Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Ship of Brides

The Ship of Brides
The Ship of Brides
Author: Jojo Moyes
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Paperback
mazeydazey avatar reviewed on + 140 more book reviews


I really enjoyed this book. Though this is a fictional story, it is based loosely on an actual event during the WWII era where gals in Australia married British solders. After the war ended they were transported to England on retiring aircraft carriers to meet up with their husbands.

This book focuses on 4 girls who were dorm mates, all of very different backgrounds. Frances was my favorite but all had interesting stories to tell. Not only was this a romance between men and women, it was a love story of a captain and his ship and the sea, and in some ways a romantic look at the fragility of war and the cruelty of the social behaviors of that time period. Maybe I am putting way too much thought into this but those are the emotions the book evoked in me.

At first there were a lot of characters to keep up with but once you get settled with the rhythm of the book (kind of like the rhythm of the ship) it was very easy to follow. The ship almost became a character in itself. The descriptions were great and the history behind the brides and how that all came to be was fascinating.

I will say this....we've come along way baby in our thinking....whether that be good or bad is a matter of opinion. :) I am glad I read this book and look forward to reading more by Jojo Moyes.