I really enjoyed this novel. Alex Martin writes with a sensitivity and awareness of the human condition. The storyline flows. the recurring themes of loyalty. love, hope and despair- so much part of those times – are consistent. It is so easy to empathise with her characters; they are rounded and believable. The dialogue and internal voices of both protagonists, Katy and Jem, resonate with the characters portrayed. The storyline is strong and compelling.
The first part of Daffodils evokes the simplicity and unchallenged class narrowness of village life in England before WW1. And then comes the horrific experiences of that war. From a personal point of view,the one and only weakness of this novel is the change of pace in the last third of the story – I so wanted to know more of both Katy and Jem\’s war experiences; especially Katy\’s initial efforts to become involved in the war. So my only regret as I closed the book was that it was not longer. This is a novel I would thoroughly recommend. I look forward to reading Alex martin\’s other novel, The Twisted Vine
My comment is that Daffodils is already a long book and I had to condense it at some point otherwise it would have become an epic!
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