- Paperback: 496 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (17 Oct. 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1471140709
- ISBN-13: 978-1471140709
Synopsis
1925. The war is over and a new generation is coming of age, keen to put the trauma of the previous one behind them.
Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing whose life is dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure; to parties and drinking and staying just the right side of scandal. Lawrence Weston is a struggling artist, desperate to escape the poverty of his upbringing and make something of himself. When their worlds collide one summer night, neither can resist the thrill of the forbidden, the lure of a love affair that they know cannot possibly last.
But there is a dark side to pleasure and a price to be paid for breaking the rules. By the end of that summer everything has changed.
A decade later, nine year old Alice is staying at Blackwood Hall with her distant grandparents, piecing together clues from her mother’s letters to discover the secrets of the past, the truth about the present, and hope for the future.
Review
The Glittering Hour is a book I pre-ordered from Amazon at he beginning of the year as it appealed to me so much, so I was over the moon to be invited to take part in the blog tour and receive an advanced copy. Set over a decade, 1925-1935, this books timeline follow the story of Selina Lennox in 1925 and her daughter Alice in 1936. In the 1920’s Selina is part of the aristocratic set referred to as The Bright Young Things, who live a hedonistic lifestyle of seeking pleasure and fun. In 1936, Selina has had to leave her daughter with her parents at the family home of Blackwood whilst she takes a journey with her husband to the Far East. Alice is lonely and sad at the gloomy stately home, until Selina starts sending clues to a treasure hunt so Alice can find out more about her mother, her life in the 1920’s and the man she really loved, artist Lawrence Weston a man she could never marry. This is a stunning novel, with a forbidden love story at it’s heart.
I have always loved books about the ‘Roaring Twenties’, the joie de vivre, the hedonism, the fun that it elicits, It must have been so much fun and this is what drew me to this book. The Glittering hour in the title is the hour of 6pm, the time of the first cocktail. Iona Grey captures this time of pleasure and excess in glorious technicolour and brings it to life; the treasure hunts, the fancy dress balls and the continuous parties that made up the social ‘season’. This may all seems frivolous in it’s pursuit of pleasure but Iona Grey reminds the more sombre reason that propelled these Bright Young Things, the loss of the Great War, the death of so many young men.
Selina was badly effected by the death of her brother Howard, her partner in crime who taught her to swing across the river at Balckwood Park. In her grief she is trying to live not only her life but his as well, seeking fun and pleasure to the excess, living a good life for the two of them. I was really drawn to Selina, a misfit at home being a tomboy, and always in the papers for her antics, not conforming to her parents expectations. When she meets Lawrence Weston on a treasure hunt she is drawn to him, his kindness and his difference to the type of man she is meant to marry. Lawrence is the archetypal starving artist having to paint portraits of this killed in the War for money so he can follow his artistic dreams as a photographer. Both have lost a sibling and understand how that loss effects them, and they seem. to bring out the best in each other. Even though this is a doomed romance because of social convention I really brought into their love and ideals; it is a really beautiful story. Alice, Selina’s daughter has her mother’s tenaciousness and inquisitiveness, always asking questions. At the beginning of the book I felt her doom and gloom at being such in the dark and miserable Blackwood Park, confined to the nursery with a governess, and with Grandparents who don’t seem to care. Through her mother’s letters, the treasure hunt and thanks to Polly the maid she comes alive, and feels close to her mother whom she adores. I loved watching her grow, her personality develop and gain confidence as the book progressed. Iona Grey certainly brought these characters and their stories to life, taking in the social conventions of the time and tackling some difficult subjects with care and understanding.
The Glittering Hour is a stunning novel of love, loss and living life to the full. Beautifully written with attention detail in plot and character, this book went straight to my heart, and took me through an array of emotions. I found this evocative of the period, mesmerising in it’s story and an absolutely fabulous read that I didn’t want to end. A captivating and compelling read that I highly recommend.
I would like to thank Anne Cater and Simon & Schuster for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this book in return for an honest review.
