No Place For A Lady

It started so slowly I read four chapters and put it aside for months. I picked it back up two days ago starting chapter five. I got into the book and read it all in two days. Very good book. So don’t give up on it if it starts slow for you.

I've read several books by this author and always enjoyed them so decided to try some of the others. She usually sets her novels around major historical events and this is no exception with the Crimean war as a horrifying backdrop. I knew very little about this war so was hoping to learn something as well as being swept along with the drama.The story follows Lucy and Dorothea who are sisters living in London (at the start) with their widowed father. Lucy, the much younger sister, marries an army officer having known him for just a few weeks then goes with him to Crimea in support while he takes part in the campaign. We flip between Dorothea and Lucy, hoping that their disagreements will be resolved and, at the same time, expecting this conflict to be a huge part of the plot. There is a complex chronology as the narrative often stays with one sister for several months before flipping back to the other - this is quite interesting as it shows a metaphor to emphasise the amount of time that communication across continents took in these days.Parts of the plot are comfortably predictable but there is plenty of surprises which go against the social expectations of the time. Gill Paul gives plenty of details about battles and the suffering of those taking part. She has done her research and this book filled some gaps in my knowledge. As well as the war, GP isn't afraid to tackle a huge scope of other issues, including observes differences in class, religion, politics and many other areas. I wondered if she could have narrowed the broad coverage to focus more closely on some areas but that would make this a very different book and I enjoyed the light touch to serious issues that she employs effectively.Whilst there is a strong historical background there is also a great romance story running through the book. This softens the plot and makes it more of an easy read which is very accessible.This is a quick book to read and won't suit everyone. It deals with some tough topics but handles them very carefully. I enjoyed it very much and will recommend to female readers who will enjoy the emotion whilst picking up some historical knowledge along the way.I was very impressed with the ending - not the predictable "happy ever after" but with the characters all having clear resolutions and hope for the future. As often with this author, there is a very good historical note at the end which confirms all the factual information that was used along and shows the depth of research. I particularly liked the use of real people in the novel and the note makes is clear who they were. I find it fascinating that so many women in this conflict wrote memoirs so spreading the knowledge of their experiences - this might explain why the commanding men come out so badly and some of their decisions were derided. For the first time in history, women were at the battles who were educated enough to write down what they saw.

I didn't know much about this period of history. To me The Charge Of The Light Brigade was a poem. This book therefore was a history lesson for me. Along with mr Google, I verified the facts as I read. I find it amazing that the author uses, in some cases, the names of actual people who lived at the time. Regarding the book, I found three quarters of it very good. I didn't care for the last part and thought the ending disappointing. I didn't care for the character of Lucy. She was very naive in the beginning and a bit senseless towards the end. I preferrd Dorothea, her older sister. I didn't like Charlie. Having said all that, I love this authors books and am just starting another one of hers. I recommend this book even if some parts are gruesome and difficult to read. Keep in mind it is about war.

Really enjoy Gill Paul's novels. So very well researched, yet so engagingly written. Great understanding of the human condition, and the human heart.

If you like historical fiction then you will enjoy this book. I couldn't put it down!