DANCE THE MOON DOWN.

DANCE THE MOON DOWN by R.L. BARTRAM

SOURCE: Received for review from the author.

In 1910, no one believed there would ever be a war with Germany. Safe in her affluent middle-class life, the rumours held no significance for Victoria either. It was her father's decision to enrol her at university that began to change all that. There she befriends the rebellious and outspoken Beryl Whittaker, an emergent suffragette, but it is her love for Gerald Avery, a talented young poet from a neighbouring university that sets the seal on her future.

After a clandestine romance, they marry in January 1914, but with the outbreak of the First World War, Gerald volunteers but within months has gone missing in France. Convinced that he is still alive, Victoria's initial attempts to discover what has become of him, implicate her in a murderous assault on Lord Kitchener resulting in her being interrogated as a spy, and later tempted to adultery.

Now virtually destitute, Victoria is reduced to finding work as a common labourer on a run down farm, where she discovers a world of unimaginable ignorance and poverty. It is only her conviction that Gerald will some day return that sustains her through the dark days of hardship and privation as her life becomes a battle of faith against adversity.

....... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): It was during the spring of 1910 that it became the subject of heated debate between Victoria's parents as to whether or not she should attend university and continue her education.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 40): She had one last gift for him - a bracelet of plaited hair, her hair. Something of herself, so that she might always be with him. It was a symbol, long before poppies had any significance. It was her candle in the window to guide the traveller home. It was a token of her faith, her prayer to God for her husband's safe return.

MY THOUGHTS: One of the best historical romances I've read in a long while. Though less than 300 pages Dance The Moon Down is a story of epic proportions.

Well, I say romance but just as much as it is the moving love story of Victoria and her poet-come-soldier husband, Gerald, it is just as much a fascinating portrayal of life lived during the 'war to end all wars'.

Beautifully written by an author who obviously knows his subject, Robert L. Bartram's words really bring to life this story of a changing society in which hope prevails. And what's more, a book largely about women, as a male author he does an exceptional job in creating some really fantastic female characters.

A novel bound to appeal to those who love romances, a must-read story for those who adore historical fiction and definitely a read for those who value good storytelling, I can recommend this as a book you won't want to put down.

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