Review: The FitzOsbornes at War by Michelle Cooper

The FitzOsbornes at War (The Montmaray Journals #3)
By: Michelle Cooper
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: B007UH4EGW

About the book:

Michelle Cooper completes her heart-stealing epic drama of history and romance with The FitzOsbornes at War. 

Sophie FitzOsborne and the royal family of Montmaray escaped their remote island home when the Nazis attacked. But as war breaks out in England and around the world, nowhere is safe. Sophie fills her journal with tales of a life during wartime. Blackouts and the Blitz. Dancing in nightclubs with soliders on leave. And endlessly waiting for news of her brother Toby, whose plane was shot down over enemy territory.

But even as bombs rain down on London, hope springs up, and love blooms for this most endearing princess. And when the Allies begin to drive their way across Europe, the FitzOsbornes take heart—maybe, just maybe, there will be a way to liberate Montmaray as well.

Review:

I am reluctant to write this review, as it means that my time with Sophia and the rest of the FitzOsborne clan has come to an end. The FitzOsbornes at War is the concluding volume in Michelle Cooper's epic Montmaray Journals saga, a gloriously evocative, rich tapestry of prose that evokes the long-lost wonder of a world about to be changed forever by an epic, globe-encompassing war. This third volume picks up shortly after the conclusion of the second, which saw Sophia, her brother Toby, and cousin Veronica risk their lives to plead before the League of Nations for the return of their island kingdom from Nazi invaders. When England at last declares war on Germany, Sophia and her family throw all of their energies into supporting their adopted home's war efforts. This final volume is the lengthiest of the series, covering the years 1939-1945 (plus a short epilogue), as such delivering a veritable treasure trove of historical fact, a richly atmospheric, absorbing snapshot of life on the home front. As aristocrats and exiles of a nation allied with Britain, Sophia and her family are uniquely placed to experience the full range of wartime life, from rationing and air raids to the political machinations of the Foreign Office's attempts to gather valuable intelligence on the situation in Europe. Sophia's final journal not only documents her coming-of-age through the fires of war but serves as a fascinating witness to the turbulent times in which she lived -- a savvy, insightful, and utterly absorbing record of a world and a social class lost to the ravages of time.

A sense of unreality pervades much of the first portion of the novel, detailing the first months of the war. Through Sophia's eyes Cooper explores the disconnect between high-level political machinations and early rationing among the citizenry in the early months of the war, a brief "lull" before fighting commenced in earnest. I loved watching Sophia and Victoria spread their proverbial wings (much to the consternation of their Aunt Charlotte) and seek employment, as working-age men were funneled out of the private sector and into the armed services. The war blew open women's working opportunities (i.e., in the previously "male-only" Foreign Office), and every member of the FitzOsborne clan is determined to "do their bit" to support England, with the hope of freeing Montmaray a closely-cherished, if oft-seemingly futile dream. When Germany begins bombing London, the horrors of war are driven home to those left behind -- the uncertainty and soul-crushing stress of the attacks, and the unimaginable strength an average citizen required to simply endure the onslaught of fire and death pouring from the skies.

This series' greatest strength lies in Sophia as narrator -- remarkably intelligent and savvy, she is nonetheless an "everywoman" character, concerned with the minutiae of everyday life even as she strives to navigate a world consumed by war. Thanks to her aristocratic antecedents and connections to the Foreign Office via Veronica and the omnipresent Colonel, Sophia has a brief career as a pseudo-spy -- a nice touch since it allows Cooper to include familiar figures in the narrative like the Kennedys, Sophia's friendship with Kick gaining her access to embassy functions. But my favorite parts of the narrative are when Sophia is simply living, as everyday life in London under the Blitzkrieg is in essence an existence under siege. Through Sophia and her family, Cooper pays tribute to the men and women of London who refused to be cowed, who persevered, even as Sophia acknowledges what life must be like for average citizens feeling the reciprocal wrath of allied attacks. This is a chronicle of war that acknowledges the toll such conflict exacts upon each and every man, woman, and child whose lives are touched by the violence, even as it is a powerful exploration of the "home front" as its own field of battle.

There is a certain timeless quality to Cooper's writing -- like all youths on the cusp of adulthood, Sophia struggles to find her place in the world, her purpose, cope with disappointment and heartache, and hopes for love. Every character that inhabits Sophia's world is achingly real and complex. Over the course of three volumes one becomes extraordinarily invested in every detail Sophia shares on the page -- and therein lies a certain heart-breaking genius to Cooper's writing. One moment the reader rejoices with Sophia over some small victory, only to have the book steal your breath with the next entry as fate deals Sophia and her family a crushing blow. This glossy history seduces readers with unforgettable characters, lush descriptions, and well-meted detail -- and whether documenting a hard-won victory, the thrill of love realized, or the tragedy of loss, through Sophia's journals Cooper immerses her readers deeply within her characters' gloriously-rendered, Technicolor-hued lives.

The FitzOsbornes at War is the crowning jewel in the Montmaray Journals series, a heady, intoxicating, unforgettable blend of fact and fiction. Sophia is one of the most engaging narrators I've ever had the pleasure of "meeting" via the page, and her ruminations on life and love, family and world affairs are humorous, intelligent, and often positively raw in their honesty. Even in exile Cooper plays with the idea of home and family, for though Montmaray may fall, what it represents -- the idea of home, the importance of one's history, an ever-moving, evolving symbol of family -- shines through, making Sophia's journals a timeless, relatable chronicle of the time in which she lived and in a broader sense, of the human experience. This is historical fiction at its finest, a journey worth taking and not to be missed.

Review: The FitzOsbornes in Exile by Michelle Cooper

The FitzOsbornes in Exile (The Montmaray Journals #2)

By: Michelle Cooper

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

ISBN/ASIN: B004FGMD7I

About the book:

Michelle Cooper combines the drama of pre-War Europe with the romance of debutante balls and gives us another compelling historical page turner.

Sophia FitzOsborne and the royal family of Montmaray escaped their remote island home when the Germans attacked, and now find themselves in the lap of luxury. Sophie's journal fills us in on the social whirl of London's 1937 season, but even a princess in lovely new gowns finds it hard to fit in. Is there no other debutante who reads?!

And while the balls and house parties go on, newspaper headlines scream of war in Spain and threats from Germany. No one wants a second world war. Especially not the Montmaravians—with all Europe under attack, who will care about the fate of their tiny island kingdom?

Will the FitzOsbornes ever be able to go home again? Could Montmaray be lost forever?

Review:

The FitzOsbornes in Exile is the second volume of Michelle Cooper's The Montmaray Journals, a fascinating glimpse of European life sliding inexorably toward the second world war. Picking up almost immediately following the conclusion of the previous volume, this novel continues Sophia FitzOsborne's chronicle of life as a princess of Montmaray, the small island kingdom in the Bay of Biscay. Only now, the FitzOsborne family is in exile, driven to find refuge in England by the German aerial attack that decimated their ancestral home. Under the protection of their wealthy and oh-so-proper Aunt Charlotte, Sophia and her sister Henry, brother Toby, and cousin Veronica are forced to quickly adapt to a life the like of which they'd never known. In England, the FitzOsbornes enjoy a life of privilege and comfort, a whirl of social obligations with one aim in view -- to see them advantageously married. But much to Charlotte's chagrin, her charges' brush with death has changed them, and the world's march towards war cannot be ignored forever. Sophia's second journal is part heartfelt coming-of-age memoir, detailing the hopes, dreams, and fears of a girl on the cusp of adulthood and part chronicle and insightful critique of the politics of a world on the brink of madness. Montmaray, and those who love her, cannot remain unscathed. 

The first half of The FitzOsbornes in Exile is largely concerned with the personal dynamics of Sophia and her family in the aftermath of the German attack. While each family member copes with the loss of their home differently, Sophia is the first to admit she takes some measure of comfort in the material improvement that comes with life on English soil. But though she may view herself as less capable or immature, especially when compared to her intellectual-minded cousin Veronica, Sophia proves time and again to be the glue that holds her family together. Instead of covering a few brief months, this novel covers nearly three years, allowing Sophia's growing maturity and insight to flourish. Whether watching Sophia negotiate Charlotte's determined attempts to give her recalcitrant nieces successful societal debuts, run interference when Henry becomes too trying (loved Henry training the Spanish evacuee children as "lethal" Girl Guides), or cope with the first stirrings of new romance, Sophia proves to be an enchantingly relatable, savvy heroine.

I particularly appreciate how Cooper filters the volatile social and political tenor of the period through Sophia's uncannily perceptive  viewpoint. Unlike Veronica, who lives and breathes politics, Sophia is more of an everywoman character. And as such she gradually awakens to the horror of the inevitable advent of war, and the Nazi menace, so do we as readers. It is a particularly effective method of illustrating the ease of complacency's lure, and the frustration and horror attendant in being one of the first to see the futility of appeasement against the Nazis. I loved how Cooper uses Sophia and her family's drive to lay Montmaray's accusation of German aggression before the League of Nations as a reflection of Nazi aggression in the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. If those countries felt alone and ignored, how much more so an island kingdom whose population couldn't lay claim to fifty people? Through the FitzOsborne passion for justice Cooper reflects what it must have felt like to be that lone voice, speaking truth to power in a world determined to maintain the status quo.

Cooper once again peoples Sophia's world with real-life historical characters, proving to be a master at blending fact with well-constructed fiction. I loved seeing the British fascist leader Oswald Mosley through Veronica's horrified, indignant response. And the introduction of the Kennedys and their daughter Kick, future Marchioness of Hartington, as Sophia's friend was particularly well-done (with even a nod to JFK's womanizing ways via Veronica). Like its predecessor, The FitzOsbornes in Exile is a rare treat for historical fiction loves, a heady blend of fact and lovably eccentric characters in a well-drawn world. Cooper is a master at balancing coming-of-age angst with biting social and historical commentary -- an addictive combination that leaves me eager for the third installment of the Montmaray Journals, do to release in October.

Review: A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

A Brief History of Montmaray (The Montmaray Journals #1)
By: Michelle Cooper
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: B002RLBKNQ

About the book:

“There’s a fine line between gossip and history, when one is talking about kings.”

Sophie Fitzosborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray with her eccentric and impoverished royal family. When she receives a journal for her sixteenth birthday, Sophie decides to chronicle day-to-day life on the island. But this is 1936, and the news that trickles in from the mainland reveals a world on the brink of war. The politics of Europe seem far away from their remote island—until two German officers land a boat on Montmaray. And then suddenly politics become very personal indeed.

A Brief History of Montmaray is a heart-stopping tale of loyalty, love, and loss, and of fighting to hold on to home when the world is exploding all around you.

Review:

On a small island in the Bay of Biscay, between France and Spain, lies the Kingdom of Montmaray, home of Sophia FitzOsborne, her tomboy sister Henry, and older cousin Veronica. They, along with Veronica's mad father the king and Sophia's brother Toby, are the last members of a once-illustrious and colorful royal family  dating back to the 11th century. But despite their titles and and wealth of familial history, the FitzOsbornes are nearly bankrupt, clinging to the crumbling family home with the aid of only a handful of loyal subjects. In many respects they are an isolated time capsule, a proud relic of happier and more plentiful times. In the fall of 1936 Sophia receives a journal for her sixteenth birthday and resolves to document her life -- the hopes, dreams, and everyday occurrences that make up her day to day life. She has no ambition of crafting an authoritative family history of the type Veronica works endlessly to compile -- but Sophia's scribblings are poised to become a critical record of a world on the brink of implosion. Montmaray may be small, but world events are destined to intrude on its shores, realigning Sophia's priorities and changing the course of her life forever. With the Spanish Civil War on one side and the heavy march of German Fascism on the other, Sophia is set to become the unlikely chronicler of a world on the cusp of war.

Sophia is an utterly beguiling narrator, her chronicle of life in her crumbling family home full of wry humor and razor-sharp, disarmingly honest observations. The first half of her journal has an almost fairy tale-like quality to it -- the closest literary equivalent that comes to mind is E. Nesbit's Five Children and It. Similar to Nesbit's classic, there's a quality almost akin to magical realism saturating the FitzOsbornes' lives -- two teenage girls, raising a ten-year-old, eking out a living on their wave-battered island because of the precedent of their royal lineage. But Sophia isn't content with tradition and dreams of life off Montmaray, of experiencing the "season" in London and falling in love. But as world events begin to intrude on the simple rhythms of their lives, Sophia begins to see herself as a chronicler of something more, her writing infused with fresh purpose as she records conflict first landing on Montmaray's shores.

Cooper's world-building is superb -- for a fictional kingdom and family, she's given the FitzOsbornes a gloriously realized, thorough history. Coupled with her deft characterizations and sure plotting, readers may find themselves forgetting that Sophia's journal is a work of fiction rather than autobiography. *wink* Cooper pairs her rich, descriptive world-building with a wealth of real-life history that sets this novel apart. A Brief History of Montmaray is an unexpectedly rich, meaty historical -- from the fictional FitzOsborne family history that bore witness to the Battle of Hastings, Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada, and the horrors of trench warfare in the Great War, to the inflammatory political ideals alternately capturing and horrifying the imaginations of the world in the 1930s. Similarly to the recent re-boot of Upstairs Downstairs, through the eyes of Sophia and her family Cooper allows readers a window into the past as Toby meets Ambassador von Ribbentrop, Veronica debates fascism and socialism with the housekeeper's son, Simon, and the FitzOsbornes are shocked when Edward VIII abdicated to marry the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson.

Sophia's first journal is a lovely, absorbing read that deftly navigates the pivot from coming-of-age novel to high suspense with uncanny aplomb. This is a rare treat for readers of all persuasions, but an absolute gift for those passionate about this interwar time period and its affect on those living in such tumultuous times. A Brief History of Montmaray is an utterly captivating reading experience, a unique and memorable, thought-provoking blend of fact and fiction that entertains even as it inspires further reading and research. A marvelous introduction to Sophia and her world!