Author: Caroline Beecham
ISBN: 978-1-76029-566-0
RRP: $29.99
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
Eleanor’s Secret is the sophomore novel of bestselling author Caroline Beecham, also set in war-torn London in 1942. I had big plans to have this one read and reviewed ready for the post to go live today but my strong start to the month fizzled quick. I have started reading it, and hope to have a complete review this week.
Caroline Beecham returns to London in 1942 where Eleanor Roy, art school graduate, is working for the War Artist Advisory Committee. Her dream is to become one of the few female war artists but breaking into the art establishment is still easier dreamed than done.
Eleanor is working with the Ministry of Food to organise artworks to decorate the British Restaurants that are keeping the citizens fed and aiming to help with morale. One of the artists she is sent to sign is Jack Valante, who won’t sign the contract and when Eleanor returns to try again he seems to have disappeared.
This novel is a dual timeline narrative with a compelling love story and a surprising mystery. The dual timeline is a great storytelling tool when you have a mystery to unfold.
Fast forward to Melbourne in 2010 and Kathryn has been asked by her grandmother, Eleanor, to help her return a painting to its artist in London. The search unearths a long held family secret and Kathryn is left trying to decide whether she races straight home to address the issues in her own immediate family or stay and help protect the past.
Caroline Beecham writes well researched and authentic historical tales that draw you right into the London she describes. I quite enjoyed Maggie’s Kitchen and I can’t wait to really sink myself into Eleanor’s Secret.
Caroline Beecham can be followed on CarolineBeecham.com and Twitter.
Eleanor’s Secret is published by Allen & Unwin and is available now through Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin 50 of our Beauty and Lace Club Members will be reading Eleanor’s Secret so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Allen and Unwin for the chance to read and review Caroline Beecham’s second novel Eleanor’s Secret.
At the outset let me say that I applaud Beecham’s efforts to accurately portray a part of the Second World War that many of us would have been unaware of, that of the War Artists who were commissioned to go into the field of battle and create both propaganda art and a visual record of the events of the time. It is clear that she has researched the topic well.
As with most historical novels the story is told over two timelines. The first relates to Eleanor Roy, who is headhunted to work for the WAAC (The War Artists’ Advisory Committee), a skilled artist herself Eleanor is frustrated by the committees inability to recognise that women such as herself can offer more to the war time efforts and can also be war artists. As well as working for the WAAC, Eleanor also worked for the Ministry for Food looking to sign artists to provide decorative works for restaurants etc. providing them with an income at a time when people were unlikely to generally be paying for their services.
The story opens with Eleanor being sent to sign Jack Valante, a skilled and attractive artist, who inexplicably refuses to sign the contract she carries, and then is whisked away by two men in dark suits and trilbies with an air of mystery about them.
The second of the timelines is set in 2010, and opens with Eleanor’s granddaughter, Kathryn, flying to London from Australia having been summoned by her grandmother Eleanor has requested that Kathryn return with the war time oil painting “The Crimson Sun”, a small war time painting with the initials JV in the bottom corner that until now has hung in Kathryn’s home. The timing is difficult, Kathryn and her husband Chris are having marital difficulties, their son Oliver is due to perform in a piano concert in the near future and suddenly Eleanor wants her to find Jack Valante who seems to have mysteriously disappeared since the war. Things aren’t helped by Kathryn’s feeling that everyone she contacts, including Eleanor, seems to be hiding something from her.
While the premise of the storyline was good, and the characters interesting, I found it hard to get immersed in the book. As others have commented, the book felt long winded, I was frustrated by the use of jargon terms such as SOE which were used throughout the story, but not explained until close to the end, and felt it could have been better edited.
Having said that the book does have qualities to recommend it, particularly the exploration of an area of World War II that many would not previously have been aware of. I give it 3/5 stars.
Prior to reading Elenor’s Secret, I had just finished another book that was based around WWII. It was action paced and behind the lines, obviously this take is very different, so it took a while for me to truly get into the book.
While I did enjoy the story itself, the way that Elenor’s granddaughter was bought in to help search for Jack, and learning if Elenor and Jacks tale, to be honest I found it took me quite a while to truly get interested and involved, and by the time I was in over my head, I was at the end and the novel was wrapped up in what felt was a hurried finish.
It was good to get answers and learn how it ended and close the door so to speak, but the last couple of chapters felt to me like it was very rushed and I didn’t feel we got to enjoy the reunion and end of the tale like we could have.
Still a very good read, and am glad to gave taken part in this review.
Thank you so much Beauty and Lace Bookclub and Allen & Unwin for letting me read this beautiful story.
Although a slow start what a beautiful historical novel. I love two timeline stories and enjoy how this one flowed.
Eleanor’s Secret was a great book that told a beautiful story starting in 1942 from the grandmothers point of view up to 2010 when it was told from the granddaughter where she goes on a journey to find what happened to someone from her grandmothers past. It beautifully flowed from 1942 to 2010 with clues being found along the way.
Not wanting to give too much away – It was an excellent read.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin and Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I love historical fiction especially mid 20th Century so that was what originally attracted me to the title but had never really heard of war artists so found that aspect new and interesting.
As someone who firmly believes in equal rights the whole gender issue presented drove me crazy as it often does. Having said that I loved the flipping between past and present with the dual narrative.
This was the first of Caroline Beecham’s books I have read but look forward to reading more.
For now I recommend Eleanor’s Secret. 4.5 out of 5.