The Silent Stars Go By

Teenagers Margot and Harry are not married when Harry leaves to fight in the Great War, but that doesn't stop them from a passionate goodbye. By the time that word arrives that Harry is missing in action, Margot is frantically trying to figure out what to do about the baby. A simple plan is hatched, Margot's mother will fake a confinement, Margot will move to another city to work as a typist while actually going to a home for unwed mothers first, and Margot's parents will raise their grandchild James as their son. Now, with the war over and Harry safely returned, Margot is wrestling with her decision to give up James, and what that will mean for her relationship with Harry. She needs to tell him the truth -- but the war has changed both show more of them. Will they find a way to be together after all? And what about James? Is there any way for Margot to have both her lover and her child?

Lots of angst here. Margot is a selfish and unlikeable character, though she grows over the course of the novel. I was impatient with her in many ways, but she's realistically drawn as a character facing things that are, to her, potentially life-changing. I kept reading to see how the book would end, and of all possible endings, I think the one she got was the most realistic and satisfying. My favorite character of the book was Margot's sister Jocelyn and her plans for her own future. I would like to read that book! Recommended if you like historical fiction with a side of teenage angst. show less

I don't very often read YA fiction but the premise of The Silent Stars Go By really caught my imagination. I'm so glad I read it. It's a really quick and easy read, but with plenty of depth to it at the same time.

It's 1919 and the war is over. However, for Margot Allen her own private war is beginning. Two years earlier she had given up her baby, believing her fiancé, Harry, to have been killed. Like many girls in similar situations, Margot's parents agreed to take baby James and raise him as their own, whilst Margot had to watch from the sidelines and behave like his sister, in a kind of silent torture. But now Harry has returned after all which leaves Margot with a terrible dilemma. Does she tell Harry or pretend it never happened? show more Do they still have a future together, with or without James?

This is a gorgeous read. It's pitched perfectly so that it reads well for both young adults and the older adults amongst us. Whilst it's not quite as intense as a full adult novel, it still portrays the heartbreak of war and the inner turmoil, not only of Margot but of her mother, who is bringing up her grandson as her own child. I did have to read between the lines a bit and fill in the gaps in terms of Harry, and Margot's brother, Stephen, and the horrors of their war, but I think the author was trying to stay away from making it too traumatic a read.

One aspect of the storyline I particularly enjoyed was the romance and intensity of feeling between Margot and Harry. I found myself smiling at their encounters and hoping they could work things out. Did they? Well you'll have to read it for yourself but I was thoroughly satisfied by the ending.

The Silent Stars Go By is a thoughtful, emotive and beautifully written story. I really enjoyed it. show less

The Silent Stars Go By is a sweet bitter story. Taking place at Christmas time, it follows the everyday life of a young woman, Margot, as she prepares herself to take one of the most important decisions in her life : share a family secret with her fiancé Harry. We are in 1919, a few months after the end of the First World War and every family is still suffering from the aftermath of the Great War.

This historical novel explores how the War changed the British Youth. Not only the young men that went to fight on the front, but also the young women that stayed behind, sometimes leading to family secrets that if revealed would threaten to ruin the young women's life, or the reputation of their families.

Sally Nicholls created broken show more characters, wounded too young by life difficulties. The story is wonderfully written, focused on the character of Margot, a nineteen years old who saw all her dreams collapse after her fiancé went missing in action in the Great War three years before. I loved the intimacy of the story, centered on Margot’s parents and siblings. I love how the author focuses on Margot feelings, thoughts and emotions. It is really a beautiful story, full of hopes, that explores a difficult time in European History. show less

Wishlist | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Ko-fi


The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls is a beautifully written book. It takes you back to a 1919 Christmas setting and leaves your heart warm, days after you’ve finished it. Thank you to Kaleidoscopic Tours and Andersen Press, for sending me a copy of this book, alongside all the amazing goodies as well.

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Margot Allan was a respectable vicar’s daughter and madly in love with her fiance Harry. But when Harry was reported Missing in Action from the Western Front, and Margot realised she was expecting his child, there was only one solution she and her family could think of in order to keep that respectability. She gave up James, her baby son, to be show more adopted by her parents and brought up as her younger brother.

Now two years later the whole family is gathering at the Vicarage for Christmas. It’s heartbreaking for Margot being so close to James but unable to tell him who he really is. But on top of that, Harry is also back in the village. Released from captivity in Germany and recuperated from illness, he’s come home and wants answers. Why has Margot seemingly broken off their engagement and not replied to his letters? Margot knows she owes him an explanation. But can she really tell him the truth about James?

My Thoughts:

I loved The Silent Stars Go By as a whole. Margot is an amazing character, and I felt for her many times throughout the book. The love story between her and Harry was so beautiful and pure. A love like that is so hard to find in today’s world, and this is perfect for those romantics out there, that strive for loves like their grandparents had. I loved the letters and the communication between them. It’s so refreshing, compared to today’s relationship drama. It reminded me of my late grandparents, who would always have something to talk about, and do little things about each other. Not for the public, or for their social media, but just for their significant other.

Considering the secret Margot and her family had, I was expecting more emotions, drama and pushbacks. But I am glad things happened the way they did. And even though the ending was emotional and painful, it’s also heartwarming and full of hope.

“Father once said,” she said thoughtfully, “that it never does to compare your troubles to other people’s. That grief is grief, and you can’t know how heavy someone else’s is unless you carry it.”

A certain topic floated to the surface in this book. And even though not a main plot discussion, it’s a very important one to mention. There were times, before 1926, when adoption was illegal in Britain. Even though orphanages excited, the mother always remained the legal guardian of her child. Sadly, many of the mothers weren’t told this information, and they believed they lost all rights to ever see their child again. The book briefly touched on this topic, and I really wish that it focused a bit more. Nevertheless, it was mentioned, and it is worthy of noting.

The Silent Stars Go By is a book that I wholeheartedly recommend. It’s so beautiful and real, with a Christmas to top it all up. show less

Starting the year by catching up with a long-overdue review of this lovely little seasonal book. I read this just before Christmas in an attempt to finally read a book in the season it's set in and it definitely helped that I was in the holiday mood already when reading this!

Christmas historical fiction is not one I frequently read, so I was very curious about it as I was going into this book. I enjoyed the setting in Christmas 1919, the first after the end of the First World War, and I felt like the special occasion and the contrasting feelings of the characters were very well captured. I also liked the small English village setting, where everyone knows one another and there is a real sense of community - with all its challenges as show more well as the joys this can bring.

Margot was an interesting main character. She is guarding a heavy secret and has had to deal with a lot of pain, and I liked how tactfully some of the heavier themes were tackled (e.g. teenage pregnancy and emotional trauma/PTSD). Her relationships with her family and her presumed-dead-now-returned ex-fiancé are complicated and very realistic. She was certainly good to get to know, even though I found her to be extremely frustrating at times, though I won't go into more detail to avoid potential spoilers. The rest of the characters also remained very surface-level and lacked any significant depth, and that meant I wasn't very sold on the romance aspect of this either.

This was an issue I had with most of the book actually. The way it's structured makes it feel more like a connection of journal entries of episodes rather than a single story flowing smoothly, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself, but ended up making this feel rather disjointed to me. It also felt like the book was dragging in quite a few places, which for a story this short is problematic.

Overall, this is a cute Christmas story. It's not bad but remains a bit too superficial for my liking even though this will probably not be an issue for younger readers.


I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. show less

The premise of this novel intrigued me, but I never connected with it. Margot frustrated me even though I felt sorry for her as a single mother whose baby was being raised by her own mother. Margot was in a horrible position but I don't think she helped herself, especially around Harry.

"The Silent Stars Go By" was an okay read but not as good as "Ways to Live Forever" by the same author.