Deryn Collier

Review of eBook

The war is over; women waiting to get married continue to work. June Grant works in the steno pool at McAulay Advertising. The once-prosperous Grant family has fallen on hard times since the Depression and her father’s stroke. June has two older sisters, both married and with families of their own; her parents depend on the salary June earns.

June writes poetry, has a talent for writing advertising copy, and isn’t at all certain her future will be one her mother tries to arrange for her, the one that includes a date with an acceptable young man and marriage.

The expectations for women in post-World War Two society are firmly rooted in marriage and children. Women only work until they achieve their true calling: marriage. What lies ahead for June? Will she be bound by expectations or will she find a way to be true to herself, to the person no one, not even her family, seems to see? And what will the family’s secrets mean for June’s future?

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Set in Montreal in 1947, this story has its basis in the true life story of the author’s aunt. Told from June’s point of view, the narrative pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the outset. The expectations for women in postwar society left little room for June to follow her dreams.

With its strong sense of place and nuanced, believable characters, the unfolding narrative, with its focus on June’s struggles and responsibilities, keeps the pages turning. Pulled in many directions . . . supporting her parents, finding a husband and marrying, seeking more in her career . . . allow readers to focus on how societal expectations often put women in untenable situations, forcing them to abandon their own hopes and aspirations. Knowing this June did not give up her dreams feels like a victory for June and readers alike.

Readers who enjoy historical tales, who enjoy stories based on true events and people, and who enjoy family stories will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley
#ARealSomebody #NetGalley… (altro)

This was a fascinating one for me. I read this book four years ago when it was still an unpublished manuscript and I was a judge for the Unhanged Arthur award for the Crime Writers of Canada. And, at the time, while I did vote for the novel to be a finalist, I chose a lot of other manuscripts above it. My comments were less favourable than the other two judges and, at the time, I didn't like the Rwanda angle, I didn't like Evie at all, and questioned why there was even the subplot with her husband Dirk. I wasn't overly crazy about the ending, either.

Well, what a difference a few years makes. And more importantly, what a difference revisions make. As I read this book for the second time, all those things I disliked from the first reading I now quite enjoyed. The narrative style was clean and mature, the characters were well-drawn and sympathetic and the pacing was much improved.

The reason for taking the one star off is two-fold. I'm not crazy with the "case from Bern's past" being held over to the next book, and also, two plot points, one major, one minor.

Spoilers follow:
The minor one is...why, after almost dying the first time Evie went into the brewery alone...why in the hell would she do it again, a few days later.

Second, and a bigger issue for me, was Karl. He was painted as an unlikeable asshole from the beginning, but his descent into drooling psycho was a bit too quick for me. And you're telling me that, even with the promotion, as soon as the big secret was revealed, he wouldn't be the one pointed out as the one that kept it buried? Nope. Don't buy it.

Spoilers end.

Still, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it.… (altro)

The Good Stuff

Bern is a truly fascinating character. Author does an excellent job of creating a character who is obviously still dealing with PTSD
Interesting ti get a little bit more about Bern's backgrounds
Storyline was fascinating and had me hooked
Some of the story broke my heart as the characters felt all too real
Author has a gift for recreating a small BC town - again the setting feels authentic and the characters are realistic with many flaws - so basically like those in any community
Need to find out more about Bern's past and those of the rest of the town
An intelligent thriller - you really need to pay attention to all the little details

The Not So Good Stuff

Story jumped around a lot from the past to present and it often felt a little disjointed
Not enough details

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"Word was that his mother was now in a wheelchair and his father was serving a twenty-year sentence in the US for pot trafficking. Americans took their marijuana seriously."

"Bern locked eyes with the younger man and marveled that even the Canadian army count not reach inside some men and stamp out their will."

"The silent partners in this tragedy were the gangs at work behind the scenes. The master puppeteers. Their fingerprints were everywhere, they were to blame for everything, and yet they remained invisible. Perhaps he could find them while there was still something of a soldier left in him."



3.75/5 Dewey's



I received this from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review

If you are interested in meeting Deryn Collier - she will be at the Calgary Public Library on March 18th along with Andrew Pyper and Nick Cutter (craig davidson) For more info… (altro)