An intriguing story that flits from 1940 to the 2020. Ellie's mum Alice has dementia and lives in a home. Ellie wants to know her mum's history but Alice won't tell her so Ellie decides to research it for herself.
Ellie flies to England from the States to see what she could find out. She soon discovers her grandmother was called Nell.
As the story reverts back to Nell we read about her life and her family during WW2.
Ellie discovers that her own family background is built on love, bravery, determination and selflessness.
A great storyline.

This is a dual timeline story with Nell and her daughter Alice as our main characters in 1940 and a now elderly Alice and her daughter Ellie as the main characters in the present day. Nell and Ellie are our narrators and it’s interesting to see how alike they are.

Ellie is trying to find out some family history which takes her from the USA to England, and ends up with her discovering long hidden family secrets.

It’s a nicely written book and it is just well paced enough. I quite liked our two main characters though I could have lived without the ‘romance’ in the present day. I didn’t warm to Dan at all!

I read the whole book in one sitting and was pleased it wrapped up nicely. It’s a nice example of historical fiction and I’m sure it will do well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Ellie’s Mother, Alice has moved into a care home and she realizes she knows nothing about her family and even Alice is a stranger to her in some ways. Alice doesn’t remember much about her own Mother since she died when she was a baby. Embarking on a trip to England to learn about her family history, Ellie’s learns more than she bargained for. The story is beautifully told from the points of view of Ellie and her Grandmother, Nell in a dual timeline with lots of intrigue.

This first published book for adults is well written, well researched and well thought out. The story is very atmospheric and I felt myself walking the streets of London as I read. The story has something for everyone. Part historical fiction, part mystery, part thriller, part romance. I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I had just finished a book about World War II. It was a heavy somewhat depressing book. This book was next on my Kindle and when I first started reading it, I thought I was going to cry. I often get very involved in the books I read and it had taken me several days to not dream about the atrocities the other book had detailed. The further I read into this book, the more I became interested in the characters and the story. Yes, it is set in war-torn Europe but the author did not find it necessary to go into the gory details of the War- it was more or less the backdrop of the story. I enjoyed reading this book. It was told between the generation that lived during the War and then skipped a generation to the “modern day “ granddaughter Ellie. The grandmother,, Nell, was married to a clock maker that worked for the business that kept Big Ben going. It was interesting reading about the grandfather, Arthur. Nell’s Mother is Alice who is suffering from the onset of dementia. Alice doesn’t know a lot about her ancestors in England and is estranged from her half sister. Because the author has taken the time to tell you about this family, their everyday lives and some of the people they know, I found this book much more interesting and readable. I’m not depressed and heavy feeling from the story but I am a little sad the book is over. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review. I will recommend.

A fictional story that interestingly switches from WWII to the present. A great storyline that has a bit of melancholy . It keeps the reader riveted from the beginning to the very end. I received this free ARC from NetGalley for a honest review. 4 Stars !!

The book is told over two timelines. The first being set in London in 1940, where Britain is gripped by the terror of the Blitz. Nell, a young mother and wife, is forced to leave London and her beloved husband Arthur, to head to the relative safety of the country to keep both her and her baby daughter safe. Arthur is a clockmaker and is tasked with keeping Big Ben chiming, a job he takes very seriously, and so he must remain behind in London. When Nell receives word that Arthur is in trouble she knows there must have been some sort of mistake. She returns to London, leaving their baby in the countryside with her mother, and finds herself in a very dangerous position. Secrets, lies and betrayals lurk behind every corner, but Nell knows she must do everything she can to find her husband. 

Meanwhile, in the present day, Ellie discovers a watch that once belonged to her grandmother. She knows very little about the life of her grandmother and is determined to know what happened to her. She makes the trip over from the USA to London to try and piece together the fragments of her grandmother’s life.

Ellie was a relatable character but she was very much a secondary character within the novel. Her role is to find out what happened to Nell, and her grandmother's story was much more interesting than her own. The transitions from past to present where done smoothly and I felt the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed piecing together the clues as Ellie found out more about her family history.

Nell was bold and courageous and driven by love. I can only imagine the internal struggle of wanting to keep your daughter safe whilst still wanting to remain close to your husband. 

I loved the descriptions of London during the war. The beauty and the neighbourhood spirit were starkly juxtaposed with the backdrop of bombs and destruction. I could completely understand Nell's reluctance to leave the city when her whole life had been based there. 

I would definitely recommend.

This book completely caught me off guard. I did not expect the spy aspect at all, and I loved it. What a touching story. I don't know how much of this is factual, but I hope a lot. What a wonderful story, and what a great pace to get to the twist. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The family dynamics felt realistic. As did the history.

The Clockmaker's Wife started slow but midway through, I couldn't put it down. It is a dual timeline tale (my favorite kind of historical fiction) which tells the story of Nell and her husband Arthur, a clockmaker. This first part of the tale takes place during WWII (1940); the second timeline is that of Nell's granddaughter, Ellie, and also Nell's elderly daughter Alice. No spoilers - but it's a great tale of intrigue and reconnecting with family and finding love. I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for furnishing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Daisy Wood, Avon Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC of THE CLOCKMAKER'S WIFE.
Wonderful. A time-slip story with wonderful characters and a heart-breaking realisation for one of the favourites. My heart dropped. Historical fiction is my absolute favourite and this is very well done. Bravo!

1940s. Arthur and Eleanor must separate for Nell and Alice to have a stable life. While London is in pieces and there’s only fire everywhere, when nights are intervened by moments of peace before the sirens start ringing again, and the bombs start coming to get you as if a present sent from the sky, Nell must get a grip and flee. But a chance phone call one night sends her running past her inhibitions and thoughts of security into the night.
 
Spanning for about 84 years, the novel traces the journey of three generations of the Spelman family. Eleanor Spelman, or Nell, had been a beautiful woman but that’s all there’s to know about her. Or is it? When her eponymous granddaughter, Ellie, witnesses her mother, Alice’s memory fast receding, she wants to go to the roots of her lineage before she loses her mother, altogether. Setting off on a journey to London, she starts unravelling the past that sets her down a path she had never expected to be on.
 
A clock chain and a St. Christopher’s medal – that’s all that remained of Nell. But there’s something more Ellie is afraid to acknowledge. A Fascist symbol and a leaflet proclaiming the greatness of Hitler. Was Nell then a Fascist sympathizer? Or is there something lurking beyond the shadows that will upturn everything the Spelmans had known about her?
 
I’ve read several historical fictions centred around the World Wars but this book particularly stood out to me because it was neither about the soldiers nor only about the effect the war had on the common people. It is about common people rising to the occasion, about bravery in the face of danger that stems not from hatred for others but only a well of love that can never be emptied but will be passed on through generations to come. It’s about hope and death, life and war. It’s about the Big Ben thundering through the night, counting the minutes that make up a life and about lives that gave themselves up in splinters to protect it from stopping to chime.

Ellie's mother, Alice, doesn't talk much about her past. Alice moved from England when she fell in love with Ellie's dad. Alice's mother died in the blitz. Alice didn't get along with her step-mom and hasn't kept in touch with her half-sister.. Alice is now in a muring home recovering from a fall, and Ellie is having sort of a mid-life crisis. Her friend encourages her to take a trip to London to see if she can find out more about Alice and her grandmother, Eleanor Spelman (Nell).

In The Clockmaker's Wife, by Daisy Wood, there is a dual timeline that tells the story of Nell and Ellie's search for the truth of her family and her reconciliation with the other part of her family. It's a story of courage, love, and intrigue. This is a good read. I was allowed to read it on #NetGalley.

This was a lovely historical fiction! Told through a dual timeline, I found that I enjoyed both the present day and the historical story. This does center around WWII, but has new view with the story of Big Ben! I really enjoyed the mystery and how everything falls together!

There's two Eleanors in this book. One in WW2 London, nicknamed Nell, and the other in present day New York, nicknamed Ellie.

Ellie is Nell's granddaughter but doesn't know much about her. Alice, Ellie's mother, can't seem to share much either, since Nell died while she was still a baby.

After finding some interesting nicknacks relating to Nell, Ellie decides to travel to London to meet the English side of her family and find out the real truth about her grandmother, even if it's ugly.

Nell's story was much more interesting than Ellie's. I literally did not care about Ellie at all. I think the book could've been a lot better if she was given a minor role.

I also think Nell's parts suffered in favour of Ellie's. They weren't as exciting as they could've been. They felt...not empty, but as if something was missing. It was hard to connect to even her.

Arthur was the most interesting character and I would've liked to see more of him.

Some of the present characters weren't bad either, like Alice and Gillian, for example. They were pretty cool.

And then there's Dan...I'm not feeling it. Did he get on a plane impulsively? Yes. Is that cute? Also yes. But somehow he's still not fleshed out. I don't know Dan, if that makes sense.

I'm a bit disappointed in the story overall. It starts out strong, with a bombing and then??? Could've been stronger. The pacing is pretty consistent throughout so I don't have any complaints there. The writing style was nice too.

Something else I enjoyed is the descriptions of WW2 and present day London. Really takes me back. Daisy Wood managed to capture the atmosphere.

Even with a (slightly) rushed ending, this was an okay read. Didn't feel long either. I could've finished it in a day if I wanted to. You should give it a chance though, you might like it more than I did.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This book is structured around two alternating storylines following two protagonists from the same family. The first storyline follows Nell, an English woman living in 1940-1941, in her efforts to free her husband from prison and foil an undercover fascist plot in London. The second storyline is centered around Ellie, Nell's granddaughter, an American who travels to the UK to conduct research into her family's history as her mother (Nell's daughter) wrestles with encroaching dementia in New York.

The plot starts out strong with an air raid during the London Blitz that destroys the home Nell shares with her husband, Arthur, who operates and maintains the famous Big Ben clock. Then it slows down a bit before picking up halfway through with the intrigue Nell becomes involved in and with the fire watching she volunteers for in London. Ellie's search for her family history is also moving, revealing the complexity of characters such as Gillian, who is her mother's half-sister.

In general, the female characters shone in this story. From Nell to Ellie to Brenda to Gillian, each one felt complicated and well-drawn. The evolution of these characters and their intertwining relationships with each other was one of the best aspects of this book and will appeal to female readers in particular.

This book was able to capture the essence of 1940's England, which is important for historical fiction. The London Blitz, the evacuation of children to the countryside, King George's addresses to Britain, and the rationing of World War II were all woven into the plot and shaped the characters.

I also appreciated how the setting and symbol of Big Ben united this family through the generations. Ultimately, this book seemed to be about that relationship and intertwining between generations, and it was those relationships as well as the mounting intrigue of the plot that made this book a compelling read.

I would recommend this book for fans of the historical fiction genre or of women's literature in general. I believe historical fiction and women's literature fans will not be disappointed with this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Avon Publishing for a copy of "The Clockmakers Wife" by Daisy Wood, in return for an honest review

Arthur Spelman, his wife Nell live in London during WW2 with their baby daughter Alice. Every night the Luftwaffe reign bombs down on their city. After their home is destroyed in one of these raids, Arthur sends Nell and baby Alice to live in Oxford with her parents to escape The Bltz.
Arthur is of German/Jewish descent and works as a clockmaker in Clock Tower maintaining the clock that keeps Big Ben chiming. He stays behind in London.
When he is suddenly arrested and thrown into jail, Nell is determined to find out what happened to her husband and returns to London.

The story moves to 2021, I am assuming the pandemic never happened as Ellie, Nell's grandaughter flies to London to find out more about her Grandmother's life during WW2, without having to enter mandatory quarantine.

This book had a slow start but quickly picked up pace once Ellie got to London. I read it in two days as the 1940's as Nell's story drew me in. The characters were well written, especially Nell. I didn't engage with Ellie and found myself racing through those chapters to get back to Nell's story
I really enjoyed this book. It is well thought out and well written with an interesting premise. It is hard to say more about the characters and their activities without giving the plot away. It's not a edge of your seat book but definately a more gentle page turner and I would recommend.

A lovely book with a great story and characters that bring it to life for the reader,i love a book that has you feeling as if you are there as then you know it's an excellent book 5*

With thanks to netgalley and Daisy Wood for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
First time reading this author, and quite a revelation.
The story of Arthur spelman and his wife Eleanor or Nell as she was know this outstandingly beautiful and poignant story is told with twin timelines and is quite seamlessly done absolutely nothing about this story is straightforward the twisting and turning keep all on the edge of there seat.
Set in ww2 in England and today between America and England I totally loved this outstandingly amazing book and can highly recommend a definite 5⭐

The Clockmaker's Wife is an interesting tale of a woman (Ellie) who is determined to find out what happened to her maternal grandmother and grandfather. World War II wrecked havoc on London and the city suffered a great deal of damage. It is within these times (1940) that the tale is set.

Daisy Wood skillfully navigates between two timelines. One set in war-ravaged London (1940) and the other in 2021. Her descriptions of the war are really masterful. While the book has a slow start, it quickly picks up pace and keeps you engaged till the end.

A great dual timeline historical fiction centred around WWII and Big Ben. The main characters are Arthur and Nell Speldman. Arthur is a clockmaker, working at the Palace of Westminster, maintaining the clocks including Big Ben. The bombing of London is occurring each night and Nell returns home to her parents at ‘Orchard House’ in the country with her daughter Alice to be safe from the bombings.
In 2020 Alice now lives in New York with her daughter Ellie. Ellie is keen to find out more about her family before Alice dies and travels to London to meet her Aunty and discover the story of her ancestors.
I found the first half of the book a little slow and struggled a bit but so glad I persevered as I flew through the second half desperate to find out what happened to Nell and Arthur.
There is mystery, intrigue and suspense.
I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the role of women in London during the war.
With thanks to the publisher Avon, through NetGalley for the complimentary copy.

This is the first WW2 book set in England that I've ever red and I quite enjoyed it! I especially loved the story of Nell and her heroism during the war. I personally didn't connect as well to the characters in the modern timeline and might have preferred to see Nell's story more fleshed out rather than have a dual timeline. However, I did enjoy the cliff hanger chapters between switching back and forth from the 1940's to 2020 time lines. The first half was a bit slow but I really got invested and flew through the second half of the story! I love historical fiction set in WW2 and this one had a different quality to other books I've read about this same period and I would recommend to others who enjoy reading about this period of history.