Review of 'Bloomsbury Girls' by Natalie Jenner
Visit Natalie Jenner’s website for more information on her books.
Release date: May 17, 2022.
Review of Natalie Jenner’s Bloomsbury Girls
Well, Natalie has done it again with Bloomsbury Girls! She has provided another fascinating read and just like The Jane Austen Society, it is filled with a large cast of mesmerising characters and an intriguing plot that keeps us challenged and inspired. But although there are a number to keep us on our toes, we are generously given a list of characters and descriptions at the start of the novel lest we forget. But each one is so memorable, it is doubtful you will lose track. For though we get input from many, this really is an exhilarating story of triumph for three women (Evie, Grace & Vivien) who fought hard for respect and position during the early 1950s: a time not generous to women with ambition. Natalie draws us into their circle where we get a close up view of these smart, determined, creative ladies who do battle with controlling men in a London bookshop (and for some in the home). And we sincerely sympathise.
There are so many things about this book I love, starting with one of the opening quotes by Katherine Anne Porter (an American journalist/novelist who wrote Ship of Fools in 1962). Her words are truly inspiring and speak volumes about the story that unfolds. “All life worth living is difficult…It is a by-product of brave living, and it never comes in the form we expect, or the season we hope for, or as the result of our planning for it.” Oh, how true and these daring ladies know this all too well while trying to take command of their lives, aspirations and directions. For there are many obstacles thrown in their paths. But with great fortitude fuelling their wills, the uphill battles cannot defeat them. It only makes them stronger and more determined to overcome and achieve their goals. As a result, their hard earned victories prove to be infinitely sweeter and richer.
Each chapter begins with a Bloomsbury Bookstore rule that employees must abide by. These are used in part as ingenious tools of story telling. For they assist with revealing the atmosphere of the old fashioned bookstore, its entrenched history and the archaic habits of its owners. It also provides a means for character building and trait revelations as each person tries to follow and manipulate the system. As you would expect, there are challenges thrown up by the general manager’s constricting fifty-one rules and sometimes they all must find creative ways to get around them.
Although this shop may have successfully resisted change for over a hundred years, it cannot remain so and survive. Especially when it is inevitable that possible alterations must come into the bookstore to reflect its future identity. These will be a result of the fresh ideas of three forward-thinking women. But will any part of the store’s original rule fabric remain or will it evolve into a simpler more modern content? Read it and see!
There are quite a number of themes in Bloomsbury Girls that bubble up through the shifting flow of this story. Parading across the pages are the challenges of the corporate world of a 1950s bookstore filled with prejudice, resistance, gender battles, depression, independence struggles and workplace romance trials. But in spite of or because of these hindrances, we see positive reactions such as the fierce drive for fresh beginnings, release from fear of aloneness, courage to follow one’s dreams, taking on the challenges of social differences. Then there’s the art and craft of writing and the mentoring of upcoming writers. And the arrival of some highly successful authors like Daphne du Maurier who adds a wonderful splash of colour to an already exciting and dramatic palette. Through all these comings and goings, honest ambitions are uncovered and talent is exposed. We realise that possibly none of this would have happened without those negative forces at work. For that is human nature. It often needs a push.
A few characters from The Jane Austen Society make an appearance and one person particular, Evie Stone, leads the way. She holds a very important role in the novel with her search to find a special book that slipped through her fingers. She is one of the first female graduates of Cambridge University and her job now at Bloomsbury Books is that of cataloguing rare titles. This puts her in a good position, in more ways than one.
The importance of Friendship also shines through, particularly between these three women who have banned together to help each other to champion their cause. They are also joined by other brave influential ladies who lend amazing support to the venture that unfolds.
Of course, this novel is also about the magic of bookstores and how essential they are. They carry a legacy of inspiration, hope, learning and ongoing creativity. We, as devoted readers, know how special these shops are and how they provide a wonderful meeting place for people from all walks of life who harbour a common denominator: love of literature, stories, history, science. Books in general.
Evie, Grace and Vivien are heroes. The kind that makes your heart sing and inspires you to pick up that pen and keep writing, keep living and pushing forward through all the negatives life can throw at you. These women have their share of battles with society and various individuals’ viewpoints. But they discover that nothing can stop a determined heart or the power of books. And a glorious message rings clear: that obstacles can serve to help us grow, learn new things and adapt. In our day, we have seen this with COVID. This misfortune has actually magnified the importance of books because people have been at home more, alone more and had to find ways to deal with the stress of a pandemic. In many cases, like in times of war, there is a strong need to escape to other worlds for relief. And when you cannot travel, reading a book will deliver the next best thing. It is a palatable prescription for the mind to recover, rejuvenate, refresh. Bloomsbury Girls celebrates all this and more.
So, without question, I highly recommend this very intelligent, well-devised story that is meticulous, mesmerising and magical. Natalie Jenner’s experience as a lawyer, bookstore owner, lover of great fiction and literary history shines through this potent, personality-packed powerhouse of a book. 5 Book-Tiered 📚Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks to Natalie Jenner, Macmillan publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
