A gentle atmospheric story set in Winchester with the cathedral being the centre piece. Stays with you quite a while. Chevalier never fails to impress.

Violet Speedwell is a middle-aged woman who finally leaves her family home to work a few miles away in Winchester. She moves to get away from her overbearing mother and to try to be more independent: working as a secretary and living in a boarding house with other single women. Despite her spinsterhood, her drab clothing and her lack of money Violet is a rather modern woman - she mourns her brother and fiancé, both killed in the Great War but has been known to meet strange men, who she refers to as 'sherry men', in hotel bars for brief liaisons and she successfully negotiates for better pay and conditions for herself and a colleague. Although initially surprised by a new friend's romantic involvement with another woman she is accepting of their choices and helps them in their time of need. Her own yearning for love leads to a very difficult decision and yet another rather modern choice. Violet's growing involvement with a group who are creating needlepoint kneelers and cushions for the Cathedral in Winchester is a theme throughout the whole book and it echoes the way that all the lives we see are part of a whole community, that each individual thread is entwined in a larger picture. This is a lovely book which explores big themes of war, loss and the lives of women in a measured yet determined way. There are big changes in a society which has been torn apart by war, and then the Spanish flu, and is now trying to rebuild itself: a process Chevalier describes as a country 'put back together like the Great West Window - defiant and superficially repaired' but still, essentially damaged. Women, in particular, need to find a new place as the millions of missing mean leave more single women with the choice of working in those jobs available to them, marrying the men who remain (often either much older, much younger or, somehow, damaged by the war) or caring for their aging, and often grieving, parents. And, like so many good pieces of historical fiction, it shines light on how we deal with similar issues today.

Violet is what people call a ‘Surplus girl’ due to her being 38, unmarried and childless. She takes it upon herself to do more with her life than be shielded at home while looking after her mother who does nothing but put her down and disagree with everything that is said, mostly in part due to losing Violets Brother in the war. This book is very much a tale about being who you want to be and making the life changing decisions you need to make to be happy in your life. Set to the backdrop of 1932 Winchester, this beautiful story does really take you back to those times with gorgeous descriptions and characters you want to invest your time in. I loved how the flow of the story is told and the fact that I see some of myself in Violet when she reaches times in her life where she has to make decisions to make herself happy. Along with the inclusion of Violet becoming a member of the broderers for the local church and taking a one woman walking holiday down to the Isle of Wight! Tracy Chevalier has done a great job of creating a story which will stand the test of time with some real life lessons for anyone to learn from. Just how much can you change but still be true to yourself?

Thoroughly enjoyed this book as I do all her books. They all are so well researched.

This book feels as if the Girl with a Pearl Earring has been transported to 20th century England and has grown up even more. The narrative of this book flows incredibly smooth and with immense ease. You feel as if you are a true witness to the characters' lives and it is a very enjoyable activity. Time passes, pages flow and in an instant, the story is finished leaving you wanting to hear more...The author chooses to reveal truths and events in a delicate, yet trustworthy manner, allowing the reader to adjust perfectly to the world she paints with such vivid colours. Beyond the historical accuracy, there is a layer of emotional material, one that touches every reader and makes you fall in love with this literary masterpiece. It is a book that emphasises Tracy Chevalier's enormous talent. Best reading of the year!