Elizabeth Brooks is one of my favorite authors of “normal” books. As someone who reads a lot of genre books, it takes a special writer to make me take a break from the weird. So I’m thrilled to report I thoroughly enjoyed Brooks’ latest novel, The Woman in the Sable Coat.
The titular woman in the sable coat is Nina, and we first meet her on a ship on the Atlantic ocean, returning to England after only six months of a new life. Throughout the novel, we follow Nina through her adolescence in a small English town, to her joining the WWII effort, to an affair with an older officer, and the inevitable fallout.
However, interspersed throughout Nina’s chapters is the story from Kate, the wife of the man with whom Nina is having an affair, who happens to live in the same town where Nina was raised.
There’s also a little mystery involved; Nina’s mother is dead, and there seems to be a little confusion over how it happened.
I love Brooks’ writing; her clear, elegant prose is a joy to read. But I consider her strength to be her character development. I wanted to give wide-eyed Nina a slap one minute, and a great big hug the next. I loved the dual perspectives delivered by our two protagonists. Kate’s stalwart, stiff-upper-lip attitude was a refreshing contrast to Nina’s youthful naivety. But both characters were absolutely charming.
The plot unfolds quite naturally, and the developments never felt like forced “twists”. I was compelled to stay up way past my bedtime on more than one occasion. Highly recommended to lovers of historical fiction.
The Woman in the Sable Coat is released on March 5th.
Huge thanks to Tin House for the ARC.
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