Author: Daisy Wood
Publisher: 8th July 2021 by Avon Books UK
Pages: 400 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, World War II, mystery
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Synopsis:
The world is at war. And time is running out…
London, 1940. Britain is gripped by the terror of the Blitz, forcing Nell Spelman to flee the capital with her young daughter – leaving behind her husband, Arthur, the clockmaker who keeps Big Ben chiming.
When Arthur disappears, Nell is desperate to find him. But her search will lead her into far darker places than she ever imagined…
New York, Present Day. When Ellie discovers a beautiful watch that had once belonged to a grandmother she never knew, she becomes determined to find out what happened to her. But as she pieces together the fragments of her grandmother’s life, she begins to wonder if the past is better left forgotten…
A powerful and unforgettable tale of fierce love, impossible choices and a moment that changes the world forever, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Suzanne Kelman.
My Thoughts
The Clockmaker's Wife is a dual timeline story about Nell (the clockmaker’s wife) in London during the blitz and then her granddaughter Ellie who travels to London in the present day to investigate and hopefully discover the mystery surrounding her grandmother.
I love historical fiction and particularly dual time narratives so I was really looking forward to this read. The story starts off really strong with the bombing and frenetic fallout. I enjoyed Nell’s relationship with her husband Arthur and learning all about clocks, particularly Big Ben, I found to be really interesting. However, after Nell receives a mysterious phone call from Arthur, to which she then pursues to uncover what was happening, it really tapers off somewhat. Certain happenings just did not seem realistic and the whole spy/fascist aspect difficult to believe. Lots of questions and not enough answers to support outcomes. I would have loved more of a contribution from Arthur. Still, it was engaging to read of how the Londoners attempted to counteract the nightly attacks.
The present storyline with Ellie finding a watch belonging to her grandmother (of which she knows so little) sees her jetset to London to begin a search to uncover the mystery surrounding questionable aspects of her grandmother's behaviour. This part of the story was okay but things seemed a little rushed. I liked it when she met up with Brenda, yet conversely, I wish the whole love interest with Dan had not been included. The interactions with Gillian could have been far more pivotal rather than completely over the top.
Overall this was an entertaining story in Daisy’s first attempt at writing an adult novel. The whole aspect of Big Ben was well researched and fascinating to learn about the running of clocks as a whole back then. Daisy’s writing of locations were on point and absorbing. If you enjoy historical fiction about strong determined women then I suggest you give this book a go.
‘Wars had been fought, fires had raged and people had died in the streets below, but these bells had carried on striking and the vast clock had counted the minutes through it all.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
No comments:
Post a Comment