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A review by thevalkyriereader
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4 Stars!
I received this book in a giveaway, and I was so excited I did! Kate Quinn never disappoints in a historical book. I thoroughly enjoyed her WWII books, and this was no different.
It was a steady pace that built up to a twisting end. Told in sections through the POV of each of the women boarders of Briarward House, we see their lives unfold in four years leading up to the fateful Thanksgiving of 1954. While each boarder lives their lives (Grace, Nora, Arlene, Bea, Claire) the events of the Korean War and the McCarthy era unfold around them and every way they look, suspicion is hiding in the shadows, scared they might be deemed a sympathizer or Communist. It is a wonderfully interwoven tapestry of a group of women during challenging times trying to carve out in an existence, all the while leading up to the gruesome events of Thanksgiving 1954.
I took off a star because I became so invested in the POV’s, only to have the next section change to another tenant. I was especially interested in Nora’s POV. She was a woman working for the National Archives, trying desperately to get away from her corrupt family, all the while falling in love with a man who, unbeknownst to her, was part of the largest crime family in the area. Did she leave him in the end? Did she follow her heart? Did she continue to work at the National Archives?
Overall, it was one of her bests!
I received this book in a giveaway, and I was so excited I did! Kate Quinn never disappoints in a historical book. I thoroughly enjoyed her WWII books, and this was no different.
It was a steady pace that built up to a twisting end. Told in sections through the POV of each of the women boarders of Briarward House, we see their lives unfold in four years leading up to the fateful Thanksgiving of 1954. While each boarder lives their lives (Grace, Nora, Arlene, Bea, Claire) the events of the Korean War and the McCarthy era unfold around them and every way they look, suspicion is hiding in the shadows, scared they might be deemed a sympathizer or Communist. It is a wonderfully interwoven tapestry of a group of women during challenging times trying to carve out in an existence, all the while leading up to the gruesome events of Thanksgiving 1954.
I took off a star because I became so invested in the POV’s, only to have the next section change to another tenant. I was especially interested in Nora’s POV. She was a woman working for the National Archives, trying desperately to get away from her corrupt family, all the while falling in love with a man who, unbeknownst to her, was part of the largest crime family in the area. Did she leave him in the end? Did she follow her heart? Did she continue to work at the National Archives?
Overall, it was one of her bests!