Review: Circles of Time

Circles of Time
Passing Bells, Book 2

Author: Phillip Rock
Pages: 425
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours

Description from Goodreads:
Traces the lives of Alexandra Greville, Jamie Ross, and others during the era between the World Wars through the observations of freelance journalist Martin Rilke.

Prior Book in Series:
1: The Passing Bells (Review|Goodreads)

First Sentence: "He drove up to Flanders in the early summer of 1921 knowing that it would be for the last time."

Prior Book in Series:
1: The Passing Bells

Review:
Due to some complications with the shipping of the second and third books in this series, my tour dates got pushed back. As such it has been over a month since I read The Passing Bells. That's enough time for a lot of the little details to go rushing out of my head. Thankfully, who was who came back quite quickly. Circles of Time is just as enjoyable, both from a family drama perspective and a historical perspective as the first book in the series.

Fiction set during WWI and WWII abounds, but there's a definite shortage of works that bridge the gap between the two. Circles of Time covers the years 1921-1923, the post-war period in which Europe tries to rebuild and find its footing in this new world. The first half of the novel focuses primarily on the disconnect between the modern lifestyle of the 1920s and the old-fashioned values embodied by old estates and money, like Abingdon Pryory.

The conflict between modern sensibilities and tradition comes up in a lot of ways, especially in the romance. Where marriages of convenience, made for financial concerns or to obtain a title, ruled the upper classes before the war, more and more couples are marrying for love, even if it offends the family. Alexandra is the best example of this. Her marriage to a Scottish doctor just barely before she became pregnant resulted in a rift with her family, who cannot except that a lady would have an affair with a married man or almost have a child out of wedlock. Increasingly, love is winning out over social concerns. Romantic and family drama comprise most of the first half, and I found Alexandra's arc in particular quite touching.

In the postwar period, there's also a move towards the acknowledgement of just how awful the war was for everyone. War was once this glamorous thing, romanticized and considered an honorable death for a man. WWI, with its trench warfare and unbelievable death toll, was nothing but a mindless slaughter. Martin Rilke's story arc deals with the tension between those determined to cover up the senselessness of most of the fighting and those who think the truth should out.

The second half of Circles of Time changes gears to focus almost entirely on post WWI Germany, during the years of the unstable Weimar Republic, reparations, and Hitler's initial rise to prominence. The Weimar years are really sad, because France's desire for reparations destroyed the German economy, which printed off money like it was going out of style to pay the French. That brought about rampant inflation to the degree that money no longer had any meaning. The inflation resulted in desperation in the people, and the desire for a leader to make things better. Then came Hitler. I've not seen this period in fiction before, and, as it's one of my favorite eras to study, I loved reading about it here. However, those who are less into history will probably be disappointed in the change in tone and focus from the more Downton-esque first half.

For those who enjoyed The Passing Bells, Circles of Time will not be a disappointment. I'm excited to finish up the trilogy this week.

Rating: 4/5

Favorite Quote: "'I view almost everything with a degree of amusement—bitter amusement most of the time. Perhaps it's because I'm quicker than most people. I grasp the heart of things while others are still fumbling around the edges.'"