Wayward Daughter by Brenda Squires

Synopsis
Wayward daughteris about wanting it all – about youthful dreams of artistic success that get trampled by life. In the vibrant arts’ scene of 1920s London promise beckons: the world, cracked open by the First World War, offers glittering opportunities but the hazards are great, especially for those unschooled in the laws of class and gender. Mo Dobson, a young woman of talent and intensity, longs to sing and make her mark. She also longs for love. Derek Eaton is driven to paint, come what may. There are secrets in Mo’s family which will turn her life upside down. When Mo and Derek embark on a passionate relationship, it takes them to Paris, the Bohemian cafes of London and the brink of despair.

My Review
Wayward Daughter is set in the ever changing 1920’s, where the young wanted to live their lives to the full after the hard War years. The book is narrated by three different characters; Morwenna/Mo, who at seventeen wants more than just working as a seamstress, a life on the West End stage, Derek, an artist and his sister Eleanor, a teacher at a boys school. All three voices bring to life the challenges of the period, but aso the opportunities if you know where to find them.

Brenda Squires has the relationship of Mo and Derek at the centre of this book. After Mo leaves home to be an artists model she meets the charming Derek, who wants to be a serious artist.They embark on an intense and passionate romance that takes them to Paris, and then back to London. Their relationship is an interesting dynamic, both wanting more from their lives than their parents, searching for fame in their respective areas, at times without a care for each other. Into this comes Eleanor, Derek’s sister whose insite from an outside perspective, looking in and watching their lives implode.

Brenda Squires captures the atmosphere of this period, the want for entertainment and fun, but also the less salubrious side to the roaring twenties. Through the characters Brenda Squires shows the problems that faced women in this period. Yes, suffragettes had got the vote for women, but only married women, but it was still very much a patriarchal society. Eleanor is an experienced teacher but when it comes to trying for the Deputy Head of the school where she has taught for many years she is looked over for a male. Mo also faces sexism in the theatre world, where your success is dependant on the men who run it, and if you are one of their mistresses.

Whilst I did enjoy Wayward Daughter I did feel that it was lacking depth at times, I found it lacking substance at points and felt there was more that could have been explored. Saying that, there is plenty of drama in this book, and some very emotional scenes. I did like the love story between Mo and Derek, two people whose artistic temperament clashes at time, and who find themselves on a differet trajectory. Love, loss, glamour and secrets make this an engaging and entertaining read.

I would like to thank Anne Cater for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.