I am desperately trying to get the edits for my new book, A Ghost and His Gold completed by the end of this week. As a result, I haven’t been on-line as much this week and expect that to continue over the next few days. I should be back to normal blogging sometime next week.
What Amazon says
Imagining Violet Married continues Violet’s story as she and her new husband, Frank Welsman, embark on married life at the turn of the 20th century. Like Part One, the story begins with a journey, their voyage from Liverpool to Canada. Then Violet writes to friends and family about the challenges of living with her in-laws, her first pregnancy and the growth of Frank’s career as a concert pianist. During these years, the family spends summers on an island in Muskoka. It’s gentle domestic drama with elements of social and musical history within the context of Toronto’s development as a musical centre in North America
My review
This is the second book in the Imagining Violet series I have read and enjoyed. Imagining Violet Married picks up with Violet marrying her sweetheart, musician Frank Welsman, and moving from England to Toronto where he plans to build his music career. The author describes Violet’s journey across the ocean by ship and the newly married couples arrival in Toronto where they move in with Frank’s parents and his sister, Alice. His older sister, Olive is married and expecting her first child.
Learning to live with Frank’s parents and adapting to the more conservative social life of the wealthy in Toronto at the end of the 19th century takes a bit of time for Violet, but she does start to become involved in the music world and meet a few people. She realises she is pregnant quite soon after their arrival in Canada and I found it interesting to read about the rather strange life of an expectant mother from the privileged class at that time. Violet gives birth to a healthy son, Teddy, and she and Frank soon decide to move into their own home.
This series is reminiscent for me of the Little House series of books for children by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It tells the story of the life of Violet during the late Victorian era and vividly depicts life at the time when the conventions of society ruled and a married woman had to comply with them in all aspects of her life from entertaining on behalf of her husband to not appearing in public during her pregnancy. The book touches on the involvement of England and Canada in the Second Anglo Boer War and I was surprised at how supportive the wealthy class was of the English monarchy in Canada. The tribulations of life are also detailed included two of Violet’s four children contracting diphtheria and becoming very ill. Ill health was common at the time and there were few medical aids for illness and poor health.
I enjoyed the character of Violet and her growth as she evolves from a young newly married woman to a mother of four children and the wife of a prominent musician in the city. I also enjoyed meeting her in-laws, including Frank’s sister, Alice, who is a lovely young lady and quite supportive of Violet during the early days of arrival in Canada.
This is a slow and languid read that shares lots of intriguing detail about life during this period and I would recommend it to people who enjoy historical fiction along the lines of a fictionalised memoir.
roberta-writes.com 
It sounds like an interesting character-driven but also historical-driven story. Those were interesting times with so many improvements to life as well as challenges to our society. It sounds like as good read.
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I enjoyed it, Jacqui. I found the musical focus very interesting and enjoyed learning about the development of classical music and its tuition in Toronto.
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This is a book I would enjoy. LIfe in Toronto at that time as much different from life on the Canadian prairies where my people come from. Most Canadians are very supportive of the British monarchy even today. Sometimes more so that the British people! I love books like this and will check it out.
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I have read both books in the series so far, Darlene. The first book is set in England and Germany and gives so much insight into the world of music at this time. I really enjoyed both and am busy reading an ARC of the third.
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I’ve marked them as TBR. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.
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My pleasure Darlene, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
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Always enjoy reading your reviews Robbie, even if the book’s not for me…love the historical aspect of the story…
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Hi John, I found this book to be a relaxed and enjoyable read. A lot like Little House on the Prairie which tells the history of the family in a pleasant and interesting way. This is probably a bit more of a ladies read.
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good luck with your edits!
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Thank you, Jim. The editing is fine, its work that is so busy I am struggling to maintain my normal balance.
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being busy is better than the alternative…
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Oh yes, I would go mad if I didn’t have time.
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Oops, work … where is my mind this morning! I have to much work and to little time [smile].
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freudian slip? 🙂
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Great review, Robbie. I am always amazed at how different it was for women then.
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Women didn’t have much value in Victorian time which is weird given that Britain was ruled by a queen. This book touches on the different roles in an upper middle class family really well.
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Sounds like a book I would enjoy, Robbie. Thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure, Bette. Yes, I think you would like these books.
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I’ve always been intrigued by the Victorian era. Thanks for sharing your review, Robbie!
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My pleasure, Mae. Of course, this book is a lovely pleasant read and I enjoyed it, but it doesn’t mention the horrors of the time like people, including children, working on building railway lines, clearing land of trees, cleaning chimneys and the like. It focuses on the pleasant side of life at the time.
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Good review! I’m particularly intrigued by your comment about the rather strange life of an expectant woman of the priviledged class during that time period.
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Wonderful review Robbie. it sounds like a very interesting historical series. Of course, I am interested a bit more being Canadian and spending time regularly in Toronto.
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I think you would like these books, Carla. They are entertaining and pleasant reads. Nothing dark or nasty.
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That is my cup of tea for sure.
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