The emphasis on class, position, fulfilling expectations and lineage are some major points of contention in the novel, which is covered very well by the author. There are some great conflicts that the reader is able to sink their teeth into. I could easily envisage these kinds of issues arising in the situational context J Mary Masters has based Julia’s Story directly in. This extends to the dialogue, customs and typical expectations of decades past.įamily drama and politics are at the centre of this novel, but it is not melodramatic, or overly sentimental.
At all times I felt that the author adequately captured the correct period detail. Masters also covers the feelings of those left behind on the home front. Masters highlights the sacrifices, duty and obligations of those who travel to bravely fight for our country. J Mary Masters captures the feelings of this time with sensitive insight and accuracy. When Julia’s Story opens, we are thrown amidst the chaos of World War II, which has touched Australian shores. A story filled with choices, love, loyalty, family and duty, I can easily recommend this novel to fans of grand inter-generational sagas. Book one in this historical fiction based family saga was also my introduction to the work of J Mary Masters. Julia’s Story, penned by Australian author J Mary Masters, is the spectacular opening piece to the Belleville family series. J Mary Masters has created a compelling story of a family whose lives are entwined in a web of secrets and lies that bind them together until one by one the secrets are painfully and ruthlessly revealed. What betrayals are revealed and secrets unravelled as the family adjusts to a post-war world where nothing is certain and the shifting sands threaten to engulf them all? But can he remain faithful to just one woman or will his roving eye mean more trouble for the family.Īnd what of the matriarch Elizabeth Belleville, whose preference for her elder son is well known, but who must endure the fecklessness of her husband, Francis, and the disappointment of a failing marriage. Into this mix, comes James Fitzroy, handsome and charming, who sets his sights on Julia. Is he destined to find happiness with Catherine or will he be haunted forever by, Jane, the woman he left behind?īrought up in Richard’s shadow, William Belleville resents the popularity of his older brother and when there is an unexpected death in the family, it is William who attempts to usurp his older brother’s authority and take charge of the family fortune. He meets the beautiful Catherine Cavendish whose aristocratic parents disapprove strongly of the brash young Australian officer. Half a world away, her brother Richard is fighting for Britain, flying dangerous missions across the Channel knowing that the next mission could be his last.
For her family, it is a secret they swear to keep forever but can they?
There is Julia, headstrong and on the cusp of womanhood, who falls desperately in love with an American Army officer against her family’s wishes. Set against the backdrop of World War 2, the wealthy Belleville family must face the tragedies and heartbreak that war brings to the doorstep of their grand Australian home.
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