My book club and I read A Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy. This story takes place on the island of Gurnesy, just before and during the German Occupation. The main character is a woman named Vivienne who lives with her mother in law and two daughters. Her husband is fighting in the war. German officers take over the house next to hers. Vivienne is artistic, sensual, unassertive and kind. She takes care of her children and her mother-in-law who suffers from dementia with unending patience. Margaret Leroy describes the beauty and the wildness of the island so clearly you can almost smell the apple blossoms and taste the wild blackberries. And the ending? The ending to this story is the best ending that I have read in a long, long time. In fact, while reading the ending quietly in the lunchroom at work, I couldn't help but let out, "Awwwww!" which surprised the people sitting in the room with me. This is a very good book. Not great, but definitely worth the time spent reading it.
No comments:
Post a Comment