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wordsofclover 's review for:
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received this book from Hachette Ireland in exchange for an honest review.
As a young girl, Fliss is brought to the grand house of Glenmaroon in Dublin to become the childhood companion of the three daughters of Arthur 'Ernest' Guinness. As the girls grow up together, Fliss watches as they leave a tumultuous Ireland behind and enter the glamourous life of 1920s London. But what is left for Fliss after all the girls are gone?
This is a charming historical fiction looking at the lives of three women I never knew existed yet at one point they were the belles of the balls in London society, and their father branded the drink that will forever be associated with Ireland. The writing in this is very good, and you can tell the author did so much work studying not only the lives of the Guinness Girls but also the people they socialised with and the era they lived in - not just in London but in Ireland as well.
There are fascinating looks or more glimpses as we learn through Fliss the political and often violent climate in Ireland during the 1920s and while she doesn't understand much, she knows it's important and she sees her beloved brother get caught up in it. I never realised that Arthur Guinness, being Anglo-Irish would actually be very Pro-Crown, anti-Irish independence and would have supported the Black & Tans who did awful things to Irish people fighting for their rights. It definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth!
Seeing as Hughie was such a huge character in this, both visible and invisible at times, I would have actually liked to have seen even more of him and more of his political views. It did feel a bit muted how everything with Hughie ended up and it took so long to really learn much of substance about what happened (literally the last two pages).
The glimpse into the parties and debauchery of the 1920s in London was fascinating and while it was glamorous and I loved the descriptions of everyone's fashion at the tome and what the girls wore to all the parties, I definitely would be more of a Fliss and probably want to sit a lot of them out. They sounded tiring. I also can't say I ever really liked the Guinness girls - they were vain, selfish and silly and it didn't sound like they ever really grew out of it - Maureen in particular.
I liked learning about how the great stock crash affected those in London circles and how much it muted the types of circles the girls socialised in.
I liked this book but there was a part in the middle where the book definitely dragged a bit, and Fliss while being a very observant...observer.. isn't necessarily a character full of gumption and can be a bit boring. I actually would have liked more of Fliss being Fliss and taking charge of her life after the girls were gone and married but all of that was left out.
As a young girl, Fliss is brought to the grand house of Glenmaroon in Dublin to become the childhood companion of the three daughters of Arthur 'Ernest' Guinness. As the girls grow up together, Fliss watches as they leave a tumultuous Ireland behind and enter the glamourous life of 1920s London. But what is left for Fliss after all the girls are gone?
This is a charming historical fiction looking at the lives of three women I never knew existed yet at one point they were the belles of the balls in London society, and their father branded the drink that will forever be associated with Ireland. The writing in this is very good, and you can tell the author did so much work studying not only the lives of the Guinness Girls but also the people they socialised with and the era they lived in - not just in London but in Ireland as well.
There are fascinating looks or more glimpses as we learn through Fliss the political and often violent climate in Ireland during the 1920s and while she doesn't understand much, she knows it's important and she sees her beloved brother get caught up in it. I never realised that Arthur Guinness, being Anglo-Irish would actually be very Pro-Crown, anti-Irish independence and would have supported the Black & Tans who did awful things to Irish people fighting for their rights. It definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth!
Seeing as Hughie was such a huge character in this, both visible and invisible at times, I would have actually liked to have seen even more of him and more of his political views. It did feel a bit muted how everything with Hughie ended up and it took so long to really learn much of substance about what happened (literally the last two pages).
The glimpse into the parties and debauchery of the 1920s in London was fascinating and while it was glamorous and I loved the descriptions of everyone's fashion at the tome and what the girls wore to all the parties, I definitely would be more of a Fliss and probably want to sit a lot of them out. They sounded tiring. I also can't say I ever really liked the Guinness girls - they were vain, selfish and silly and it didn't sound like they ever really grew out of it - Maureen in particular.
I liked learning about how the great stock crash affected those in London circles and how much it muted the types of circles the girls socialised in.
I liked this book but there was a part in the middle where the book definitely dragged a bit, and Fliss while being a very observant...observer.. isn't necessarily a character full of gumption and can be a bit boring. I actually would have liked more of Fliss being Fliss and taking charge of her life after the girls were gone and married but all of that was left out.