Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I am wicked thrilled to bring to you this riveting conversation I had with Ms Garriston – whose written an engaging Historical narrative set during war where the women who were codebreakers truly impacted all of our lives & redirected History one code at a time. I was instantly keen to read this lovely due to my love of the new series #BletchleyCircle which is rooted in the original series which laid down the foundation of the new serial via BritBox which takes place in San Francisco after the war has ended.
The actresses who portray the women bring history to life in such a way as to prove how difficult it was to be a woman who had an intellectual mind in a day & age where using your mind to fuell your career was not acceptable nor understood by men. Or, in many regards by fellow women who felt a woman’s place was in the home and not in the workforce. This series also highlights how hard it was for these women who were on the cutting edge of breaking codes during the war who had to step back into civilian life as if their work during the war years *never happened* and how that impacted their spirits and minds after they tried to resume life as if nothing had happened at all.
Having seen the first few episodes of #BletchleyCircle and one of the original episodes – I knew I was keen to enter into the world of spies, codes and the Historical backdrop Gerriston was going to give us in her story “All Is Fair”. As the tour only had ecopies available for review (as you know as a migraineur I can only read print or listen to audio) I opted instead to host a conversation with her as I wanted to tuck into her writerly process, the components of the story itself and how Historical Fiction illuminates such an enriched knowledge of humanity’s past, present and future.
All is Fair
by Dee Garretson
Lady Mina Tretheway knows she’s destined for greater things than her fancy boarding school, where she’s being taught to be a proper English lady. It’s 1918, and war is raging across Europe. Unlike her father and brother, who are able to assist in the war effort, Mina is stuck sorting out which fork should be used with which dinner course.
When Mina receives a telegram that’s written in code, she finally has her chance to do something big. She returns to her childhood home of Hallington Manor, joined by a family friend, Lord Andrew Graham, and a dashing and mysterious young American, Lucas. The three of them must band together to work on a dangerous project that could turn the tide of the war.
Thrilled that she gets to contribute to the war effort at least, Mina jumps headfirst into the world of cryptic messages, spycraft, and international intrigue. She, Lucas, and Andrew have to work quickly, because if they don’t succeed, more soldiers will disappear into the darkness of war.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1250168696
Published by Feiwel & Friends, Swoon Reads
on 22nd January, 2019
Published by: Swoon Reads (@SwoonReads)
a publishing subsidiary of Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan
Formats available: Hardback and Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #YALit & #HistoricalFiction; #CodeBreakers
as well as #HistFic & #HistNov or for readers who love #BletchleyCircle
About Dee Garretson
Dee writes contemporary, science fiction and historical adventure stories for a wide range of ages. Her books have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections, the Scholastic Book Club, and have been nominated for numerous state awards lists. In addition to books published under her own name, she also writes for the Boxcar Children series.
