Publication day for What the Ocean Keeps by Laura Wilkinson @ScorpioScribble – with Review. – Jill’s Book Cafe

I’m delighted to wish Laura Wilkinson ‘Happy Publication Day’ on the launch of her latest novel What the Ocean Keeps. I loved Laura’s last novel and was more than happy to read this one to provide a rare review, rather than just a shout out. I wasn’t disappointed and I concur with Frances Quinn, (best-selling author of The Lost Passenger) who described it as ‘A compelling, beautifully written and almost unbearably poignant love story that shines a light on the forgotten aftermath of war.’ You can find my full review below.

(NB This post features Amazon affiliate links from which I earn a very small commission on qualifying purchases)

What’s the Book About?

The war’s over but for Alma and Jack the fight for love and freedom has only just begun

North Wales, 1918

The guns in Europe have fallen silent but for Alma peace brings only hardship in the Welsh seaside town she calls home. After welcome independence as a munitions’ worker, she is trapped by a painful arrangement with Bron, the man who saved her family from destitution. And for Jack, a Canadian soldier who fought for Britain, it means degradation in the overcrowded, feverish repatriation camp where thousands wait for the chance to sail home.

When Alma and Jack meet in the shanty town which serves the camp, they fall passionately in love – and their romance becomes the one chance of escape. But dreams are fragile. Bron wants Alma for himself. Ships across the Atlantic are delayed time and again, Spanish ‘flu spreads and the men – their sacrifice and bravery in the trenches ignored – are rebellious.

** Inspired by the true events of the Kinmel Park mutiny, What The Ocean Keeps is a heart wrenching, unforgettable love story that weaves a woman’s search for freedom with a soldier’s struggle to return home as the world reels in the aftermath of World War 1 and pandemic.

My Review

This book has so many layers that I wasn’t sure where to start this review. In the end I cheated and once again referred back to Frances Quinn as I echo her comment that the book was ‘tender, lyrical and heartbreaking, with characters I’ll remember for a long time’. That is how I felt once I’d finished, but she says it far more eloquently than me. So now I’ll try and explain why.

Let’s start with the Prologue, dated Liverpool, May 1919. It focuses on Jack as he faces a Court Martial for mutinity and it sets the scene for what is to follow. A feeling of disillusionment with those who see themselves as his superiors; a sense of waste and futility which is still seeing boys sacrificed; a desire for home and freedom, but most of all his love for Alma. Alma, the women he never expected to meet, and certainly not fall in love with. The woman who despite her own tribulations, still hoped and believed in a brighter future, a future that included Jack. As the court martial progresses the outcome is bleak and Jack is not a fool, but what breaks him is thinking of Alma,

“More than anything, he cannot bear the idea of never explaining. To die knowing she will always believe he lied, that he isn’t the man she thought he was. That he had broken her trust once again … The echo of a cough ricochets around the room … ‘Private Moore, you have been found guilty of the charge of mutiny”

Well, what a start, how could I not fail to be drawn in. Now I wanted to know more about Jack and why he was being court martialled. I also wanted to know more about Alma who laughed and idolised Sylvia Pankhurst. But of course, most of all, my romantic little heart was hoping it had a happy ending, because it wasn’t looking good. I knew I was being set up for the aforementioned heartbreak, poor Jack already appeared beaten.

Shortly after we first meet Alma she has been forced into a contractual position as housekeeper for Bron Roberts, (a suitor she has previously spurned), largely as she needs a home for herself and her mother, and to pay off her father’s gambling debts. But, one bright spot, Bron has a shop at the local Kinmel camp and Alma persuades him, reluctantly, to let her run it, whilst his employee is sick. It gives her back some semblence of independence and a release from the increasingly overbearing presence of Bron. It’s also where she meets Jack, the tall, dark and handsome soldier, biding his time waiting for re-patriation to Nova Scotia. Their romance is dangerous built on snatched hours at the shop and secret meetings at the church. It’s joyous and passionate, but Alma has a lot to lose if their romance is discovered, namely her job and by extension her home, and her reputation which still held currency. But she feels Jack is worth the risk, and I’m right behind her cheerleading.

So we follow their story in dated chapters leading upto the circumstances of Jack’s Court Marshall and what happens as a result. I loved both Jack and Alma, and just wanted them to sail off safely to Canada to start a new life. Alma overcame so much but refused to be battered by her situation. She was loyal to her mother and her friend and steadfast in the belief that things would come right. Alma symbolised many women, who’d seen their circumstances change during the war, especially after conscription was introduced in 1916. Factories, especially munitions needed a workforce and in the absence of men, the women stepped up. By 1918 there were over 1 million munitionettes. They worked long hours in hazardous, toxic conditions, (albeit at half the men’s pay) but they also had camaraderie and for the first time social activities. Many factories formed women’s football teams, something that gave them further freedom. That was Alma, football loving, Sylvia Pankhurst loving Alma, who lost 2 fingers in a factory accident but still held hope that things would change after the war. Sadly, things didn’t quite materialise that way. Her freedom was somewhat stolen. The men returned from war and wanted jobs, jobs that in many cases were no longer there. Women were forced back into traditional service roles and in the absence of jobs, or husbands, had to rely on themselves to survive. They have been described as the “Surplus” generation due to the demographic imbalance. So Alma had little choice but to agree to act as housekeeper. Her friend and confidante Nell had fortuitously married an older, richer man, but her circumstances were virtually reliant on her ability to produce an heir. So bot had lives, still controlled by men.

For Alma, Jack represented the future. He wasn’t phased by her forward thinking, he was proud of her intelligence and independence. He’d fought for freedom and extended that courtesy to Alma. But there was little sign of the freedom he’d fought for in the camp. I’d never heard of Kinmel Park, or by extension the mutiny, largely because after the event it was ‘hushed up’. Given that it represented one of the most serious military riots in British history, that was shameful. There were over 15,000 Canadian soldiers in the camp, all awaiting repatriation. But it was appallingly managed. Regimental units were split up and soldiers were lodged in overcrowded huts with meagre rations. The conditions were further worsened by the outbreak of Spanish Flu that had killed 80 men. They were not being paid and were confined to camp, while officers were flaunting their freedom and luxuries. The mood began to darken with the lack of troop ships. They were either delayed or re-allocated to other groups. The harsh Welsh winter was the final catalyst for what occurred. On the night of 4th March about 1,000 soldiers rebelled and looted local shops (like Alma’s).The rioting and violence lasted until the early hours of next morning resulting in 5 deaths and multiple injuries. 78 men were arrested with 25 convicted of mutiny. Just like Jack.

While I might have gone heavy on the history here, it’s because Laura manages to infuse all that into her story but with a far lighter hand. That’s partly what makes this book so special. With some historical fiction I’m aware it’s historical just because of the date or the costumes, or because I’m faced with facts and figures that make it feel like a lecture. But this book gives a real sense of place, of the history and the social mores without overselling it and that makes what is said in some ways more relevent. I can insert myself into the story and feel things so much better. It also means that my emotions are fully invested. I already loved Alma and Jack but set against such adversity, I was just hoping against hope for my happy ending.

Laura has managed to write a not only a beautiful, tender romance between two compelling characters, but she also sheds light on a shameful episode in British history. All of this made more believable by her supporting characters that help propel the story forward. I’m not sure this review does justice to the book, but in closing, I’d simply say – read it you won’t be disappointed.

About the Author

I write the kind of books I love to read. Emotional, ultimately hopeful stories with real women and men at their heart – flawed people trying to do their best in a complex world. I’ve several novels under my belt and though most of my fiction is contemporary, I also write historical fiction focused on strong women. I’m a creative writing tutor and mentor too.

I’ve spent more than half my life in the south of England, but my soul belongs to the north. Born in Liverpool, I grew up in Wales, studied in Manchester and after a spell in London as an actor, I now live in Brighton with my carpenter:musician husband and ginger sons. I have a passion for history, fashion and anything that glitters.