The Lily and the Rose by Jackie French
Angus and Robertson, 2018. ISBN 9781460753590
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: Post-World War 1 History;
Independence - Women; Romance; Peace. Set in the aftermath of
World War 1, The Lily and the Rose follows Sophie Higgs, an
heiress from an Australian corned beef producer who is also
well-schooled in the finer things (including charm and subterfuge).
She now stands at the crossroads as the war comes to a conclusion.
What will her role in the world entail - marriage and the cultural
subservience of the married woman of the times (even if she marries
someone with money) or independence, using the skills and talents
that were nurtured through hardship and service during the war? This
book is a sequel to Miss Lily's Lovely Ladies and it reveals
the incredible social changes that impacted women as they struggle
to find their place and see what the future holds in the new world
of peace. This book is essentially a romantic saga that weaves the
characters from the first book into a new phase of life. For Sophie
there are many decisions to be made. Will the advice of the unusual
Miss Lily, the Charm School instructor, be able to carry her through
the upheaval of her life, and will the decisions she makes upset her
romantic future too?
Although some aspects of this book would be better understood having
met the characters and heard the story from Miss Lily's Lovely
Ladies, this is an epic tale and is expansive in highlighting
the significant detail needed to put this book into context. It can
quite easily be read on its own. However, the character of Miss
Lily, whose quoted words appear at the start of many chapters, would
be better understood if the first book in the series has also been
read.
This book is written for a mature audience - more adult intimacies
and relationship dilemmas necessarily make this unsuitable for
readers that are too young. Jackie French's light touch though means
that there is not too much detail compared to some contemporary
writers. The historical nature of the book is appealing as it gives
a social history context with links to Australia and the British
aristocracy, but it is essentially a romance story with twists and
turns as an intelligent and independent woman explores love and
independence.
Recommended for mature readers aged 16+.
Carolyn Hull