Liz Trenow’s family have been silk weavers for nearly three hundred years, and she grew up in the house next to the silk mill which provided the inspiration for The Last Telegram, and which still operates today. Instead of becoming a weaver, Liz worked for many years as a journalist for national and regional newspapers, and for BBC radio and television news, and is now a full time writer.
‘A novel about the human spirit – Liz Trenow paints with able prose a picture of the prejudices that bind us and the love that sets us free … Splendid.’ Pam Jenoff, author of The Kommandant’s Girl ‘This absorbing novel delves into the secrets of wartime silk production and makes them totally fascinating … Tremendously atmospheric and convincing in its details, with characters that touch the heart. A book to savour.’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Russian Concubine ‘An assured debut with a page-turning conclusion.’ Daily Express
As World War II looms over Britain, Lily Verner forgoes a continental education, instead apprenticing in her family's silk-making business. Instead of wedding gowns and regimental ties, Verner & Sons is making parachutes for the RAF. Labor is scarce and the plant has taken on a few German Jewish refugees. Lily falls in love with Stefan, one of the refugees, and is crushed when he is rounded up in a group of enemy aliens and sent to Australia. When Lily's father dies in a bomb raid, she assumes charge of the mill. There is little time for romance amid the demands of the war effort, but Lily never loses hope of seeing Stefan again. When he does return, her love for him requires life-altering decisions that leave her with heartbreaking guilt. In a narrative told in flashbacks, Lily reflects on a time of relentless pressure, heart-stopping loss, and love that endures despite the horrors of war. VERDICT This stunning debut glows with the fervor and intensity of what life must have been like for civilians in World War II England. Trenow's firsthand knowledge of the generations-old silk-weaving business provides an enlightening backdrop. The novel is worthy of comparison to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; readers will love it.-Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
