Palace Circle
42. Rebecca Dean, Palace Circle
Set in the first half of the 20th century, this book spans from the years prior to World War I through most of World War II. In the beginning of the novel, the young and naïve Delia has just married the titled, British, and much older Ivor Conisborough. He takes her from her home in rural Virginia to the dazzling court of England, where he is an adviser to King George V. At first, Delia has a bit of trouble adjusting; but when she discovers that Ivor only married her to obtain an heir, she quickly gains worldly wisdom and sophistication. The rest of the book follows Delia’s trials and tribulations - as well as those of her daughters - through two wars and halfway around the world in Cairo.
This is a novel that isn’t quite sure what it wants to be. It’s part family saga, following the personal lives and loves of Delia’s family, but it never goes deeply into any of the characters’ emotions. We’re told that certain characters are in love with each other, but we never really get to see the love grow and develop. The novel is also trying to shed some light on prominent historical figures of the time; but while characters such as Winston Churchill, Wallis Simpson, and the Prince of Wales are mentioned, their presence in the book is superficial. Again, the book tries to chronicle an important historical moment, with large sections being set in 1940s Egypt; however, the book’s preaching about poverty and the need for independence lacks subtlety. Had this novel picked just one identity and gone with it, I think it would have been a much better book. As it is, I was not terribly impressed with it.