[amazon_link id=”B005Q8254K” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]
[/amazon_link]Title : The Bungalow
Author : Sarah Jio
Genre : Romance
Publisher : Plume
Pages : 287
Source : Publisher ARC
Rating : 3.5/5
This is the story of Anne Calloway and her best friend Kitty. Anne is about to marry Gerard Godfrey, a childhood friend and her social equal, when she hears of Kitty going away to serve in the war. Anne, not in love with Gerard and headed for a marriage of convenience, decides to join Kitty and also enlists. Gerard while disappointed by her decision, assures her that he will be waiting for her return. At Bora Bora, and now a part of the nursing corps, Anne meets officer Westry and falls in love with him. They both find an old deserted bungalow on the island, and use it as a rendezvous. Meanwhile Kitty associates with the wrong type of men, and becomes distant, putting a strain on her friendship with Anne. When Anne is separated from Westry and misunderstandings develop between the two amid the chaos of war, she must go back home to Gerard. But will she ever truly be resigned to a life without Westry ?
“The Bungalow” is a romance novel set in wartime in 1942. It starts off with an elderly Anne, who waxes nostalgic to her grand-daughter Jennifer about the war and her long-lost love. Her thoughts of the past form the bulk of the book. Ms. Jio also weaves in smaller plots – one of Anne’s parents back home, and another of a murder mystery. The novel dwells on the familiar strains of female friendship where one friend is the quiet reserved one (Anne) and one a mischievous flirt (Kitty). The author develops the friendship well, and while I did like Anne’s character – she comes complete with backstory, familial obligations and ties, and motivations, I didn’t like Kitty’s as much – she seemed a trifle inconsistent. The author tells the story well, but the tone is a little placid and platitudinous; I never felt strongly for either Anne or Westry although they seemed nice enough.
This novel falls firmly in chick-lit territory with its over-arching theme of long-lost love. I read this book in one sitting and found it a light, entertaining read. I can quite imagine this book as a film, especially with the beautiful Tahitian backdrop. If you are a fan of this genre. I recommend picking it up.
