A lost child. A community shattered. A family torn apart.
Jubilee
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'Eliza Graham's subtlety, intelligence and historical sense make her storytelling rich in suspense, atmosphere and characterization. Fans of Sadie Jones, Kate Morton or Susan Lewis will love this cleverly crafted tale of family secrets spanning the years from the Second World War to the Golden Jubilee and beyond.' --Waterstones Books Quarterly
Book Description
It's the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and Rachel and her aunt Evie are celebrating with the crowds on the village green. The scene is tranquil, but Rachel and her aunt can never forget what happened exactly twenty-five years ago. On that day, Evie’s young daughter Jessamy vanished. She hasn’t been seen since. Soon after, news comes of Evie’s sudden death, and Rachel must return to the village to deal with her aunt’s estate. The extraordinary story she uncovers there will change everything. It is a story of departure and return, of atrocity and betrayal, of unrequited love and the dreadful legacy of war.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Deborah Swift
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I started this I thought, "oh good, this is well-written," then as I read further I thought, "actually, this is really good",and finally I couldn't put it down and gave up a whole sunday afternoon to finishing it. The characters seep into you somehow. Centred around a child who disappears during a Jubilee party, I expected it to be an emotional read,and it is, harrowing in parts,but it is also a mystery that keeps you wanting to turn the pages, and with a satisfying twist in the tale.The action jumps about in time from the Silver to the Golden jubilee and from England to Thailand to Australia, but don't let that put you off, it's seamlessly done.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By P. R. Scott
Format:Paperback
This book was highlighted by my local library as having a local setting, though I was reluctant to read it at first because of the subject matter. But although it deals with themes of loss and grief, it does end on a positive note, so if you wouldn't normally read a book about a missing child, I can recommend you try this one. I loved the sense of place the author manages to evoke & the little details of village life and celebrations, especially as I have spent most of my life in and around the Vale of the White Horse.
I often find that books which deal with three or four different 'threads' are confusing or disjointed, but Eliza Graham manages to weave together wartime, the coronation and silver and golden jubilee celebrations in a way that is easy to follow. Buy one to keep and one to give away, especially to anyone who knows and loves this area.
I often find that books which deal with three or four different 'threads' are confusing or disjointed, but Eliza Graham manages to weave together wartime, the coronation and silver and golden jubilee celebrations in a way that is easy to follow. Buy one to keep and one to give away, especially to anyone who knows and loves this area.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Bookaholic
Format:Paperback
Jubilee's cover shows an idyllic, watercolour image of a young girl running in a field. Her back is to the viewer, evoking Jessamy, 10 year-old daughter of Evie Winter who vanished during a village celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.
In 2003, Evie dies and her niece, Rachel, is left to sort through her belongings at the farmhouse, Winter's Copse, where she finds a series of letters that Jessamy's uncle, Robert Winter, wrote to Evie from a Japanese prison camp during World War II.
Jubilee consists of several, loosely connected narratives. Rachel's story is told directly, as she tries to make sense of her cousin's disappearance, and to come to terms with her own childlessness.
Evie's history is retold in the third person, while Robert speaks through his letters. The long reign of Elizabeth II gives structure to the linked plotlines, spanning sixty years.
Jubilee is an engaging, well-crafted novel. The story and characters, while moving and dramatic, are rendered quite subtly, never overreaching itself. It makes for a pleasant, thoughtful read, and with its intriguing narrative and strong female characters, would probably adapt well as a radio or magazine serial.
As a reader, I sometimes felt that the emotional impact could have been conveyed more forcefully, but nonetheless, in Eliza Graham's capable hands, Jubilee has a quiet authority which Queen Elizabeth might well approve of.
In 2003, Evie dies and her niece, Rachel, is left to sort through her belongings at the farmhouse, Winter's Copse, where she finds a series of letters that Jessamy's uncle, Robert Winter, wrote to Evie from a Japanese prison camp during World War II.
Jubilee consists of several, loosely connected narratives. Rachel's story is told directly, as she tries to make sense of her cousin's disappearance, and to come to terms with her own childlessness.
Evie's history is retold in the third person, while Robert speaks through his letters. The long reign of Elizabeth II gives structure to the linked plotlines, spanning sixty years.
Jubilee is an engaging, well-crafted novel. The story and characters, while moving and dramatic, are rendered quite subtly, never overreaching itself. It makes for a pleasant, thoughtful read, and with its intriguing narrative and strong female characters, would probably adapt well as a radio or magazine serial.
As a reader, I sometimes felt that the emotional impact could have been conveyed more forcefully, but nonetheless, in Eliza Graham's capable hands, Jubilee has a quiet authority which Queen Elizabeth might well approve of.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
10 year old Jessamy has gone missing during a party to celebrate the Silver Jubilee in the little village of Craven. 25 years later, during the year of the Golden Jubilee, Jessamy's cousin is back in Craven to deal with the aftermath of the death of Evie, Jessamy's mother and Rachel's aunt. The third strand of this novel takes place during World War II when Evie and her twin brother, Charlie, are evacuated to Craven to live with Matthew and Robert, who become Japanese POWs.
This is a multi-stranded novel of intrigue. It covers so many emotions: a lost child, difficulty in conceiving, the effects of war, psychotic episodes, jealousy and so much more. It's not simply a tale of Jessamy's disappearance, although that is the central strand, but it's a story of the complexities of family life and dealing with buried emotions.
I really enjoyed reading this book, my first, but not my last, but Eliza Graham. I did guess the twist but it's still a clever story, and very well-written.
This is a multi-stranded novel of intrigue. It covers so many emotions: a lost child, difficulty in conceiving, the effects of war, psychotic episodes, jealousy and so much more. It's not simply a tale of Jessamy's disappearance, although that is the central strand, but it's a story of the complexities of family life and dealing with buried emotions.
I really enjoyed reading this book, my first, but not my last, but Eliza Graham. I did guess the twist but it's still a clever story, and very well-written.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This story centres on the Silver Jubilee when Jessamay disappears from the celebrations. We see what impact this has on her mother, her father had died 5 years previously, and her cousin Rachel who visited during holidays and for occasional weekends.
The story is told in the main through Rachel and Evie's (Jessamay's mother) eyes with snapshots including the coronation and the Golden Jubilee. The other entries are extracts from Evie's brother-in-laws unsent letters home from a POW camp.
The story hangs together well and although I guessed at least part of the mystery the book was no less enjoyable for that.
The only criticism I have is that in the main the characters were just too nice, too understanding and therefore seemed a little 2 dimensional at times. Having said that I read this book very quickly so clearly there was enough there to keep me turning those pages (if that's what they are called on the Kindle)
The story is told in the main through Rachel and Evie's (Jessamay's mother) eyes with snapshots including the coronation and the Golden Jubilee. The other entries are extracts from Evie's brother-in-laws unsent letters home from a POW camp.
The story hangs together well and although I guessed at least part of the mystery the book was no less enjoyable for that.
The only criticism I have is that in the main the characters were just too nice, too understanding and therefore seemed a little 2 dimensional at times. Having said that I read this book very quickly so clearly there was enough there to keep me turning those pages (if that's what they are called on the Kindle)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Mark Vender
Format:Paperback
It's 1977, Silver Jubilee day, when a young girl goes missing, and her disappearance is the mystery that powers this novel along. In the wrong hands, the subject matter could make for bleak reading, but Eliza Graham invests the characters and the settings with a real warmth and humanity to create an emotionally powerful, but also uplifting novel. The narrative moves across different generations and characters - if you've read Eliza Graham's other work, you'll know what I'm talking about. She has a talent for keeping the story flowing while switching between time frames and points of view, and she seems to get better at it with each book she writes. A great read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely read.
I save my 5 star reviews for those books that grab me and haul me into their world. For those stories I don't want to leave. This is one of those. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jill in East Kent
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good, engaging and easy read.
This is my first Eliza Graham novel but it definitely won't be my last. I won't go into the plot, as that's already been clearly outlined in the book description and by other... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Janine Creek
1.0 out of 5 stars
I know I'm in a minority...
...but I absolutely hated this book.
I found it to be boring and badly written. I couldn't have cared less what happened to any of the characters. Read more
I found it to be boring and badly written. I couldn't have cared less what happened to any of the characters. Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2010 by C. Rucroft
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Engrossing Read from Eliza Graham
After reading and loving the first two Eliza Graham novels -- Playing with the Moon and Restitution -- I was eagerly looking forward to another mystery with the backdrop of the War... Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2010 by Mrs. C. Colbert
5.0 out of 5 stars
a pleasure
Graham's well written story is still on my mind. All the plots are good. The threads are so satisfyingly tied up and the characters, especially Evy, are wonderful. Read more
Published on 11 July 2010 by Becky Motew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hightly recommended
This is the third Eliza Graham novel I have read, and although I really loved Playing With The Moon and Restitution, Jubilee is my favourite. Read more
Published on 26 Jun 2010 by Lovejoy
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Emotional Mystery
The idea of a child going missing is such an emotional one - this book perfectly conveys the emptiness of the years for the mother of Jessamy, who disappears during the silver... Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2010 by Mrs. A. J. Whiteley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping Novel
Jubilee
Could there be anything more innocent than a village on the Berkshire Downs celebrating the Silver Jubilee ? But, celebrations sour when a little girl goes missing. Read more
Could there be anything more innocent than a village on the Berkshire Downs celebrating the Silver Jubilee ? But, celebrations sour when a little girl goes missing. Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2010 by L. E. Dodgson
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