Shrines of gaiety: Kate Atkinson at her best

A little bit of background📃

I love Kate Atkinson's writing! Her 2022 outing, Shrines of gaiety, is another great addition to her stable of historical novels. Atkinson always writes interesting and complex characters whom she expertly weaves into plots within plots with typical dry British humour and a strong sense of the time period. You can also read my review of another historical fiction novel, Life after life, her short story collection, and the Jackson Brodie series.

Shrines of gaiety | Published September 2022 | Read August 2023

The story📖

Shrines of gaiety is set in 1920s London. The action centres around ruthless matriarch and owner of a string of Soho nightclubs, Nellie Coker, and her six duplicitous children. There's also a librarian on a mission to find two missing teenage girls, and a detective trying to bring down Nellie's empire.

My thoughts on the book💭

I love that the women in the novel are feisty and smart, driving the story forward with confidence and panache. There's a huge cast of characters in the story, but each one is fleshed out and contributes something meaningful to the unfolding drama. It could be confusing having so many characters, each with a compelling storyline, but Atkinson writes each one exquisitely. I found myself captivated by them all. The writing is sharp and witty, and I wasn't distracted from the story for a moment. I loved librarian Gwendolen, clever and brave and dedicated to her mission. I also loved Freda, one of the 14-year old missing girls who isn't really missing, just on her own quest for stardom, identity, and autonomy.

In sum📝

I loved this book! It's one of my favourite Kate Atkinson novels and a classic example of her masterful storytelling. If you love British humour, I am sure you'll love Atkinson's works. Her books are all slightly bonkers, but in that terribly British way that I find not only endearing, but also insightful and clever. If the author is new to you, I highly recommend the Jackson Brodie series, which was made for TV with Jason Isaacs in the title role. It's one of the few authentic book-to-tv translations.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐