Review: Shrines of Gaiety

I fell head over heels in love with Kate Atkinson a decade ago when Life After Life was published (my review is here and the Canadian cover remains one of my all time favourites). I loved it so much that I was scared to try any of her other books. I have A God in Ruins sitting on my shelf, as it has been since it was published in 2015, and I want to try reading her Jackson Brodie series. But I couldn't bring myself to pick up another Atkinson novel until last year when I had the chance to review Shrines of Gaiety. Friends. I loved it.

Here’s the book’s description:

London 1926. Roaring Twenties.
Corruption. Seduction. Debts due.
In a country still recovering from the Great War, London is the focus for a delirious nightlife. In Soho clubs, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.
There, Nellie Coker is a ruthless ruler, ambitious for her six children. Niven is the eldest, his enigmatic character forged in the harsh Somme. But success breeds enemies. Nellie faces threats from without and within. Beneath the gaiety lies a dark underbelly, where one may be all too easily lost.

You all know I love historical fiction. While Shrines of Gaiety is a historical fiction novel, it’s not like some of the other popular HF titles you’ve seen around. No, Atkinson’s novels may be set in the past and may be historically accurate (as far as I can tell) but they’re so much more. That said, the setting and the time period of this book was so enjoyable. Fans of Peaky Blinders might get Aunt Pol vibes from Nellie, as I did. It wasn’t just the fierce matriarchal vibes both women gave off but also the time period that had me thinking of the TV show while reading the book. Let me be clear, though, Atkinson’s story and characters are in a class all their own and are no copycats!

I read a lot of books set during World War II (it’s really easy to - they’re everywhere these days) and the occasional title that takes place during World War I. I’ve recently realized I very much enjoy books set after the wars or, in the case of Shrines, between them. London hasn’t fully recovered from WWI in 1926 and they have no idea what’s to come in another decade or so. That fascinated me, a modern reader, but also made me a bit sad because I, unlike Nellie and her family, know London will be devastated again in another war.

Atkinson’s writing is an absolute masterpiece. It’s detailed and clever and impossible to put down - even (or especially) when the book clocks in at over 400 pages. I savoured every one of those pages and the story Atkinson was telling in them. I was completely invested in the Coker family and wanted everything to work out for them, even when it seemed like that was an impossibility.

I’ve held off reviewing Shrines of Gaiety for a few months and it’s not only because life has been hectic. No, I just wasn’t sure how I could properly put into words how good Kate Atkinson’s latest novel is. I don’t think I’ve managed it here so I really hope you all just trust me when I say it’s a damn good read and if you’re a historical fiction fan (or even just a fan of a really good story) you should pick this book up as soon as you can.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*