About this book (from Goodreads):
A young Queen. Two sisters. A voyage that will change their fates forever.
Nineteen-year-old identical twins Violet and Daisie Chettle can hardly believe their luck when they are recruited as maids on newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II’s royal ship.
It’s just the ticket they need away from cold, grey London and the tension that’s been brewing at home since the tragic loss of their parents.
But the 1954 royal tour to Australia, is a far cry from the glitz and glamour they had imagined. Life below deck is hard-work, and whilst Violet is prepared to keep her head down and be seen and not heard, Daisie has her sights on doing everything she can to hang up her apron and mingle above deck – even if it means leaving Violet behind.
But as Daisie begins to win royal favour, she receives a letter from London. The sisters can’t outrun their past any longer… Violet has committed an unspeakable act of betrayal that will change their relationship forever.
With their positions on the tour hanging in the balance, have the sisters ventured too far from home to ever find their way back?
Set against the stunning backdrop of Queen Elizabeth’s first royal tour with Prince Phillip prepare to be swept away with this upstairs-downstairs drama, perfect for fans of The Crown and Downton Abbey.
My thoughts….
Yes, I am one of those ‘fans of The Crown’ referred to in the book blurb! And whist listening to this book, whenever Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip entered the scene, I did picture the beautiful and talented Claire Foy and the dashing Matt Smith. But enough of my fangirling for now.
Photo Credit: State Library NSW
I was fortunate to be chosen to receive the ARC of this book in audiobook format and when I applied to it, it was definitely the cover art and the brief description that immediate grabbed my attention. Not knowing that much about the author, Andrew Mackie, I found it interesting to discover that he is Australian, so this story is quite close to home for him. This is also Andrew’s debut novel.
As you gathered from the “about the book” blurb, this story is cleverly constructed around The Queen’s first visit to various Commonwealth countries in 1954. Whilst this is a true historic event, the vast majority of characters and incidents are fictional. It is important to note that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh features as ‘fringe’ characters only, for those who think that this book is only about them.
We meet two identical twin sisters, Violet and Daisie. As often the case with identical twins, they have very different and distinct personalities. Violet is responsible, considerate, hard-working, earnest – while Daisie is pretty much the polar opposite. They are given the opportunity to accompany the royal entourage on the 6-month historic tour, as maids, and here the drama starts.
I found this book humorous, informative and entertaining, true escapism. It times there were some frustration, mainly because I sometimes struggled to like the main characters – but in general, it was a good book/listen!
As noted earlier, I receive the ARC audiobook version. It is narrated by Australian actress, Lisa McCune and she did a great job! The narration was at a good pace, and her accent(s) were on point. Made for an enjoyable and easy listen.
Thank you to #NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audio book, in exchange for an honest review #TheJourneyAftertheCrown (also titled “The Tour” in some territories)
Pub Date 13 Apr 2022
