At the end of April, 1945, on a bunk inside the camp, Harry was still trying to stop his wheezing and coughing. At that time he was aware of two things in particular; that the pains he'd been feeling in his chest were getting worse and time was still moving at a slug-like pace.
MARTHA
Some called it the armpit of the world because of the sulphurous smell that came from the munitions factory whenever there was a westerly blowing. This still couldn't dampen Martha's feeling for the place.
CONNIE
Connie said it was because she couldn't sleep - she'd been calling herself a walrus for ages and any movement seemed to wake her - that she had been up so bright and early that morning. After chatting to her neighbour across the street... they'd agreed to hang a line between the houses.
BILLY
By the time Billy arrived at the site, there were bustling crowds around the bonfire, with Union Jacks everywhere... hanging from windows and doors and others used them as dresses and smocks for children.
ROBERT
Robert needed no further cue and left asking Connie to let him know if he could help her with anything. Martha followed him outside. There they stopped and waited. He wondered who would be ready to start talking. Everything around him seemed so still for a moment.
***
Olthorp, a steel town in Lancashire, celebrates VE day. The end of war and a time for celebration. But for a group of young friends it’s not that simple – the rest of their lives is only just beginning.
For Connie, the end of an unexpected pregnancy and her husband, a returning POW, present her with an impossible choice of deception or shame; and for Martha, a friendship that is asking too much, a husband that needs too little from her and a brother whose past is coming back to haunt him with his new intentions make her own life feel dangerously out of control.
Five friends have to find a way to unravel their tangled lives as they try to survive the war and its aftermath without losing each other.
***
As a reader I never quite know what to expect from a debut author. Sometimes they come from one of the major publishing houses accompanied by enormous hype. Other times, they come tiptoeing on to my reading radar from a small publisher. With both types, I have discovered some amazing new authors.
Looking for Bluebirds is of the latter category and I enjoyed it very much. It has a small cast of characters, Connie, Martha, Billy, Harry and Robert, with each of them having individually devoted chapters. Consequently, it was easy to get to know each of them and to understand how these five lives interact with one another.
It is a very empathetic novel and the author portrays each of the characters in a way which enables the reader to have a close up view of each of them. They were each compelling in their own way.
The time and place in which the story is set felt tangible and thus the story became engrossing. I was almost expecting to fling open my front door to discover Martha or Connie ready to come in to have a cup of tea with me.
Whilst the book is immensely readable, it also deals with some serious themes. It looks at love and friendship in all it's different forms. We all know that life is rarely straightforward, and life's complications have been carefully drafted in this book.
I would definitely consider reading more of Mr Evans writing and I hope he has a new novel in the pipeline. Meanwhile, I encourage you to read Looking for Bluebirds and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
ISBN: 978 1998995707
Publisher: Finstall Press
No. of pages: 316 (paperback)
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