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Lädt ... Betsy and Lilibetvon Sophie Duffy
Keine Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch.  nicx27 | Oct 13, 2022 |  keine Rezensionen | Rezension hinzufügen
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A novel of two Elizabeths, born hours apart into very different lives in London: "Clever and charming."--Katie Fforde London, 1926. Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. One you know as the Queen of England, but what of the other girl--the daughter of an undertaker named in her honor? Betsy Sunshine grows up surrounded by death in war-torn London, watching her community grieve for their loved ones while dealing with her own teenage troubles--namely her promiscuous sister Margie. As Betsy grows older we see the how the country changes through her eyes, and along the way we discover the birth of a secret that threatens to tear her family apart. Sophie Duffy dazzles in her latest work of family/historical fiction. A tale which spans generations to explore the life and times of a family at the heart of their community, it is the story of a stoic young woman who shares a connection with her queenly counterpart in more ways than one. "Both Betsy and Lilibet develop into strong and faithful women when the world plunges into World War II. As Betsy grows older, we see through her eyes the country changing through the decades. This makes for fascinating social history, full of both humor and tragedy...Highly recommended."--Historical Novel Society "Told with wit and warmth, this is a gritty, truly British, drama."--Paul McVeigh Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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1
Betsy Sunshine and Elizabeth Windsor were born on the same day in 1926. Of course, we know that one was born a princess and went onto be a queen. Betsy was born an undertaker’s daughter and went onto be an undertaker herself, taking over the family business when there were no sons as heirs to Sunshine & Sons. Over the course of their lives Betsy and Elizabeth meet three times. This is very much Betsy’s story though, with the royal link being more of a background feature, and a series of cleverly written parallels.
I enjoyed this book immensely. I love a story of one person or family that spans a long period and this book follows Betsy from her birth until 2016 when she’s in a residential home. It’s dual timeline with alternating chapters set in 2016 and then throughout Betsy’s life, looking back to key events. Duffy’s sharp wit is in evidence and I laughed out loud so many times. She has a way of describing things that is steeped in dry humour and Betsy’s own acerbic manner just added to that. With any family comes the highs and the lows and Betsy has her share of bad fortune. Her strength and stoicism kept her going and she's a brilliantly drawn character.
Betsy and Lilibet is a wonderful novel, one for any fans of 20th century historical events. Alongside Betsy I witnessed the war years, the VE day celebrations, the royal wedding, the coronation and then later, IRA bombings, HIV and AIDS, and the death of a princess. Having Betsy be an undertaker was such a great move too, giving a sense of the passage of life that we all must take, and it made her a sympathetic character, putting on a good show no matter what. This book also reminded me of all that I liked about Duffy’s writing in The Generation Game and I now want to make sure I read her other books as well. (