Coming of Age Amid the Most Pivotal Events of the Early 1900s - an Editorial Review of "Songs of Spring"

Book Blurb:

Can two sisters achieve their dreams despite social norms and local and worldwide events that impact their lives in the early decades of the 1900s?

After ten years as an only child, Pearl Mooney’s mother is in labor. Pearl’s resentment turns to fear when the midwife shouts, “We’re losing her.”

“Who?” Pearl wonders but doesn’t dare ask. Her mother? Or the baby? Either would be devastating.

Living in a small town in Washington, Pearl must leave her parents and four-year-old sister, Edna, at the age of fourteen to live with her aunt and uncle to attend high school across the sound in Seattle. For the next two decades, the sisters’ lives are influenced by their ten-year age difference, separation, and the historical events of the time, including the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, Halley’s comet, the sinking of the Titanic, women’s suffrage, World War I, and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Despite the limitations, especially for women, in the early 1900s, Pearl has high expectations for her future, but she and Edna discover they must fight the constraints of society, the limitations of the era, and live with their own choices in their pursuit to fulfill their goals and find happiness.

Songs of Springis a historical coming-of-age story. Pearl and Edna’s experiences will inspire and educate readers as the sisters come into their own during the events of the early twentieth century.

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/utTE5S

Author Bio:

Naomi Wark is a life-long resident of Washington State. She lives on Camano Island on beautiful Puget Sound, the location of both her books. Helping care for a grandmother with dementia provided depth to her character in her debut novel, Wildflowers in Winter, the story of ninety-two-year-old Edna Pearson and her struggles with Alzheimer's. The prequel, Songs of Spring, opens with the birth of Edna Pearson in 1902 and tells the story of two sisters who face the constraints of the first two decades of the twentieth century. Both books draw inspiration from discovered diaries dating back to 1919. Naomi's writing style has been compared to Jamie Ford and Amy Tan.

 Visit her web site at naomiwarkauthor.com to read samples of her work and see photos from the turn of the centry Seattle.

Editorial Review:

“Edna stood on her tiptoes and gazed over the railing of the pier at the sleek white boat taking her big sister away. Pearl had said she’d never leave her, but as she pointed to the boat, her eyes watered as she studied the large block letters painted in black on the hull near the front. Though she knew most of her ABCs, she didn’t know the word the letters spelled. She named the familiar letters. “A, L,O,N. I don’t know the rest. What does it say Mama?”

“It spells, Athlon. That’s the name of the steamship.” Her mother squatted next to Edna. “Gracious, not even five years old yet, and you know so many letters.”

Edna raised her chin to the salt-laced air. “Pearl schooled me.”

Pearl and Edna are sisters, growing up in Seattle, USA in the early 1900s. A decade separates them in age, but they share a strong bond, all the more so after Pearl witnessed Edna’s traumatic arrival, in a time when giving birth was perilous for both mother and baby. This scene is well written, but is graphic, and some readers may need to take a moment. Maternity care is not the only risk for women of the era; there are threats and social strictures throughout the community and also in national and global events. “Songs of Spring” by Naomi Wark is a story about life. That may sound simplistic, but simplicity is not intended. Both Pearl and Edna must find their way, as children and then as adults, with the competing demands of family, romantic relationships and some level of self-determination. The now-historic rule about teachers not being permitted to marry will rankle the modern reader as Edna tries to balance the attentions of a suitor with her wish for a career. On a lighter note, many a reader who happens to be an elder sibling will smile at ten year old Pearl’s angst about whether a baby sister will mean she has to share her parents’ attention.

There is emotion aplenty in this novel, but also strong threads of humour and happiness. The historical setting – and evident research – will also remind the reader that upheaval takes many forms; from industry to health threats to international conflict, and of course, the social change that seems ever present throughout history. The conversations in the narrative are well-crafted and also illustrate the times, from mention of the Sears Catalog, to “Bill Boeing” and his new business. There is mention not only of World War One, but also of the struggles of men returning from the war to assimilate back into work and civilian life.

““Pearl studied the designs of houses from a borrowed Sears Roebuck and Company catalog titled Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans. She marked pages of house plans suitable for their growing family and still be within their budget. “I found the perfect home. Sears promises that a buyer with only rudimentary skills can assemble a kit home in ninety days.” She stabbed her finger at the drawing identified as “Modern Home No. 167.” “It’s only $753.00, for all the materials, and the whole house, including the labor, cement, and brick can be built for $1573.00. And it has an indoor bathroom, but plumbing, electrical wiring, and heating are not included.””

The character arcs, particularly for Pearl, are realistic, as she moves from a sheltered child’s naivety into an adult world where she must stand on her own. The individual strands of the plot form a compelling story, and will keep the pages turning as the sisters’ respective lives unfold.

“In early February, voices from the living room roused Edna from sleep. She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door, cracking it open with a slow twist of the knob. She pressed her ear to the crack. Snippets of conversation drifted in. A firm male voice dominated the conversation. “You have to understand tens of thousands of men are walking. The city will grind to a halt. I heard Mayor Hanson’s called up troops from Camp Lewis to help keep the peace.”

“It sounds like Mayor Hanson is expecting violence. Do you think it will come to that?” Her father’s unmistakable voice had an urgency to it.

“Hard to say. I heard Hanson’s calling on army veterans to assist the police in ensuring order. Be glad you took the job for Bill Boeing instead of at the shipyard. They’ve already been out on strike for two weeks.”

“Songs of Spring” by Naomi Wark is a memorable glimpse into the early 1900s in the USA as sisters Pearl and Edna come of age. Although the story is set in and around Seattle, the challenges faced by the sisters are highly relatable, and modern readers will find themselves reflecting on the different-but-same restrictions faced by women through the years, whether individual, social, or in their careers. The characterization within the novel is a standout, and the author’s careful attention to historical accuracy makes for a compelling read.

*****

“Songs of Spring” by Naomi Wark receives 4½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company

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