Daisy Wood

Two key characters carry this narrative in alternating chapters: Sophie Klein, a young woman from Vienna, Austria, who watches the takeover by German Nazis and barely escapes in 1938 to work at Windsor Castle in England, and Lacey Jones, a single young woman, pursuing a career as a ghost writer in the 2020s in Philadelphia, PA. "Looking through her grandmother's papers, Lacey comes across a mysterious letter stamped with the Windsor Castle crest. But how did it come to be in her family's show more possession? And so begins a journey that will take Lacey deep into the heart of the oldest inhabited castle in the world. And changes her life forever..." (back cover). Both women struggle to overcome psychological fears & challenging circumstances, and the writer does a good job with how each interact with family members and co-workers. It takes awhile for the dual narrative to build enough to follow easily, but the twists and turns for Sophie's story: WWII era England, potential Nazi or Fascist sympathizers!, a mission to help MI5- make for an engaging read. Definitely could be a good historical novel for older teens - not too graphic, but small subplot about being "roofed" at a bar, and, in Sophie's case, a troublesome antagonist who turns out to be struggling with an abusive fiance.
Some sections a bit tedious with family drama & stilted conversations, but still a good read! show less

This story has two timelines it goes back and forth between 1940 as the war rages and bombs rain down on Britain and present day Philadelphia with Lacey Turner digging into her great aunt’s family tree and coming across a book bearing the stamp of Windsor Castle’s royal bindery. Thus, begins a journey that will take Lacey from Buckingham palace in a quest to find out what is behind this mysterious book and the secrets Sophie Klein, her grandmother’s sister, has been hiding for so show more long.

The dual time line works seamlessly, the voices alternating between Sophie (1940) and Lacey (present day) as they tell us what is going on. It is a good story although the part in America was slightly boring and a bit too long. Once Lacey set foot in Britain and the two stories came together I was totally into it and flipping the pages to see what Sophie really was doing at the Palace. Escaping from Austria to take up a position in the Royal Library to translate letters written by the King to the Nazi regime...was she a spy? The past was definitely the more captivating story but the present brings closure.

This story is interesting we have no shortage of information of what was happening at the time. By featuring real people and their lives with fictional characters the author has giving us a tale that could be as true to life as possible. “The Royal Librarian” is an interesting recreation of a moment in time and is played out by wonderful and well-drawn characters. In whole this story is easy to stay with it, the pacing is steady and the narrative is quite engaging.

Most historical fiction enthusiast should love this one.

My thanks to Avon Books UK as well as Netgalley for this ARC show less

What propels the reader to continue turning the pages of The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood is the quiet but gradual rage that burns in the heart of one Parisian partisan, Jacques, as he slowly stands up to the innumerable injustices inflicted by the Nazis during their WWII occupation of the City of Light.

But that's only half of the story. The other half, which takes place in 2022, follows the fits and starts of Juliette as she comes into herself as a strong, autonomous woman show more after separating from her disloyal husband. The two stories coincide more closely than the reader might at first believe.

The weakness of Wood's novel is certainly not the story, but lies in the author's attention to character development or, more correctly, in its lack. With the exception of Jacques and, less so, Juliette, the other characters orbit around those two stars coming into view periodically but without much definition.

This is too bad, since a story without strong characters holding it up is like a house built without an adequate joist system. show less

WWII fiction is all the rage these days. And if you're a fan of historical fiction, you're going to want to add Daisy Wood's new novel, The Clockmaker's Wife to your TBR list.

Nell and Arthur Spelman and their wee daughter Alice are living in London in 1940. With the blitz hitting too close to home, Nell and Alice go to live with her parents in the country. But, Arthur's job is too important for him to leave - he is a clockmaker who keeps the iconic Big Ben chiming.

Fast forward to present day show more America. Ellie finds a beautiful but broken watch in her mother Alice's belongings. It once belonged to - yes, you guessed it - Alice's mother Nell. Ellie knows nothing of her grandparents and her mother doesn't have much to offer her either. Ellie is determined to find her history for both herself and her mother. But what she finds isn't what she expected.

I love stories like this that go back and forth from past to present. I was initially caught up short when a crucial piece of Nell's life is presented very early on. But once I discovered this bit, I realized it wasn't a spoiler, and instead I became very curious.

I loved the 'past' chapters so much - characters that 'just got on with it', the sense of community, camaraderie and stalwartness. Wood did an admirable job creating wonderful characters that I easily engaged with. The settings were just as well drawn to with detailed descriptions that created vivid mental pictures. I loved Nell - and her love for Arthur. Nell's got gumption, smarts and a strong sense of duty to her country. The supporting cast is just as well drawn.

Ellie in present day was just as engaging. She's curious, kind and determined as well. I enjoyed the romantic thread woven into this narrative. What Ellie finds in Britain isn't what she had expected. She continues to search for bits of Nell's life even as the reader become privy to what happened to Nell in the past. The lead up to the final answer is action filled. The ending to the present day thread is perfect. Of the two timelines, I have to say I was drawn more to the war years.

The Clockmaker's Wife was a wonderful read and I recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. show less