Basically a historical romance, this book moves from VE day (1945), to Newfoundland 2001 (September 11). The story follows Ellie, a young woman in 1945, to Newfoundland in the aftermath of the Twin Tower bombing in New York. Interesting juxtaposition and alternate timelines, including well fleshed characters and intriguing plot.

Ellie is swept off her feet by Thomas, a soldier from the Newfoundland regiment, during World War II in Norwich, England.  Thomas turns Ellie's life upside down with a whirlwind romance and quick elopement before he is sent off to war.  Ellie doesn't receive another letter from Thomas until she learns that he has been injured and is now back home in Newfoundland recovering.  Ellie packs up to leave the only home she has ever known with her newborn son, Emmett to forge a life in a new land with a man she barely knows. 

September 11, 2001- Sophie Parry leaves London for New York.  She is interviewing for her big break at an architecture firm.  Unexpectedly, her plane is routed to the nearest airport in Newfoundland.  Stuck in a small town and unable to reach her interview.  Sophie seeks out her mother's sister that her family has long been estranged from.  Sophie's Aunt Ellie welcomes her with open arms and introduces her to a family she never knew.

The English Wife is a multi-faceted historical fiction drama with dual timelines, intrigue, secrets and lies.  I love a good dual-timeline and this one delivered.  I loved that both Ellie and Sophie were tough, determined and willing to go against the grain.   The writing was able to weave together Ellie's story in the 1940's along with her sister Dottie, her former fiance George and Thomas along with Ellie and Sophie in 2001 and 2011 in a way that I could easily follow.  It was very interesting to see Ellie in the light of the 1940's and the 2000's; she was still very much herself, but different in many ways.  Sophie was a surprising character, from the very beginning I knew that she had a difficult decision to make between sealing her career and destroying the family and town that she has just found.  This created tension right from the beginning that carried throughout the story.  As things progressed, secrets came out that changed my perspective as well as the characters.  I really wish people would have stopped messing with Ellie's life; however, she seemed to come out ok in the end.  In addition, I enjoyed Sam and Becca's characters as well as the town of Tippy's Tickle.  I could imagine the houses, the seascapes and the songs of the whales singing.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

What does it mean when a reader encounters two continents several timelines and many narrators? It means you are in for a fresh and exciting Historical Fiction story.

This is a family story rife with secrets, lies and dysfunction. Two sisters that made promises they couldn't keep...and the resulting feud that lasted over 50 years.

From England during WWII to Newfoundland just after the war, we meet the sisters Dottie and Ellie. The story jumps ahead to 2001, where we meet Dottie's daughter "Sophie", who is rerouted to landing in Gander Newfoundland September 11th 2001, where she meets her estranged Aunt Ellie for the first time.

Jumping from England to Newfoundland and back, with revealing snippets from the sisters lives to their children lives, we slowly come to piece together the lies that caused the family to sever.
Its not about clues, it's about truths never revealed and lies lived as truths...
4⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers at Harper Collins UK~One More Chapter, and the author Ms. Adrienne Chinn for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "The English Wife". The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins; One More Chapter and Adrienne Chinn for this ARC in return for my honest review. I love historical fiction and I'm an absolute sucker for a dual timeline, so I adored this book. I love a story told by different characters as it's interesting to get multiple perspectives rather than one, sometimes unreliable narrative. If you like historical fiction, drama and family secrets spanning generations, then this one is definitely for you. The characters are well written and engaging. It held my full attention throughout.

I enjoyed the WWII portions of this book but was less fond of the current day storyline.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoy historical fiction and WWII time Perry's my favorite. A great overall read. Some parts were a little slower than others but enjoyable nonetheless.

This story is told in several parts, with different perspectives: all which build on one another to present a story that leaves readers with a solid sense of a circle coming to completion. Sophie is an architect, heading to New York on September 11th when her plane is re-routed to Gander, Newfoundland. Never actually “ hearing the story of her aunt, living in Newfoundland since the war, Sophie decides to ask the locals about her – and soon finds herself immersed in family she’s never met, in a place that is utterly foreign to her.

Sophie’s aunt Ellie married a Canadian serviceman during World War II, in effect fracturing her relationship with her sister Dottie, and moving to Newfoundland as soon as possible. A big change for the girl from England, with a now disabled husband who was prone to drink, a mother-in-law who didn’t accept those from “away” and the beautiful but often stark landscape and life on “The Rock”. While Ellie was struggling with adjusting to being far away from family and all she knew, Dottie was nurturing her grudge, trying to ‘make it big’ and always keeping tabs on Ellie’s former boyfriend, the man she’d had a crush on for forever.

Add in the widower of Ellie’s daughter, his hearing-impaired daughter, the story of how Ellie came to Newfoundland and Dottie came to marry her former boyfriend, and answers to Sophie’s questions all start to be answered. Until the planes are again functioning and she leaves to pursue her own life – not to return for years. With solid history and background, easily accessible emotions and struggles and the unique flavor and approach to life that is found in Newfoundland, Chinn has created an engaging story that blends beauty and struggle and comes up with an opportunity for a second chance at life and happiness for Sophie.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

A bit confusing multi layered story with more than 2 timelines. Aunt Ellie and her war time story from 1915 and Sophie from 2001 are the main characters. Location is Newfoundland, Canada, which I found to be one of the most interesting parts of this story. A story based upon a generation of misunderstand and family rift. Thanks for Net Galley for the opportunity.

Not exactly sure how I felt about this book...overall, I didn’t dislike it. I just had a hard time getting through the story without being confused. Certainly there are lots of secrets going on within the story. And, the story did grab my attention...most of the time. The duel timeline just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and give my honest review about this book.

What do I think of the Ebook?

It took me a few pages to get in to flow with this book, I actually went back and read the first chapter again as I was a little lost with it moving from the 1940s to,2000’s and 2010’s. But once I got my head around it, I really gained momentum, and couldn’t wait until I could sit down again to read more about this unravelling tale.

If you enjoy a good combination of mystery, romance and historical references, this is the book for you. I want to review this as though I am describing it to my mother-in-law, who I know would absolutely love this book.

Through the eyes a young Ellie, you travel through war torn Britain and learn of some of the difficulties you might not have been aware of had you not lived through that time. I know I hadn’t realised it, and the learning of these hard moments drew me so much closer to Ellie and the other characters in her part of the story.

Moving on you are then shown the way through the eyes of Sophie and here begins the reference to 9/11. We all are very much aware of its devastation in New York and of the people who were present, however, we forget about all the people that were travelling there, and got caught up in the butterfly effect of havoc. We learn through the book, how people were deposited in towns a cities far and wide for days until some of the chaos subsided.

This is where our two characters join together, and here we see through the eyes of an elderly Ellie and her workaholic Niece Sophie. The characters are different yet you being to unfold their similarities as the story progresses. You see how the characters and their emotions evolve. How Sophie’s experience through the book changes her and also how she changes the people that she meets along the way too.

I really enjoyed how you travelled through each aspect of the story, flitting from the past to the present and back again. Once you are finally back in the present of the story which is set in 2011 all becomes clear and you really begin to understand how these two women can never really not be a part of each others lives forever.

Although I took a while to get into this book, by the end I was spending my time in between reading, thinking about the characters and how their lives would progress.This for me is always an indication of a good book, when you can’t help but reassess the story even once you’ve finished reading it. Its a well written book and really enjoyable, and I looking forward to checking out some more of Adrienne Chinn’s novels in the very near future.

Link to the review online - https://www.yeahlifestyle.com/ebook-review-the-english-wife-by-adrienne-chinn/

This book is of the historical fiction genre (written by a new author for me) and it deals with the stories of two women, one in 1940 and the other after 9/11.
This is a story that mainly revolves around families. About their struggles, their secrets and the disappointments that come along the way and are part of a the bigger puzzle of life.
Although I enjoyed reading the book, I often found the alternating time frames confusing and the story as a whole felt like it lacked continuity. Sometimes I has to read back a couple of pages to understand where I was and at what point of the story I was at. Great writing regarding the characters though which is what I look for in a book.

This story was a family saga that stretched from England in 1941, then to Newfoundland in 1945 to 1965. Fast forward to 2001, when planes are diverted to Newfoundland when the twin towers came down and then again in 2011. Four generations, accidents, decisions, fate, war, and life all play a part in the direction the family takes.

When Ellie is 11 and Dottie is 4, their mother is hit by a car and killed. This changes their lives forever. Ellie becomes like a mother to her sister, but Dottie develops an unhealthy obsession with her. Ellie falls in love with a soldier from Tippy's Tickle, Newfoundland and they eventually get married, but not without a lot of hurdles from the war. When the war ends, Ellie heads off to Newfoundland with her young son, Emmett to begin her new life. Sophie has the address of her Aunt Ellie who lives in Newfoundland in her address book. They have never met or even spoken, but when she is grounded in Gander, she does not want to stay in a highschool gymnasium with hundreds of other people. She gets a ride on the back of a motorcycle to her aunt's home. What evolves from this chance encounter, changes not only Sophie's and Ellie's lives, but others in the community.

I enjoyed meeting the characters and watching them change. The community of Tippy's Tickle was a delight. The residents were quirky, but very happy and content with their lives. Being Canadian, I enjoyed reading about this area and learning more about the one province I have not yet been to. The story was slow moving at times, but was well-written and plotted. I knew there had to be some secrets that would affect the story and the lives of Sophie, Emmett, Sam and Becca, but I was not sure what they could be. The section about the beached whales was disconcerting to me, although I know these things happen. It was not until later in the book that the importance of that event was revealed. Adrienne is a new author to me and I enjoyed her story enough that I will watch for more from her. If you enjoy a story with dual timelines, family secrets, some historical fiction and beautiful descriptions of a place you have not visited, then this story would be for you.

Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
In this novel we follow simultaneously the stories of Ellie and her niece Sophie. Ellie’s story begins in 1946, comes back to 1940 then evolves to 1967 in a quite linear way (even if there are time jumps). Sophie’s story begins in 2011, comes back to 2001 then once again in 2011. The author chose to alternate chapters between both stories, and I must say that even if the period is clearly written at the beginning of each chapter, I think the constant time jumps don’t allow the reader to get involved in the stories and grow attached to the characters as much as a linear story.
I didn’t like the fact the book is written at present tense either, but let’s say it could have been worse and be written in the first person point of view on top of that so I won’t complain more about the style lol.
And what’s more in each period the chapters are told either from the heroines’ points of view, from their lovers’, or from another secondary character’s point of view, which can be disturbing for readers used to more evenness. (Yes, for me here the male lovers aren’t main characters as everything is really centered on the heroines like a kind of familial saga).

I thought the beginning was slow in both stories, and in spite of that at times Elli’s story is too fast: for example we have the first kiss then directly the proposal three months later, and with the separations due to the war the evolution of their relationship and their feelings isn’t really shown. However I grew attached to this heroine and I liked following her life, from her childhood love for George to her more grownup love for Thomas, until the day she sees again this lover who’d been missing in action (this reunion travel in 1946 is told in the first chapters, so no spoiler here and no suspense in the novel). We see her evolve during long years while she adapts to the harsh life in Newfoundland, between a husband affected by the war and a smother-in-law who hates her. What’s more we see an old Ellie in the chapters concerning her niece.

I didn’t like Sophie’s story and her love for Sam, Ellie’s son-in-law, as much. We already know through the first chapters that there’s a ten years separation, so I had trouble being interested, especially as the part in 2001 takes place in just a few days, so their “love” is only an attraction – no love at first sight for them. And when she comes back ten years later the guy is angry with her because she didn’t try to contact him, when in fact he had told her anything between them would be impossible when he’d dropped her at the airport and left without a backward glance (for real, he jumps back on his bike and hit the road while she watches him go from the pavement outside the terminal). So he’s in a huff, his daughter too but because Sophie’s come back, the aunt’s mate too because she didn’t give news often, in brief the reception is all but welcoming. I didn’t see the evolution of the couple’s feelings as we don’t really know what’s in Sam’s head and Sophie doesn’t want to get involve with him almost until the end.

As for the secondary characters, the one having the most important role is Ellie’s sister and Sophie’s mother, Dottie. She’s presented as a selfish teenager who doesn’t hesitate to hide the telegram send to her sister by her fiancé asking her to join him in London, to steal her engagement ring, and to conceal a phone call from said fiancé. Their mother died when she was 4yo and she feels responsible, and ever since she refuses the idea people around her could change or leave. She even says to Ellie “I’d never forgive you if you went, Ellie.” when the later finds the telegram with her stolen ring. The least we can say is that she’s going to keep this promise till the end, clinging to her rancor to the point of definitively cutting all ties with her sister. What we know of her life through Sophie’s memories shows she didn’t have a happy life, manipulating people around her without finding any satisfaction.

I liked that the secrets I guessed as the stories go by are revealed in the end, and that they are more important than what I thought. I liked the accents in writing less, even if they are not really important and didn’t ask too much understanding effort (except for “b’y”… It took me more than half the book to understand it’s “boy” used as greeting or exclamation).
All in all it’s a novel that suffers from its layout, and it’s too bad because the first story especially has lots of potential.

3/5 for Ellie’s story and 2/5 for Sophie’s.

Told across three different timelines, this starts out in 1946 when Ellie Parsons sails over to Newfoundland with her baby boy to settle with her husband Thomas. They’ve been married for two years, but haven’t yet lived together as Thomas has been fighting in WW2. Thomas has been injured in action and has now been released from hospital to live with his parents. Ellie has never been to Canada and doesn’t know how badly injured Thomas might be. After sailing across the Atlantic with a ship full of nervous and excited war brides, Ellie is in for a shock. Thomas’s injuries are worse than she expected and Newfoundland is nothing like home. Her mother-in-law isn’t friendly or welcoming and they live quite a primitive life. Will Ellie be able to adjust?

In 2001, Sophie is flying over to New York on business when her plane is diverted to Newfoundland unexpectedly. On landing she decides to call her Aunt Ellie who lives there. Ellie has never really got to know Sophie, because she was estranged from her sister Dottie. Against the backdrop of 9/11 will Sophie get to the bottom of this family mystery?

Finally in 2011 Sophie returns to Newfoundland with a dual purpose. She is scouting the small town where Ellie lives as a possible site for a golf course and resort, but also wants to catch up with her aunt, who is now 89.

The three time lines are clearly marked, but because the chapters were quite short I sometimes felt I was jumping back and forth a bit too quickly and having the odd moment of confusion. I liked the teasing out of family secrets and what it’s like when newer generations view choices and life events through a 21st Century lens. I like the historical perspective it gives, because it made me think of all the events inbetween that have shaped those changes of attitude in individuals and society. I also enjoyed the contrast in lifestyle between Newfoundland and Sophie’s usually busy world in the 2011 timeline. This is such an iconic moment in history, and propels Sophie to a small town with a slower pace of life than she’s used to. Sophie is very organised and every minute is planned, but this unplanned hiatus gives her a view of a different life. Tippy’s Tickle has a good community feel, and a beautiful rugged landscape that wins Sophie over. The people seem tolerant and accepting. I was interested in how Sophie’s personality is perhaps the result of her mum Dottie being quite controlling, especially towards her sister Ellie back in the 1940s. I could have managed without the final timeline. It might have been a stronger book without it, as I couldn’t understand why Sophie would propose a plan that would change the place she fell in love with.

Very strong in parts, especially the first two time periods, but a little bit hard to get used to the choppy chapters at first. A great sense of place was created by the author and I liked her handling of the generational effects of family and world events on the characters.

I’ve been obsessed with the musical Come From Away, which tells the story of how the people of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed the “plane people” – the travelers of the thirty-seven international flights that were diverted away from U.S. airspace after the Twin Towers were destroyed on September 11, 2001.

The English Wife is not connected to the musical, and yet, because I know the play, the contemporary parts of this wonderful novel felt very familiar to me, as they also take place in Gander, Newfoundland, beginning on September 11th, 2001, and continuing from there, as one of the many vibrant female characters in the story, Sophie, is one of the “plane people.”

But, not all of the novel takes place in Gander – half the story is set in England during World War II, where we meet Ellie and Dottie, sisters living with daily fear of bombings, as well as the thrill of being young women (well, Dottie is really just a girl when we first meet her) in the first blushes of young love.

The story is a sweeping family drama, with three strong women at the center – Ellie and Dottie in the distant past, and Sophie in the recent past – but there are also male characters who add to the tale, for they are the love interests, the people who gently push the women to greater achievements, and the quiet presences who balance their partners.

Thomas and George, in the WWII sections, and Sam in the more contemporary parts of the story are those central male figures, and they are each as interesting and dimensional as the women with whom they interact.

Rounding out the story is a host of supporting characters, most importantly Emmett (Emmy), Florie, and Becca (Sam’s daughter, who is deaf.)

Author Adrienne Chinn weaves the historical and contemporary parts of her tale together with great aplomb, and her craft is really highlighted by her use of the Newfoundland dialect and the way she describes people using sign language with Becca. (As an aside, I’m now curious as to whether Newfoundlanders use ASL or BSL or something specifically Canadian.) Her skill with dialogue does as much to tell us about her characters as their physical descriptions do.

Overall, this was a story rich in cultural and historical detail, family drama, and a plot that had the perfect pace for a novel that blends history, romance, personal tragedy, and layered relationships into a satisfying and compelling whole.

Goes well with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and a really good ale.

This was such a unique story line. It covers two time periods past (WWII) and present (Twin Towers). Both experienced by the same woman who lives during those two times as a young lady and then older woman. The connection between those two time periods was well put by the author. It was not only a good plot but the idea was splendid!

This book alternates between (basically) two timelines - the first during World War II and the second in the aftermath of the Twin Towers attack. Ellie is present in both - we watch her in World War II as she copes with bombings, love, and loss, as well as with a demanding younger sister. And we see her as an old woman (though not the center of the story) in Newfoundland after the Twin Towers, when her niece Sophie finally comes for a visit. The stories unfold fairly slowly, with great attention to characterization and detail. I think one of my favorite parts was the town of Tippy's Tickle, the attitudes of the people who lived there, and the beauty of the Newfoundland landscape. It is a place I know almost nothing about, and it was nice to learn a little bit. The time shifts happen pretty rapidly - there is often just a few pages in one timeline before it switched to another. For me personally it would have been nice to spend more time in each before a switch. However, I enjoyed both stories and I didn't find myself dreading a switch - I just wanted to linger longer in each.

My thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a chance to read this book!

A tragic and beautiful story about family, betrayal, and secrets.

This is a timeslip novel about two women, sixty years apart, although both timelines span over a decade inside themselves. The modern timeline follows Sophie when the events of September 11 bring her into contact with her estranged aunt Ellie - and it also delves into her return, 10 years later. In the past, we see Ellie during the war as she falls in love and sets the events of both timelines into motion, becoming the titular English Wife.

It was really interesting seeing how September 11, for many a pivotal event, functioned as a catalyst for Sophie and Ellie's meeting, but did not have a strong presence throughout the book. It's not glossed over - there are conversations and comments where the tragedy of that day are apparent, but it features less than you would think.

The Newfoundland setting was apt and beautifully written, with voices so strong it was like I could hear the characters talking.While very much a real place, there's something about that half-hour time zone that places it out of the ordinary - not a paradise, but somewhere special nonetheless.

Despite the timeslips, I found the story well paced and easy to follow even when it broke my heart. The misunderstandings, resentment, and betrayal resonate through the ages and link in unexpected and poignant ways. While the book has a happy ending, it is certainly bittersweet especially knowing the pain of the past is necessary to come to the present.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources, all opinions are my own

Come From Away is on my list of must see West End musicals. Beforehand I hadn’t been aware of the planes diverted to Gander on 9/11 but it’s a fascinating story of how a community opened their homes to strangers from around the world. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that part of the setting for this story revolves around that incident.

The book tells the story of one family from England, starting during the war years and ending in 2011. The story dots back and forward from present day to past which means that the chapters are short and it keeps the story moving. I found it difficult to put down and read well over half in one sitting.

A few of the characters seemed a bit 2 dimensional and there were a couple of elements of the story which seemed a little implausible but overall I was enjoying the story so much that I was prepared to overlook them. This is a great holiday read.

I’m thrilled to share my thoughts about this time slip historical novel on my book review blog today. Thank you to One More Chapter and Rachel’s Random Resources for a digital review copy via NetGalley – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.

Synopsis:

Two women, a world apart.

A secret waiting to be discovered…

VE Day 1945: As victory bells ring out across the country, war bride Ellie Burgess’ happiness is overshadowed by grief. Her charismatic Newfoundlander husband Thomas is still missing in action.

Until a letter arrives explaining Thomas is back at home on the other side of the Atlantic recovering from his injuries.

Travelling to a distant country to live with a man she barely knows is the bravest thing Ellie has ever had to do. But nothing can prepare her for the harsh realities of her new home…

September 11th 2001: Sophie Parry is on a plane to New York on the most tragic day in the city’s history. While the world watches the news in horror, Sophie’s flight is rerouted to a tiny town in Newfoundland and she is forced to seek refuge with her estranged aunt Ellie.

Determined to discover what it was that forced her family apart all those years ago, newfound secrets may change her life forever…

This is a timeless story of love, sacrifice and resilience perfect for fans of Lorna Cook and Gill Paul.

My thoughts:

This is the first historical fiction novel I’ve read involving Newfoundland – I must admit that I had to look up Newfoundland to check exactly where it is. If you read some of the other blog tour posts for The English Wife, you can read about the author growing up in the area.


This book involves two distinct time periods – we follow Ellie through the war years in the UK, then her early years in Newfoundland. We also meet her again when her niece Sophie has an unexpected visit to Newfoundland in September 2001, returning again in 2011. This is not a ‘light read’ due to the time periods it is set in (war and terrorist attacks) and needing to move between the different time periods. However it is a well written and thought provoking book, looking at how the events of the 1940’s impacts on the life of Sophie.

I enjoyed travelling to the different time periods, each with their own challenges for the characters of this story. There is romance, love, loss, hardship, new friendships, in-laws, mystery and lots of secrets. My favourite time period was 2001 when Sophie met her aunt and other family members for the first time.