My Rating: 4.5 stars
When I was
first asked to join the blog tour for Iona Grey’s latest novel The
Glittering Hour, I was a little apprehensive at first, as I had never
heard of this author before and of course hadn’t read her debut novel Letters
to the Lost, which came out back in 2015. After reading the
summary for the book though and seeing that it fell into one of my favorite genres
(historical fiction), I decided to take a chance with this one and see where it
would take me. Looking back now after having finished the book, I am
tremendously glad that I did so, as this turned out to be an excellent read –
one in which not only the story continues to stay with me, but also the
characters, almost all of whom I can’t stop thinking about. This was one
of those books where the beautiful writing drew me in from the first page and I
found it difficult to stop reading once I had started.
With a duel
timeline alternating between 1925 and 1936, the crux of the story centers
around an unlikely romance between Selina Lennox -- a wealthy, privileged young
woman from a noble family who spends majority of her time drinking, partying,
creating scandal – and Lawrence Weston, a penniless but hardworking painter
whose real talent lies in photography and capturing life’s most candid moments.
Despite being from two completely opposite worlds, Selina and Lawrence fall
hard for each other and, for a brief period of time, it appeared that true love
and happiness were within their reach. But then tragedy strikes and
Selina decides to forego her relationship with Lawrence in favor of the “safe”
option of Rupert Carew — her deceased brother’s friend and also a match
approved by her parents. A decade later, in 1936, nine-year-old Alice Carew is
left in the care of her grandparents and a beloved maid at Blackwood, the
estate where her mother Selina grew up, while her parents are on a business
trip to Burma for a few months. Alice is a sensitive soul and not being
able to stand the separation and secluded loneliness of Blackwood, she yearns
for her mother and whiles away the time thinking about their many moments
together. Through her maid Polly, Selina sends her daughter letters in
which she scatters clues about her past, sending Alice on a treasure hunt of
sorts to discover one of her most prized secrets. The two threads of the
story — Selina’s past from 1926 and Alice’s current reality in 1936 —eventually
come together in a surprising, emotional ending that is almost guaranteed to
have the reader in tears.
My first thought after finishing this book is how beautifully written
this story was. Even though the story leans more toward romance than
historical fiction, the historical elements were still done extremely well, to
the point that I truly felt transported to the time and place depicted (England
in the 1920s and 1930s). For those who may be concerned about the romance
piece — yes, the love story IS the core around which the rest of the story
revolves, however don’t worry, as the narrative is well-balanced enough that
the romance piece doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the story. With an epic
story such as this one, maintaining such a balance along with a nearly flawless
execution is no easy feat and Grey absolutely delivers here. Structure-wise,
within the alternating timeline, each of the main characters also got the
chance to contribute their piece to the story without diluting the main
narrative that revolved around Selina and Alice. I appreciate this
structure, as it allowed me to get better perspective on each of the characters
and see another side to them that I wouldn’t otherwise have known.
Given how much I enjoyed this one, it was very close to being a 5 star
read for me, however there were a few things that put it more in the 4.5 range
for me. I felt that part 1 of the story dragged a little in a few places,
plus a few scenes seemed repetitive and perhaps not entirely necessary...with
that said though, part 2 was wonderfully written, with its emotional impact
nearly making up for the minor flaws in the first part.
Without a doubt, I would definitely recommend this moving story of love,
loss, passion, betrayal, family dynamics, hidden secrets, and the complexities
of pursuing the truth. If you decide to read this though, definitely have
some tissues ready.
Received ARC from Thomas Dunne Books via NetGalley.
********
About the Author:
IONA GREY is the author of the award winning Letters to the Lost.
She has a degree in English Literature and Language from Manchester
University, an obsession with history and an enduring fascination with
the lives of women in the twentieth century. She lives in rural Cheshire
with her husband and three daughters.
About the Book:
An
unforgettable historical about true love found and lost and the secrets
we keep from one another from an award-winning author
Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her.
Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what's safe over what's right.
Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, Iona Grey's The Glittering Hour is an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss.
Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her.
Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what's safe over what's right.
Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, Iona Grey's The Glittering Hour is an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss.
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