A tense thriller of child abduction set in LONDON
Fiction set in WW1 LONDON
26th November 2024
The Girls Who Dared to Love by Diney Costeloe, an appealing story of three women’s struggles. Fiction set in WW1 London.
The Girls Who Dared to Love by Diney Costeloe focuses on three young girls who seem to have the world at their feet in the London of 1914. But as World War I looms, their lives – and ambitions – are about to change forever.
This is a poignant historical novel that dives into the harrowing experiences of young women who were often unseen and unheard in early 20th-century Britain. Known for her gift in capturing the resilience of women against daunting odds, Costeloe offers readers a story of courage, love and friendship amid adversity. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing society between the wars, the novel tackles themes of family, societal expectations and the incredible strength found in solidarity.
Debutante Lucinda McFarlane is engaged to be married to Major Sir David Melcome, but their society wedding has to be scaled right down and rearranged when war is declared and David is recalled to his regiment – much to the disgust of Lucinda’s snobbish mother.
Mabel Oakley, once a maid for the McFarlanes, has inherited Thomas Clarke’s printing works, but an unexpected turn of events leaves her at the mercy of her father’s old enemy, solicitor John Sheridan. Enter Sheridan’s son and the start of a forbidden love affair.
Lady Diana Fosse-Bury, who really only plays a minor part in the story, is incredibly beautiful and reckless. When war is declared she immediately wants to be in the thick of it but she starts a budding romance with Lucinda’s brother, Iain, while inadvertently becoming one of Lucinda’s allies.
Each woman is grappling with their own unique struggles and secrets. What unites them is the society in which they find themselves. However, the “help” they receive – often from within their own families – is often far from nurturing, exposing the oppressive and sometimes abusive environments faced by women punished for veering away from societal norms. Costeloe deftly addresses the social constraints placed on women in the early 1900s, weaving their individual tales of defiance against a system intent on breaking them.
Poignant love stories are interwoven into the women’s individual stories and one can’t help but also fall in love a little with their dashing men!
One of the novel’s strengths lies in Costeloe’s meticulous research, which brings a intuitive authenticity to the settings, characters and challenges faced by the women. She does not shy away from portraying the grim realities of institutional life—poverty, limited choices and societal judgement. However, she also balances these darker elements with the warm and hopeful threads of love and friendship. Each character is uniquely developed, giving readers someone to root for in each storyline while highlighting the systemic injustices faced by women of all backgrounds and social standings during that time.
The prose is both elegant and accessible, allowing the characters’ emotions to resonate deeply with readers. This quality, coupled with the plot’s subtle suspense and unexpected twists, keeps the narrative engaging without veering into melodrama.
Overall, this is a powerful read that celebrates the courage of women who fought for their right to love, to live and to choose their own paths despite oppressive social structures. This book will particularly appeal to fans of historical fiction, feminist narratives and stories that explore the strength of human connection in the face of adversity – although I was slightly disappointed with the ending which, I felt, could have been less abrupt.
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