Book: The Hidden Palace
Author: Dinah Jefferies
Pages: 528
Read on: Kindle
Read in: 5+ hours
Plot Summary:
A rebellious daughter
1925. Among the ancient honey-coloured walls of the tiny island of Malta, strangers slip into the shadows and anyone can buy a new name. Rosalie Delacroix flees Paris for a dancer’s job in the bohemian clubs deep in its winding streets.A sister with a secret
1944. Running from the brutality of war in France, Florence Baudin faces a new life. But her estranged mother makes a desperate request: to find her vanished sister, who went missing years before.
A rift over generations
Betrayals and secrets, lies and silence hang between the sisters. A faded last letter from Rosalie is Florence’s only clue, the war an immovable barrier – and time is running out.
Things I Liked:
1. Dinah Jefferies writes historical fiction books set in different parts of the world during World War II. The first book in this particular series was based in France during the Nazi occupation and followed the journey of three sisters- Helene, Elise and Florence- as they navigated those challenging years. I haven't read the first book in the series but, honestly, I didn't feel like I was missing out on any critical information whilst reading this book. So, if you, like me, happen to pick this one up first, then don't worry, you can easily read this as a stand alone.
2. So, anyway, this book follows the journey of the youngest sister- Florence- after the War, when she moves to England to overcome the trauma of the war years and also, reconnect with their mother. It is there that she learns about her mom's younger sister- Rosalie- who had run away from Paris in the mid-1920s and has not kept in touch with the family since then. Florence's mom is dying of cancer and she wants to find her sister and see her one last time before she dies. So, Florence sets off to Malta, the last known destination of her aunt, to try and find her.
The story, then breaks into a split-time narrative between Rosalie's life between 1923 to 1946 and Florence's life in 1945-46 as she searches for Rosalie. The book does a great job of telling both these stories.
3. Rosalie's story is set in Malta between 1923-46 and that, for me, was so much more interesting than Florence's efforts to settle down in England after the war. Malta was attacked mercilessly for two years straight by the Nazis and their Italian allies and the way they held their own and kept the enemies from taking over the island was truly commendable. It was nice to read about Malta, its syncretic culture and the different challenges faced by it during the war.
Things I Didn't Like:
1. The Malta parts of the book were so much more interesting and unfortunately, the author spent so much more time focusing on Malta in the 1920s-30s instead of during the war, when the story would've been so much more interesting.
2. I found it a bit strange that Rosalie, who was a dancer in a seedy cabaret bar in Malta, was so effortlessly welcomed into the homes and social circles of Malta's elite! She even dates and falls in love with a Baron and he takes her around publicly and everyone just accepts her. First of all, this would not happen. Cabaret dancers were not accepted into the upper echelons of society and showing Rosalie mingling with the elites with them knowing what she did for a living was just culturally inaccurate!
3. Florence's story in England, mostly, involved her walking around Devon and staring at the countryside. I mean, what was the point of wasting over 150 pages on this?! I was really bored during Florence's England chapters.
Rating: 3.5/5
Read if you have a lot of time on your hands and don't mind some dull chapters on Florence's time in England.
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