If Walls Could Speak
Her Husband’s Return by Suzanne Goldring is a powerful dual timeline novel that consumed me from the start.
The action is set in London during World War II and in present day. Chapters alternate between ‘then’ and ‘now.’ The time periods are linked by a large family home that is being renovated in present day.
If walls could speak, the house would reveal the secrets – but until then, they remain hidden.
Life during World War II was fragile. First Londoners faced the Blitz, and then there were the silent but deadly V1 and V2 rockets. Lives could be snuffed out in an instant. The landscape of London changed as many buildings were demolished.
Large family homes were called upon to house the homeless. The house within the tale echoes with warmth, love and laughter. Friendships are formed that will remain.
Opportunities for women opened up with war. The leading lady, Frankie, becomes an ambulance driver. War, surprisingly, brings freedom for her, and for many. Frankie is no longer shackled to the home and a verbally abusive husband. However, so deep-rooted is the abuse, that in her head, she still hears the words spoken over her by her, now MIA, husband. She is forever ruled by him until the day she finds the courage to live for someone else.
We witness the camaraderie in war and the willingness to help others.
The book tackles some difficult topic including homosexuality during WWII (which could lead to imprisonment or worse, so characters must hide their true nature); miscarriages and stillbirth. Suzanne Goldring portrays these topics with sensitivity.
I thoroughly enjoyed Her Husband’s Return. It was an enjoyable read. Frankie was an extremely likable lead character who was easy to empathise with. She had a good heart and a kind nature.
I received a free copy via the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Book Description:
The war set her free. His return would destroy everything…
London, 1941: When Frankie receives the telegram telling her that her husband Dickie is missing, presumed dead, she does not weep, or crumble. Instead, she feels a freedom that she’s not felt since her wedding day, the day her husband’s eyes didn’t light up when he saw her walk down the aisle. She wishes she could tell someone the truth about her marriage, but she is too ashamed to share the secrets hidden behind their black front door. Now she is free to live her life, even as the skies above London darken with enemy planes. She doesn’t think about what will happen if Dickie returns…
Present day: Charlotte is so happy to move into the tall London house with the black front door. She can’t wait to raise a family in their forever home, picturing a pram under the pear tree in the garden. But when she discovers a chest of drawers filled with unworn baby clothes, and learns that the house was left to a daughter who cannot be traced, she knows she needs to find out more about the old lady who lived in the house before them…
As Charlotte delves deeper into Frankie’s life, she finds out that she was hiding a shocking wartime secret. Can an old friend of Frankie’s help Charlotte solve the mystery that haunts her new home, and lay the ghosts of its sad past to rest?
An unforgettable World War Two novel about the dark secrets one woman was forced to keep. Fans of The Nightingale and The Alice Network will be utterly gripped by this unputdownable page-turner from bestselling author Suzanne Goldring.
Author Bio:
Following an eventful career as a public relations consultant, specialising in business and travel, Suzanne Goldring turned to writing the kind of novels she likes to read, about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Whether she is working in her thatched cottage in Hampshire or her seaside home in North Cornwall, Suzanne finds inspiration in the secrets hidden by everyday life.
https://suzannegoldring.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/suzannegoldringauthor
Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Suzanne Goldring here: https://www.bookouture.com/suzanne-goldring
Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0FKBJYCBJsocial
You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo
—
Sarah Hardy
Publicist
Bookouture
Storyfire Ltd
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
Storyfire Limited, a member of Hachette UK Group, registered in England and Wales under company no. 7893911
Follow Bookouture on Facebook
Follow Bookouture on Twitter
Follow Bookouture on Instagram
Follow Bookouture on TikTok
If you’d like to sign up to our reviewer database you can sign up here!
For the best deals on books you can’t put down, make sure to sign up to our Bookouture Deals mailing list!
Sign up here!