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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
Catherine Meyrick’s And the Women Watch and Wait is a historical novel set in Australia during World War I. Kate Burke moves to Melbourne to help her Aunty Mary run the family shop while her cousins serve overseas. Before long, Kate’s sweetheart, Jack Sheehan, leaves to join the war effort. She’s left to face the uncertainty shared by so many women on the home front. When news of Jack’s fate reaches her, Kate is absolutely devastated. Over the next couple of years, she builds friendships and finds a purpose in wartime Australia. She also meets a young man named Tom Ryan. Although she's drawn to him, Kate struggles with her lingering grief. Still, they keep running into one another, and slowly a friendship develops. One day, he takes her to the beach for the first time. She begins to imagine opening her heart again. Then Tom enlists, and Kate is once again faced with the idea of losing someone she cares about. What happens while Tom is away? And will he come back to her?
And the Women Watch and Wait by Catherine Meyrick took me on an emotional journey. Some moments made me smile, and others genuinely broke my heart. Kate experiences two very different loves throughout the story. I became attached to both of them for separate reasons. I felt a lot of empathy for Kate and understood why she initially pushed Tom away right before he left for war. Her emotions were realistic, and I cared about what happened to her. Tom quickly became one of my favorite characters, and I rooted for him and Kate. I’ve never read anything from the perspective of those at home during WWI. So, I learned a lot. The book had a steady pace, and the writing was easy to understand. The historical details also blended naturally into the plot. Most of all, I found myself hoping Kate would find the happiness she deserved. Anyone looking for historical fiction, wartime romance, and stories with strong women will want to give this novel a try.
