THE SILENT TIDE by RACHEL HORE

THE SILENT TIDE

BY RACHEL HORE

THE BLURB:-

London, the present day: Emily Gordon has found her dream job, as an editor at a small publishing house. When the biography of a late great English novelist crosses her desk, she discovers, buried beneath the history, a story that simply has to be told...

London, 1948: Isabel Barber has barely arrived in the city when a chance meeting leads to a job offer, and a fascinating career beckons. But as she develops a close working relationship with a charismatic young debut novelist the professional soon becomes personal, and she finds herself fighting for her very survival...

THE REALITY:-

This book was totally un-putdownable and it was a real race for me to get to the end, to find out how Isabel's story unfolded.

I don't suppose it was that uncommon for a young woman to feel thwarted when it came to her professional ambitions- after all, the 1950s were a man's world and a woman was supposed to give up any chance of a (hard won) career and devote her life to her husband and children after her marriage. Domestic life is not for everyone and it was interesting to read of Isabel's post-natal depression and her inability to adapt to her new role as a mother. The end result, though (I shan't spoil the surprise!) was totally unexpected and made for a couple of great final chapters.

The modern day story of Emily was also interesting, although it didn't touch me like Isabel's tale- but then I suppose that's exactly what the author wanted.

It's with hindsight that I wished that I'd worked in the field of publishing and had learnt a lot about the business before embarking on my own novel. I feel I would have fitted in there (although this is only a thought based upon speculation, not fact) in a way that I did not in the fashion industry. I was unlucky. It was partly my fault, as I did not choose my undergraduate course with care but even with the benefit of hindsight, I do not see what else I could have done. Although I like designing dresses, I noticed that the industry was made up of wall-to-wall idiot, and it was the tutors that were offending me rather than the students. My first job in fashion, at a semi-bankrupt company with very low morale, did not do anything to change my opinion, rather instead enhancing it. I saw how people took themselves and the making of garments too seriously and I cannot get my tits in a knot over a few shitty little dresses!!!!  End of. But had I have worked with the written word, I do believe that I'd have been motivated to do such things as overtime and actually enjoy it, as so much of the work involves reading- one of the great loves of my life, along with writing. Ah well, hindsight is twenty twenty vision, so they say.  Let's hope I find some joy with my first novel. SOON.

This book was a pure dream to read and enchanted me from the very beginning. Its main locations of London and Suffolk during the stark, post-war years came alive, personally helped along by my own passion about the choices of professions of the main characters. All of the other characters were well thought out, especially Jacqueline. You start off by hating her, this cuckoo in the nest, but you end up feeling quite sorry for her. Even a tough old boot like her couldn't control the workings of other people's heartstrings. Like Emily, I kind of agree with Isabel's gut instinct regarding her suspicions of Jacqueline's too-close involvement with her husband, but it was quite clever that this fact was never confirmed- instead the reader is left to make his or her own decision  I also warmed towards Penenlope, a woman who did things her way (although she was far from perfect) and on her terms and was lucky enough to have the financial back-up to be able to do so.  There were many little twists and turns in this book and they all came together and interlaced very easily indeed.  From a historical point of view I liked how the floods of 1953 were documented in a way personal to Isabel. Extremely likeable and readable.