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Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Australia, 1920. Seventeen-year-old Maddie Bright embarks on the voyage of a lifetime when she's chosen to serve on the cross-continent tour of His Royal Highness, the dashing Edward, Prince of Wales. Life on the royal train is luxurious beyond her dreams, and the glamorous, good-hearted friends she makes--with their romantic histories and rivalries--crack open her world. But glamour often hides all manner of sins.
Decades later, Maddie lives in a ramshackle house in Brisbane, whiling away the days with television news and her devoted, if drunken, next door neighbor. When a London journalist struggling with her own romantic entanglements begins asking Maddie questions about her relationship to the famous and reclusive author M.A. Bright, she's taken back to the glamorous days of the royal tour--and to the secrets she's kept for all of these years.
Review:
The magic of historical fiction is that it can take you to a time you never would have been able to experience first-hand. Lost Autumn, by Mary-Rose MacColl, delves into three time periods: 1920, 1981, and 1997. The drama that was Charles & Diana comes alive in this novel (I remember it well!). But I was most struck by how vividly the book shows just how different life was in 1920. This was such a compelling story I actually had to look up to see if M.A. Bright was a real person (sadly, no). I was completely engrossed.
What I Liked:
Settings:
There are three distinct time periods in the book with the author finding the emotions in each moment. While the main story happenes in 1920, 1981 shows us the beginnings of the Charles & Diana saga. As someone who lived through that time, I can tell you that their marriage was a world-wide obsession! When Diana tragically dies in 1997, it overshadows world events for weeks, as the spectacle of her funeral transpires. I can well imagine the excitement of a Royal Visit in 1920 Australia must have produced. The novel puts you right in the emotions of the times.
Historical Details:
The historical details are most on display when the story is in 1920. One can tell the author did meticulous research on the exact itinerary of the Royal visit of the Prince of Wales, and all the protocols that were followed. She also captures the mood of the country during this time. This was just after the end of WWI, and the Spanish Flu epidemic. People had not really recovered. When the Royal Family sends Prince Edward, people desperately wanted him to truly see them. And he did. He really did listen to as many people as possible tell him about their lives, and losses. It helped heal some of their grief.
Characters:
Maddie was the heart of the story as she is present in all three time periods. We see her at various stages of her life, from young and naive, to old and somewhat bitter. And the story shows us why this occurred. I loved her at every stage.
Helen was also a wonderful character. I loved seeing her friendship with Maddie grow. She has already had some big disappointments in life, yet she is willing to find ways to carry on.
Prince Edward (David), was a picture of contradictions. He was so caring and kind to the many people he met, yet also a petulant child when he didn't get his way. And his treatment of women... As we are learning more and more, those we idolize often fall far from our imaginations when it comes to ethics, and morals.
Story:
I enjoyed the structure of the story and how all three time periods finally fit together at the end of the book. I also liked how the narrator drops little hints as to what will happen. It compelled me to want to find out how these little mysteries were resolved.
Trigger Warning for Sexual Assault!
Rating:
Release Date: March 3rd, 2020
Author: Mary-Rose MacColl
Publisher: G.P. Putman's Sons
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Length: 416 Pages
Source: Edelweiss
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: With vivid historical details, this is a story you won't want to put down!
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