The Bungalow by
Sarah Jio
Series: Standalone
Published: December 27th, 2011
Publisher: Plume (Penguin)
287 pages (paperback)
Genre: Women’s fiction/historical fiction
Acquired this book: From the library
Warning: May contain spoilers
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A sweeping World War II saga of thwarted love, murder, and a long-lost
painting. In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.
A timeless story of enduring passion from the author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.
The Bungalow is a story of friendship, family, love,
pain, loss, change, but most of all, enduring love. When Anne decides on a whim
to follow her best friend Kitty to Bora-Bora to be a nurse during World War II,
she knows what - and who - she’s leaving behind, but she has no idea what lies
ahead: new friendships, new love, but also secrets, lies, and tragedy that will
end up haunting her for decades to come.
Jio has this way of
drawing you into the story and making you wonder what’s going to happen next. The
Violets of March was a real page-turner, and The Bungalow is no
different. There are all these little threads of mystery and intrigue that
weave together to form a plot that holds your interest and keeps you guessing.
Friendships are one
of my favourite types of relationships in books, and while I love reading about
really close friendships, I appreciated that Anne and Kitty’s friendship wasn’t
all sunshine and roses. It felt realistic, and it fit the overall mood of the
book. I also enjoyed the romance in the story - forbidden love in a time of
turmoil and uncertainty. It was sweet and lovely.
Overall, I enjoyed The
Bungalow and would recommend it to fans of women’s fiction or anyone who
enjoys stories with lush settings, a wartime feel, and an intriguing mystery.
Read my review of The Violets of March by Sarah Jio
Have you read The Bungalow? What did you think? Do you enjoy historic fiction? How about foreign settings?
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I like woman's lit but I don't read it much. I should, though.
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