Review: The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

The Ship of Brides

by Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 464

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  1946. World War II has ended and all over the world, young women are beginning to fulfill the promises made to the men they wed in wartime.

In Sydney, Australia, four women join 650 other war brides on an extraordinary voyage to England—aboard HMS Victoria, which still carries not just arms and aircraft but a thousand naval officers. Rules are strictly enforced, from the aircraft carrier’s captain down to the lowliest young deckhand. But the men and the brides will find their lives intertwined despite the Navy’s ironclad sanctions. And for Frances Mackenzie, the complicated young woman whose past comes back to haunt her far from home, the journey will change her life in ways she never could have predicted—forever.

Kritters Thoughts:  A boat full of navy men headed home after a long and dramatic war combined with 650 women who are war brides promised to men who will be at the end of this long journey.  The test will be trying to keep these men and women separate and safe during this six week journey.  

I loved that this story followed a few women and one of the men closely and it started before they got on the boat, so the reader knew what circumstances brought these characters onto the boat to England.  I had never heard of brides crossing the ocean to meet the men that they had only known for weeks or so, so I absolutely loved learning a bit of history wrapped into fiction.  

Not all of the characters were loveable, but all were honest and felt truthful.  The book was quite hefty and towards the middle it felt like it dragged a little, but I kind of feel like it gave the book a little something because I started imaging six weeks on a ship and how that would drag on as well.  

I was definitely confused by the prologue and I felt like it took awhile to connect to the full novel, but it finally met up with the full story.  I don't know that I would have omitted the prologue, but would have loved to have the connection come earlier in the book.

I have been a Jojo Moyes fan for awhile now and one thing I love about this author is that she doesn't write the same genre or story over and over again - each book is unique.  I did love the appearance of one of the brides in the book I will review tomorrow which is contemporary - Silver Bay.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Penguin.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.