Particularize Books To The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)

Original Title:	The Chestnut Tree
ISBN:	0553812777 (ISBN13: 9780553812770)
Edition Language:	English
Series:	The Bexham Trilogy #1

The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1) Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 464 pages

List About Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)

Title	:	The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)
Author	:	Charlotte Bingham
Book Format	:	Mass Market Paperback
Book Edition	:	Special Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 464 pages
Published	:	April 22nd 2003 by Bantam (first published 2002)
Categories	:	Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. War. World War II. Romance

Commentary Toward Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)

It is the summer of 1939, and like the rest of Europe, the residents of the little idyllic Sussex fishing port of Bexham are preparing for war. Beautiful but shy Judy Melton, daughter of a naval war hero, her determinedly feckless friend, the social butterfly Meggie Gore-Stewart, seemingly demure Mathilda Eastcott, and Corrie Hogarth, the tomboy daughter of the owner of the local boatyard, are all in their very individual ways determined to play an active part in the defence of their country. Knitting socks and bomb-dodging is not what they have in mind for themselves while their husbands and brothers, fathers and lovers are away fighting.


But attitudes to women's roles in a warring world are difficult to change, and at first all four find it impossible to settle for the traditional kind of work that their families envisage. However, it is not just the young women of Bexham who are determined to find new roles for themselves - so are their mothers. In this manner the little Sussex village, facing as it does the coastline of Nazi-invaded France, finds its closely sewn social fabric gradually unstitch, inch by little inch.


Under the tree on the green the women of Bexham meet to look back on a landscape that has changed irrevocably, and which they have in their own ways helped to alter. None of them are the same, and yet, with the men returning from war, they are expected to slip back into their simple roles of mother, daughter, grandmother. This, more than anything perhaps, is their greatest sacrifice. Having been freed by war, they have now to relinquish that very independence that gave them the liberty for which they once fought.


Only the chestnut tree planted by Corrie at the edge of the village flourishes in the accepted manner, finally becoming the uniting symbol of all that has passed forever.

Rating About Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)

Ratings: 3.66 From 256 Users | 26 Reviews

Notice About Books The Chestnut Tree (The Bexham Trilogy #1)

A poignant, well-written novel set in the fishing village of Bexham, spanning the years 1939 to 1945.

I vowed after reading Charlotte Binghams " Summertime" that I would never read another of her books it was that awful. But I picked this one up by mistake and actually enjoyed it. It's still not fantastic but the writing flowed nicely and it was easy to read. The Chestnut tree itself could have held more significance particularly as the story starts with it's introduction. I found there were too many characters with no specific main person, and the story only skims on their personalities and



WWII lite - covers just about every service - briefly, ditto modes of death; luckily most of the men are sexy and often good looking too. "If he could he'd take his heart out and give it you on a plate..." - ugh.Nice light weight escapist read but overpriced at 50p

I read this book a number of years ago but it is a book I find myself thinking about sometimes. It's the first book I have read that describes what life was like in Great Britain during WWII. I think sometimes fiction can give readers a feeling for a time that history books just do not. I feel after reading this I have a glimpse of what it was like to live with constant worries of bombing, rationed food, and blacked out windows. I really enjoyed this book.

The first third of the book was tough to get through. I know it built background on each of the characters but I'll admit to skim reading paragraphs. Once the War got underway it improved at lot. I like how the characters intertwined through out the book. It was a little difficult keeping track of so many but got easier as the story developed.

3.5 Stars.