A Bygone Era

The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls is a charming historical YA novel that enchanted me from the start.

The novel is set in 1919 as Britain is returning to normal after World War I. The reader drops in on a country vicarage and follows the family as Christmas approaches. It has been years since they all celebrated together.

War affects lives. Soldiers returned, some with visible scars, others were hidden. It is easy to see why some could not settle back into civilian life. A character cannot hold a job down as part of his mind still remains at the Front.

The main theme of the novel is that of love. We see a young love that war interrupted and we see the love of mothers. Losing a child creates a gap that nothing can ever fill.

There is the sacrificial love of mothers. It is a love that acts in the best interests of their child, no matter how old they are.

As Britain returns to normality, the reader is treated to daily life in the vicarage and a New Years ball. The gaiety is infectious.

Secrets have been kept to protect the innocent but sooner or later they must surface.

The Silent Stars Go By was a positively delightful novel of a bygone age. I adored it. It was a totally charming read.

I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON