The War Widows by Leah Fleming
Thursday, 01 May 2008 15:18
The War Widows by Leah Fleming
Avon, out now, paperback, 454, £4.99.
In a nutshell...
Multicultural sisterhood triumphs in grim post-war Britain
What's it all about?
The arrival of two refugees in the Lancashire town of Grimbleton in 1946 sets off a series of events that changes the lives of some its residents forever. Both claiming to be the fiancee of dead soldier Freddie Winstanley, Greek Ana and Burmese Susan are taken in by his family.
For some they are an unwelcome addition to the Winstanley household, but for others they provide a welcome relief from the humdrum of daily life in austere post-war Britain. Freddie's sister Lily takes the girls under her wing and their circle soon expands to include Italian Maria and upper-class Diana. The complex lives of Lily's new friends prompt her to consider her own future and the choices she has made, leading to some difficult decisions.
Who's it by?
Leah Fleming was born in Lancashire and currently writes from the slopes of an olive grove in Crete and a farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales. This is her third book, after Orphans of War and The Girl From World's End.
She held a number of jobs before committing to writing full-time, working as a teacher, a therapist, a Relate counsellor, and running a catering business from a market stall.
As an example...
"If ever there was a home without warmth and welcome this was it, Esme thought, sitting perched of the end of horsehair with a smoking fire and that sour smell of boiled vegetables up her nostrils. She grimaced. All the corners of this front parlour could do with a good bottoming out."
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster
Slim to none. There is nothing to make this book stand out enough for it to merit the Hollywood treatment.
What the others say
"A beautifully written tale of love and tragedy with real flesh and blood characters" – Maureen Lee
So is it any good?
Although it is perfectly readable, there is little to set this book apart from the reams of other hackneyed tales of sisterhood in adversity that fill the market.
The characters are cliched and predictable- the tidy and well-mannered Burmese Su, the fiery, passionate Greek and Italian girls and the stiff, emotionally-repressed English women are about as unexpected as the saccharine ending.
Fleming had obviously researched the life in austerity Britain carefully, but historical accuracy aside, this is essentially chick-lit for the baby boomer generation. Major issues of belonging, identity and racism are touched on, but glossed over in favour of tired tales of affairs, hairdressing and mother-in-laws.
That said, The War Widows is well-written enough to appeal to fans of the genre, provided they don't expect anything they haven't seen before.
3/10
Caroline Anning
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