Alice Miller (2)

Historical fiction based on the lives of the Irish poet William Butler Yeats and his wife Georgie Hyde-Lees. The story takes place in England and Ireland around WWI. Georgie comes to London to work as a nurse in war-torn London. She becomes enamored with WB, or Willy, although he is a womanizer twice her age who has spent 30 years unsuccessfully chasing Maud Gonne, an Irish nationalist. WB sponsors Georgie to join a secret society in which they both have an interest. She does eventually become his wife, and she is credited with helping him to produce great poetry after their marriage, partly by acting as a medium for a character who gives him advice. It is interesting that he takes advice from this male character, whom she names Thomas, though if she herself were to give this advice, he would probably ignore it. I question whether Georgie herself believes she is channeling this Thomas or merely pretending to because she understands WB. In any case, she was a pretty shrewd woman for her times, though she had to share him with other women after their marriage. Not sure a modern woman would have thought him worth the effort, but a hundred years ago it was a different story.

It took a few chapters to lure me in, but then I couldn't put it down. This debut author has a lyrical way with language. Quite a pleasure to read.… (mehr)

Great historical fiction writers have a sense of imagination to bring the unknown forward. Georgie Hyde-Lees is a nurse tending to World War I soldiers by day and at night she a member of an occult London group. W.B. Yeats, the poet, is also a member. He’s quite a ladies’ man and one would never guess that the stubborn and not so attractive young Georgie would marry the older Yeats. Turns out there’s another love interest for Georgie in one of her patients. Yet Georgie marries Yeats and proves she’ll be more useful than a “glorified secretary.… (mehr)