Set between the two great wars in the 1920s this novel follows four women as they attend their first year at Oxford University. All have their own powerful reasons for competing in what has been previously a male dominated world and I cheered for their strength and tenacity to overcome the prejudices that they met. A real page turner which kept me reading until late at night and I shall miss the characters and their stories. A real triumph and I look forward to the author’s next book.

It's Autumn 1920 in Oxford and 4 women are amongst those admitted as female students for the first time in Oxford University's history. This is an engaging story. The characters are well fleshed out and act consistently throughout the novel. Whilst they don't come from the full strata of society they represent the sort of young women who could have attended Oxford at that time. None of them are perfect and they each have actions or other characters who have affected who they are. Those stories are told within the overall story arc. Oxford University, for a woman in 1920/21, is clearly described and it is shocking that the rules applied only 100 years ago. The impact of World War I on all of the characters is sensitively, if a little lightly, described. The university and Oxford itself are definitely characters within the story. Recommended for anyone interested in being a woman student at Oxford in the 1920s, anyone interested in stories of friendship between women and for those who enjoy historical novels. I didn't give five stars as I felt things seemed to work out too easily for the characters. There could have been more depth in some areas.

The Eights is a novel full of warmth and humour, with strong female friendship. Immersive historical facts are mixed with fiction in a 1920s Oxford setting. At a pivotal point in the rights of women, we meet Otto, Dora, Beatrice and Marianne, all determined, for their own reasons, to be the first women to gain a degree from Oxford. Facing strict rules of conduct, which Otto is brilliant at bending; hostility from men and navigating a postwar, depleted England, we watch each woman blossom as they find strength and a sense of belonging and validation from their new friendships. I was eager to follow the unfolding lives of each woman, wanting to get to know each better, and author Joanna Miller kept me reading late into the night as I bonded with these thoughtful, funny, strong, intelligent 'Eights'.

A brilliantly written novel set during a pivotal period of history, in a fascinating location, and centred around an extraordinary group of young women. The characterisation is excellent, with each woman's backstory gradually unfolding to bring them vividly to life and create a genuine emotional connection with the reader. Joanna Miller beautifully blends historical fact with elegantly woven fiction, exploring the impact of war on both men and women with sensitivity and insight. A truly impressive debut novel that I can easily see myself returning to in the future.

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but the description and quotes I saw for this novel piqued my interest. I'm pleased to say, I really enjoyed it, and found it very entertaining reading about Otto, Dora, Beatrice and Marianne, four women- strangers at first- living on corridor eight (The Eights) at Oxford University in 1920, the first year women were allowed to matriculate from the university. I found it really similar in tone to In Memorium, and since the First World War has only just finished at the start of the novel, it almost felt like a continuation of the same world to me. The lens has just shifted from the boys of In Memorium, to the young women of The Eights and I think if you like one, then you'd like the other. It's a great story of female friendship, and of four women of different backgrounds finding each other, each with their own secrets and backstories and would definitely appeal to readers who love to read those books, contemporary or historical. However my favourite thing about the novel is the world in which it's set- Oxford in 1920, where the wounds of WWI run deep, both physically and socially, and things are changing. The author weaves key historical themes and events through the story with a very light touch, and while I didn't feel hugely emotionally involved- the stakes weren't quite high enough for me- it did immerse me in the world of the book and give me a real sense of what life might have been like for these women. Overall, this was a very interesting and entertaining read which would be a good one for holiday reading!