S&S Book Club: Jacqueline Winspear’s The White Lady
Carol and Jen chat about Jen’s pick: Jacqueline Winspear’s The White Lady
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Why Jen Picked It
I’ve loved Jacqueline Winspear since she first debuted the celebrated Maisie Dobbs series in 2003. She wrote a long-running, thoughtful private eye series set in the interwar period in England, and I devoured them. When my sister gave me a copy of Winspear’s newest book, The White Lady, featuring a new heroine, I couldn't wait to dive in.
Elinor White, the white lady of the title, is an ex-spy who survived covert action in both world wars and is attempting to acclimate to post-war life in an English country village. After the emotional wringer of her experiences, such a life is impossible, and she’s drawn into the affairs of her neighbors trying to escape a London gang.
So many spy stories celebrate the romance of that life slipping behind enemy lines, and Winspear’s skill is in unpacking the devastation such a life has on the spies. The book jumps between the past and present day as White attempts to repair the damage of the past, and I loved following as the story unfolded.
I’m an anglophile and espionage nut, so this book was my cup of tea. I’m curious if Carol felt the same.
What Carol Thought
As much as I like Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series (and I do!), I’ve always felt a bit of a disconnect with that character. Not so with Elinor White, the title character in The White Lady, Winspear’s latest release and a standalone. Although my life has been nothing like this former World War I and World War II spy, somehow I related to her.
Winspear’s lyrical writing drew me in right away, and the atmospheric setting and multi-layered characters kept me reading. I especially enjoyed following the three timelines—Elinor White’s fascinating life during the two wars and during the post-war period, as she tries to come to terms with what her life has been and what it could be. It was an interesting way to get to know a character.
Like Jen, I’m also an anglophile and love reading spy stories. Thanks to Jen for choosing this wonderful book! I highly recommend it.
