The Very Thought of You
Rosie Alison
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Release Date: July 5, 2011
Pages: 320

Rating: 4 stars

England, 31st August 1939: The world is on the brink of war. As Hitler prepares to invade Poland, thousands of children are evacuated from London to escape the impending Blitz. Torn from her mother, eight-year-old Anna Sands is relocated with other children to a large Yorkshire estate which has been opened up to evacuees by Thomas and Elizabeth Ashton, an enigmatic, childless couple. Soon Anna gets drawn into their unraveling relationship, seeing things that are not meant for her eyes and finding herself part-witness and part-accomplice to a love affair with unforeseen consequences. A story of longing, loss, and complicated loyalties, combining a sweeping narrative with subtle psychological observation, The Very Thought of You is not just a love story but a story about love.

The Very Thought of You is a beautifully woven tale follow the lives of an entire cast of wonderful characters. I love historical fiction, so I was happy to find another marvelous historical fiction that I will be sure to recommend to others. With this book, Alison deliers one heck of a debut.

The Very Thought of You was a very slow read, there just wasn’t a lot happening. While it was a slow read, I never found myself bored, it was just a book I found I couldn’t absorb huge chunks of the book in one sitting. The book covers the span of several years, and it was a smooth transition through time.

The more I read, the more I fell in love with the writing. The descriptions in The Very Thought of You are downright beautiful. I loved that Alison switches around from what characters point of view the story is being told from. Readers hear generally from Elizabeth, Thomas and Anna, but you also hear from Roberta, Pawel, Ruth and more. It kept me engaged and was never too much to comprehend.

The book was divided into several sections. It was the last about 50 page section that left me unsatified. I felt the story could’ve ended where it did, instead of covering a span of 1957-2006 in 50 pages. While Rosie Alison did a good job with the flow, I felt the story was nicely tied up and it was extra, unneeded pages.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this one. It is a tale that will stick with you for many reasons, ranging for the beautiful prose, the unforgettable characters, or the haunting storyline. I cannot see what is next for Rosie Alison.