Novel set in the Turkish Territories (Turkey during the Crimean War)

• Book: No Place For a Lady
• Location: Türkiye (Turkey)
• Author: Gill Paul

Review Author: tripfiction

A captivating book that blends personal relationships with the horrors of the war in Crimea in the 1850s.

I came across Gill’s work when I read The Affair set in Rome which builds the story behind the Burton-Taylor burgeoning romance in the 1960s. Such a readable style that vividly evokes the period, and again in this book Gill has achieved a carefully crafted story of human encounters and endurance in a well researched historical setting.

Lucy is a headstrong young woman who determines to marry Lucky Charlie so that she can accompany him to the battle front in Crimea. This for me was a first, that women could accompany their husbands and live in the camps from which the military offensives were planned and executed. A really astounding fact.

In order to do this, Lucy estranges herself from her sister Dorothea, who feels that she is far too young to know her own mind and really understand her impulse for marriage. And off she sails with her husband to the front. There are other army wives who take her under her wing and show her the ropes, but it is nevertheless a life unimaginable in the staid sitting rooms of Russell Square in London of the mid 19th century, let alone present day.

As the war builds up, the conditions deteriorate and the fear for everyone in the camps becomes overwhelming. It truly is a “godforsaken war”, The lack of support and resources for the armed forces is quite shocking and even under the auspices of Florence Nightingale, the troops are losing their numbers in droves. But resourcefulness is the hallmark of those over there, from soaking blisters in strong tea, or using arrowroot mixed with alcohol to lighten the mood of the terminally wounded, right down to a prolific use of mustard in the care of wounds and afflictions. And imagine the phenomenon of the “lady tourists” who shipped themselves out to the area to view the battle sites…

Meanwhile back in London Dorothea sorely regrets the terms on which Lucy left and as a nurse is determined to go and support the war effort and try and locate her sister.

This is an effortless read, that captures the feel of a raging and ill-planned war, and the mores of society of the mid 19th century and although the way in which Lucy’s life pans out might feel a touch fanciful, it is engrossing. Recommended.

This review first appeared on our blog where the author talks to us about research and writing…..

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