The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott - Revision history

Sue at 14:34, 21 March 2018

2018-03-21T14:34:07Z

Sue at 14:09, 2 January 2015

2015-01-02T14:09:29Z

Sue at 15:06, 14 August 2012

2012-08-14T15:06:19Z

Sue at 12:08, 23 January 2012

2012-01-23T12:08:50Z

Sue: Created page with "{{infobox |title=The Little Shadows |sort=Little Shadows |author=Marina Endicott |reviewer=Ani Johnson |genre=Historical Fiction |rating=4 |buy=Yes |borrow=Yes |isbn=978-00919..."

2012-01-23T12:04:03Z

Created page with "{{infobox |title=The Little Shadows |sort=Little Shadows |author=Marina Endicott |reviewer=Ani Johnson |genre=Historical Fiction |rating=4 |buy=Yes |borrow=Yes |isbn=978-00919..."

New review

{{infobox
|title=The Little Shadows
|sort=Little Shadows
|author=Marina Endicott
|reviewer=Ani Johnson
|genre=Historical Fiction
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0091944025
|paperback=0091944023
|hardback=0091944279
|audiobook=
|ebook=
|pages=320
|publisher=Hutchinson
|date=February 2012
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0091944023</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0091944023</amazonus>
|website=http://marinaendicott.com/
|video=
|summary=Three sisters try to make the big time in American vaudeville before and during World War 1. An interesting coming-of-age novel as ‘’Little Women’’ meets J.B. Priestley's ‘’The Good Companions’’.
}}

Flora Avery’s schoolmaster husband dies suddenly, leaving her three daughters and a dilemma: how does she find the money to raise them? Her answer is to return to her pre-marital profession, the one of which her husband disapproved so vocally. Flora decides to put her family on the stage as a vaudeville act. So begins a new life as they tour the backwater theatres of America and their native Canada, dreaming of a big future whilst weathering the present. Set prior to and during World War I, it wasn’t just the Averys who faced changes and uncertainty.

Marina Endicott is herself Canadian and comes to the typewriter with an armful of accolades. Her first and second books (‘’Open Arms’’ and ‘’Good to a Fault’’ respectively) both received prestigious awards and this particular novel has already been long-listed for one award and was in the final for a second. The question is does the readers’ view match up to the experts’?

I couldn’t fault the characterisation. The sisters literally grow up in the limelight before the readers’ eyes. Aurora, the eldest, is determined that she will reach the nirvana of $1,000 a week but with this determination comes loyalty. She will compromise anything she needs to, but not her family or her position within it. Clover, the middle Avery, is the family carer. Whatever ills or evils befall the family (and there are plenty of both) she remains the emotional and practical pillar. Bella, the youngest, nicknamed ‘Baby’, is a bundle of energy, just waiting to get into trouble when backs are turned. Like most younger siblings, Bella’s main objective is to grow up as fast as she can, unaware of the consequences.

What of their mother? Here, I felt, was the author at her shrewdest. I began the book thinking Flora a pushy parent, vicariously reliving her past through her children. However, a different picture soon emerges. Flora’s pushiness comes from necessity – the necessity to ensure that the children are fed and kept safe. In fact, rather than put her own interests first, Flora is self-sacrificing, playing a role to hide the personal detriment this causes. It may be my age and gender coming into play here, but I found myself warming to her more as the book went on.

Similarly, most of the colourful characters that the Averys encounter on the circuit are well-drawn. The only two-dimensional people are those whom the family didn’t know too well. Is this coincidence or writing mirroring life-experience? The skill of the author would hint at the latter.

My only gripe was the lengths that Ms Endicott went to in her descriptions of the stage acts. Scripts were quoted verbatim; acts were described movement by movement, almost in real time. Yes, to begin with this was interesting and created historic colour and texture. However I found it’s repetition through the book a bit unnecessary and glossed over these sections. Having said that, ‘’The Little Shadows’’ is a big enough book not to suffer in content or continuity if you feel the same urge.

The wedding of the characters to the era makes this book fascinating enough to make me want to go through Marina Endicott’s back catalogue. I hope the Endicott home has a broad mantelpiece – if she carries on like this, the awards will keep coming.

If you've enjoyed this and want to read some more books based on a sisterly dynamic, try [[The Kinsella Sisters by Kate Thompson]].

{{amazontext|amazon=0091944023}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8883717}}
{{commenthead}}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=The Little Shadows
 |sort=Little Shadows
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |publisher=Hutchinson
 |date=February 2012
 |website=http://marinaendicott.com/
 |summary=Three sisters try to make the big time in American vaudeville before and during World War 1.  An interesting coming-of-age novel as ''Little Women'' meets J.B. Priestley's ''The Good Companions''.
 }}

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 |borrow=Yes
 |isbn=978-0091944025
 |pages=320
 |publisher=Hutchinson
@@ Line 39: / Line 35: @@
 If you've enjoyed this and want to read some more books based on a sisterly dynamic, try [[The Kinsella Sisters by Kate Thompson]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=0099558637}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8883717}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0099558637}}
 {{commenthead}}

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 |borrow=Yes
 |isbn=978-0091944025
-|paperback=0091944023
+|paperback=0099558637
 |hardback=0091944279
 |audiobook=
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 |publisher=Hutchinson
 |date=February 2012
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0091944023</amazonuk>
+|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099558637</amazonuk>
 |amazonus=<amazonus>0091944023</amazonus>
 |website=http://marinaendicott.com/
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 If you've enjoyed this and want to read some more books based on a sisterly dynamic, try [[The Kinsella Sisters by Kate Thompson]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=0091944023}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8883717}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0099558637}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8883717}}
 {{commenthead}}

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 |website=http://marinaendicott.com/
 |video=
-|summary=Three sisters try to make the big time in American vaudeville before and during World War 1.  An interesting coming-of-age novel as ‘’Little Women’’ meets J.B. Priestley's ‘’The Good Companions’’.
+|summary=Three sisters try to make the big time in American vaudeville before and during World War 1.  An interesting coming-of-age novel as ''Little Women'' meets J.B. Priestley's ''The Good Companions''.
 }}
-Flora Avery’s schoolmaster husband dies suddenly, leaving her three daughters and a dilemma: how does she find the money to raise them?  Her answer is to return to her pre-marital profession, the one of which her husband disapproved so vocally.  Flora decides to put her family on the stage as a vaudeville act.  So begins a new life as they tour the backwater theatres of America and their native Canada, dreaming of a big future whilst weathering the present.   Set prior to and during World War I, it wasn’t just the Averys who faced changes and uncertainty.
+Flora Avery's schoolmaster husband dies suddenly, leaving her three daughters and a dilemma: how does she find the money to raise them?  Her answer is to return to her pre-marital profession, the one of which her husband disapproved so vocally.  Flora decides to put her family on the stage as a vaudeville act.  So begins a new life as they tour the backwater theatres of America and their native Canada, dreaming of a big future whilst weathering the present.   Set prior to and during World War I, it wasn't just the Averys who faced changes and uncertainty.
-Marina Endicott is herself Canadian and comes to the typewriter with an armful of accolades.  Her first and second books (‘’Open Arms’’ and ‘’Good to a Fault’’ respectively) both received prestigious awards and this particular novel has already been long-listed for one award and was in the final for a second.  The question is does the readers’ view match up to the experts’?
+Marina Endicott is herself Canadian and comes to the typewriter with an armful of accolades.  Her first and second books (''Open Arms'' and ''Good to a Fault'' respectively) both received prestigious awards and this particular novel has already been long-listed for one award and was in the final for a second.  The question is does the readers' view match up to the experts’?
-I couldn’t fault the characterisation.  The sisters literally grow up in the limelight before the readers’ eyes.  Aurora, the eldest, is determined that she will reach the nirvana of $1,000 a week but with this determination comes loyalty.  She will compromise anything she needs to, but not her family or her position within it.  Clover, the middle Avery, is the family carer.  Whatever ills or evils befall the family (and there are plenty of both) she remains the emotional and practical pillar.  Bella, the youngest, nicknamed ‘Baby’, is a bundle of energy, just waiting to get into trouble when backs are turned.  Like most younger siblings, Bella’s main objective is to grow up as fast as she can, unaware of the consequences.
+I couldn't fault the characterisation.  The sisters literally grow up in the limelight before the readers' eyes.  Aurora, the eldest, is determined that she will reach the nirvana of $1,000 a week but with this determination comes loyalty.  She will compromise anything she needs to, but not her family or her position within it.  Clover, the middle Avery, is the family carer.  Whatever ills or evils befall the family (and there are plenty of both) she remains the emotional and practical pillar.  Bella, the youngest, nicknamed 'Baby', is a bundle of energy, just waiting to get into trouble when backs are turned.  Like most younger siblings, Bella's main objective is to grow up as fast as she can, unaware of the consequences.
-What of their mother?  Here, I felt, was the author at her shrewdest.  I began the book thinking Flora a pushy parent, vicariously reliving her past through her children.  However, a different picture soon emerges.  Flora’s pushiness comes from necessity – the necessity to ensure that the children are fed and kept safe.  In fact, rather than put her own interests first, Flora is self-sacrificing, playing a role to hide the personal detriment this causes.  It may be my age and gender coming into play here, but I found myself warming to her more as the book went on.
+What of their mother?  Here, I felt, was the author at her shrewdest.  I began the book thinking Flora a pushy parent, vicariously reliving her past through her children.  However, a different picture soon emerges.  Flora's pushiness comes from necessity – the necessity to ensure that the children are fed and kept safe.  In fact, rather than put her own interests first, Flora is self-sacrificing, playing a role to hide the personal detriment this causes.  It may be my age and gender coming into play here, but I found myself warming to her more as the book went on.
-Similarly, most of the colourful characters that the Averys encounter on the circuit are well-drawn.  The only two-dimensional people are those whom the family didn’t know too well.  Is this coincidence or writing mirroring life-experience?   The skill of the author would hint at the latter.
+Similarly, most of the colourful characters that the Averys encounter on the circuit are well-drawn.  The only two-dimensional people are those whom the family didn't know too well.  Is this coincidence or writing mirroring life-experience?   The skill of the author would hint at the latter.
-My only gripe was the lengths that Ms Endicott went to in her descriptions of the stage acts.  Scripts were quoted verbatim; acts were described movement by movement, almost in real time.  Yes, to begin with this was interesting and created historic colour and texture.  However I found it’s repetition through the book a bit unnecessary and glossed over these sections.  Having said that, ‘’The Little Shadows’’ is a big enough book not to suffer in content or continuity if you feel the same urge.
+My only gripe was the lengths that Ms Endicott went to in her descriptions of the stage acts.  Scripts were quoted verbatim; acts were described movement by movement, almost in real time.  Yes, to begin with this was interesting and created historic colour and texture.  However I found its repetition through the book a bit unnecessary and glossed over these sections.  Having said that, ''The Little Shadows'' is a big enough book not to suffer in content or continuity if you feel the same urge.
-The wedding of the characters to the era makes this book fascinating enough to make me want to go through Marina Endicott’s back catalogue.  I hope the Endicott home has a broad mantelpiece – if she carries on like this, the awards will keep coming.
+The wedding of the characters to the era makes this book fascinating enough to make me want to go through Marina Endicott's back catalogue.  I hope the Endicott home has a broad mantelpiece – if she carries on like this, the awards will keep coming.
 If you've enjoyed this and want to read some more books based on a sisterly dynamic, try [[The Kinsella Sisters by Kate Thompson]].