Exploring
World War II Norwich
My
second novel, The
English Wife,
begins with English war bride, Ellie Burgess Parsons, at Liverpool
dockside with her baby, Emmett, and her father and younger sister,
Dottie, as she readies herself for the long voyage across the
Atlantic to her new life on in a remote fishing village on the rugged
island of Newfoundland. Ellie is a Norwich girl, the daughter of the
headmaster of a local boys’ school, and, as I wrote her 1940s
story, I wanted to recreate her world in this bustling medieval city
as faithfully as I could. There was a lot of information to be found
online, of course, but nothing beats visiting a place to walk in the
footsteps of your characters. So, in February 2019, I took myself up
to Norwich on the train and spent five days exploring the city with
my writer friend, Melvyn Fickling, a long-time Norwich resident.
In
Melvyn I had an ideal guide – he is the author of three World War
II novels and has an extensive knowledge of Norwich at that time. We
traced the path of bombing raids; bought trinkets in the open market
(where Ellie has a heated scene with her Newfoundlander
husband-to-be, Thomas Parsons); followed her route into Jarrolds
Department store (which is still there, looking much as it would have
in 1942) and on to Bethel Street Fire Station where she worked in the
Auxiliary Fire Service; found the original location of the
Rowntree-Macintosh chocolate factory by Chapelfield Gardens –
renamed Mcklintock’s Chocolates in The
English Wife,
where Ellie’s fiancé George works in administration; and refreshed
ourselves in The Gardeners Arms (AKA The Murderers), just as Thomas
and Ellie do.
On
a walk past the impressive Cathedral of St John the Baptist –
Ellie’s local church – we discovered the somewhat hidden entrance
to the lovely Victorian Plantation Garden, with its moss-covered
fountains, and winding paths through the terraced hillsides, and I
knew I had to use it as a setting for one of Ellie’s and Thomas’s
clandestine meetings. Similarly, a walk along the Wensum River
brought us to the ruins of the medieval Cow Tower, where Ellie and
Thomas share an illicit tryst.
The
Samson & Hercules nightclub on Tombland, where Ellie and her
friend Ruthie often danced with George, Thomas and other
newly-arrived soldiers, is now a restaurant, and fibreglass replicas
of the original 17th
century Samson and Hercules statues hold up the portico (the
original, restored Samson is on display at the Museum of Norwich,
though Hercules is too fragile and is safely stored in the museum’s
vaults).
The
weather during those February days was a gift of bright blue skies
and warm early spring sun, and, as we walked through the winding
cobbled streets of the ancient city, still so unchanged from those
war years of the 1940s, it was easy to imagine that just around a
corner I’d bump into Ellie and Ruthie hurrying down a lane on their
way to the latest showing at the cinema, or a dance at the Samson &
Hercules.
The English Wife by Adrienne Chinn
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.
The
English Wife is a captivating novel about two women and how their
lives are intertwined.
As
a reader, I'm always cautious when I pick up a novel when duel times
lines are involved because quite often I feel overwhelmed trying to
remember names and details. I needn't have worried about The English
Wife as Ms Chinn has produced an easy to follow narrative which also
includes multiply points of view too. The novel has two distinct
parts. The first follows Ellie's life in Norwich during World War II
and Sophie's unscheduled arrival in Newfoundland in 2001. Part two
focuses on Ellie's life after she arrives in Newfoundland in 1946,
and Sophie's second visit back to the island in 2011.
Tippy's
Tickle, what a wonderful place it is. The descriptions bring the
place alive making it easy to visualise the rugged landscape and to
see it through the eyes of Ellie as she arrived in Newfoundland after
travelling thousands of miles from Norwich. I enjoyed learning about
the lifestyles of the habitants and the history. Mostly I appreciated
how Ellie's life evolved away from her family and the people she
surrounded herself with.
Family
drama, secrets and the complexities of relationships. The English
Wife is emotionally charged, with tragedy and heartbreak as well as
regret and sacrifice as the lives of Ellie and Sophie collide in an
unexpected way. The outcome gives both women closure in what turns
out to be a complicated situation and highlights that actions have
consequences. The narrative begins slowly, but there's a gradual
increase in pace building to a satisfying but bitter-sweet
outcome.
Overall,
expect to embark on an emotional journey full of twists and turns in
this beautifully written and
engaging
novel.
***arc
generously received courtesy of 0ne More Chapter via NetGalley***
Adrienne
Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and
eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a
journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before
embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer.
When not up a ladder or at the computer, she can usually be found
rummaging through flea markets or haggling in the Marrakech souk. Her
second novel, The English Wife -- a timeslip story set in World War
II England and contemporary Newfoundland -- is published in June
2020. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter from Morocco, was published by
Avon Books UK in 2019. She is currently writing her third novel, The
Photographer's Daughters, the first of a 3-book series, to be
published in 2021.
