The Rosey View Of The World

One Woman's Journey Through The 20th Century

Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
334 Pages
Reviewed on 05/09/2023
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Rosey View Of The World: One Woman's Journey Through The 20th Century by Andrew Scott Bassett is the story of a woman who had a front-row seat through some of the most challenging times in human history. It follows the journey of Rosey throughout the twentieth century and the various changes and events she witnessed during her lifetime. Growing up with a British heritage, Rosey was always different than her peers. Getting married to a soldier, bearing children, and living through three wars and the fight for civil rights, didn’t change her at all. All her life, Rosey fought for what was right, what she considered was for the best, and didn’t back down. As Rosey fought for others, she learned to fight for herself, believe in herself, and leave a roadmap for her children.

Andrew Scott Bassett shares his mother Rosetta's life story in such a clear writing style that I felt like I was Rosey as she lived through the most challenging times. Educational, inspirational, and entertaining, The Rosey View of the World was the perfect companion for me over the past few days. The story explores themes of progress, social change, and personal growth through Rosey's eyes, giving us a unique perspective on the events of the time. Instead of making the story about the war and the upheaval it brought into the lives of everyone, the author gives us a perspective of a woman whose soldier husband is away at war, and she is left with taking care of her children. By doing so, Andrew makes the experiences human and relatable. The prologue hit the message home, and from there onward, I knew I would fall in love with Rosey and her journey. I loved the way Bassett tells the story. The thoughts of the 9-year-old Rosey were just as comforting and riveting as those of an older, more mature Rosey. Kudos to the author!

Jamie Michele

The Rosey View Of The World: One Woman's Journey Through The 20th Century by Andrew Scott Bassett is a fictionalized biography of a woman named Rosey who leaves her handwritten journal entries behind, which her son Danny finds when she has passed away. The book is narrated by Rosey in the first person for the bulk of it and what she has written is so comprehensive that it even includes dialogue tags and details that would have otherwise been lost to memory over time. Danny is a one-hit-wonder author struggling to visualize his next novel, and his mother's story is a welcome distraction. His story intersperses in the third person as he attempts to write his mother's eulogy and navigate funeral arrangements for her. The stories she shares are of her family at home, her marriages, her relationships, her struggles, and her triumphs, and Danny appears to have plenty to work with for both.

The Rosey View Of The World by Andrew Scott Bassett reads like a son's love note to his mother's life, and even with some haziness on what is directly related to Bassett's mother and what has been reimagined to fill in the blanks, it genuinely feels like a bonafide memoir. From a technical standpoint, the prose is polished and the photos in the back are a wonderful treat, but what surprised me is how much more invested I was in Danny than Rosey, and this comes down to Danny having what Rosey doesn't, and that's a discernable plot. We know what Danny is up against and how he gets there is mapped out by Bassett as a proper, satisfying arc. Rosey is simply moving in a linear point A to point B chronicle of her life. She devotes herself to social advocacy and civil rights in America and is bold about it, but some of what she says is dated and can be hard to reconcile with some major life choices, such as having a relationship with a German POW, who she later marries, while the Holocaust is still in the rear-view mirror. I sincerely believe that this book will be best received by Rosey's real-life descendants. At its heart, this is a dedication to the life of a woman who was loved by her friends and family, and I have no doubt this will be treasured by them for many generations to come.

K.C. Finn

The Rosey View Of The World: One Woman's Journey Through The 20th Century is a work of historical fiction, interpersonal drama, and sociocultural issues subgenres. It is suitable for the general adult reading audience and is penned by Andrew Scott Bassett. As the title suggests, this is a highly engaging and deeply personal novel following the life of one incredible woman, Rosey, throughout the many changes of the twentieth century. As Rosey experiences the constraints imposed by society and her supposed limitations as a woman, she becomes the wife of a soldier sent to Vietnam. She witnesses some of the most significant eras of social change for racial justice, representation, and the unending quest for peace.

Andrew Scott Bassett picks such an interesting segment of history to explore through this in-depth novel, but what makes it so unique is his dedication to portraying the central protagonist Rosey. In her, we find such a well-crafted figure that it’s easy to fall in love with her at once and root for her to have a happy life, even though, logically, we can see some of the potential horrors and difficulties that history will inflict upon her. In addition, I loved that she was British and had that fantastic tough, no-nonsense spirit, which enhanced the dialogue presentation and gave her a unique viewpoint on American life. Overall, The Rosey View Of The World is one of the most original and unique stories I’ve encountered. I recommend it to fans of in-depth character dramas and poignant historical writing.