The World is a Wedding by Wendy JonesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 1.5 days
Publisher - Corsair
Pages - 265
Blurb from Goodreads
Wendy Jones picks up where 'The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals' left off. It's 1926 and Wilfred Price, purveyor of superior funerals, is newly married to the beautiful Flora Myfanwy. His brief and painful marriage to Grace is in the past. He's busy with funerals - and preparing for fatherhood by reading a philosophy book and opening a paint and wallpaper business. As much as he loves Flora, he senses her distance from him - are marriage and fatherhood going to be very different from how Wilfred imagined?
Grace has fled from Narberth to London, where she is working as a chambermaid at the luxurious Ritz Hotel. But Grace has a secret, one that can't be hidden forever, and binds her to her old life in west Wales.
Despite Wilfred's earnest effort to embrace the future, he is beginning to wonder if the past has too powerful a hold on him.
My Review
Having read the first book I would suggest you read it before picking this one up. You can read this one without having read the first but I think you would enjoy it more checking out the first part of the story. We pick up with Wilfred Price, undertaker and funeral director, set in 1925. After a quick and painful marriage to Grace, he is now looking toward his impending marriage to the lovely Flora. Their tale covers their union, the business and the small town they live in and the happenings of Narbeth. Grace has since fled to London, trying to find work and hiding a secret meaning she can't quite escape Narbeth or her past.
This is a tale with happiness, sadness, confrontation, secrets & the heart of relationships. We see Wilbur's character continue to grow, looking after her new bride, trying to expand his business and trying to prepare for the future. Although Grace has gone and Flora is everything he hoped for her can't quite forget about Grace and her misfortune.
The is a book that has a few layers and deals with subjects that can be difficult to read, it is dealt with in a sensitive manner yet still evokes sympathy and feeling from the reader. There was just a few things that I didn't quite get although I feel I may be in the minority with it. One character has quite a change in their personality and behavior with not a great deal of explanation and I found a few things that one or two characters done came from nowhere which I personally don't like. However, over all it is a good read, the author has a gentle style that flows and despite the book being set in the early 1900s, which isn't always a bit hit with me, she covered it very well. 3/5 for me this time, I would read this author again and much thanks to Little Brown Book Group for sending me a copy.
Great commentary on this one Lainy.
ReplyDeleteIt is not often that the main character of a novel engages in an occupation is in the funeral business. This also sounds as if has well crafted characters.
I am a stickler for reading series in order so I would follow your recommendation of reading the first book first.
With themes like this The World Is A Wedding sounds like a book I'd enjoy but I really don't want to commit to starting any more books that form a series.
ReplyDeleteWendy Jones's 'PRR - The World Is A Wedding' offers a captivating exploration of life's complexities through the lens of diverse characters. Each page brims with vivid imagery and profound insights. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the human experience. For the Best College assignment Writing Service, this novel offers ample inspiration and thought-provoking material.
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