Next to Love by Ellen Feldman (TLC Book Tour)

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman (TLC Book Tour)

Posted by Laura at Library of Clean Reads on August 09, 2011 in Adult Book Reviews Ellen Feldman Historical Fiction World War II | Comments : 7

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman
(Rated: P, S)
Spiegel and Grau (Random House)
ISBN: 978-0812992717
Published July 26, 2011
Hardcover, 320 pages

World War II. It caused loss of countless lives and left haunting scars on the survivors and their families. This is what Next to Love explores through the lives of three very different women: Babe, Grace, and Millie along with their husbands and children from 1941 to 1964. With an honest voice, their stories are told, their wounds shared and their realities exposed as they dealt with their everyday lives.

Feldman succeeds in creating realistic characters that remained true to their traits throughout. She had me wanting to know how they would deal with their despair, love, situation and changing times as I turned the pages. Feldman builds the emotional turmoil of post-war life well. The setting of 1940s American small town is palpable, and Feldman captures the feeling of post-war changes that would eventually affect women in the workplace, the segregation of blacks, and anti-semitism.

I liked Babe's feminist personality, Millie's courage to go after what she wanted and Grace's will to fight her obsession. I couldn't relate to any of them, though, except perhaps Millie, whose family life resembled mine and seemed the happiest. Sometimes, though, I wished the characters would have communicated what they really felt in their marriages, instead of letting it fester. I didn't always agree with their decisions, but I certainly understood why they did what they did.

Although the three women kept their friendships throughout their lives, they did not divulge their difficulties to one another. They supported one another with their steady presence, but essentially, they dealt with their problems alone, and at times it was clear they did not understand each other. It made me sad that they suffered in silence. They had no one to confide in.

Next to Love is a well-executed portrayal of the effects of World War II on American families. Its tone is serious and somber, but not morose. I enjoyed Feldman's writing and her ability to put me in an era that gave me insight about life on the homefront after WWII.

Note: There is a rape scene in this book, an explicit sex scene, and a few vulgar words.

About the author:
Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow, is the author of Scottsboro, which was shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious Orange Prize, as well as The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, which was translated into nine languages, and Lucy. In addition to writing novels, she contributes to several blogs and has lectured extensively in this country, England, and Germany.

For more information on Ellen and her work, please visit her website, www.ellenfeldman.com

I will count this book toward the following challenges: Historical Fiction

Disclosure: Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Erika Greber from Random House Publishing Group for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.