Elizabeth Wilhide

Usually I do not read romance novels, but this one pulled me in. The setting is WWII. Before the war came to England, Julia Compton was secure in her love of her son, and her life with a handsome man who met all financial needs. The life style was good, friends were of the country club set, and Julia thought she was quite satisfied.

Then, a dashing film maker and his crew came to town, and her life is turned upside down. Operating from the heart instead of her head, she longs for Dougie with show more a passion she never previously felt.

When her husband discovers her indiscretion, she is tossed out. Moving with Dougie, who is also married, to live in London while his wife took their three daughters to live in Canada while the war raged one, all too soon Julia longs for her son and bit by bit sees the flawed man she is with.

Julia learns that she wasn't wise in her decision. This period novel focuses on the penniless condition of Julia, and the different lifestyles and values of she and Dougie. Dougie refuses to help with the financial cost of her divorce and, because she has no means of her own, she is straddled between two lives.

There are shades of Anna Karenina in this book wherein the women leaves a comfortable lifestyle only to suffer severe consequences for her choice. Shunned by society, she drifts alone without a safety net or ship to cling to.

Good writing amid the backdrop of war, excellent character development, and a story that keeps the reader drawn into the pages, make this a book I recommend. show less

What an absolutely brilliant idea for a book! Elizabeth Wilhide has taken the chequered history of Basildon Park (Netherfield in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation), building and owners, and turned the soul of a beautiful house into a series of nuanced vignettes, or short stories really. The modern day chapters which frame the story of Ashenden Park are perhaps the weakest, but I loved reading each and every segment, from the tragic tale behind the construction of the house in the late show more eighteenth century through to the war years, when Ashenden becomes a convalescent home during the First World War and a training ground in the Second.

Authors who 'borrow' from history tread a fine line - some can bring a famous biography or a notable building back to life, while others simply cannot weave a fictional narrative that stands up to the obviously inspirational source material. Wilhide hits the nail on the head - far from feeling that the real star of the story is Basildon Park, I feel that I now know more about the history of the original building from her creative reimaging of house and the people who lived there. All her characters are finely drawn, like housemaid Dulcie and her family, and she manages to fit a lifetime into a short chapter.

For those expecting a potboiler in the style of Downton Abbey, this might miss the mark, but for anyone into the true heritage of England's country houses, Elizabeth Wilhide has captured the 'beating heart' of a monument to past glory. show less

More 4.5 than 4

The blurb describes very well the general plot but for me the telling phrase is she has "a handsome husband who pays the bills". This is not the way I'd hope most of us would describe a husband and is suggestive of a practical arrangement rather than a happy, fulfilling marriage. Little wonder then, that Julia has her head turned by the advances of a handsome, married, bohemian film-maker Dougie Birdsall.

Without describing plot and giving away spoilers, I'd like to say why I show more loved this book. First of all I'll admit that Brief Encounter is one of my favourite films of all time and this had echoes of the prim and proper Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) meeting the charismatic Dr Harvey (Trevor Howard). Only in this instance Julia is the bored suburban houswife who is more than tempted and Dougie is the stranger with it transpires little moral integrity. Unlike the film, Julia and Dougie, ignore the prevailing social mores and embark on an affair that has irreversible consequences, especially for Julia.

This is a wonderful period piece that presents a portrait of a relationship in turmoil and how society viewed adultery/divorce. Adultery was nothing new, but as a respectable wife and mother having an affair, Julia paid dearly for her choices. As a woman, she became essentially persona non grata, within her social circle/family and her actions are deemed morally reprehensible. Set against the backdrop of the Blitz, it also highlights the contradictions of a growing live-for-the-moment attitude and changing sexual attitudes among the young.

It offers an interesting insight into life on the Homefront during the war. This ranges from practical day to day living and rationing constraints to an insight into the Ministry of Information and how it worked to present positive images and morale boosting films to aid the war effort. The war is a pivotal feature in the story as it engineers Julia and Dougie's meeting and also, without spoilers, her salvation.

It is a book that creates a range of emotions and really draws you in, not all the characters are likeable but they are very well drawn, and realistic, making this a great read, that I'd happily recommend. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author based on this.

I received a review copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less

Ashenden is a charming historical read that concerns itself with the generations of owners and servants living in a manor house built in the English countryside in 1775. Beginning in the present when siblings Charlie and Ros inherit Ashenden upon the death of their great aunt, it meanders back to when its foundations were first carefully chosen and laid. Charlie and his sister must decide whether to sell it, or keep it for future generations of their family to enjoy. Charlie is happily show more married and settled in the United States, and sees the expense of the old mansion as prohibitive, but Ros is determined to save it, and has mapped out what she thinks is a plausible plan for its restoration.

Wilhide fills the story with history and atmosphere - the novel and its vignettes show the house in war time, poverty and at the height of its glory. Even as Ashenden, the novel explores how former owners have gained and lost the house and surrounding property, Ashenden itself is the star of the show, so much so that its almost pointless to bother getting attached to the people who live, work and die there. Their stories are picked up on a whim and dropped just as quickly, with some coming to more satisfying resolutions than others. Home restoration and architecture are prominently considered within the narrative, and readers who enjoy those details will find them in this pleasant, though rambling meditation on the history of a historic house. show less