"Very well written"
In 1908 when she was twelve, Lizzie Kershaw sees her
pleasant world end with the accidental death of her father
at the brewery he worked at. The family finds different
ways to bring in income including two borders, the Harper
sisters, who have shared a similar loss of income due to a
death. Though young, Lizzie accepts a job as her part to
make money. Sam Thoxby takes advantage of the grieving
Kershaw and Harper families though he pretends to be a Good
Samaritan providing help, but he has hidden agendas. In
the case of the Kershaws, he plans to one day marry Lizzie
when she is of an age because he likes her spirit. Over the next few years, Lizzie's mother is mean and
viscous towards Lizzie culminating with her forcing her to
marry Sam. He is physically abusive so she learns when it
is worth the beatings to challenge him. When he goes off
to war, she takes employment at a munitions factory where
she begins to fall in love with someone else. However, Sam
still looms on the horizon and divorce is unacceptable. This is a strong historical character study that includes a
finely developed ensemble. The story line enables the
audience to observe life in the first quarter of the
twentieth century as Anna Jacobs provides a powerful
spotlight. Sam is too sly and devious so that some of the
tension between he and a rival upon his return from the war
is abated. Still OUR LIZZIE is a tremendous historical
fiction that escorts the audience into an up front and
close view of life in England almost a century ago. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted July 7, 2003
|
