She does tell the story of one heterosexual character, Viv, who is involved in an affair with a soldier. Every moment is heart-wrenching as you experience their struggles alongside them, watching as they grasp at the small moments of joy in a time of terror. Waters does generally focus on LGBT+ characters, especially lesbians, and she writes their experiences so beautifully. As Kay puts it in the novel, ‘people’s pasts so much more interesting than their futures’.Įach character that Waters’ focuses on is wonderfully crafted. You know where the characters end up before you know how they got there. I loved that the narrative moved backwards from 1947 to 1941 because it gave such an interesting twist to the story. She also packs so much historical detail into the novel that you feel like you’re watching an old film about domestic life during the second world war. These moments are like a little nod to those that are in the know but if you don’t understand at first then you will by the end of the book. Waters hides small details in the novel, details that give context and meaning to the narrative, even down to which finger a ring is worn on. There is so much emotion and purpose behind every single word in the novel which, honestly, makes it a joy to read because you feel like you’re reading a book which actually means something.

I’ve raved written about Fingersmithbefore, which is one of my favourite books, but this book was just as good. Sarah Waters is a truly magnificent writer. Their lives and their secrets connect in sometimes startling ways. Kay, who drove an ambulance during the war and lived life at full throttle, now dresses in mannish clothes and wanders the streets with a restless hunger, searching… Helen, clever, sweet, much loved, harbours a painful secret… Viv, glamour girl, is stubbornly, even foolishly, loyal to her soldier lover… Duncan, an apparent innocent, has had his own demons to fight during the war. Summary: This is the story of four Londoners – three women and a young man with a past – drawn with absolute truth and intimacy.

Burmese days sparknotes