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I just finished Bonfire Night by Anna Bliss and here is my review.
It's 1936 and London is an exciting place for Kate Grifferty, a 21 year old photographer for a Fleet Street agency. A job a young woman wouldn't normally have. She is tasked with getting some photos of the anti-fascism rally in Eastern London. David Rabatkin, a brilliant medical student and jewish to boot, is there with his brother and they happen to run into Kate.
As sparks fly between the pair, it comes obvious to both of them that she doesn't belong in his world and he can't be in hers but it doesn't stop the two of them becoming close. She never wanted to be someone's wife, she wanted a career but David made her want more. Just as they take a step forward, David panics and walks away.
Kate flees London with not just a broken heart and her dreams in the toilet, she ends up at her sister's boarding house, working as a housekeeper. David stays in London becoming a Doctor but Kate never leaves his heart. Two very different lives and one love that can't be tamed by distance or time.
It was nice to read an historical fiction that was original and not the same as every other WW2 book. I don't usually enjoy the forbidden love trope but this one was done in such a way that I couldn't help becoming invested. Kate is a strong woman who knows her own mind. She did what she wanted and didn't conform to the ideals of the time she lived in. She would have married David even knowing the dangers and difficulties being a catholic girl loving a jewish man. It was irrelevant to her. David didn't want to lose his family over her. I felt like she loved him more and she was willing to give up everything to be with him. Made me dislike David. No matter what he did after he walked away was not good enough for me.
The heartbreak in this book shattered through every page. It was a bit on the slower side but honestly the ending was a little surprising and it made me smile. I'm glad it didn't take a conventional route and it made the book even better for me. It was worth the read if you like strong female MCs in historical fiction with a slightly edgy theme.
3.75 stars rounded to 4.
Thank you @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for my gifted copy
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