A Family Saga - Lonely Mirrors Book Review

Men and women went to war, were separated from loved ones and had to cope in extremely difficult times. It is no wonder then that there were indiscretions and people were tempted to lose touch with their normal social standards.

Lonely Mirrors is one such story, a man married with children and working as a doctor during the conflict of World War 2 in Egypt meets and falls in love with a beautiful nurse who is half Italian and half Welsh. She knew he was married and that he had children and she also knew the whole world would disapprove, but she could not stop herself. They were drawn together, enjoyed each other's company and what started as simple companionship changed into a full blown affair. The repercussions from that affair were to ripple on for years to come, right up to the modern day and years after social attitudes had supposedly changed beyond recognition towards the sexual freedom of women.

Families, linked by the action of one man and his lover, came to scrutinise one another, to examine each other's history and the relationships between, sisters, mothers, daughters and wives. The story is an examination of women, what makes them tick and how they coped as individuals with the surprises life threw at them, both when they were young and as they grew old.

There are sexual awakenings, illicit affairs, how the inappropriate attraction to the trappings of power and influence can destroy a relationship and how women sometimes feel about one another and the men in their lives. There are no punches pulled, the story may be one of fiction but the delivery is one of home truths and characters that are very real and which many, many people will be able to relate to.

The women in this novel are not always shown in a good light, they can be jealous, vindictive and sometimes downright spiteful. Because that is what real life is actually like for so many struggling to cope in a hard and unforgiving world. Not every woman is a radiant beauty or a kindhearted mother that dotes on her children. Sometimes women resent their siblings or even their offspring and this novel tells the story of how things can really be. Mills and Boon it definitely isn't.

But don't forget we are talking about tough times here, the heartbreak of the second world war, strong religious beliefs and protocols, the sanctity of marriage and the disgrace of being a single parent. The latter is obviously no longer considered to be a cardinal sin in the modern western world, but back in the 40's and 50's you would not have been able to say the same.

There are of course the women that are beautiful, both inwardly and outwardly, that do love their children and their partners. Not everyone is tainted by life's hardships, no matter what challenges they face, and some can see the joy of life and of living. So you can expect some balance as you follow the story and you can decide which is more real or whether it is all real.

So what really shapes the character of a human being, male or female? Is it individual attitudes, is it nature and biological make-up or is everything down to nurture and what individuals are exposed to as they live their lives.

One thing is for sure if you decide to read this book, you will find yourself considering these factors and perhaps taking a view from one or two alternative perspectives, particularly those of the women.

Susannah Carlton is the author of Lonely Mirrors which is her début novel. She has in the past worked as a play-write, a journalist and a counsellor specialising in domestic violence. The characters she has created in her book are very real and very believable as are the many scenarios she has portrayed as the backdrop for the book. War is a very testing time for any human being involved and having perspectives altered by your experiences during these times are always likely to be a little extraordinary to say the least. Her story starts in World War 2 and then brings you through to modern times through the lives of the families affected by that war either directly or indirectly. You may well enjoy this tale of love, conflict and struggles of family life.