Description
The backdrop of London in 1936 sets a tumultuous stage for Anna Bliss’s debut novel, Bonfire Night. As twenty-one year old Irish Catholic Kate Grifferty sets out on the streets to photograph ant-fascists protests, she knows her keen eye is her only hope of someday seeing her own name next to a photo in the newspaper. She’s been working in a press office but fears her boss only views her as an attractive office ornament. She hopes to capture images that solidify her as a talent rather than a conquest. On her mission, she meets Jewish medical student David Rabatkin, who is as serious about his future as Kate is about hers. Their fiery initial meeting and eventual relationship changes both their lives in numerous and stunning ways.
The research Bliss must have done to capture the realities of the time period make this one of the most exceptional historical novels I’ve read in a while. From the details about characters’ clothing to popular music to the interior decor of apartments and office buildings, all of her choices are immaculate. Reading this novel was a truly immersive experience. And, for readers who are interested in conversations about interfaith relationships, the book is also a must read.
While some of the choices David makes to support his family and to further his future seem callous at first, there is a heartbreaking resignation to his decisions as well. What he wants is not always what Kate wants, but their desire for each other is as hot as the bonfires that burn on Guy Fawkes night. The question at the heart of Bonfire Night is, will that desire be enough?