Set towards the end of the Second World War , the story seamlessly alternates between two women each called Violet. Violet married suffers a miscarriage and ends her hopes of having a child. She has to bear her grief and immense longing for a child alone because her husband is away in the army. The other Violet is unmarried and pregnant, signs up for the army. On the voyage to her post at Naples she meets the beautiful and charismatic Maggie. This event slowly changes her life. At its heart the book depicts each woman’s idea of otherhood. I really thought the long poem dedicated to the child lost and child being carried, titled Pram Boy, shows the writer’s superb skill and ability to switch effortlessly between poetry and prose in telling the story. I also loved the way the two Violets’ lives are interwoven leaving the reader joyous, heartbroken and hopeful all at the same time. I absolutely loved this historical novel – its one of those books that stays with you long after you finish reading it.

Lilting, lyrical and poetic, ‘Violets’ is a beautiful exploration of motherhood, love, and loss, set against the backdrop of the denouement of the Second World War. ‘Violets’ follows two different titular characters: one Violet has miscarried twins at the start of the book, and the other is an unmarried mother who is just coming to turns with her own pregnancy. I felt like ‘Violets’ had some exceptionally strong writing, but the more interesting sections were with the second Violet, who hides her pregnancy and travels to Italy. In comparison, the development of the other Violet felt quite flat, which was a shame. The highlight of the novel was the poem that weaves throughout the narrative, entitled ‘pram boy’. Towards the beginning it was a little disconcerting, but as the story continued it really began to flourish and vividly depicted the relationship between mother and son in flowing and melodic prose. The ending was absolutely beautiful and made me shed a tear; was also incredibly interesting to discover the events of the story are inspired by the real life of the author’s father, made me appreciate the actions of the Violets even more. Would recommend.