Summer Reading 2022: The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan

 

If you're looking for gentle World War 2 fiction, Jennifer Ryan is your person. I've read two of her novels and enjoyed them both for the very fact that they are just good historical novels that give a flavor of the time from the women on the home  front. 

This novel takes place in 1942 in the small village of Aldhurst, outside of London. England is deep in World War 2, and rationing is in full force. Not only food, but clothing is in short supply. 

A group of women in the village gather each week to sew and repurpose (the "make do and mend" program) second hand clothing, along with knitting socks for the troops. Violet is the daughter of the manor, and niece to famous clothing designer Cressida Westcott. She's only interested in finding a titled man to marry. 

Cressida's home and shop are bombed in London, and the only place for her to go is her family home in Aldhurst. Reluctant to return to her childhood home, she doesn't have much choice and can't wait to return to London. 

Grace is the vicar's daughter, and engaged to be married to another vicar. It's not a love match, and it's pretty clear her fiancé is looking for a helpmate and not necessarily a wife. She's vaguely unhappy, but believes this is her calling and a way to have a family of her own. 

These three women are the main characters in the novel. There are other players, of course, and it's pretty interesting how much each of the women change over the course of the novel. Violet is petulant and a bit of a brat; she's been conscripted to join the women's war effort and believes her upper class standing will make it a smooth ride for herself. She is wrong. 

Grace runs into Hugh, the lord of the manor (and Violet's brother). Childhood friends who haven't seen each other in years, both are dismayed to find the other completely different from their carefree days as children and best friends. There's more here to unpack, for sure. 

Cressida meets up with Grace's father, Vicar Ben. Cressida's fiancé was killed in World War I and was Ben's best friend. Cressida left Aldhurst to begin her career as a designer and never fell in love again. Ben married, had Grace, and lost his wife. They strike up a friendship again; could it be more than that after all these years?

Besides all the stories going on with these three women, the sewing circle has begun something pretty fantastic and unique: helping women who are getting married have a white wedding dress. Since clothes rations leave little room (as in none!) for special clothing, women are getting married in their uniforms and every day dresses. What starts with Grace's wedding dress blooms into a movement to have wedding dresses available for any woman in the country who is getting married. It's an amazing part of the novel, and brings home the willingness to work together, to share, and give selflessly so others may have even a tiny bit of happiness. There was no "me", it was all "us". 

I liked all the characters and especially the growth of each woman as the six months of the novel go by. A lot of self discovery, confidence building, and understanding of love and the precious time we all have in which to be happy and lead fulfilling lives. 

Kate Quinn's World War 2 novels are a bit more intense than Jennifer Ryan's novels, even though both take place at a dark time for the world. I've read both, and would say Jennifer Ryan's novels are more wholesome and less anxiety inducing! 

Rating: 4/6 for an entirely likable cast of characters, a unique movement in British home front activity, and the message of uniting together and doing what's right for all instead of being selfish. Another theme is discovering the life you want to live and going for it, even if it means leaving the familiar to forge into the unknown. And finally, loving someone for who they are, not what they have. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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Summer Reading 2022: The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan

That Time I Finally Read Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Yes, I know this has been out for a few years.  I bought the hardcover as soon as it was released, and it sat on my bookcase.  I even picked it up at one point and read about 30 pages before putting it down.  Not because it's awful, not because the writing is bad or I couldn't connect to the characters.  I avoided it mostly because I adore Ruta Sepetys' novels, and they stomp on my heart every time.  I knew this would be the same. 

But, I finally sat down and read it this morning before work.  I've got a book club next week that is reading it, so I knew my time had come.  This is a young adult novel, but it packs a wallop.  Ruta's imagery, if written solely for an adult audience, could be taken up a notch in the graphic department, and cross over into just horrible scenes of death and destruction.  She writes for a young adult audience, and while for some the scenes of life being treated so cavalierly, so without worth or care, are disturbing, I find them even more so because of her spareness of words, and the matter of fact way she writes about them.  Growing up in a time of peace (Cold War as a child-yes, but nothing like a World War) in the United States, I simply cannot imagine how people not only survive(d) war, but how they cope with the after effects.  I just don't think I could bear it.  I don't imagine anyone thinks they can, but they do.  I marvel at that.  

This novel is told through four different people, all on the same mission.  It is early 1945; Russia is making huge inroads into German territory, and the end is near.  The Russian army is ruthless as they plunder, rob, murder, and rape across Poland, Lithuania, Prussia, and Germany.  It's a mad dash to the Baltic sea, where Germany is trying to conduct a massive evacuation of troops and German citizens before the Russians arrive.  In Salt to the Sea, we have Joana, a Lithuanian nursing student who is in German territory and trying to get to her family; Emilia, a Polish teenager hiding a terrible secret, who is rescued by Florian, a German young man who is also carrying a huge secret, and has been wounded by shrapnel. There is Alfred, who is a German solider with illusions of grandeur that become more and more outlandish. There's also Heinz, the shoe poet--an elderly shoemaker who has befriended a little boy (known as the wandering boy) on the road to safety.  There are a few other characters that round out this group of rag-tag refugees, starving, freezing, and trying to avoid both Russian and German troops, all while enduring bombing from Allied aircraft on a daily basis.  It's just simply intolerable, but tolerate it they do-the struggle to survive is fierce. Mistrust and  language barriers create a lot of tension between the characters, as they find themselves on the same journey to safety, but not knowing if it will be safety or death when they arrive.  I felt cold, tired, and worn out just reading about their journey.  

The novel takes places over, I'd say, a few weeks time.  Joana is so tough, so resourceful.  Emilia, bless her, just makes your heart ache.  Florian is torn between his duty--which is actually revenge--his growing feelings for Joana, and his reluctant concern for Emilia.  The shoe poet is a kind old man who sees all, and is the voice of wisdom through it all.  

All of this culminates in the short voyage and terrible tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German ship that was packed with 10,000 soldiers and refugees, and torpedoed by the Russians mere hours into their journey to safety.  Over 9,000 people died, in what is the worst maritime tragedy ever--outdoing the Titanic by thousands of lives lost.  Most people never stood a chance.  And guess where our characters have landed? On the Wilhelm Gustloff.  Who lives, and who dies?

Oh, this was such a good novel.  I unashamedly admit to crying at the end.  War is so damn ugly.  It destroys not only countries, but the best of humanity.  There is no bouncing back from experiencing war.  It stays with you forever.  I am so glad Ruta Sepetys finished this novel with closure that helped in the mourning process for me.  Yes, I actually had a bit of mourning for the characters.  I was very touched by this novel, and now I'm deeply interested in learning more about the Wilhelm Gustloff.  Unfortunately, there isn't much out there.  The Germans certainly didn't want anyone to know about such a blow to their empire, and the Russians could have cared less about the horrible death toll.  The Wilhelm Gustloff still lies at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, a massive grave to so many who were trapped as the ship went down within 10 minutes.  Thousands survived the initial sinking, only to die in the freezing waters.  Over 5,000 children perished.  Haunting.  

This is what I love about Ruta Septeys.  She writes history for young adults, but it's so very personal to her in her quest to understand her Eastern European roots.  It's some of the best historical fiction I've read. I am looking forward to her next novel, and have the patience to wait until she delivers it to the world.  

Rating:  5/6 for an amazing novel that culminates in the portrayal of the worst maritime disaster in history, where over 9,000 people perished the Wilhelm Gustloff sinking during World War 2.  She puts a face to the tragedy, the horror of war, and the decisions people make to survive and retain their humanity. You'll be turning towards history books and your computer to explore more after you've turned the last page.  

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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That Time I Finally Read Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys