Widowland
Ratings2
Average rating4
15
Ratings2
Average rating4
'READING THIS TERRIFIC, ORWELLIAN NOVEL YOU ALMOST HOLD YOUR BREATH' Bel Mooney An alternative history with a strong feminist twist, perfect for fans of Robert Harris' Fatherland, Christina Dalcher's Vox and the dystopian novels of Margaret Atwood. 'A TRIUMPH' Amanda Craig 'CONVINCING AND GRIPPING' Elizabeth Buchan 'BRILLIANTLY IMAGINED' Clare Chambers 'TERRIFIC HEROINE' Adèle Geras 'VIVIDLY IMAGINED' Nicci French To control the past, they edited history. To control the future, they edited literature. London, 1953, Coronation year - but not the Coronation of Elizabeth II. Thirteen years have passed since a Grand Alliance between Great Britain and Germany was formalized. George VI and his family have been murdered and Edward VIII rules as King. Yet, in practice, all power is vested in Alfred Rosenberg, Britain's Protector. The role and status of women is Rosenberg's particular interest. Rose Ransom belongs to the elite caste of women and works at the Ministry of Culture, rewriting literature to correct the views of the past. But now she has been given a special task. Outbreaks of insurgency have been seen across the country; graffiti daubed on public buildings. Disturbingly, the graffiti is made up of lines from forbidden works, subversive words from the voices of women. Suspicion has fallen on Widowland, the run-down slums where childless women over fifty have been banished. These women are known to be mutinous, for they have nothing to lose. Before the Leader arrives for the Coronation ceremony of King Edward and Queen Wallis, Rose must infiltrate Widowland to find the source of this rebellion and ensure that it is quashed. 'THE MOST IMPORTANT FEMINIST NOVEL IN DECADES' Jane Harris 'A VERY SMART REIMAGINED HISTORY' Henry Porter 'BRIMMING WITH CRACKLING DETAIL, A GRIPPING THRILLER' Miranda Carter
Featured Series
1 primary bookRose Ransom is a 1-book series first released in 2021 with contributions by C.J. Carey and Jane Thynne.
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I just finished Widowland by C.J Carey and here is my review.
It's time for the Coronation... It's 1953 and it is not Elizabeth II being crowned.
London, 1953, Coronation year - but not the Coronation of Elizabeth II.
It's 13 years after the war and a Grand alliance has quieted the nations of England and Germany. Edward VIII is king and all the power belongs to the Protector, Alfred Rosenberg.
Keeping women uneducated and brainwashed is the new normal. Every woman is cataloged based on their beauty and child baring abilities. Rose Ransom belongs to the elite class of women and has a nice job at the ministry of culture. Her job is to rewrite literature to make women appear more subservient.
Rose is being pulled into a new assignment. To find out who is writing graffiti from the voices of the very women Rose is rewriting... Her current assignment has her in widowland. A place for undesirable women. They have nothing to lose and with the leader coming to visit... The suspicion of a rebellion is louder than the men seeking to quiet them all.
This book was brilliant! A reimagined dystopian novel with a very different path after WWII. It felt like a mash up of the handmaids tale and 1984 but with a beautiful twist. The writing was elegant and lucid. I couldn't have imagined a world like this and thanks to CJ Carey, I know have a vivid picture in my mind of what life would have been like had the war ended differently.
We follow Rose through this journey. She's in the top class of women but she has the lovely down to earth quality with a real sense of justice and fairness. She never really towed the line of what a woman was supposed to be and I loved that! Now the women in widowland.... Sigh, they are my people. Strong, opinionated and not willing to bow.
Loved the setting of post WWII in this clever way and I'm so glad I have the next book up next!
5 stars! This might be the best dystopian novel of the year for me
Thanks to @sourcebooks for my gifted copy!
