Alex Martin (4)

I really like how the novel focuses on the village life of a manor house and its outside workers (gardeners, etc). A refreshing change from the inside servants POV of the TV series Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, and the like. The pacing of the story is slow moving. It is really more of a historical romance/family saga with a WWI focus kind of read. Some of the characters are well developed, I am thinking of Jem Beagle and Cassandra. Katy strikes me as a bit flighty, a bit emphatic with her emotions of grief and only partially developed as a character. As for Lionel, the local curate, Martin has crafted a character that seems to be far removed from anything realistic or believable. He acts more like a petulant child than a grown man trying to provide succor to his flock, be that flock the villagers or the soldiers in France. He just does not work as a character for me. For me, the best parts of the story are the chapters that focus on Jem's war experience. I really cannot accept Katy role in this story, which is a huge negative given that she is the lead character.

Overall, a okay historical fiction romance type of read but didn't capture my attention enough for me to consider reading the other two books in the trilogy.… (mais)

The first world war broke out in Europe

Young people from small, poor bucolic British families all dreamed of new possibilities and better lives if they signed up for the war. Most of them, in counties such as Wiltshire, had never been in London, many had never seen the sea. They eked out a living working for the gentry on their big estates with poverty standing like invisible perennial guards at their doors. There was hardly any escape possible until the war came.

Katy Beagle worked in the manor house as a personal maid when the son of the manor needed a little bit of fun before he departed for London to join the war effort.

Young and inexperienced as she was, and bored to death with the prospect of being rooted to her situation for the rest of her life, Katy jumped at the opportunity to have some fun. It resulted in a huff and a lot of puff with a cloud of scandal threatening her good name and honor. Good, rock-solid Jem, the gardener, proposed again, and this time she had no other choice but to accept. And so begins the story of a young couple within the village dynamics of Wiltshire with the assortment of lovable, despicable, and delightful characters who share their lives for generations. But after the young vicar announced them husband and wife, the village openly released a sigh of relief. The scandal was short-lived and the couple could live happily ever after.

But that was not to be. Katy and Jem's paths through the deeply moving narrative exposes the highs and lows of two young people's inner turmoil with life and love, their first encounters in the adult world with heartbreak and hardship. The tale winds through a volatile time in world history and how it personally effected two young people but also their community.

The horror of the First World War is portrayed with accuracy and emotion. The deprivations and devastation of the war is creatively and convincingly conveyed. All the elements to make this a great book is present: loyalty, weakness, betrayal, guilt, lies, sex, secrets, violence, an attempted suicide, heroism and finally love coupled with justice. All the people are real. So much so that the reader becomes emotionally attached to them and become emotionally invested in the turns and twists of the plot. Throughout the harsh reality of the war, there is still an almost ironic wholesomeness present in the young people's optimism and hope for a better future. Despite all the obstacles, the daffodils never seized to bloom among the privation and suffering of the war.

Daffodils is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope which teaches us the power of resilience, integrity and true honor.

This book was a deeply emotional experience that managed to reach the inner core of my being. This is such a powerful story.

If you have enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, you will love this book as well.

Highly recommended.… (mais)