Her Heart’s Choice (On the Home Front)
The story follows Lou Channer, a girl from North Devon during World War Two, who is astounded by her cousin’s dramatic career change from socialite to government position. She is inspired to find a job herself in Plymouth to see if there is more to life than being married to the first Devon boy who asks her. She finds a position at the Royal Canadian Naval Yard as a clerk and quickly finds it is hard to learn who her friends really are. She is asked out by Harry Hinds, a confident young man who has a job which seems to be a part of their relationship, which Lou realises too late. It doesn’t help there is the lovely Lieutenant Ross who has also taken interest in her.
Author Rosie Meddon captures wartime Plymouth with skill and experience. She takes time to craft her characters in such a way that the reader is compelled to make judgements on all of them, even the protagonist herself. The author hints at the threat of the black-market trade and the seriousness of the laws against it. She contrasts the quiet life of Devon with the haphazard nature of the busy city of Plymouth and its naval bars. We are always rooting for the protagonist, even when she makes mistakes, and follow her progress throughout the novel. Overall, Rose Meddon has written a highly entertaining and successful novel.
