When I finished this novel, I didn’t want to review it: I wanted to reread it. . . . An affair to remember.” With characters so real they feel like dear friends and a compelling storyline, this is a beautiful, special novel. I loved it and didn’t want it to end!” I often get confused in stories with large casts, and this story was no different. But there were a few characters whom I really adored -- the woman with her dog, the woman who ends up in the nightmarish tenement situation, and also the captain, who winds up marrying the primary female protagonist. These characters were finely drawn, fleshed out, and I connected to them and rode the little ripples of their stories through the greater waves of the plot, right to the end. The Last Tigers of Hong Kong: True Stories of Big Cats that Stalked Britain’s Chinese Colony • John Saeki

Firstly I have to say that this is a tough book to get into. I put it down many times and only read little bits at a time, It almost felt like I was reading this for school. If it was by any other author I would've given up. I'm so glad I kept with it. The year is 1946, and almost 700 war brides are making their way to England, the war is over. We follow a group of gals who have so many stories to tell. Maggie - feisty girl of the land. Lovely. Avice - society girl, vein and focused on things not so important. Annoying. My favourite (just!) Frances - capable nurse who has survived a horrible upbringing. A treasure.

The story follows four cabin mates as they try to each manage new experiences, new people and new fears. Moyes does a very good job of weaving these stories into a fine tapestry without missing a stitch. Each line of the book makes sense and each character is absolutely believable.

The writing is fantastic and by the end I felt like I really knew these women and wondered how their lives had turned out, in fact I didn’t want to let them go. urn:lcp:shipofbrides0000moye:epub:1a65f66f-1581-40ea-9823-3a45547f2ed7 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier shipofbrides0000moye Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t6m13493n Invoice 1652 Isbn 9780340960387Margaret is the one that seems like she can get along with everyone, so I would’ve hung out with Margaret, too. She’s calm and understanding, but she can hold her own, which she’s had to do with a house full of men and no mother around. Margaret met her husband Joe through her brother and their engagement story is priceless. Rich in history, with well-developed characters and a strong sense of place, this book will fit well in any library’s fiction collection.For fans of Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephantsor Catherine Marshall’s Christy.” Jojo’s work never fails to bring a smile to my face with her honesty, humour and empathy about what it is to be human —[Still Me is] a must read!” I'm a huge fan of Jojo Moyes and until now have never been on the fence with what to rate her work. This one is a tough one though. I liked half; I disliked half. I found myself impatient to know what happened in the end, to each and every one of the girls, yet at the same time, I found myself skimming the "man" parts--the captain's tale, Nicol's story, this guy and that guy. They bored me, and I didn't care about their lives.