Kerri Turner

The Daughter of Victory Lights is a novel that takes the reader on a journey through less well-known parts of history, tied up in a story of love, loss, restriction and ultimately, freedom. It shines a light on the roles of women during World War II and the aftermath felt by those who returned, restless for a life that served purpose but continued to haunt them.

Evelyn Bell is one of those characters. Determined to do her bit during World War II, she becomes part of a searchlight team made up exclusively of women who try and prevent the enemy from bombing the people of England. It’s a job that is both important and devastating – shining a light on the enemy so the individuals in those aeroplanes can be killed – but gives Evelyn a sense of importance and freedom. After using her skills to find survivors during air raid bombings, returning home to be the dutiful sister lacks spark and Evelyn dreams of lights and their power A meeting with a fire eating performer finds her watching a show set on a ship in a rowboat which ultimately has her joining the cast of the Victory. A floating entertainment show of magic, dance, acrobatics and burlesque gives Evie a sense of purpose as she works to light up the performers in the most appropriate way. She also finds camaraderie with the cast, all a type of outcast from a ‘normal’ life. It’s freedom, but it has its own costs that end up in tragedy. That’s where the story jumps ahead a decade to find Lucy, a lonely little girl who is rescued from her mean aunt to live on an island with some strange characters. All she wants is to meet her father and form enough of a relationship with him so that she won’t be sent back to London. But what of her mother?

I really enjoyed Evie’s story because of the strength of her character and the interesting aspects of her history. Women running searchlight teams hasn’t really been well explored in fiction (or at least the books I’ve come across) but it was fascinating, particularly because of the human cost that Evelyn ruminates on. The sense of restlessness that she and other members of the Victory are left with after the war is completely understandable. The PTSD experienced by ex-army men Flynn and Alvin is dealt with sensitively, but doesn’t shy away from the lasting issues it leaves the men with. Flynn is too scared to get close to anyone and neither of them sleep well. The Victory acts as a refuge for all of them with others who understand, but don’t judge. The ship is a symbol of the sense of freedom and the breaking of taboos that was only temporary during the war. The content of the shows is outside the censorship laws with content that gets the audience into the water by any means possible. (However, the business plan of ‘pay what you think it’s worth’ isn’t really economically sound, as the characters later find out).

Lucy’s story took me longer to get used to, mainly because I was rather attached to Evie. The jump from an adult as the main character to a child was a brave one, and it ultimately pays off as the gap between Evie and Lucy is gradually shaded in. Lucy’s story also allows for more page time to be given to supporting characters Humphrey, ringleader and magician of the Victory and Bee, singer and star attraction. Seeing them through Lucy’s eyes adds a new perspective and adds detail to their own stories. (I think Bee deserves her own book though, as she’s had a fascinating life that has given back to so many others).

Overall, The Daughter of Victory Lights is an entertaining read, covering extreme happiness and sadness as it follows characters who simply cannot go back to their normal pre-war lives.

Thank you to Harlequin for the ARC. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com… (más)

The Daughter of Victory Lights is a captivating historical fiction novel from Kerri Turner.

When World War II ends, Evelyn Bell is reluctant to return to civilian life having served in the country’s only all- female searchlight regiment protecting London from German bombers. A chance encounter at a fair introduces her to Victory, a unique floating cabaret show, and she accepts the owner’s invitation to join them to work with the performance lights, despite the vehement protests of her family.
Evie delights in her new role, and the friendships she forms, but working and living in such close quarters leads to unexpected complications, and devastating consequences.

Evelyn proved to be an appealing protagonist, I’d not heard of the all-female searchlight regiment before, and was intrigued by the part she and the other women played in the war effort. Evie’s disappointment in losing her autonomy and returning to live under her sister’s repressive roof was understandable, as was her yearning to put what she had learnt to use.

I was completely charmed by the author’s vivid depiction of the Victory and their risqué performances. I thought it was particularly impressive of the author to create Victory based on an imaginative amalgamation of burlesque shows, tramp steamers, and floating theatres. It seemed entirely plausible to me that such a ship would exist post war.

Turner keeps the focus on four main characters that come to mean the most to Evie aboard the boat, Victory’s owner, Humphrey Walsh, his lead performer, Bee, Alvin, who performs as a fire breather, and his best friend and fellow vet, Flynn. Evie surprises herself by falling in love with Flynn, but tormented by his experience of war as a Graves Registration officer, their relationship is a tempestuous affair.

When the narrative leaps ahead ten years, Turner introduces a young girl named Lucy who is living with her aunt. The subject of scorn and ridicule from both her family and her peers, Lucy isn’t happy, but when an unfamiliar man appears and whisks Lucy away to the Isle of Wight claiming he is taking her to live with her father she is, and remains, apprehensive about this new life. This poignant half of the novel reveals the fate of the Victory, and young Lucy’s struggle to understand the parents she never knew.

Beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions, engaging characterisation, and attention to historical detail, The Daughter of Victory Lights is a delight.… (más)