Review of Another Time
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Jelani Trotter
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Review of Another Time
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Another Time" by Vicki Ostenfeld.]
Frank Charles Matthews, from St Marys in Tasmania, was serving in Cairns during World War II. In Cairns, Frank and his friends, Blue (as he was called in the book) and Owen, met Amy Smith and her friends, Dorothy and Mary, at a swimming pool. Amy and her friends were nurses responsible for treating ill and wounded soldiers. Frank and Amy took a liking to each other during that brief meeting at the pool and continued to see each other. Amy, a city girl from Sydney with sophisticated tastes, contrasted with Frank, who grew up on a farm rearing sheep and selling wool and dairy. Despite this, Frank and Amy complemented each other. Amy introduced sophisticated things to Frank, like wine, American dance, and books.
Their wonderful relationship faced a stumbling block when Frank told his brother, Henry, who was also serving but at a different station, about Amy. Henry believed nurses were sexually loose, did not aspire to be housewives, and did everything to sabotage Frank and Amy’s relationship while claiming a woman named Jeanie awaited Frank’s return from the war in St Marys. Amy later left Cairns without telling anyone due to these issues, including her and Frank’s differences about their future after the war, as Amy wanted to return to school to become a doctor, which she could not do in Tasmania, and Frank also said he couldn't live in a big city like Sydney. This marked the end of their relationship. Read Another Time by Vicki Ostenfeld to learn about how Frank spent the rest of his life, his family, and his journey, to name a few aspects.
I will say the author is an excellent writer. The novel is quite slow-paced, with explicit attention to detail so that every event, item, person, or place is well-described, allowing readers to imagine it vividly. Frank is an excellent character, hard-working and smart. I feel that if he and Amy had reached a better resolution, their relationship might have worked. He is notably smart and wise. The way he handled Jeanie’s adultery and Henry’s and Vern’s betrayal is sufficient evidence. It is beautiful that he, Dorothy, Owen, and Ruby stayed in contact, especially since telephones were not widely used at the time. Also, I like how the author uses words like ya instead of you, which describes their way of speaking during those times.
There was nothing I disliked about the novel. I enjoyed reading it. It is worth the read, and I applaud the author’s effort. There were errors, but they did not disrupt my reading. I give this 4 out of 5 stars because of the errors. I recommend this to people who love slow-paced novels. I am sure you will enjoy it. It’s a story that depicts Frank’s entire life from the war until death.
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Another Time
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Frank Charles Matthews, from St Marys in Tasmania, was serving in Cairns during World War II. In Cairns, Frank and his friends, Blue (as he was called in the book) and Owen, met Amy Smith and her friends, Dorothy and Mary, at a swimming pool. Amy and her friends were nurses responsible for treating ill and wounded soldiers. Frank and Amy took a liking to each other during that brief meeting at the pool and continued to see each other. Amy, a city girl from Sydney with sophisticated tastes, contrasted with Frank, who grew up on a farm rearing sheep and selling wool and dairy. Despite this, Frank and Amy complemented each other. Amy introduced sophisticated things to Frank, like wine, American dance, and books.
Their wonderful relationship faced a stumbling block when Frank told his brother, Henry, who was also serving but at a different station, about Amy. Henry believed nurses were sexually loose, did not aspire to be housewives, and did everything to sabotage Frank and Amy’s relationship while claiming a woman named Jeanie awaited Frank’s return from the war in St Marys. Amy later left Cairns without telling anyone due to these issues, including her and Frank’s differences about their future after the war, as Amy wanted to return to school to become a doctor, which she could not do in Tasmania, and Frank also said he couldn't live in a big city like Sydney. This marked the end of their relationship. Read Another Time by Vicki Ostenfeld to learn about how Frank spent the rest of his life, his family, and his journey, to name a few aspects.
I will say the author is an excellent writer. The novel is quite slow-paced, with explicit attention to detail so that every event, item, person, or place is well-described, allowing readers to imagine it vividly. Frank is an excellent character, hard-working and smart. I feel that if he and Amy had reached a better resolution, their relationship might have worked. He is notably smart and wise. The way he handled Jeanie’s adultery and Henry’s and Vern’s betrayal is sufficient evidence. It is beautiful that he, Dorothy, Owen, and Ruby stayed in contact, especially since telephones were not widely used at the time. Also, I like how the author uses words like ya instead of you, which describes their way of speaking during those times.
There was nothing I disliked about the novel. I enjoyed reading it. It is worth the read, and I applaud the author’s effort. There were errors, but they did not disrupt my reading. I give this 4 out of 5 stars because of the errors. I recommend this to people who love slow-paced novels. I am sure you will enjoy it. It’s a story that depicts Frank’s entire life from the war until death.
******
Another Time
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Forgiveness and reconciliation detangled by isoken ogbeide
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Baylor Sterling
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I am so happy to read this review! It does a great job of describing the gap between the origin of Frank and Amy and their love story that kept developing in spite of the differences. Amy's unveiling of a more refined way of life to Frank is a good addition to their relationship.
