Charlotte Bingham
Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 464 pages Rating: 3.66 | 256 Users | 26 Reviews
Particularize Regarding Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)
| Title | : | The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1) |
| Author | : | Charlotte Bingham |
| Book Format | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 464 pages |
| Published | : | April 22nd 2003 by Bantam (first published 2002) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. War. World War II. Romance |
Description Concering Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)
It is the summer of 1939, and like the rest of Europe, the residents of the little idyllic Sussex fishing port of Bexham are preparing for war. Beautiful but shy Judy Melton, daughter of a naval war hero, her determinedly feckless friend, the social butterfly Meggie Gore-Stewart, seemingly demure Mathilda Eastcott, and Corrie Hogarth, the tomboy daughter of the owner of the local boatyard, are all in their very individual ways determined to play an active part in the defence of their country. Knitting socks and bomb-dodging is not what they have in mind for themselves while their husbands and brothers, fathers and lovers are away fighting.But attitudes to women's roles in a warring world are difficult to change, and at first all four find it impossible to settle for the traditional kind of work that their families envisage. However, it is not just the young women of Bexham who are determined to find new roles for themselves - so are their mothers. In this manner the little Sussex village, facing as it does the coastline of Nazi-invaded France, finds its closely sewn social fabric gradually unstitch, inch by little inch.
Under the tree on the green the women of Bexham meet to look back on a landscape that has changed irrevocably, and which they have in their own ways helped to alter. None of them are the same, and yet, with the men returning from war, they are expected to slip back into their simple roles of mother, daughter, grandmother. This, more than anything perhaps, is their greatest sacrifice. Having been freed by war, they have now to relinquish that very independence that gave them the liberty for which they once fought.
Only the chestnut tree planted by Corrie at the edge of the village flourishes in the accepted manner, finally becoming the uniting symbol of all that has passed forever.
Define Books As The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)
| Original Title: | The Chestnut Tree |
| ISBN: | 0553812777 (ISBN13: 9780553812770) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | The Bexham Trilogy #1 |
Rating Regarding Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)
Ratings: 3.66 From 256 Users | 26 ReviewsCriticism Regarding Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4...Charlotte Bingham is a very prolific writer of both novels and television dramas. I first read one of her books ten years ago and this is only the fifth title of hers since then. I do not think therefore that I would consider her one of my favourite authors, though I have always found they provide readable enjoyable escapism. The Chestnut Tree follows the lives of the residents of Bexham, a Sussex fishing port during World War II. The main protagonists areEnjoyed this book, loved the characters and the subject of war and how each character had the cards dealt to them, enjoyable
An enjoyable read - first book Ive read by this author.
The book was somewhat entertaining, but the use of cliches bothered me. The object/topic of the book is the role of women during WWII, and aims to position them as strong, and valuable as more than housewives. That's why it was annoying that throughout the book, a bottle of cliches was opened. Women are described in terms of their looks/beauty, and e.g. the first spoken sentence is from a woman about her underwear. It almost made me put the book away. The narrative was entertaining at times, but
The women in England wanted to help with the War effort. They did more than knit socks, they sewed netting for the soldiers protection. Some worked in France for the war.As a result of the war, women changed. They married before their men were sent away. Some had babies when their men came home. Men felt the sacrifice they made for their country.
This book takes place in Bexham, England, and focuses on four women whose lives change dramatically because of the war. Rusty, a seaman's daughter, stows away on a boat which rescues soldiers from the beaches of France during a failed invasion. The consequences of this rescue haunts her for many years. Judy falls in love with Walter, and he goes off to war, soon to be missing in action. Mattie becomes a driver for the war effort; as a result she meets and falls in love with an American general.
I vowed after reading Charlotte Binghams " Summertime" that I would never read another of her books it was that awful. But I picked this one up by mistake and actually enjoyed it. It's still not fantastic but the writing flowed nicely and it was easy to read. The Chestnut tree itself could have held more significance particularly as the story starts with it's introduction. I found there were too many characters with no specific main person, and the story only skims on their personalities and
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