The Briar Club by Kate Quinn Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Published by HarperAudio on July 9, 2024
Genres: Historical Mystery
Length: 15 hours, 3 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.
Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?
Kate Quinn’s body of work is filled with amazing portrayals of women and how they triumphed in unlikely circumstances. Her writing style blends human interest and history in a way that makes it so easy to connect with the characters. The Briar Club departs from the World War 2 era subjects I was used, and focuses on post-war Washington DC.  The book unfolds over a four and a half year period, with each of the seven women residing at Briarwood House telling their piece of the story. Each very long chapter is really a different ‘Part’ of the story, as told by a different character. The timeline moves forward sequentially with each character, leaving very little overlap in the narrative.  The novel opens in the current time of 1954, an act of violence having been committed at Briarwood House, leaving the reader to wonder exactly what is going on and how it will fit together.
There are a lot of characters and they all seem to have an equal voice. If I had to choose a leader, I’d say it was Grace March. We know the least about her (and her story is the last to be recounted) yet everything starts to happen once she moves in to apartment 4B, including the founding of the Thursday night supper club for which the novel, The Briar Club, is named. The other characters seem to be living separate lives under the same roof, but it is Grace’s charm and determination to create community that results in the women learning to lean on each other and becoming more than neighbors.
Each character fits a post-war era female archetype; the perfect housewife, the career woman, the war refugee, the patriot. They are all very different, and they have their own story to tell. The changing POV allows for each woman’s voice to really shine. We get a front row seat to their intrigues, struggles, hopes, and disappointments. It seems like they are at the same time epitomizing the stereotypes of the 1950’s while trying to break out of them. There is so much more below the surface of each character, much like the 1950’s themselves.
The major themes that defined post-war America are also represented in the narrative. We see how the characters are affected by McCarthyism, civil rights, a war in Korea, and the shifting role of women; and ultimately how they meet the challenges of a changing landscape.
I look forward to rereading The Briar Club, because I know I’ll pick up on a lot of details that were not explained until the later chapters. I enjoyed the one chapter per character format because it felt like I was getting a peek behind the curtain with each new part. This was a well-organized and interesting read that celebrates women’s strengths and ability to overcome adversity.
Narration:
I’ve listened to many books narrated by Saskia Maarlevad and this is one of her best performances. It is immersive and seemed like a full dramatic reading even with just a single narrator. In listening to an interview included with the audiobook, Kate Quinn said that while writing the book, she considered Saskia Maarlevad’s narration and wrote the characters in such a way to allow for them to be recognizable in the audiobook. I can’t think of a better endorsement than that!
Listen to a clip:Â HERE
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I've developed a preference for audiobooks over the last few years, which allow me to complete chores, run carpool, or work on my many building and craft projects while 'reading.
My all time favorite selections include Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, and all of Robin Hobb's books set in the Farseer world. Â Honorable mentions to Elle Kennedy, Penny Reid, Meljean Brook, Ann Aguirre, Krista and Becca Ritchie, Jeaniene Frost, and Kristen Callihan.
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That post-war setting is a good one. I’m putting this one on my list. And I think my mom would really like it, too. Great review! 😀
Thanks for the review I’m interested in the book based on the time period and setting.
I aodred that book too and I loved listening to the interview of Kate and Saskia at the end of the book too!
OMG I love Kate Quinn and the narrator!! 😀