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Wine of Honour
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
16 posts | 8 read | 2 reading | 14 to read
I wonder how many women today are back in their pre-war ruts. For how many was the war merely a temporary disarrangement and for how many others has it meant complete re-adjustment, an entirely new set of circumstances? This is a stupid thought for me to have when, even in my own case, I don't know the answer. Helen Townsend and neighbour Laura Watson are unlikely friends as a result of serving together in the ATS. Helen is married to the local doctor, but has spent much of the war with her lover Brian, and both men are now due back from active service. Laura, stuck caring for her domineering father, is already missing the freedoms that war offered. They and many others in their village are just beginning to adjust to the unexpected challenges of peace. In Wine of Honour, Barbara Beauchamp seems somehow to have recognized how unique and fleeting were the details of life in the days and weeks just after the end of World War II, and to have set out to carefully document them--with particular focus on the experiences of women. The result is an incomparable, fly-on-the-wall vision of a fascinating time and place.
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rubyslippersreads
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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I enjoyed this once it got going, although I actually found Helen‘s story the dullest, with the Cobb family the most interesting. I wish Laura had gotten some gumption and re-joined the service. Peter Gurney could have used some gumption too.

The term β€œCivvy Street” was new to me.

#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub

πŸ”½πŸ”½

Ruthiella Oh! I see some promising fan fiction/ sequel where Laura ans Peter find love and rejoin the service once her father dies and he gets sober. πŸ˜‚ 3h
willaful Ruthiella -- excellent! This story needs more happy endings. 😁 2h
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jlhammar Cool graphic! Civvy Street was new to me as well. And I agree about Laura. I‘ll just have to imagine she finds her gumption and happy ending later. 2h
Aimeesue @Ruthiella 🀣🀣🀣 2h
rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella I‘d definitely read that. πŸ˜† 1h
17 likes6 comments
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Aimeesue
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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WW2 has ended,and everyone‘s returning home, but neither home nor they themselves remain the same. I have a thing for WW2 British homefront books, so this was a interesting read for me. Being a (now retired) military spouse, I found the discussions of nostalgia & pride in wartime units relatable -there‘s something about surviving a stressful/challenging time together that creates a bond that outsiders just can‘t be part of.
#FurrowedMiddlebrow ⬇️

Aimeesue (2)It was thrilling to see it depicted here, because those of us who went through it in recent times don‘t often see it depicted in fiction.As depicted here, coming out the other side of war zone deployments, family separations, PTSD and re-aclimation to the civilian world can be jarring, and happens in fits and starts, as Beauchamp demonstrated beautifully here. Spot on, so I may even read this one again. (edited) 1d
batsy Great review, and great to see it from your perspective. Yes, I think the reacclimation "in fits and starts" as you say, is the thing that struck me the most reading this. 1d
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Aimeesue @batsy I don‘t know how it is when you actually deploy to a war zone together, but being the spouses of the deployed is an incredibly bonding experience these days. Despite all kinds of social differences, the people who supported me while our spouses were deployed together will ALWAYS be my people. (edited) 1d
jlhammar Wonderful review! It felt very authentic to me. Glad it resonated with you. I really appreciated the focus on the challenging adjustment period for the returning men and women and their families. Not something I‘ve read much about. And lovely floral background in your collage! 1d
Ruthiella That‘s so cool that you have this extra lens to read this with. Isn‘t amazing how one can connect across time via books like this? Glad you liked it. (edited) 1d
LeahBergen What a great review! I liked it for the very reasons you did and I‘m not even a military spouse. πŸ˜† It was such an interesting take on the WW2 novel. 23h
Cathythoughts Great review πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»and I love your picture. 18h
Suet624 Hmmm…with your review and the comments of all those who enjoyed the book, it seems I‘ll have to read it! 16h
Aimeesue @jlhammar i just googled "1940s wallpaper" and picked from the prettiest! ? 2h
Aimeesue @Ruthiella It‘s an interesting connection for sure. Probably why I‘m so drawn to British homefront stories - I can really relate. 2h
Aimeesue @LeahBergen I really enjoyed it! 2h
Aimeesue @Cathythoughts Thanks! It‘s a 1940s wallpaper design! 2h
Aimeesue @Suet624 There are some annoying characters and situations for sure, but I really did enjoy these aspects. Hope you enjoy it if you decide to read it! (edited) 2h
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review
quietjenn
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Pickpick

Using my break to finish up this #furrowedmiddlebrowclub title, which I appreciated more than liked. I found the writing a bit plodding and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I did like the focus on the demobbed dealing with life on Civvy Street, the contrast between those who served and those on the homefront and that Beauchamp didn't shy away from class issues. I just wish it were a little more heart and a little less head.

catebutler I'm finishing up today, and my thoughts and opinions reflect yours. 1d
Ruthiella I agree that none of the characters were particularly sympathetic. Not even Helen. But I did like it for its real time glimpse of the immediate aftermath of WWII for some Britons. 1d
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quietjenn @Ruthiella yes, I thought it really worked as a snapshot of this time. 1d
CarolynM Yes, the characters were there as representatives of particular experiences more than fully fleshed out people. Still an enjoyable read for me. 1d
batsy I too found the writing a bit plodding. It did feel like a life-like snapshot into a particular time and place, especially since the characters were not wholly likeable and we could see them from the start with their warts and all πŸ™‚ 1d
jlhammar Great to get your thoughts! I hear what you‘re saying about heart vs head and the writing. It really was different (interesting is the word that kept coming to mind), but I quite enjoyed it for what it was. 1d
LeahBergen I found the writing made it initially a bit hard for me to get into to the story but I ended up enjoying it. 23h
Cathythoughts I really enjoyed this book. I felt there was a depth to it. I didn‘t notice the plodding writing πŸ™ˆ. I enjoyed it for what it was too @jlhammarπŸ‘πŸ»β™₯️ 18h
Jess_Read_This As a late to reading it group member, I‘ve been loving reading all the different experiences everyone has had reading this book! Great review! 16h
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review
batsy
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Pickpick

This was an interesting look at the post-war upheavals & effects on a cast of characters in a British village. It is ironic how something so disruptive to life & wellbeingβ€”warβ€”was the one way for most middle & upper class British women to imagine different possibilities beyond their role at home. Although the writing here didn't quite sparkle, I enjoyed how the book gently looked into all these altered lives. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

batsy Thanks again for passing on your extra copy @CarolynM 😘 1w
jlhammar The writing didn‘t quite sparkle for me either (great way to put that!), but I did really enjoy it for what it was, for that fly-on-the-wall experience. Great review! 1w
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Tamra My recreational reading is on hold, but what little I did get to didn‘t grab me with a capital G. 1w
batsy @jlhammar Thank you! Yes, it's the kind of narrative that grows on you and by the end it's nice to see how it all sort of ties together. 1w
batsy @Tamra I struggled when I read it in bits at the start but it got better when I finally sat down and polished off most of it. Hope you have more time for fun reading soon πŸ™‚ 1w
Ruthiella Great review! I was luckily able to read it in a couple of larger chunks and I agree that helped in my enjoyment of it. 1w
LeahBergen Yes, I found the writing didn‘t immediately grab me either. πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ 1w
CarolynM Great review. Definitely a case of the total being greater than the sum of the parts. And you‘re very welcome😘 1w
erzascarletbookgasm Nice review. Sounds like a very interesting book. 7d
Cathythoughts Nice review! Yes I agree it was an interesting look at these altered lives. πŸ‘πŸ» 7d
batsy @LeahBergen Glad I'm not the only one! 😁 I think the shift in POV also took some adjusting to at the start. 7d
batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks, Jessie! Will be happy to send it to you so you get a chance to read it, too. It'll be a #furrowedmiddlebrowclub travelling book πŸ™‚ 7d
willaful Finished today and it resonated emotionally a lot with me, post-lockdown. Somehow the human experience really doesn't change much. 4d
willaful I thought it was interesting that Helen's narration was in first person present tense. I don't recall ever seeing that in an older book before. 4d
Jess_Read_This Great review! Thanks for setting the expectation that the writing doesn‘t β€œsparkle” but is still enjoyable. I‘m starting it Saturday and I think I might be bring up the last of the group members in reading it πŸ˜‚ (edited) 16h
batsy @willaful That's a great point about resonating post-lockdown. There is something about emerging into what should be a new world but with old roles depressingly intact that has parallels to the post-war situation. And yes about Helen's pov; made the book seem very contemporary. 10h
batsy @Jess_Read_This Thank you! As you can see the book has generated some interesting comments and reviews from those who have read it. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to your thoughts! 10h
willaful @batsy I also related to those missing the war... there was a simplicity about knowing exactly what your priorities were, and a comradeship in the shared experience, at least in the early days. 7h
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review
Ruthiella
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Pickpick

A frank look at life right after WWII in an English village as returning forces and civilian population adjust to life after wartime. Some manage the transition better than others.

It reminded me a little of South Riding by Winifred Holtby (though much shorter) in its intimate look at a large cast of characters ranging across class in a specific location, in this case the village of Kirton.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

batsy Love the collage! I loved South Riding a lot and I've been meaning to revisit it. 1w
quietjenn This collage is great! And yes, @batsy I've been meaning to revisit South Riding as well, so let me know if you decide to do so. 1w
Tamra I spy our FurrowedMiddlebrowClub meeting spot! πŸ˜‰ (edited) 1w
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batsy @quietjenn I will! All of my best laid bookish plans fall to the wayside because of distraction, though, so please prompt me if you're ready at some point 😁 1w
quietjenn @batsy I understand completely πŸ˜… And I will. 1w
jlhammar The Cock & Pheasant!! Fantastic collage and lovely review. This book also reminded me of the tv series Home Fires. 1w
Ruthiella @batsy @quietjenn @Tamra @jlhammar I just knew there had to be a real pub with that name. And I was right! πŸ˜‚ 1w
LeahBergen Love the collage! Who‘s eloping out of the Cock and Pheasant? πŸ˜†πŸ˜† 1w
Ruthiella @LeahBergen 🀣 Maybe Daphne and Mr. Price? πŸ˜‚ 1w
LeahBergen 🀣 That Daphne was a bit of a horndog, wasn‘t she? πŸ˜† 1w
CarolynM Nice review. The variety of experiences was what made it so interesting for me. @batsy @quietjenn I‘ve not read South Riding but I‘d love to join in if you decide to buddy read. 1w
Ruthiella @CarolynM I think you will like 7d
batsy @CarolynM @quietjenn Will remember to tag you when it happens πŸ™‚ 7d
quietjenn @batsy @CarolynM yes, definitely! 7d
Cathythoughts Great review! I love your collage πŸ‘πŸ»β€οΈ 7d
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Thanks 😊 6d
PageShifter Sounds awesome πŸ’ž 4d
Jess_Read_This Great review and love the collage. I‘m looking forward to diving into this one on Saturday! 16h
Ruthiella @Jess_Read_This Thanks! It was a quick read l found, once I got into it. 12h
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review
CarolynM
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Pickpick

We are all familiar with the idea that the commencement of World War II caused massive change for the British which required a lot of adjustment. This book explores the ways the end of the war required just as much adjustment as service personnel settled back into civilian life, those who didn‘t serve made room for them and everyone came to terms with all that had happened while they were separated. πŸ‘‡
#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

CarolynM I was very interested in the comments about class and how the comparative lack of it in the military made returning to the civilian society difficult. 1w
LeahBergen Great review! Yes, the whole intermingling of the β€œclasses” on their return (especially at the pub) was just so interesting. 1w
Cathythoughts I love your review. Yes , very interesting about class ( lack of ) in the military and returning to civilian society. 1w
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batsy Nice review! I'm so close to being done but I'm finding it very interesting precisely because as the description promised: it provides a micro view of society in the post-war upheaval. It's really interesting to see the varied levels of freedoms (or not) amongst women amidst their different occupations/class position. 1w
quietjenn Yes! I'm only a little way through, but the class thing has really struck me in what I have read. 1w
jlhammar Wonderful review. Love your wallpaper! The β€œfly-on-the-wall” description on the back cover is spot-on. That was just how I felt reading. It makes so much sense that those old class and gender lines would have eroded some over the course of the war. I agree, it was so interesting to see how that played out for these characters in those first months back. 1w
Ruthiella I was surprised that police would accuse Dick of falsely wearing his medals. But OTOH, I know that Black American service men also returned from WWII and met with similar if not worse treatment in the US. 1w
Jess_Read_This You‘ve written such a terrific review! This is going to be my weekend read. I can‘t wait to get into after reading your review! 16h
rubyslippersreads I think some of the readjustments were similar here in the US. My maternal grandmother was a β€œRosie the Riveter” during WWII, but of course had to give the job back to a man when the war ended. 3h
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review
LeahBergen
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Pickpick

This 1945 novel is an eye-opening and gossipy peek at a group of demobilized villagers who must return to their old lives in the immediate aftermath of WW2. Wartime love affairs, illegitimate babies, soldier‘s PTSD, and the demise of the country house are all touched upon by an author who had herself just returned from war service. Super interesting!

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

LeahBergen Oops, @Lizpixie ! I almost forgot to tag you for #BirthdayPixieReadathon. So sorry, no pixies on the cover here! πŸ˜†πŸ˜† 1w
jlhammar Such lovely shelves. Gossipy peek is a perfect description. Great review! 1w
Ruthiella So many illegitimate babies! People would have us believe that things were different then… 1w
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sarahbarnes Love the title! 1w
CarolynM Great review. I‘m hoping to finish tomorrow. It‘s so interesting to read about this period in a contemporary work. To take @Ruthiella β€˜s point one step further, I‘m getting a feeling from it that is not dissimilar to the current mood in my world of post pandemic restrictions. 1w
erzascarletbookgasm Sounds like I‘m missing a very good read this month. Great review Leah! 1w
batsy Nice review, Leah! I'm about halfway through and I like the description "gossipy peek", as well. It does feel like we're sat at The Cock and Pheasant eavesdropping on the next table ? 1w
Cathythoughts Lovely review! Gossipy peek is right. We‘ll said , that really is part of the charm of the writing. And all your gorgeous books in the picture πŸ₯° 1w
Tamra Gossipy yes! So fun in these period novels. 🀫 1w
Aimeesue Nice review! Starting this one tonight! 1w
LeahBergen @jlhammar There‘s a whole lotta middlebrow on these shelves. πŸ˜† 1w
LeahBergen @sarahbarnes It‘s great, isn‘t it? 1w
LeahBergen @CarolynM There are total similarities! 1w
LeahBergen @erzascarletbookgasm I think you might like this one! 1w
LeahBergen @batsy I loved that pub. πŸ˜† 1w
LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy! 😘 1w
LeahBergen @Tamra I don‘t mind a wee bit of gossip myself, sometimes. πŸ˜† 1w
LeahBergen @Aimeesue I hope you enjoy it, too! 1w
elkeOriginal How many Furrowed Middlebrow do you NOT own? I assume that is a shorter list than β€˜own‘ πŸ˜‰ 1w
LeahBergen @elkeOriginal LOL! Well, you made me curious and I had to count. πŸ˜† I think I still need 16 (but the rest of the ones I own aren‘t all Furrowed Middlebrow editions; I have around 18 of the titles in old hardcovers). πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ 1w
elkeOriginal @LeahBergen Fantastic numbers! The real HCs are such a prize πŸ’• 1w
LeahBergen @elkeOriginal They are, aren‘t they? I always think they β€œread better” than a new edition. 🀫 1w
90 likes4 stack adds23 comments
review
jlhammar
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Pickpick

An interesting look at village life, particularly at the challenges facing women, in the immediate aftermath of WWII. The long-awaited peace brought difficult adjustments for many. I appreciated how Beauchamp highlighted several different personalities and situations.

Anyone else find the switch from first-person POV with Helen to third-person for the others to be an unusual choice? I think it ultimately works given how she bookends the story.

jlhammar Some good quips in here as well. β€œFaithfulness was unfashionable during the warβ€œ was one of my favorites. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub 2w
Ruthiella Yes, I wondered at that switch in perspective as well. An artistic choice? To make the reader more sympathetic toward Helen? I did like the bookending, however. The end was an interesting echo of the beginning. 2w
batsy I just started today and will come back to this review when I'm done πŸ™‚ 2w
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LeahBergen I just finished it and yes… I was wondering about that singular first-person narration, too! And like you and @Ruthiella I ultimately found it worked with the bookending of the first and final chapters. (edited) 1w
LeahBergen And did anyone else think Helen might end up with Brian? I thought there might be more to their relationship as he was SO β€œtwo souls meeting” but … nope. πŸ˜†πŸ˜† I was also hoping for a bit of romance for poor ol‘ Laura (maybe Michael?), especially when she showed up to that boozy cocktail party in a new frock but, once again … nope. πŸ˜† (edited) 1w
Ruthiella Funny enough, I didn‘t consider that! I did did think there might‘ve been a confrontation with her husband at some point or a confession. But nope, neither happened. 1w
jlhammar @LeahBergen @Ruthiella After Helen‘s β€œI love you, but I‘m no longer in love with you” reply to her husband, I wasn‘t expecting things to end up where they did either! Nice that they found their way back to each other and we got a happy ending of sorts. I, too, was hoping for something more for Laura. I really felt for her. 1w
batsy Great review! Finished last night and was also thinking about the switch in pov but like you said, the bookending of Helen's pov chapters made it quite satisfying. I'm still not sure why it was doneβ€”I suppose it was an authorial intention to make Helen the protagonist while also giving the reader an Austen-esque view into the village. 1w
batsy @LeahBergen Me too! I was so hoping that the party would be the start of something for her. Feel like there was a whole missed opportunity with making either one of Michael or Brian more interesting male characters who fell for Laura πŸ™ƒ 1w
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jlhammar
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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β€œGroup commander! What a lot of nonsense you women got up to during the war. I can‘t think how the army got along at all with a pack of women dressing themselves up as soldiers, strutting about giving orders and poking their noses into a lot of matters that didn‘t concern them”

Laura‘s father is a real piece of work. This part had me fuming 😑

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra Ya, though I haven‘t gotten very far into the story, I don‘t have a favorable impression of him. 2w
Ruthiella Agree, he‘s an ass. But I suspect his opinion wasn‘t uncommon at the time, unfortunately. 2w
LeahBergen I‘ve only just started reading the book and I can already tell he‘s going to be a piece of work. πŸ™„ 2w
Cathythoughts Yes , Laura definitely has her hands full with him. 2w
52 likes4 comments
review
Cathythoughts
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Pickpick

β€˜It nearly broke his Mum‘s heart when he joined up , her having lost her husband in the first war …‘

All the happenings in the village of Kirton as World War Two ended.
Showing the deepest fears and anxieties people had to somehow live through. The uncertainty of life and what would happen next ,Lovely characters
Good laughs along the way too. #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub I wish we could all meet in the Cock and Pheasant Arms to chat about this one

batsy I wish we could meet at the Cock and Pheasant Arms, too!! 😁❀️ Great review. I've yet to start but based on your review I'm looking forward to it. 2w
Cathythoughts @batsy It‘s very enjoyable πŸ‘πŸ»β€οΈ 2w
Aimeesue I‘m looking forward to this one! 2w
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Tamra Me too!! 🍻 2w
erzascarletbookgasm Lovely review! 🍻 2w
jlhammar Wouldn‘t that be lovely? Wonderful review! Look forward to finishing-up this weekend. 2w
quietjenn Yes, to a nice chat at the pub! Nice review πŸ˜ƒ looking forward to devoting some time to this one soon 2w
Ruthiella That would be great to meet up in the pub to discuss in person! I‘ve finished it as well and concur with your review. A really interesting look at how people dealt with transitioning to civilian life, long wished for but harder than anticipated. 2w
LeahBergen What a lovely review! I better get cracking with my reading of it. πŸ˜† 2w
LeahBergen And the wine pairing is perfect. 🍷 2w
catebutler Great review Cathy! I‘m in the middle of the novel, and agree wholeheartedly. Love the character studies. 2w
willaful I have to read it on my phone, which my eyes hate, so have been reluctant to start. But I'll try to commit to some time every day. 2w
Cathythoughts @Ruthiella I think it was hard at times too. Really made me think about what people went through β€οΈπŸ’” 2w
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thanks 🍷 2w
Cathythoughts @catebutler The characters are great ❀️ 2w
Cathythoughts @willaful Mind your eyes. It‘s a good read ❀️❀️❀️ 2w
LeahBergen Oh, just to let you know … I sent you a book from Book Depository that might be arriving next week (three words in the title; first word starts with β€˜G‘ πŸ˜†πŸ˜†) and there‘s another little package to follow that I‘ve sent from here. I hope it doesn‘t arrive too late! 😘😘 2w
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thanks so much Leah. You‘re very good. We are off to France tomorrow but my neighbour is taking in our post.. I‘ll look forward to your parcel .. and first letter β€˜G‘ hmmmm, interesting ❀️❀️❀️😘 2w
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen We used to do that letter teaser before! That was fun πŸ˜‚ I‘m glad it‘s making a comeback. I can ponder on G πŸ‘πŸ»β€οΈ 2w
LeahBergen Yes, you did the letter teaser thing first! πŸ˜† I loved it. Have a wonderful, WONDERFUL time in France. 😘😘 2w
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thanks Leah 😘 2w
Jess_Read_This Lovely review! And I‘d love to meet up with you and our bookclub in a pub. That would just be such a treat to meet everyone. I‘ve got this one on order and am looking forward to joining in! 2w
Cathythoughts @Jess_Read_This 🍻I hope you enjoy the book X 2w
CarolynM What a lovely thought, all of us sharing a drink and a laugh together❀️ Well, maybe one day… Great review too. 1w
kspenmoll Wonderful review! 1w
Cathythoughts @kspenmoll Thankyou ! 😘 1w
70 likes27 comments
blurb
jlhammar
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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I knew that Queen Elizabeth II served in the ATS during WWII, but not much else. Love this recruiting poster. There‘s some interesting history and photos on the National Army Museum site. Also enjoyed this BBC Radio 4 Seriously… episode where a few of the women still alive β€œtell their extraordinary stories of the Auxiliary Territorial Service and how it changed their lives.” Links to both in comments.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Cathythoughts Thanks ! I must have a look. I‘m hoping to start just as soon as I finish my present book. πŸ‘πŸ»β€οΈ 3w
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LeahBergen Thanks! I‘m saving this for when I start the book! πŸ‘ 3w
CarolynM Just getting started. So far so goodπŸ™‚ 2w
Jess_Read_This Thanks for sharing! I have the book on order and will check back into this. I love the artwork on the poster. Just stunning! 2w
59 likes6 comments
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Tamra
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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That made me snort & smirk. πŸ˜† #Furrowedmiddlebrowclub

Ruthiella That line caught my eye too! 3w
jlhammar Just read this bit! Oh, the injustice, getting stuck with a Canadian for a daughter-in-law! πŸ˜† 3w
Cathythoughts πŸ‘πŸ» Well , we couldn‘t be approving of that sort of carry on πŸ˜‚ 2w
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LeahBergen β€œEven if it was a Dominion”. πŸ˜†πŸ˜† 1w
LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Not with a Canadian! πŸ˜† 1w
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Definitely not with a Canadian πŸ˜³πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ 1w
50 likes6 comments
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jlhammar
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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β€œI, Helen Townsend, am going to have tea with Laura Watson.”

So excited to get started! Love this cover. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
#FirstLineFridays

JamieArc All these covers…. 😍😍😍 3w
batsy Lovely photo! I hope to get started next week. 3w
Cathythoughts I‘m looking forward to it too πŸ‘―β€β™€οΈπŸ‘πŸ»β€οΈ 3w
LeahBergen I‘m so looking forward to this one, too! πŸ‘ 3w
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blurb
Ruthiella
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Hey #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub reading friends! It‘s time to read our bimonthly pick for March 2023. As per usual, read and post as you go and we‘ll aim to be finished by the middle of the month, but no worries if you take longer. 😊

All are welcome to join in! If you want to be tagged, let us know. πŸ˜„

CarolynM I‘m looking forward to this one - even more than usual! 3w
Ruthiella @CarolynM I was so looking forward to it, I accidentally posted about it last month! πŸ˜‚ @LeahBergen reminded me I was getting ahead of myself and I deleted it. Oops πŸ™Š 3w
CarolynM Jumping the gun there! There‘s nothing wrong with being overexcited about a buddy read🀣 3w
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catebutler Excited to read this! 3w
Aimeesue @Ruthiella Whoops!πŸ˜‚ (edited) 3w
Tamra I‘ve started! Woot πŸŽ‰ 3w
batsy Yay! 3w
LeahBergen Yay! And thanks for the reminder. I loved your over eager, early post (that‘s totally something I would do πŸ˜†πŸ˜†). 3w
erzascarletbookgasm I‘ll sit out on this month‘s pick. Hope it‘s a good read for everyone. 3w
jlhammar Can‘t wait to get started! 3w
Cathythoughts Thankyou !! I must get my copy off the shelf immediately πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ˜ 3w
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batsy
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Thank you so much @CarolynM for passing on your extra copy for our upcoming #furrowedmiddlebrowclub and the lovely extras. Your beautiful card and message ❀️ I love the pin and bookmark! You're so thoughtful and it was a treat to get this in the mail 😘

CarolynM That was quick! Hope it‘s a good read😘 2mo
Cathythoughts That‘s a perfect present β™₯️ So lovely! 2mo
batsy @CarolynM Thanks again and I hope we all enjoy it πŸ™‚ 2mo
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batsy @Cathythoughts Yes! πŸ₯° 2mo
GatheringBooks Do i spy a notebook? That looks gorgeous! 2mo
batsy @GatheringBooks That's a card! It's such a pretty design πŸ’œ 2mo
LeahBergen So lovely! πŸ₯°πŸ₯° 2mo
batsy @LeahBergen It is πŸ’• 2mo
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quietjenn
Wine of Honour | Barbara Beauchamp
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Hello, #furrowedmiddlebrowclub members! We thought it might be nice to get our reading for the year lined up, so everyone can plan (and buy!) accordingly, So, here are my nominations for March!

. Hopefully one of them will strike your fancy!

LeahBergen Well, I really want to read both but I‘ll be fiscally responsible and vote for the one I already own. πŸ˜† 3mo
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quietjenn @LeahBergen thank you! I did tag people and they showed up on the desktop, but didn't save and I didn't realize it. 3mo
LeahBergen @quietjenn Oh, no worries! πŸ˜„ 3mo
LeahBergen And I was SO thinking of choosing Miss Carter for one of my own voting choices but I‘m trying to narrow it down to books I own. 😬 3mo
quietjenn @LeahBergen I am not always great at the fiscal responsibility, but i often find that to be how I make decisions 🀣 3mo
quietjenn @LeahBergen it's hard, although fun hard! And I tend to mostly read these as ebooks, so ownership isn't as much as issue, since those are so cheap (or sometimes free) that i just end up buying them all. There were definitely a few others that were close contenders, which I'm kinda hoping come up in other nominations 🀞 3mo
LeahBergen @quietjenn I must say, I love how frequently they give away free e-editions of these books. They‘re such a lovely small press. ❀️ And I have a few others that I‘m hoping come up for the vote soon, too! (edited) 3mo
Ruthiella Sorry @LeahBergen if this means you have to buy another book (the horror!😱) but I have to vote for Miss Carter. It just sounds like such fun and will help cheer up the last month of winter. 3mo
LeahBergen @Ruthiella Umm, PLEASE make me buy another book. I‘ll be buying it anyway. πŸ˜†πŸ˜† 3mo
elkeOriginal Miss Carter for me! 3mo
CarolynM I was thinking of suggesting this one, so I‘ll vote for it instead πŸ™‚ 3mo
batsy Ooh, fun choices! I'm going with 3mo
erzascarletbookgasm This sounds fantastical and fun 3mo
catebutler Love the idea of both of these. My vote is for 3mo
Kimzey Either would be fine, but I vote for Miss Carter and the Ifrit. 3mo
LeahBergen Okay, @Jess_Read_This , you‘re our tiebreaker! What‘s your vote? 3mo
Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen I‘m horrified and apologetic! I haven‘t received Litsy notifications for the past two days. I get one today and see I‘ve missed 14 conversations! 😬 I vote for 3mo
LeahBergen @Jess_Read_This Haha! No apologies needed! Litsy‘s notifications have been glitching for the last couple of days. I figured if I bombarded you with tags , one would eventually get through. πŸ˜† 3mo
LeahBergen Wine of Honour wins by a nose! @CarolynM and @Cathythoughts , you two can post your suggestions for July and September now. @Ruthiella , I was thinking you might want to wait to see what gets nominated for these two before posting yours for November? 3mo
CarolynM @LeahBergen They were going to be my two choices. Lucky me gets two more choices😁 (edited) 3mo
Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen it‘s so odd. I‘ve never had issues with notifications. And now I‘m not getting any. Not even that you replied to me 5 min ago! I appreciate the tag bombardment- I think it needs to continue on for me sadly. I‘ll try to reload the app maybe 3mo
LeahBergen @CarolynM You do, lucky duck! πŸ¦† 3mo
quietjenn @Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen I'm constantly having trouble with tags and notifications, so you are certainly not alone! 3mo
LeahBergen @Jess_Read_This It was happening to me a couple of days ago (and might still be, for all I know πŸ˜†). Other people on Litsy have been mentioning it, too. 3mo
LeahBergen @quietjenn You, too? It‘s annoying! 3mo
Ruthiella @LeahBergen Yes, I will wait until @CarolynM and @Cathythoughts post. πŸ‘πŸ˜Š 3mo
Jess_Read_This @quietjenn @LeahBergen Thanks for understanding and commiserating! I‘m glad (but also dismayed) it‘s happened to both of you. I like to be able to select when I take a tech break from notifications and not have it forced on me πŸ˜‚ 3mo
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