I liked this book a lot, it is set in a town near London during ww2, the main character, a middle age woman is living in a boarding house. her apartment in london had been destroyed by a bomb. it is a sad story, while there is a war in the background there is a war in the boarding house. she had to deal with a bully and a friend that turns out not to be a friend. ( )

Hamilton tackling a subject unfamiliar to us now...the mid 20th century necessity of boarding house living. A study of bullying, trechery and triumph. Great writing. ( )

Patrick Hamilton's work is gaining attention as a result of a 2007 publication of The Slaves of Solitude by The New York Review of Books. Originally published in 1947, it tells the story of residents in a boarding house in a small village located on a train line to London. Although they share the same dining room and lounge, the characters live their lives in solitude, limited by the conditions imposed on civilians by 1943 World War II. The distinguishing factor is the insight of the players that ranges from minimal to obsessive. This is a very engaging novel that immerses the reader in the era, location, and interaction of the characters. Readers are confronted by their own solitude and learn that insight is the result of sharing experiences with others. Hamilton's novel shows that war prevents isolation but encourages people to explore their solitude. ( )