War, tragedy, loss and love

Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A rather lovely story that brings forward the horrors of war on the home front without being over the top. Of course things were coincidental, maybe a bit too pat, but that’s fine. I’m all for some improbable reality.

Josie Banks, an east ender, is married to a controlling man. The war is on and thankfully Stan is called up. Josie however is caught in a bombing raid. The description is truly awful!

She’s shunted off to the country by the authorities and ends up being put off at the end of the line with three girls.

No place to lay her head. But there’s the big house with the reserved woman owner and her Irish maid. The welcome is NOT. But the rules are there and Josie is reluctantly given a place.

Josie’s new life is detailed minutely. She has the ability to make friends, solve problems and doesn’t shirk from a challenge. 

Again and again, Josie faces situations and events that just keep coming. Not quite the Perils of Pauline, but still there’s a certain inevitably of something coming next.

The people were very real, the events unfolding like a favorite tv series. A mixture of Foyles War and Miss Marples. I could even envisage this in full color. 

A Lake Union ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.