After the War is Over audiobook

I didn't read the first book, but this is a complete stand alone novel. It is about Charlotte, a thirty something year old woman living after WWI. She is working for an office that helps poor families, especially those who have returning veterans who cannot find work. She is a strong advocate for this and the rights of women. Everyone thought when the war was over things were going to be great, but Charlotte sees that the war is still being fought everyday, it is just a different war. I thought the book was quite good. It seemed to suffer a bit from undecided plot lines. It would go in a direction for awhile and then that thread would just go on a back burner. There was also a strange filler chapter about a trip to the beach that made no sense at all. All that being said, I thought the book was quite enjoyable. It would probably be 3.5 stars but I decided to go with four because it was a quick read!

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...I received a copy of this book from the publisher William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It was just released yesterday. I will start out by saying that this is a story for true fans of historical fiction. Readers who do not favour this genre may not enjoy this story as it is not a fast moving one where a lot occurs. Those who enjoy reading about the hardships of post WWI England will on the other hand appreciate this novel. This book features a character who while somewhat stiff and boring holds strong convictions of how she thinks things should be. Be it the place and rights woman have or should have in society to the treatment (or lack thereof) of war veterans and their families. Her position in her workplace and her articles in the local newspaper serve as an outlet for her concerns with the direction of post war England. Also included in the story is a love story. A very understated one. At first I wasn't sure if there was one but it eventually played out for the reader. This is where I return to my comment that this is a read for the true historical fiction fan. Some may find the love story too understated however I would disagree. I found it a little bit refreshing that it did not overwhelm the story or Charlottes journey. While a sucker for a good romance I thought the subtly was well written and appropriate for the story. I am going to hold back on too much detail about this book. I will just say that I truly enjoyed it and will be seeking other works by Robson. I thought I had read that there was a first book to this one somewhere. If that is the case I will be seeking it out. Also if it is true it in no way impedes the enjoyment of this one

After the War is Over is Robson's follow-up to the excellent Somewhere in France. To be clear, it isn't essential that you read Somewhere in France before this one; however, I do think readers who have read the previous book will get a better appreciation of After the War is Over. After the War is Over is set in England after the first world war (obviously). During the war, Charlotte Brown served as a nurse, something that she was able to do as a university educated young woman. Now that the war is over Charlotte is more than content returning to her old job in Liverpool, helping those that have suffered from the war.As Charlotte gains satisfaction in her new life, she's pulled back into the past by her best friend Lily (subject of Somewhere in France), who's brother has come back from the war a changed man.Edward Neville-Ashford, Earl of Cumberland, has returned home wounded both in body and spirit. He's lost a leg and it's clear that he's not the same, care-free young man he once was. Each time Charlotte encounters him she tries to talk to him, help him, but to no avail. Needing to move on from her girlhood infatuation, Charlotte distances herself from the Neville-Ashford family. Unfortunately for the contentment that Charlotte has found, she is pulled once again into this family's circle when Lilly asks for help with her brother. While Charlotte wants to help, she is more than aware that it is going to interfere with the success that she has found.After the War is Over was an excellent read, although I will admit that it was a little different from what I was expecting. I thought there would be a stronger romance element, but what the novel provides is a very good sense of the turbulent atmosphere in the post-war era, especially for women.I found it compelling that Robson decided to focus on women in the post-war era. So many war novels focused on how men came home broken after the war. Yes, this was part of After the War Was Over, but ultimately this book was about women during this period. In many ways Charlotte was restricted by her gender and you sense this in every aspect of her life, especially in her interactions with her friends at the boarding house where she resides.Readers are treated to a lot of day-to-day activities of these woman, and perhaps these descriptions could be labeled dull. However, I really felt that this book offered a realistic and less romanticized version of women in during this period. The role of women during the war is often discussed in the classroom, but there are few popular titles where it has been so predominately explored, and I appreciate that fact in this book. For example, near the beginning of the novel Charlotte learns that she has received the right to vote, not the vote as we know it today, a by-election for Oxford University, but the satisfaction that Charlotte feels for jumping through all the hoops to actually cast her vote is palpable. It was these little details that made After the War is Over such a powerful read for me.The area that didn't fall into place as expected was the romance aspect of the novel. It was quite clear from the book jacket that there was something going on between Charlotte and Edward; however, it really didn't play as strong a role as I would have expected it to. Really, it wasn't until closer to the end that readers saw Charlotte and Edward interact with each other. The bulk of their interactions were related in flashbacks when Charlotte was employed by Edward as Lily's governess. Personally, I felt that there was a lot of material that could have been used to a stronger advantage in the romance department. I really would have liked the romance to have taken a more central role to the plot, but then again, I am a romance reader, so take that with a grain of salt.After the War is Over is a compelling and interesting novel. It tackles a period that receives a lot of attention, and it does it in a way that I think will resonate with female readers. There's no battle scenes, but readers are taken to the front lines of women's fight for independence and their daily lives. I loved the powerful simplicity of After the War is Over and I think that anyone who enjoyed Somewhere in France will also love this one as will readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction. Another highly recommended read.Review originally published at The Book Adventures. *Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.

I love Jennifer's novels, which are always original in premise, meticulously researched and well-written. After the War is Over, a story of a young woman trying to find her pay in Britain after the Great War is one amazing example of her work. Historical fiction lovers, if you have not read this book and her others, you are missing out!

This novel is set in Britain during 1919 and 1920 and follows the lives of a number of people who experienced profound changes in their lives during the First World War. It is a follow-up to the novel "SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE".

I received an ARC from the publisher.Charlotte works in an office in Liverpool that tries to find help for the poor and destitute. The circumstances of many families has become dire especially since The Great War has ended. Veterans are coming home wounded and unable to work and women are left widows with children to feed.Jennifer Robson vividly portrays the sadness and destruction that has been left in the wake of the war; everyone in England has been affected by this deadly and costly conflict. There are several sub plots in the book that will give the reader a better appreciation of the variety of ways in which men and women from all walks of life had their lives altered by World War I.Charlotte served as a nurse in a hospital in London that specialized in helping veterans from shell shock; her memories of the patients she helped there always haunt her. But when her old friend, Edward, comes home from the war a changed man, she uses her expertise as a nurse to try and help him recover from his trauma.There is obviously a history between Charlotte and Edward and the narrative flashes back to the time they spent together before the war. But since they are from very different social classes, Charlotte assumes that they will never be romantically involved. The scenes in the book in which Edward and Charlotte are getting to know each other were my favorite parts of the book. My only complaint about the book is that Robson did not include more interaction between these two characters.Overall, AFTER THE WAR IS OVER is a fantastic read if you have an interest in historical fiction set during and after World War I.This review and more at: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com

While not as impactful as the first in the series, I really enjoyed this one. This book could easily be read as a standalone novel and is based on a character that intrigued me in Somewhere In France. I enjoyed learning more about Charlotte and Edward and seeing a continuation to their story.

I get why some people found this book slow or boring. It's a book about a strong independent woman who lives her life wanting to improve the lives of the less fortunate through policy. Policy isn't sexy! It's not exciting! But policy by Jennifer Robson is lovely, believe it or not. At the hands of a less skilled author this book would have been awful. Honestly the romance isn't as in your face, it's an incredibly slow burn and the excitement and danger of war is over.But again Robson writes so beautifully that I hardly noticed. I love how she writes her characters and how she weaves interesting and from what I can gather not having been alive in the early 1900's England, appropriate dialogue.My only wish was that we got more from Edward's end... Or rather anything from Edward's POV! I loved having Robbie's voice in Somewhere in France and because I enjoyed Edward so much in that I wanted more!But even still without that wish being fulfilled I loved Edward so much. He truly will go down as my favourite of the literary Edward's!And how can I move on without expressing love for Charlotte. Driven, lovely, intelligent, beautiful inside and out. A friend through and through and I was so thrilled when she finally owned up to her truths.I loved this book almost as much as Somewhere in France and am again shocked by the low overall rating.

This is the follow up book to Somewhere in France and looks at the problems Britain faces after the devastation of WWI. Every strata of society finds its lifestyle affected from the highest aristocracy to the suffering poor. Lives have been turned upside down and returning soldiers often find no work. The problems are exposed through the story of Edward and Charlotte, secondary characters in the first book. Opening in 1919, this book also presents the struggle of women to emerge into prominent roles.Very enjoyable and informative. I learned much about a period that I new very little.

I started this book with very low expectations having not enjoyed another of Robson's books. ... I was very pleasantly surprised. While this book did have a love story that ran through it, it was really much more than that. The story takes place right after WW1 and tackles the fall out from the war, how the system could not deal with so many wounded and scarred individuals and family. More broadly and relative to modern day it explored the class system. The haves and the have nots. The main character struggles with being a have when there are so many have nots. A deep topic often left unexplored.

I stumbled upon this book before knowing it was the second book in a series. Regardless, I really enjoyed the story and characters. This book could be a stand alone to the first book, as it is in a different character perspective as the first book (which I went back and read after and is also lovely)

Jennifer Robson is still really working for me. Charlotte's views were pretty modern and I rather liked the editor guy, but that's okay.

loved it! feminism, power of story, love, healing and charity. great themes weaved into a great story!