Wednesday 14 March 2018

Renny de Groot reviews Alien Corn



 Today Renny de Groot reviews Alien Corn by Clare Flynn. The author has kindly offered a paperback copy of the book as a giveaway. To be in with the chance of winning a copy of this wonderful novel, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page. 
The winner will be drawn on 11th April 2018.
Good luck!




They faced up to the challenges of war – but can they deal with the troubles of peace? Canadian, Jim Armstrong, married in haste during the second world war, after a one-night stand. When his wife and their small son join him in Canada it’s four years since they’ve seen each other. War bride, Joan discovers Jim has no intention of the family returning to England. She struggles to adapt to life on a remote farm in Ontario, far from her family and cold-shouldered by Jim’s mother. Jim, haunted by his wartime experiences in Italy, Iingering feelings for a former lover, and the demands of the farm, begins to doubt his love for Joan. From the rolling farmland of Ontario to the ravaged landscapes of war-torn Italy, this sweeping love story is the sequel to The Chalky Sea.


Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of her book.

I didn’t read the first book in this series, but as it happens, it wasn’t necessary. The back-story has been skillfully woven in to allow it to stand on its own merit, although I probably will go back now to read it, as I very much enjoyed this book. 

I love most Historical Fiction, but there is something especially appealing to me about the times before WWI running through to post WWII. There is a certain coming-of-age for the entire world that continues to resonate, no matter how many stories I read from this period. The key with this book, as with any that really works, are the characters. In Jim and Joan, and indeed, the extended family, Flynn has captured the raw emotions that make them authentic and believable.

Jim’s enduring war trauma influences every aspect of his life. His relationship with his parents and sister-in-law, his expectations and dreams for his new wife and son, and his residual feelings for an old lover, are all tainted and affected by the horrors he has experienced. Flynn captures the memories and experiences in a believable manner, reminding us again of what the returning soldier had to endure.
In Joan, Flynn has drawn a realistic character who struggles to acclimatize to an entirely different life from that which she has come to expect. Fitting in with a husband she never actually knew, along with his family and country would be difficult enough, but when confronted with doubt about how her husband feels and a mother-in-law who clearly doesn’t want her, the burden is almost more than she can bear. 

I was especially drawn to Don Armstrong, Jim’s father. In a seemingly alien world, he tries to welcome Joan. In this passage, when Joan is feeling especially demoralized, he makes her feel that she has a friend in him.
The man nodded, then said. ‘Pay no attention to Helga. She’ll get used to you. The important thing is that Jim loves you. That’s all that matters.’
Joan felt her lip trembling again and turned her head away. Her voice brittle, she said, ‘I’ve never been on a farm before. It’ll take a bit of getting used to. I lived in a town.’
‘Thank you.’
She looked back, frowning in puzzlement.
‘For agreeing to come here. Must have been hard for you.’

There is an artistry to both the cover and the writing that made this book a pleasure from start to finish. In reading it, I was continually reminded of a friend, whose mother was an English war-bride. She too, came armed with false impressions of what life would be like; unprepared for the small clap-board house with no inside plumbing, in rural Nova Scotia. From the stories I heard, she never overcame her disappointment and endured, rather than lived her life. This book captures those same struggles in an extremely authentic manner.
The settings in the book were well managed. I live in Ontario, Canada and felt that the author had done her homework in order to create a believable location for the story.
In summary, this character-driven story is well structured and told. I enjoyed it and recommend it.


Author Bio:

 

Historical novelist Clare Flynn is a former global marketing director and business owner. She now lives in Eastbourne on the south coast of England and most of her time these days is spent writing her novels – when she's not gazing out of her windows at the sea.

Clare is the author of six novels and a short story collection. Her books deal with displacement –her characters are wrenched away from their comfortable existences and forced to face new challenges – often in outposts of an empire which largely disappeared after WW2.

Her next novel, The Gamekeeper's Wife, will be published in spring 2018. It is set in 1919/20 and deals with the lasting effects of war on those who fought, and their families.

All Clare's novels feature places she knows well and she does extensive research to build the period and geographic flavour of her books. A Greater World - 1920s Australia; Kurinji Flowers – pre-Independence India; Letters from a Patchwork Quilt – nineteenth century industrial England and the USA; The Green Ribbons – the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century in rural England, The Chalky Sea - World War II England (and Canada) and its sequel The Alien Corn - post WW2 Canada. She has also published a collection of short stories - both historical and contemporary, A Fine Pair of Shoes and Other Stories.

Clare is fluent in Italian and loves spending time in Italy. In her spare time she likes to quilt, paint and travel as often and as widely as possible. She is an active member of the Historical Novel Society, the Romantic Novelists Association, The Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.



About the reviewer:
Renny deGroot is a first generation Canadian of Dutch parents. Her debut novel, Family Business, was shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, 2015.  Her second novel, After Paris, has also been well received, with the current interest in all things WW1.  Renny has a BA in English Literature from Trent University.
Renny lives in rural Ontario with her elderly Chocolate lab, Great Pyrenees and young Golden Retriever.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds interesting. What a challenge for a young English woman to travel and live in rural Canada

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