Title: Next to Love
Author: Ellen Feldman
Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell’s Books):
“Set in a small town in Massachusetts, the novel follows three childhood friends, Babe, Millie, and Grace, whose lives are unmoored when their men are called to duty. And yet the changes that are thrust upon them move them in directions they never dreamed possible—while their husbands and boyfriends are enduring their own transformations. In the decades that follow, the three friends lose their innocence, struggle to raise their children, and find meaning and love in unexpected places. And as they change, so does America—from a country in which people know their place in the social hierarchy to a world in which feminism, the Civil Rights movement, and technological innovations present new possibilities—and uncertainties. And yet Babe, Millie, and Grace remain bonded by their past, even as their children grow up and away and a new society rises from the ashes of the war.”
Thoughts: Most post-war novels focus on either those left behind during the war or the impact of the war on the returning soldiers. Ms. Feldman opts to focus on those left behind and how their lives change because their soldiers do (or do not) return. What did it mean to have to give up a job because the position needs to be vacated for a returning soldier and a wife’s place is in the home? How does one adjust to married life when marriage only consisted of brief weekends together and many years apart? What happens if one’s husband does not return? Next to Love takes post-war literature to another emotional and psychological level while giving those who are generations removed from this “Greatest Generation” an entirely new perspective on the hardships conquered, both during and after the war.
Babe, Grace, and Millie are three very different women but who personify an entire generation of women. While not on the front lines, they each had to face serious loss and deprivations that changed their perceptions of life and of themselves forever. Babe struggles to find herself after the loss of her job at the Western Union office, while Grace and Millie each face their own personal struggles of identity. Each woman uses her own strengths to overcome those losses. While none of them considered her actions to be extraordinary, they invariably set the stage for the revolutionary changes that occurred in the 1950s and 1960s.
Alternating between the points of view of the three women, the reader is drawn into the drama that encompasses each woman’s life. Ms. Feldman handles sensitive topics with the delicacy and skill it deserves. At no point in time does she waver into the melodramatic, nor do her words come across as cold and dispassionate. Rather, all three characters come to life with a vibrancy and clarity that accentuates Ms. Feldman’s writing ability. The mental image created by her words is crystal clear, and a reader has no problems picturing life in post-war small-town U.S.A. Next to Love is a novel that does much to explain this generation to readers, while creating a lasting tribute to the women who were forced to pick up the pieces after all the men left and then do it all over again when they came back.
Next to Love is simply a beautiful period novel, one that not only helps readers fully recall what life was like both during and after World War II from a smaller perspective but also one that gives greater meaning to an entire generation. A reader has a increased appreciation for the changes wrought by this generation and can better sympathize their efforts. Yet, Ms. Feldman takes it one step further and allows the reader to completely empathize with Babe, Grace, and Millie through her gorgeous imagery. Next to Love is a breathtaking, emotional journey through one of the most tumultuous periods of American history.
For more thoughts on Ellen Feldman’s Next to Love, please check out the following stops on the tour:
- Monday, June 6th: Unabridged Chick
- Wednesday, June 8th: Reviews from the Heart
- Tuesday, June 14th: Diary of an Eccentric
- Thursday, June 16th: Deb’s Book Bag
- Friday, June 17th: Books Like Breathing
- Thursday, June 23rd: Life in Review
- Monday, June 27th: Girls Gone Reading
- Tuesday, June 28th: BookNAround
- Tuesday, July 5th: Chaotic Compendiums
- Thursday, July 7th: Book Reviews by Molly
- Monday, July 11th: girlichef
- Tuesday, July 12th: Acting Balanced
- Wednesday, July 13th: Melody & Words
- Monday, July 18th: The House of the Seven Tails
- Tuesday, July 19th: Rundpinne
- Wednesday, July 20th: Man of La Book
- Monday, July 25th: 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews
- Tuesday, July 26th: Simply Stacie
- Monday, August 1st: Books and Movies
- Monday, August 1st: A Fair Substitute for Heaven
- Wednesday, August 3rd: Book Addiction
- Thursday, August 4th: Sophisticated Dorkiness
- Saturday, August 6th: Colloquium
- Monday, August 8th: Alison’s Book Marks
- Tuesday, August 9th: Library of Clean Reads
- Wednesday, August 10th: Broken Teepee
Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Erika Greber from Spiegel & Grau for my review copy!
Yes, Millie is less so but she still did something completely unconventional. I can admire that.
Absolutely but I found Millie to be a bit less daring in general than Babe. 🙂
Thanks, Heather. It definitely was one of my favorite books so far this year.
There have been SO many excellent WWII novels lately, but I do think that NEXT TO LOVE is my favorite so far. It was such a great picture of post-war life.
I know. I was thinking about this, and Millie was just as unconventional. Marrying a Jew? That was heavy stuff in the 1940s. I totally love this book.
I am really excited for this one. While the topic seems a little overdone, I have high hopes.
I'm glad to see you loved this book as much as I did. I agree that it was a beautiful novel. I've linked to your review on War Through the Generations.
As discussed via Twitter, I loved this book as well. In fact, I still can't let the characters go, especially Babe! I loved her unconventional ways!