Jojo Moyes: The Ship of Brides

Recension: "The Ship of Brides" by Jojo Moyes

Cover

Title: The Ship of Brides

Author: Moyes, Jojo

Publication: 2008

Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks

"The only people who still have all the answers are those who have never been faced with the questions.” 






Cover Text:

"Australia, 1946. 650 brides are departing for England to meet the men they married in wartime. But instead of the luxury liner they were expecting, they find themselves aboard an aircraft carrier, alongside a thousand men.

On the sun-baked decks, old loves and past promises become distant memories, and tensions are stretched to the limit as brides and husbands change their minds. And for Frances Mackenzie, one bride in particular, it soon becomes clear that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination."

The novel tells the journey of four Australian women crossing the ocean in order to get to their American husbands. Each one a different character, they face problems, but also learn to stick together and to get along with difficult situations. They have to adjust themselves with the uncomfortable ship, with living together at very tiny space and much more. 

Frances wants nothing more than to escape her past. However, one day she cannot hide it anymore, the secret she carried with her thorughout the whole journey. Will it destroy everything she fought for? Margaret cannot wait to be together with her husband, but also misses her family back home. Having a deep heart, she always tries to solve the occuring conflicts and takes care of everybody. Avice, coming from a rich family, struggles to adjust herself to the new circumstances on board. Having her own prospect on how things should be, she often gets into conflicts with the other brides, especially with Jean. Jean, the youngest of the four brides the story is focused on, is kind of simple-hearted and, therefore, does not seem to be as sophisticated as Avice, for example, which leads to a stressed relationship between the two young woman.

The novel has autobiographical traits due to the fact that the author's grandma was one of the original brides who went on the long journey hoping for a better life. Her grandmother's journey is the basis for the fictional story. Moyes has written a wonderful book full of emotions that makes you feel like you are on board with the brides. Each chapter focusing on a different character perspective makes it very lively, touching and you definitley get into a relation with the characters and understand their hopes and fears. You feel with the brides and while reading you get the impression of the limitedness and the impact it has on the woman who have no minute for being on their own. A great story with realistic characters, interesting and stunning developments that makes you feel like you travelled back in time to the 1940s. I really enjoyed reading it and I am looking forward to reading the next books written by Jojo Moyes.

What is your favorite novel by Jojo Moyes?

A blogpost on Moyes' novel "Me Before You" can be found on my blog as well.


♥ xoxo



sources: http://www.jojomoyes.com/books/the-ship-of-brides