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Monday 8 April 2013

22 Britannia Road

22 Britannia Road
 
22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson
Published 22 April 2011 Fig Tree
 
 
Picked this one from the library and its been sitting on my TBR pile for some time. When I did *finally* get around to reading it, what a treat!
 
Silvana and her son Aurek arrive in England at the end of WW2 to join husband Janusz, a soldier in the Polish army who, having been based in England has decided to make it their home.
 
 
Janusz has bought them a house in Ipswich and works hard making a proper English house and garden for his wife and son who he had not seen for six years. But six years is a long time, and time changes everything.
 
I enjoyed this novel. The social history was interesting - the learning of customs, the neighbours' reactions, Aurek starting school. It is a portrait of post-war family life. Did not see the shattering confession coming and my heart went out to Janusz who had been trying hard to make his family whole again.The father/son relationship is very well portrayed - how Aurek saw this man as 'the enemy' coming between him and his mother. I can fully recommend this powerful family drama.
 
Amanda lives in France. 22 Britannia Road is her debut novel.

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