This marvelous historical fiction looks at the role of
women during the Second World War in Alexandria in North
Africa. As the TAPESTRY OF WAR unfolds, an English woman
who is editing a local newspaper meets a Scottish naval man
when they both aid a wounded Free French soldier.
Fran Trevillian is in Alexandria with her parents who are
seen in the best business, diplomatic and military circles
-- these all mix at the same few parties, since the British
are not
entirely popular in Egypt. Fran edits the
newspaper and feels responsible for her young staff
reporters. She reproduces increasingly worrying war news as
Rommel's Afrika Korps moves ever closer to the hot city and
shelling drowns out cocktail chatter. Lieutenant Jim
MacNeill tells her about his home, the soft light of
Scottish islands and the whisky and fishing industries.
Catriona MacNeill, Jim's sister, is nursing at home on
Islay, and through her experiences we see the work of
nursing war wounded and physical rehabilitation for those
who are missing limbs. We also see the changes wrought when
America enters the war, the steady inrush of strong GIs to
Scots communities bereft of fit young men, the boats and
equipment accumulating in Scottish ports until a drive can
be made to counter attack the Germans in North Africa.
I read this book over several evenings and always looked
forward to diving back in to the characters' lives. A lot
of background is included, from the Free French who fought
with the Allies to the displaced Polish people after the
war, afraid of being ruled by Russia. We also see the
social tensions surrounding the new Jewish state in
Palestine. Social classes became more porous, women worked
outside homes and outside the communities where they had
been born. Each side of the tale carries romance, not
always fated to end happily, but building a promise of new
lives after the war ends. I found myself asking various
questions such as, would I have wanted to start a
relationship with someone leaving to fight? What war work
would I have done? This tale is light on the ration books
and strong on the characters, with an overwhelming sense of
the massive forces being moved around the continents.
Jane MacKenzie has previously written novels set in French
and Spanish Catalonia, such as Mediterranean Summer. She is
a British writer who has travelled widely and worked at
CERN in Switzerland. I'll look forward to reading more of
her works now I have enjoyed TAPESTRY OF WAR.
From the deserts of North Africa, to the waters of Scotland,
the Second World War touches the lives of two women from two
very different worlds. In Alexandria, Fran finds her world
turned upside down as Rommel’s forces advance on the idyllic
shores of Egypt. The life of luxury and stability that she
is used to is taken away as she finds herself having to deal
with loss, heartache and political uncertainty. Meanwhile,
in the Firth of Clyde, Catriona struggles between her quiet
rural life and her dreams of nursing injured servicemen on
the front lines. As the war rages on, the two women’s lives
become intertwined – bringing love and friendship to both.
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