes, different expectations. In this sequel, she comes to the years of World War II.

527 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Nicola Thorne (real name: Rosemary Ellerbeck) was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Her father was English and her mother a New Sealander, and she was brought up and educated in England. She graduated in Sociology at the London School of Economics, but always wanted to pursue a literary career and worked as a reader and editor while writing her first novels. In 1975 she left publishing to write full and and has now written a number of successful novels under the pseudonym Nicola Thorne. She lives in St. John's Wood, London.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 was a lovely read.
We see WW2, and although the battle parts bored me a little but rest was brilliant, very touching at times.
Through this book, you can see how times have changed through 2 world wars.

[requiemz.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book three was by far my favourite in the series.
Bright Morning is the story that has ruminated and caused reoccurring flashbacks over the years because I adored it so much. It’s also the book that I reread most in the earlier years of my first discovering this series. Charlotte is a character that I resonated with as an eighteen year old and yet now I find myself emotionally enmeshed with her tale in a far deeper way. Life experience can do that and I find it all rather fascinating.

At this point in the lives of the Askham, Lighterman and Bollingbroke’s the families have been through social and political upheaval that has seen their lifestyles and fortunes alter— drastically for some. Living through two world wars will do that to you.
World War II is the primary focus of this book and I devoured the contents, it’s one of my favourite historical eras. Nicola Thorne weaves history and fictional narrative so beautifully and had me enraptured from start to end. I’m happy to report that I still adore Bright Morning and may it reign supreme in my head and heart for another twenty years!