An Epic Read
Time Heal My Heart by Joni Scott is an epic historical novel that will educate you as you read.
The book covers the early decades of the twentieth century. The reader travels from England to Australia to continental Europe as we follow the author’s ancestors.
We witness a world on the brink of change, about to enter the modern era.
We see how the role of women changes. “What was the point in educating a girl?” Women were seen as inferior to men. In Australia women could vote but not in England. The suffragettes were active, pausing as the first World War began. Women did not get the vote until over a decade after the end of the war. Surprisingly, the war opened up opportunities for women as they stepped up to do the traditional male roles as the men had gone to war. “That is one good thing that will come from this … war, women’s rights.”
In the pre-war years we follow two sisters who bravely left the shores of England for Australia in 1912. They were incredibly brave as they left after the Titanic had sunk. We see their new life and the freedom’s they had.
We also follow one of their brothers on a cycling tour of Europe. He just happened to be in the same café as Gavril Princip, at the time of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo which was the catalyst for World War I.
World War I was brutal. A whole generation of young men used as cannon fodder as they went to war due to decisions made by men sitting behind desks. As if this was not bad enough, following the war, the Spanish flu claimed thousands of lives in 1919.
The author has clearly researched both her family tree and the events of the twentieth century. The reader ‘tours’ the battlefields, ‘cycles’ through Europe and ‘visits’ Australia.
Time Heal My Heart is a rich tapestry that gives a glimpse into a bygone era, a war to end all wars, and a brave new world. I absolutely loved it. It was aa powerful read.
I received a free copy from the author. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON