This was my first lock down read!
‘Lucky Bunny’ by Jill Dawson.
A little about the book, via goodreads:
The story of vivacious and endearing thief Queenie Dove, a Moll Flanders for World War II Britain. Brilliantly recreating mid-twentieth century London, from the bustling streets to the seamy underworld, from the Depression Era through the Blitz and into the 1950s, Lucky Bunny entangles readers in the adventurous life of a truly captivating anti-heroine, a self-proclaimed genius in the art of survival. Before the Krays, there was Queenie Dove… and readers will never forget her.
I go through waves of interest when reading – for months now, I have struggled to find a fiction book (regardless of genre) that interests me. I picked this up in the W.H. Smith outlet in my uni town, entirely because the cover bears a striking resemblance to my angel of a friend Hannah, but it wasn’t until I moved home months later that I actually started reading it.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.
Do I wish I had it read it sooner? Also absolutely.
I read the entire thing over three nights- it became my ritual to sit and read in the garden with a glass (read: bottle) of cheap wine with the fairy lights turned on and a blanket around me.
The novel did not read like a piece of historical fiction; to me, it read more like a humorous autobiography, which I LOVED. Now, I’m not normally a fan of biographies, (auto or otherwise), as I don’t find them interesting enough as contemporary non-fiction.
Dawson writes with captivating prose that is gripping from the get go; the journey we follow Queenie on is full of surprises, and I just loved reading it!
Paige Briscoe 