First, the cover: beautifully illustrated and just perfect for the story within.
As for the book itself, it belongs to a genre I would not normally have chosen. And, while I admired the author’s skilful interweaving of fact and fiction, I did frequently find myself wondering where the fact ended and the fiction began.
That said, the story is beautifully written. The author takes the documented facts of Virginia’s personal story – her first failed marriage, her determination to find another that can secure her a place in society, marriage to Stephen and the couple’s lives in England and Scotland, then their life of philanthropy and involvement in social and cultural change in 1950s Rhodesia – and builds around them a quite captivating narrative. We are given a real insight into Virginia’s character and personality: her flamboyance and confidence undermined by personal insecurity and vulnerability, her desperate and touching need for social acceptance. I didn’t actually warm to her until the point when she owned up to her deception, allowing Stephen in his turn to unburden himself to her. Up until then, I viewed her as a man’s woman, single minded and socially ambitious, morally flawed, someone who had lied in order to ensnare both of her husbands.
I found the structure of the book an interesting one: the first part is set in the 1950s, the second returns to Virginia’s life in the 1920s and earlier, the narrative then moves back to 1950s Rhodesia, the fourth part focussing on her life in England with Stephen, the longest, fifth, a more linear journey through the 50s to the story’s conclusion. Although not usually a fan of this current vogue of flipping to and fro in terms of time and place, I thought it worked well here, with no navigation issues. The element that didn’t work quite so well for me was Catherine’s story. This did provide an insight into the less glamorous aspects of expat life in Africa, the isolation, loneliness, boredom, packed away, moth eaten clothes; also an interesting take on a child’s perspective, and necessary to the story’s conclusion. For me though, her sections did at times disrupt the narrative flow.
It’s clear that the author undertook a great deal of research to bring to light the fascinating life of Virginia Courtauld. It was beautifully written and a pleasure to read. I should be interested in hearing from the author how she approaches the intermingling of fact and fiction: for instance, given that events are fairly recent, with characters in the novel still alive today.
