Set in an alternate reality, "Widowland" by CJ Carey, is one of those "what if" books... in this case, what if England had surrendered to Germany and become part of their empire. Focussing on the women, the regime categorises women in a similar way to Margaret Attwood's "Handmaid's Tale". Luckily this book is not as extreme as Attwood's and the women just get different privilidges, accommodation and clothing allowances.. The story itself is pretty good, following Rose as she befriends a senior officer and enters Widowland on a secret mission.

This is a powerful and gripping alternate history, one of the best I read in some time. The author describes a world where woman are valued for their body and age, they are divided into castas and according to their classification they will be fed and clothed. The Gelis are at the top, the Friedas at the lowest level. Set in 1953 it describes what could have happened to UK if a simil-nazi dictatorship was in charge. Rose, the MC, is a strong characters. She belongs to the top class but she's also at risk as she's not married and has no child. The author did an excellent job in world building and character development, the plot is tightly knitted and thought provoking. A feminist dystopia that reminded me of "The Man in the High Castle" and "The Handmaid's Tale". A great story, highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

“Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people also”- Heinrich Heine This is a very compelling, but terrifying book to read. Set in an alternate timeline where England formed an alliance with Nazi Germany, 'Widowland' explores what the Western world would have looked like. Unlike Len Deighton's SS-GB, that has this alternate history as its basic setting, this book engages with what daily life would have been like, through its protagonist, Rose, an employee whose job is to change classics of Western literature in keeping with the diktats of the fascist dictators. It's frighteningly real, because this is the way life would pan out in a fascist state- there will be people insulated from the horrors of the state by class and caste privilege ( playing out around me as I write this review). Nobody can ultimately escape it though, and no level of privilege will ultimately protect you from it, no matter how much you may choose to ignore it. The book is peppered throughout with quotes from women writers, that are wielded as slogans by an unlikely band of rebels. While there are other works that deal with similar themes, 'V for Vendetta' as well, for instance, what set this work apart from.all those others ,for me, was the author's firm grip over keeping her narrative as close to reality as possible. The importance of altering history, the constant repetition of facile slogans, the capture of institutions, eroding an independent media- it's easier to achieve than one would think, and it's happening across the world. Something I've always felt, was that World War 2 was ultimately fought because of Hitler's expansionist ambitions. I really liked that the author brought that out- that if the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact had been adhered to, and Russia never attacked at all, it's entirely possible that without Pearl Harbour ,Russia and the USA wouldn't have been drawn into the war at all and the world might have been very different. We're lucky things worked out the way they did. In times of rising fascism across the world at present, this book is an important, timely read- it's important to keep democracy alive, and that's a responsibility that everyone shoulders- as a voter, as a consumer of news , as a citizen.

Although this book starts with a splash of colour, it is set in a grey world. Everything is in short supply, food, clothing, young men, freedom. There was no Second World War for Britain, but instead a surrender which left the country as the poorer relation in a forced alliance. Society has been rearranged into a reflection of the central Reich, and people have adapted. In the second chapter there is a chunk of exposition to describe the various levels of women in the Protectorate, which would usually be a little dry to get through, but it works because the classifications themselves are dry and inhuman. At first it appears the protagonist Rose is in a privileged position, but there is a price to pay and the rewards are barely worth it; her life is still a minefield of constraint and fear. One of the few sources of colour and freedom appears when she ventures into the Widowland of the title, where having lost so much the women living there have a liberty which contrasts with what we have seen already. Life is dismal, and a Coronation provides a celebration to look forward to, but Rose begins to realise that things could get worse, and ends up in a position where she may be able to influence the future. Whether her final act in the book would change the wider society is debatable, but it does give the character a moment where she can reach for something better. In some ways this was a depressing book to read. The alternate history and how the country has adapted to it are clearly laid out in a way that shows a sceptical, but probably accurate, eye for what people will put up with. Rose′s job as a censor of women′s literature does show there is a history of rebellious women, and the graffitti of women′s quotes show that all is not lost. I found this a thought-provoking book which I′d come back to for a re-read. I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

“Just imagine, if things had gone differently, it might be a different monarch being crowned next week. We could have a Queen Elizabeth instead of a Queen Wallis” - ‘Widowland’ My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Widowland’ by C J Carey in exchange for an honest review. I found this a brilliantly realised work of alternative history that was also a tense dystopian thriller. I bought its unabridged audiobook edition on the day of publication and did a combined read/listen for much of it. I zoomed through it as had to know what happened. London, 1953. The country is excited about the upcoming Coronation. Yet as soon as we learn that it is Edward VIII and Queen Wallis being crowned, its clear that this is a very different 1953. In 1940 a Grand Alliance between Great Britain and Germany was formalized. George VI and his family went the way of the Romanovs. While Edward VIII rules in name, all power is vested in Alfred Rosenberg, Britain's Protector. Rosenberg's particular interest is the roles and status of women. To this end he has instituted a caste system for all women. The novel’s lead is Rose Ransom. She has been designated as a ‘Gelis’, a member of the elite caste of women. She works at the Ministry of Culture and is tasked with rewriting literature, such as the works of Jane Austen and the Brontës, to correct the views of the past. Then she is assigned a secret task for the Protector. With the Leader (Hitler, though unnamed) coming to Britain to attend the Coronation ceremony, there are increasing outbreaks of insurgency across the country. Of great concern is graffiti that quotes lines from forbidden works by women. The Protector believes that the source of this dissent lies in the run-down slums known as Widowland, where childless women over fifty are banished. Rose must infiltrate Widowland to find the source of this rebellion and ensure that it is quashed. Wow! ‘Widowland’ was phenomenal and ticked all my boxes for a dark alternative history with Orwellian overtones. While it has drawn comparisons with other dystopian novels, I fully expect that ‘Widowland’ is strong enough to soon be considered a new benchmark in the dystopian sub-genre. I especially appreciated the focus on ‘correcting’ both literature and history in order to ensure that people do not get ideas. As one character comments to Rose: “if we can control what people know of history we control memory too.” In a world increasingly plagued by disinformation it’s an important point. ‘Widowland’ is a novel that celebrates literature. In writing of her work of correcting novels Rose muses: “Was he so convinced of her stupidity and her incurious nature that he thought she could spend every day with these texts and see them as mere words – as weeds – rather than ideas that would take root and blossom and flourish within her?” Like her literary predecessors these words change her forever. Yet at what cost? I also appreciated the depiction of the ordinariness of life for many in this alternative fifties Britain. While Rose has to ensure that her every action and word does not betray her growing sense of dissent, daily life goes on around her. There is excitement about the upcoming Coronation, the planned street parties, and interest in fashion and celebrities. It was a nice touch demonstrating that even in repressive regimes not all experience it as a dystopia. C J Carey is the pen name of established journalist and author, Jane Thynne. I found her writing style confident and I was completely drawn into the alternative history that she proposed. I was left moved and inspired by ‘Widowland’. It is extremely readable and packed full of thought provoking ideas. It is definitely one of my top reads of 2021. I also expect that it will be a popular choice with reading groups given its subject matter, Carey’s excellent writing and the scope of topics for discussion. On a side note, Quercus Books’ art department have excelled themselves in a simple, yet powerful cover design. I have ordered its hardback from Waterstones as I plan to reread. Very highly recommended.