This novel is set at Oxford University in England in 1920, when the very first class of female students were officially allowed to matriculate. The title refers to the four women who are randomly assigned to live in Corridor 8 and become fast friends. Otto comes from a wealthy family who may have a reputation as a flirt but is still scarred by her time working as a nurse in Oxford during WWI caring for soldiers who returned home. Beatrice is the daughter of a famous suffragist who feels like she can never win her mother’s approval. Dora lost both her brother and fiancé in the war. And Marianne is a rector’s daughter with her own secrets, which are kept secret from the reader for most of the book too.

Alternating between the four women’s perspectives with occasional flashbacks as well, it took a minute to be able to keep all the characters straight. But once I did, I was totally charmed by this story of female friendship and the courage it took to be the first female students, with the shadow of WWI hanging over so much. I’d gladly read a sequel about these women - or whatever else debut novelist Joanna Miller chooses to write next!

The Eights struck me as a love letter to Oxford; the colleges, the history, the scenery and the scholarly.
It started out very slow (and a little dull) but became interesting once the friendship between Ottoline, Beatrix, Marianne and Dora began. They’ve each experienced trauma from war and family challenges, the scars of which played out in the book. Their love for learning formed the bond between these four very different characters and I enjoyed reading their story.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

What an absolute delight to read! The inter-war years are one of my favorite time periods to read about and this book does a wonderful job conveying the feeling and changes in the years between world wars. This story brings together friendship, female empowerment, trauma, and survivor guilt against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-WWI society. Miller's prose is beautiful and descriptive, her characters are well developed and I was thoroughly immersed in the history and landscape of Oxford. These 4 women, the "Eights," will stick with me for a long time. I look forward to more by this author!

Thanks you NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

Ehhh, I struggled with this one and am still struggling with how to review this one. I loved the concept and history of this book. Who wouldn't want to read about the first 4 women to matriculate at Oxford University in the 20?! The history was incredibly well done and I could picture the time period through the words. But unfortunately, that is where the enjoyment ended for me. I found that the 4 main characters were hard to keep track of. They all had their own trauma, personalities and experiences, but also very similar. The way the book was written made it at times difficult to keep track. I enjoyed the friendship and bond between these history-making women, but also wanted more personality from them as individuals to make it easier to differentiate. I truly enjoyed the history part, what Oxford was like after the first World War, misogyny and the threat of influenza. There was a ton of research done, which was obvious throughout the book, which was my favorite part of the story. 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC of The Eights. I heard about it on a bookish podcast and the description was intriguing.

I really enjoyed this one. I would describe it as historical fiction with heart. In The Eights, 4 young ladies are in the first group of women allowed to matriculate at Oxford University in post-WWI. Really, though, this is a story about female friendship. The first bit of the book was slow to me and I had some trouble keeping the characters straight, but once I knew who was who and the plot started to pick up I really was invested.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loved The Whalebone Theater by Joanna Quinn or The Briar Club by Kate Morton. It's a lovely book!

This was an interesting book about the bonds women form in difficult situations. I enjoyed all of the characters and the setting. The book did a very good job of reflecting on the difficulties of women during the time period. I would recommend this title.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC! I love books that surround Oxford, so I was very excited to start this one. What a ride. I was, of course, rooting for the main characters right away. Given their feelings of not belonging and everything they went through I had to keep trudging through even through the triggering mistreatment they suffered. The care taken when writing this book to get the history and the dates right is incredible. Overall I was very impressed.

What a brilliant and moving debut! I find the events around the time of WWI very interesting, but the personal aspects brought The Eights to life for me!

The story alternates between Otto, Beatrice, Dora and Marianne’s POV, all touched by the war and the struggles women faced at that time. So many challenges being part of the first group of women to potentially earn a degree from Oxford in 1920. Nicknamed “The Eights” because of their residence building, they bond over their experiences drawing close. Their friendship and support of each other was moving. There was a little bit of romance, but it was a small, but wonderful part of the story!

Otto is haunted by her memories of volunteering during the war. Dora deals with the loss of her brother and fiancé. Beatrice’s mother loved fighting for women’s rights more than her daughter. Beatrice’s mother was awful! Then there’s the pastor’s daughter, Marianne, carrying a secret. At first, I thought she was the least interesting, but she ended up being my favorite by the end! I loved them all, though!

3.5 stars
I enjoyed this story of a group of women attending Oxford university together following the First World War. These women dealt with all of the misogyny they encountered from teachers to fellow students, and even their families. There was so much trauma following the devastation and death from the war & this book brought that to foreground. I appreciated how these women kept their spirits high and they bond to each other tight as they navigated a new world while discovering who they each wanted to be.
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley

This novel kept me engaged in the stories of the women who first got into Oxford. The women were from different backgrounds which helped to keep the story interesting. I enjoyed the insight into Oxford and how it operated in the 1920s. The women had a lot to prove and faced a lot of hurdles to keep up with what Oxford expected.

The aftermath of WW1 was also prevalent in their stories, grief and societal norms. Women did a lot of jobs during the war and then suddenly had no jobs and it added to them feeling unimportant. I applaud their bravery at being the first women to matriculate. The friendships that formed were what made the novel flow.

This was a wonderful historical fiction with a topic I was not familiar. I am glad I read the novel and thank Netgalley for the chance to review the book.

Oxford 1920 when the first women were allowed to enter. The women had quite a few very strict restrictions on them - their dress, where they could go, who they could talk to, and especially being around the men. These women were fictional characters not based on the real women who were the first to attend Oxford. I would have preferred something based on the real women who first entered Oxford.

The characters all had background stories that were slowly unfolded in the book, which were more interesting than the actual storyline.

I got a flavor of that time period and the bravery of these intelligent women facing a lot of restrictions on their lives. Overall I felt the book was too slow and I was hoping for more to happen.

My thanks to Net Galley and GP Putnam Sons for an advanced copy of this e-book.

I had learned about this novel long before it was published and knew that I wanted to read it. I was absolutely thrilled to be given an advance e-galley.

I could not wait to sit down and begin this novel. I went on to savor this one and find it easy to give it an excellent review.

WWI led to devastation and a reorganization of British society. Many men died; many women were unlikely to marry. Social changes came as with the suffrage movement and (finally) the admittance of women to Oxford degrees. (Prior to this, women could attend but would not formally graduate).

This engrossing historical novel follows four women from this time period who were known as "the eights" because of the corridor that they lived on at their Oxford College. Readers meet Beatrice, Marianne, Otto, and Dora. Each has their own history and backstory.

Beatrice is the daughter of a very politically active mother who was an absent parent. Readers learn that it was difficult for Beatrice to confide in her mother. Beatrice s studying PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).

Marianne is a cleric's daughter. It is clear that she is hiding something. Marianne is also less financially well off than some of her peers.

Otto is part of a family with socialite sisters. Her parents would like her to marry. Otto is studying Mathematics.

Dora has had two major losses from the war. Both her brother and fiance died. These men would have been at Oxford had they lived. Dora feels that she is there in their place. Dora is studying English.

The world of Oxford in this time period is engagingly portrayed through many characters in addition to these four. I cam to care very deeply for the eights and did not want the book to end. It is my sincere hope that Miller is penning her next novel even as I write this.

Note that there is a helpful glossary at the back of the book for those who are unfamiliar with British higher education.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this title. All opinions are my own.

An impressive and captivating debut featuring a long-ago period in history yet chronicling events that are still relevant today
An engaging story featuring characters whose struggles & emotions were real & relatable.
Some unexpected twists too!

With thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this e-ARC.

A solid 4 stars

The Eights by Joanna Miller is a historical fiction novel centered around 1920-1921 at the University of Oxford. "The Eights" are Dora, Beatrice, Marianne, and Otto - part of the first class of women allowed to be admitted at Oxford. The four women have very different backgrounds but come together as their friendships form despite their struggles with school, personal relationships, and the aftermath of World War I.

I loved how accurate this felt, without coming across as try-hard. The misogyny and hardships the women dealt with felt very real. The academia world seems so exhausting to me, especially at a prestigious institution such as Oxford. I've dealt with misogyny as an engineering undergrad and can't even imagine dealing with this over 100 years ago. I appreciated that the author included notes and a glossary at the end, since some of the British-isms were lost on me.

What a beautiful debut novel from Joanna Miller, I'm excited to see what she comes out with next.

Recommended for those who love historical fiction books about friendship, academia, and perseverance; and especially recommended for women everywhere.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

Four female students: Dora, Marianne, Bea and Otto are finally able to attend the prestige Oxford University in 1920. However, the aftermath of the First World War, family ties and secrets as well as living in a still male dominated world. These four strangers-turned-friends quickly learn to rely on each other when they are all they have.

THE EIGHTS takes readers back to Oxford in 1920, where everyone is still coping with the aftermath of World War I. For the first time ever, the world-famous university is accepting women as students—not only to study at the institution, but also to be awarded their degrees, despite the misogyny that still runs rampant among some of the students and faculty. The story follows four very different young women over the course of the transformative 1920-1 school year; they all live together on Corridor Eight, soon earning them the nickname "The Eights."

Outspoken and politically-minded Beatrice is the daughter of a famous suffragette, and she sees Oxford as the chance to pave her own path, in terms of academics, career, and social life. Glamorous and lively Otto looks forward to balancing her socialite lifestyle with her pursuit of a math degree, yet she can't shake the trauma she endured working as a nurse during the war. Practical and organized Dora never intended to go to university, but after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, she's attending Oxford in their place. And finally, reserved and intelligent Marianne, the daughter of a village pastor, who fears she won't last at Oxford—but she just might, as long as she keeps her biggest secret from everyone around her. Can the group's newfound friendship survive this tumultuous, transformative time in history?

This was a wonderful read! I think even readers who don't usually gravitate towards historical fiction will find something to enjoy here. I was quickly immersed in the world of these remarkable women, and so enjoyed following their journey. While some of the characters may seem stereotypical on the surface initially, like archetypes of students you might encounter in a story about college (i.e. the academic one, the social butterfly, etc.), there is much more to them than meets the eye. They are all richly and vividly drawn, each with their own unique voices and stories to tell! I particularly liked the choice of using multiple third-person POVs, with flashbacks interspersed throughout to add even more depth to these characters. In general, I just appreciated how character-driven this story is. Readers truly get to see The Eights "come of age," learn more about themselves and each other, and forge an unlikely yet enduring friendship during an important moment in time. Joanna Miller also does an amazing job of bringing the setting to life—I got a real sense of time and place from start to finish, and the story is so well-researched, full of fascinating details. Overall, THE EIGHTS was a thoughtful, compelling debut that I would definitely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

The Eights features four women who are among the first female students to matriculate at Oxford. The four women have different backgrounds and past trauma, and it was interesting to read about each of their experiences. On the flip side, four perspectives is a lot to track, and I found myself getting a bit disconnected with the storylines jumping around.

It's clear that Joanna Miller did significant research for this novel, and I appreciate her ability to weave in factual information. I learned a lot about a piece of history I previously knew little about.

Set in 1920s England at the conclusion of World War I and when Agatha Christie had published her first serialized novel, Miller focuses on the first women who are officially admitted to Oxford University. The four rooms on Corridor Eight are accounted for -- Six foot tall Beatrice Sparks concludes that she resembles a "rotund Tudor courtier in a Hans Holbein portrait" sporting the required square cap and commoners’ gown that have been worn by students for four hundred years. Beatrice’s mother, Edith Sparks, is a disciple of Sylvia Pankhurst, a militant suffragette, a woman of considerable renown who believes in equality for women in education. Beatrice, an only child, is dismissed by her powerful mother, but she adapts some of her mother’s liberal teachings, talking with her classmates about things “modern women” should discuss, like contraception. Marianne Grey is the daughter of a pastor whose precarious finances cause her to envision a life teaching Sunday school and composing the parish newsletter for her father. She must depart on weekends to tend to her father who is unwell. Theodora “Dora” Greenwood is at Oxford only because both her brother and her fiancé did not survive the war. If they had, Dora, of excellent posture and neatness personified, believes that she would “likely be spending her days pouring tea, playing whist, or being paraded at church.” Lastly, is the spirited Ottoline “Otto” Wallace Kerr whose mother is furious that she refused a proposal and whose father does not take her studies seriously, although she is the rare woman pursuing a mathematics degree.

Although the undergraduate body consists of over five hundred women (and four thousand men), the women are mocked and derided for wanting to learn. Women lack the full rights of men; they cannot participate in decisions at the highest level, and many clubs and publications are closed to them. Further, the women are constrained by the strict Intercollegiate Rules for Women Undergraduates. As Dora remarked, "if we want to do anything remotely exciting, we have to get permission and pay for a chaperone." Yet, this foursome persevere in the face of male disrespect and in the aftermath of a world changed by the Great War.

Although Miller has written an historical novel, many of these women’s grievances are still present a century later. Woman may be able to vote, but they continue to be deprived of equal opportunities and equal pay. Miller has written a novel that brilliantly melds fiction with fact. The character driven narrative is engaging and charming, and the prose is lyrical as one would expect from a distinguished poet. Thank you Penguin Group and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this rewarding novel.

Women know well the uncomfortable experience of being the sole woman in a hostile environment. Women also know well the validating experience of being surrounded by women who lift you up and support you during the good and bad times. Miller has written a universal story centering on four women (the "Eights") who are so bold as to choose to join the inaugural graduating class at Oxford in 1920. The women's varied experiences pre, during and post-WWI are still fresh and underly their determined efforts to become educated and independent women in a society that values neither unless you are a man. Highly recommended to lovers of literary fiction and historical fiction. Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinGroup Putnam.

“The Eights,” by Joanna Miller, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 384 pages, April 15, 2025.

It is 1920 and for the first time, female students are admitted to Oxford University. Four young women move into neighboring rooms in Corridor 8. They are known as The Eights.

Beatrice Sparks is the daughter of a suffragette. Marianne Grey is a vicar’s daughter. Ottoline Wallace-Kerr, called Otto, was a nurse during World War I. Theodora Greenwood, who goes by Dora, lost both her brother, George, and her fiancé, Charles, in the war.

As they arrive for their first day, the woman are subjected to nasty remarks by male students, and numerous restrictions imposed by the university. The accommodations are subpar and often the lecturers are misogynists.

There are flashbacks to their lives before the university. They each had a traumatic event in their past. The narrative jumps around so at times it is difficult to keep straight which person is which. The slow pacing is an obstacle to finishing the book.

I rate it three out of five stars.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.