Widowland: A Novel (Widowland, 1)

This was one of the best books I've read in months. The alternative history portion -- what would have happened in England if the Nazis had won the war -- was fascinating and matched much of what happened in Germany during the 1930s.I really loved the fact that the true heroines in this story were old women whom Nazi society considered useless. I could hardly wait to read the sequel.

This is out of my typical genre, but had an interesting hook. What if the Germans had invaded Great Britain in WW2, how would that civilization look? This author describes a society totally based on your genetics and social strata, but unlike Margaret Atwood, the over 50 females are put out to live in Widowland because they can’t procreate. Some espionage and a wonderful readers guide in the notes, as well as material for book clubs!

Widowland by C. j. Carey begins with the interesting premise that the Germans won WW II and created an alliance with Great Britain. But I found the story lacking in character development. It was also a long and drawn out story. I did not realize until the end that this book is part of a series.

This book was fascinating. The author's elaborate details about the lives of the Nazi leaders in this alternate history are just as engrossing as the story itself. I CAN'T wait for the next book in the series!!!

I was mesmerized by this “what if” story with a cleverly crafted plot. It was very thought provoking.I received a gifted copy.

Taut, brilliant, infinitely compelling, impossible to put down. This alternative history rendering is a terrifying, thought-provoking read by one of fiction's finest authors, the magnificent Jane Thynne (writing here under the pen name C.J. Carey). Highly recommend this unforgettable book.

Widowland follows Rose Ransom, a young woman living in London. The year is 1953 and it has been 13 years since England has surrendered to Germany. David and Wallis are about to have their cornoation in a few weeks. Now under the Leader's rule Rose is given the taske of book editing by the Misntry. She is basically rewriting the novels to the standards set forth by the Leader. Everything in England is censored including the newspapers, magizines and books.The women are segergated by a Caste System and interacting with someone from a lower class is frowned upon. Rose is soon asked to interview some of the women from the Widowland as part of her work for the Ministry. There she finds out the truth from the Resistance Group and helps them to elminate the Leader. This book really makes you think about "what if " could happen if events didn't turn out as they did.

“Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it and there will be an end to blind obedience.” – Mary Wollstonecraft.“Widowland”, by C. J. Casey, is a speculative/dystopian novel with a feminist twist that pulled me in immediately!It’s April 1953 and Germany has completely subjugated Britain which has become a protectorate of “the mainland”. All of London is looking forward to the imminent Coronation of King Edward VIII and Queen Wallis. Since the war, women outnumber men two to one, so all females have been “weighed and measured” and put in a caste system according to rank and duties.Our protagonist, Rose, was placed in the highest caste, and has a position within the Ministry of Culture that, in part, “edits” classic “female literature” that is too well known to be banned entirely (“Pride and Prejudice”, “Middlemarch”, “Jane Eyre”). These are problematic as they feature women thinking for themselves, which could produce disturbing thoughts in young readers. Anyway, females were discouraged from an early age from reading at all.Rose’s secret: she’s a writer. She must hide her notebooks (you must have a license to own a typewriter). What Rose writes about – a world without female castes where girls can become whatever they want – could get her severely punished.Enter “Widowland”, where only the “lowest of the low” women live in squalor: old women, those without husbands or family. The Ministry believes someone from Widowland may be responsible for recent “pro-women’s education” graffiti and Rose is sent there as a spy.Though the ending is a bit rushed, I was enthralled by this story and fascinating re-imagined history.

I have always been a great fan of the author’s husband’s books on Nazi Germany, which first brought me to the books of Jane Thynne.Set in the same period around Goebbels’ film studios, I wrote to her regarding her book with a polite request for a little less description of the film stars’ dresses and a bit more crime in her next books. She was good enough to reply to me promising less frocks and more murders in the next one.This brings us to this book from an unknown author which I bought based on the reviews. Only later did I discover the identity of the author. What can I say other than absolutely superb? Not LeCarré but up there with authors such as Robert Harris. More than a counterfactual novel, it creates a credible ideological basis stemming from Nazi ideas. I particularly loved the caste hierarchies for women which she created. An added bonus was that the typeface was of a good legible size. I hope this is not a one-off and that there will be a creative way to continue the story in another book

Some interesting ideas and initially very engaging. However, ultimately the world described is a superficial and unconvincing creation.

Page turner and keeps you engaged and entertained. Different take on the war.. I recommend this book.

Widowland is a mix up of alternate history and dystopia, with a distinctive 1984 feel. Instead of fighting Hitler, the people of Great Britian have become Germany's lapdogs, in a s0-called Alliance. This involves the best men been sent to Germany and women being classified based on a number of criteria, but particularly their child bearing ability. Naturally, not everyone is happy at this, and Widowland is partly about the resulting insurgency. The story is told by Rose, in third person POV, who is one of the higher order of females, but still lives a fairly mediocre life. Rose is a great character, and C J Carey makes her easy to root for. The world building was generally good, although there were a few things that defied explanation. A good concept, a good story, and an entertaining read.

I love this sort of dystopian or counterfactual fiction. This started promisingly, but couldn't decide if it was homage to "The Handmaid's Tale" or a female led version of "Fatherland"The characters were fairly one dimentional, the Nazi's were..er..nasty, the men in this society who benefited from the situation complaisant, and there seemed no exploration of the moral and political dilemma's such a regime would present. The heroine went from bedding a Nazi officer - albeit unwillingly it appeared to suddenly realising there was more to the office bore than she'd thought and the volte face was unconvincing.The dialogue was full of modern idioms - people would not have said "the same old, same old" in 1950's England to give just one example, and given that all schools taught in German in this world wouldn't English have begun to return to its Germanic roots?As for Widowland itself - where childless widow's of a certain age were confined and kept as poorly paid and fed drudges - well they served up a few bon mots and reminded us about Mary Wolstoncraft - but that was about it.I disagree this is nowhere near "The Man in the High Castle" or "Handmaid's Tale"