The Secret Notebook by Julia Wild
Genre: Historical fiction, Dual Timeline, Contemporary fiction, WW2
Read: 2nd July 2021
Published: 8th July 2021
★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)
DESCRIPTION:
When Izzie Dean’s beloved nan, Molly Blackshaw, passes away, Izzie returns to the Blackpool bungalow where she grew up, to say goodbye once and for all. When Izzie’s homecoming reunites her with her first love, Justin Swift, every emotion that Izzie has repressed since the day he broke her heart comes rushing to the surface. But then an unexpected discovery changes everything.
Between the pages of the battered secret diary Molly kept during WWII, Izzie discovers a story of love, heartbreak, and the incomparable hardship of life in a world at war. Reading her grandmother’s words soon puts her own story into perspective, and suddenly Izzie realises that the only thing holding her back from happiness, might be herself. Now she just has to convince Justin that they deserve a second chance at forever…
MY REVIEW:
In this day and age of texts and emails where everything is instant, the art of writing letters or a diary seems lost to history. But to be able to re-read them, to touch them and to breathe in their essence. To know that your loved one had touched them and written those words with their own hand, pouring out their heart and their soul...it's so much better than a text. Letters are so personal that at any time you can take them out, re-read them and step back in time to relive those memories. The same could be said for a diary one may have once kept with each word etched in time on every page that had meant something to you at that moment in time. And to be swept away by the emotion in every word. It's very essence is so powerful that to be able to capture it and remember it is something special indeed.
THE SECRET NOTEBOOK brings to life the very essence of words and the memories it can stir up and the stories it tells. It reminds us of another time when the lost art of letter writing brought such happiness.
West Hampstead, London, 2017: After the death of her husband the year before, Izzie Dean is left languishing in the house they shared and the fulfulling job which first brought them together. But one day she receives a call from an old flame, Justin, asking her to return home to Blackpool as her 95 year old Nan, Molly, has pneumonia and has been taken to hospital. Izzie packs her bags, takes leave from work and hurries north to Blackpool. She arrives at the hospital in time for her nan to utter a few garbled final words of "...attic...book..." to which Izzie tearfully tells her that she'll sort it. Her nan then smiles and takes her last breath.
Distraught by her death, Izzie begins the task of sorting through her nan's possessions and redecorating the sprawling seafront house in which she had spent a happy childhood. Estranged from her mother who now lives in South Africa with her stepfather, Izzie had moved in with her nan and grandpop during her teenage years. The house was a mismatch of patterns and colours which her nan had loved after the drabness and lack of colour during the war. Izzie snapped some photos of her nan's haphazard decorating before stripping the wallpaper and repainting each room afresh, with Justin on hand to help with the heavy lifting.
Whilst cleaning out the loft room which had once been her bedroom, Izzie revisits many memories of the time she had there. Her grandpop's painting took pride of place on her wall where it still hangs today reminding her of a time she tried to emulate him and he hung her effort in the kitchen as a trade. The memory brings a smile to her face as she carefully lifts the painting from its hook...and is surprised to find a small nook carved out in the wall behind it. She opens the tiny door and inside is a parcel wrapped carefully in newspaper in which she discovers to be a beautiful green embroidered notebook bulging with pages and letters lost to time. It's her nan's diary dated from 1943 holding the secrets she shared with no one...until now. Remembering her nan's final words, Izzie wonders if the notebook had been left there for her to find...in her old room.
After reading the first entry, Izzie shares the find with Justin and together they are immersed within the story her grandmother tells through the poignant heartfelt words poured out on page after page. The love, the heartbreak, the struggles, the secrets and the effects of war. The sharing of her nan's story this brings cause for Izzie to reflect upon her own life and heartaches. And though reluctant to bare her heart and soul again, what she discovers surprises her.
Blackpool 1943: Twenty-one year old Molly lives in the boarding house her stepmother Enid owns and runs when twins Joe and Jack Blackshaw, resplendent in their blue RAF uniforms, are billeted there for six weeks. From the moment she sets eyes on Joe, Molly is swept away by his dancing eyes and charming smile. After her daily chores are complete, she and Joe spend most evenings walking along the promenade sometimes with her best friend Dora and his brother Jack and sometimes alone whilst on Saturdays they often go dancing. With his arms around her Molly sees no one else but Joe and when he asks her to be his girl and her heart leaps with joy. With Joe by her side, Molly feels herself falling completely and utterly in love with him. No one can spoil her good mood...not even Enid when she snipes at behaving herself and that if she gets herself in the family way she'll be out on her ear. But Molly knows that will never happen to her.
Until one night in the shelter on the prom, Joe expresses his desire to take things further. Molly hesitates. No, she mustn't. But something has shifted between them and over the following nights, Joe busies himself studying his his course to become a flight engineer. Meanwhile Molly remains busy at the boarding house, often playing cards with Jack and the other billets in the evenings.
When the time approaches for them to leave, Joe takes Molly out for one final walk on the prom and in the shadows of their shelter she capitulates and bathes in the afterglow of love in what will be his absence. She waves him goodbye and utters that she loves him to which he just smiles and bids her a heartfelt farewell. Molly knows their love will see them through their separation till the end of the war as she begins planning their future in her head. She writes to Joe regularly but doesn't lose heart when she receives no reply. Mail is sporadic during wartime often taking weeks or even months to get through. Meanwhile she continues working alongside Enid at the boarding house and enjoying a Saturday dance with Dora.
Until one day, something happens to bring her world crashing down. And she receives a letter she never expected...
Molly's story is brought to life through her heartfelt words carefully penned in THE SECRET NOTEBOOK through diary form, cleverly entwined with Izzie's present day narrative. The dual timeline is completely absorbing and compelling, particularly Molly's tale, that is both emotional and poignant throughout.
While it did take a while to gain momentum in the beginning with Izzie's story, it was Molly's that had me completely immersed both in story and time. Once I had started I didn't want to put it down and longed to see how it would all end. And then just when we thought we knew it all...there is a final sting in the tail to bring one life unravelling. Although I admit to suspecting it before its discovery.
Engaging and well-written, THE SECRET NOTEBOOK is a beautiful and sweeping tale of a contemporary wartime romance about love, loss and secrets. I am so glad I picked up this book as it is one that I will remember for some time to come.
I would like to thank #JuliaWild, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheSecretNotebook in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Some four years later my first published book, Dark Canvas, won the RNA’s New Writer’s Award in 1997, the sixth, Illusions, won the RNA’s Romance Prize in 2003.
After working in the local library service for 18 years, during library cut-backs I took the leap to become self-employed as a writer and worked on releasing my backlist as eBooks for Kindle.
Most recently, I’ve had the pleasure of working with amazing Charlotte Ledger when she pulled me from the writing wilderness and have now signed a three-book deal with One More Chapter.
Social Media links:
Thank you, @StinaStaffymum for your lovely review and for taking time to share; I'm certain I speak for myself and other authors. Bloggers are AMAZING!
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