The Eights by Joanna Miller

 

Summary (from the publisher): They knew they were changing history.

They didn't know they would change each other.

Following the unlikely friendship of four of the first ever women to matriculate at Oxford University in the aftermath of the First World War, a captivating debut novel about sisterhood, self-determination and the many forms courage can take.

Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world's most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms. Beatrice, Dora, Marianne and Otto (collectively known as The Eights) have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.

Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Politically minded Beatrice, daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way - and some friends her own age. Otto was a nurse during the war but is excited to return to her socialite lifestyle in Oxford - where she hopes to find distraction from the memories that haunt her. And finally, Marianne, the quiet, clever daughter of a village pastor, who has a shocking secret she must hide from everyone, even her new friends, if she is to succeed.

But Oxford's dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.

Review: This was a beautiful debut novel that follows four very different young women as they become the first female class at Oxford in the wake of the First World War. Brought together when they are assigned rooms adjacent to one another, the four women make an unlikely group known as The Eights. Beatrice is the daughter of a famous suffragette who is seeking some space to find her own path. Otto was traumatized by a brief stint as a nurse during the war and looks to college as a distraction and return to socializing. Beautiful Dora never had any intentions to go to college, but after losing both her brother and fiancé in the war, has decided to come to college in their honor. And Marianne is the bright and quiet daughter of a small village rector who is keeping a big secret about her life before college. 

I listened to this on audio and, while beautifully narrated, I did struggle at times in the beginning to keep the four women distinct in my mind. With four women all the same age and a third person narrator that jumps from one to another, I had to really focus to learn the different women and keep them straight in my mind. But I was richly rewarded as the women continue to reveal themselves and evolve as the novel goes on. Occasionally, the novel will jump back in time in chapters that give more background for each of the women and show experiences they had before attending Oxford. There were also numerous beautiful quotes that I regret that I couldn't jot down in time while listening to this on audio because it was truly beautifully written!

This was a lovely historical fiction, a coming-of-age tale, and a beautiful tribute to female friendship. All four of the women are struggling to find their path in life individually. But also collectively, they are struggling to find their path at a college that is resistant to change and specifically resistant to welcoming women. All four women experience misogyny from male students and instructors who resent their presence. 

This novel also really excelled at depicting a world that is still struggling to recover from war. Everyone in this story has been touched by the collective tragedy of war, some more than others. It also highlights, the suffrage movement, the limitations on women at the time, and the struggle to access higher education. I thought this was a beautifully done historical fiction that highlights a moment in history when things were shifting for women, thanks to the brave ones were willing to be the face of the first steps towards that change.  

Stars: 4