Dinner with Churchill - Robin Hawdon - ★★★.¾
AUTHOR: Robin Hawdon
GENRE: WWII Fiction
RATING: 3.75 stars.
In a Nutshell: A political spy fiction set around a historical dinner that Churchill and Chamberlain had in 1939. The book began excellently, then lost me a little as it went excessively political (a ME problem) and finally disappointed me with some needless plot developments (a BOOK problem.) Can recommend it for the pseudo-factual historical content, but not with all my heart.
Story Synopsis:
Lucy Armitage is an innocent baker’s daughter whose life changes at the onset of WWII. When convinced by her elder brother to go to secretarial college in London, she never dreamt that she would soon end up working for Winston Churchill, then the First Lord of the Admiralty.
During her new job, she ends up learning a lot about politics, governance, and herself. The most exciting development is when Churchill invites his political nemesis Chamberlain over for dinner, the first time the two would be interacting by themselves on private ground.
We get a bird’s eye view of the dinner and Britain’s wartime planning through Lucy’s third person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
🔥 The book captures well the 1939 atmosphere in London and Churchill’s hands-on approach towards tackling everything at once. The historical essentials seem spot on, offering a fascinating glimpse of wartime that isn't usually covered in WWII novels
🔥 I am not perceptive about British politics. Other than what little I have read in fiction, I know barely anything about Churchill, Chamberlain, and anything to do with their interactions. But this didn’t come in the way of my understanding the factual elements in the novel. As Lucy is shown to be a naïve sheltered young girl from the Lake district, I learnt the political facts and developments along with her.
🔥 As far as I can make out, Churchill and Chamberlain have been represented just as per their real personality. Though this story is fictional, the writing incorporates several of Churchill’s actual quotes from speeches and letters. It even highlights his personality traits such as the excessive drinking, the never-ending letters, the workaholic tendency, and even his personal life, including his relationship with his wife Clementine. The plot also focusses on his flaws, which I really appreciate as this gives us a realistic picture of the man rather than an idealised version. The accurate representation of the two main political figures and even their wives who are with them during that historic dinner is a treat to read.
🔥 Lucy’s character development is mostly great. She is shown as naïve at the start but slowly coming into her own in terms of confidence. I loved how Lucy’s present timeline incorporated bits from her past so as to give us a glimpse of her life before London. Even during the dinner, there are scenes from Lucy’s past interspersed into the “live” conversation between the politicians and their wives. It is a great way of balancing the story and wonder of wonders, doesn’t ever get confusing.
🔥 Apparently, the dinner that took place between the political heavyweights was a private one, and no one knows what they discussed during what must have been an eventful evening. To recreate this momentous part of history in a convincing way is a huge achievement. The story gets us through all the dinner courses with a powerful view of the verbal sparring between Churchill and Chamberlain. I am amazed at how the author could create an entire evening’s worth of conversation just from what’s publicly known about the people involved. I also liked how the author ensured that Lucy was a vital part of the dinner without making it seem like a forced appearance. (Unlike the messy plot development in Geraldine Brooks’ “Year of Wonders” where its lead character goes everywhere the plot needs without any sensible rationale.)
Bookish Nay-for-Me-Possible-Yay-for-Others:
🎆 The politics got a bit too much for me in between. To be honest, I am not fond of political books, and opted for this one only for the compelling premise. The initial part wasn’t so intense, but once the dinner party began, the conversations went heavily into political mode, making me zone out. As my awareness of British politics is restricted to the bare minimum, many of the inside references and covert allegations were lost on me. This won’t be an issue for those who are aware of the political scenario in Britain during the WWII era.
Bookish Nays:
💣 The romantic development was too instant and shaky to be convincing. Without going into spoilers, Lucy’s thoughts should have reflected much hesitation and uncertainty in the second half. But there’s barely any indication of her confusion except a sentence or two. I didn’t like the romance subplot at all.
💣 There were several little details in the story that I was not able to accept readily. Would two young men take their 16/18 year old sister for a fun night to a strip club? Would two brothers talk to their younger sister about sex in a casual manner (in 1939)? Would a naïve virgin readily sleep with someone who she knows is being secretly investigated for a war crime? Will a cloistered girl from a little village be able to manipulate an experienced spy without fumbling even once? Too farfetched, really.
Update, 4th January 2024: This feedback isn't not valid any more. The author has confirmed that taking into account the number of readers who objected to the ending, it has been erased in the revised published version. So I am going to cut off the references to the postscript and upgrade my rating.
All in all, I was completely invested in the proceedings leading to the eponymous dinner. Even the dinner party was interesting, though I didn’t get some of the political references. However, the romantic track and the postscript were the pineapples on this pizza, spoiling the entire taste with their presence.
4.5 stars for the initial 35-40%, 4 stars for the dinner party, 3.5 stars for the remaining content, and 1 star for the postscript.
My recommendation? Definitely, a book worth reading for historical fiction fans. If possible, skip the postscript for a better experience. Stop after Chapter 36 – you might not get a HEA ending, but you will get an ending that makes far better sense for the story. Of course, as with all opinions, this advice is to be taken with a pinch of salt.
I read a complimentary copy of this book through The Pigeonhole. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
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