July 13, 2015
De Bernieres's latest novel is an immersive, sweeping historical epic focusing on three neighboring families in England: the Pitts, the Pendennises, and the McCoshs. As the family children become close and form a small gang called the Pals, the idyllic Edwardian era comes to a close far too quickly, leading all three families into WWI. The three Pendennis boys all enlist in the English infantry, despite being Americans. Daniel Pitt becomes a French fighter pilot. Two of the McCosh sisters volunteer in hospitals. All are confronted daily with the harsh realities of war. Rosie McCosh is in love with Ashbridge Pendennis, and when he enlists, they become engaged, hoping to ride out the war (which they believe will be short) and marry once it is over. Unfortunately Ash meets a tragically early end, leaving Rosie devastated. When the war is over, everyone is left to pick up the pieces and try to put their lives back together, leading to further depths of entanglement between the three families. The ravages of the war on Europe are depicted in stark relief. De Bernieres (Corelli's Mandolin) manages to quite gracefully capture the evolution from the quiet late 19th century to the horrors of modern "total warfare," and the experiences of his characters are varied and satisfying. Moreover, the space left after the war for the people who survived allows de Bernieres to take an intimate look at their various scars. This lovely tale is both intimate and grand; readers will enjoy every minute of it.