All That Shimmers
A Twin Birch House Novel
In Kady Ambrose’s fantasy novel All that Shimmers, an orphaned nursemaid yearns for love against the backdrop of World War I and the influenza epidemic.
Vanessa knows she is fortunate to work as a nursemaid for vacationing families at a hotel. Orphaned girls in her position often meet far worse fates. Still, Vanessa longs for a family of her own. The arrival of wealthy, charismatic Ned and quiet, artistic Avery complicates her situation, as does the discovery of the Enchanted Wood and its magical residents.
In the background, the war rages on in Europe and influenza cases rise. They’re terrible, but distant, realities, at first kept separate from Vanessa’s daydreams of a wedding and family. Then people she knows begin dying, and her friends lose loved ones abroad. Characters once bursting with life catch the flu and fade away. Unflinching examinations of life’s fragility heighten the poignancy of Vanessa and Avery’s sweet moments together.
The book is ingenious in its exploration of life’s complicated layers. The vibrant settings reflect the tension between hope and tragedy: The Enchanted Wood first serves as a safe haven for Vanessa and Avery, until it becomes clear that even sympathetic Fates and nymphs cannot shield mortals from heartache. And stolen kisses, giddy first love, and new friendships happen and matter even as death swirls beyond them. Mirroring these tensions, the prose is both raw and elegant, as when a wise woman warns Vanessa that the “barbs” of society’s upper echelon “come sheathed in velvet.” The bittersweet ending mingles uncertainty, grief, and hope for Vanessa and Avery’s future.
Set at a luxury hotel during World War I, All that Shimmers is a romance novel about discerning what matters in the face of love and loss.
Reviewed by
Vivian Turnbull
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