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Last week, I shared some of what I learned from watching the series Mr. Bates vs the Post Office. Heather enjoyed Stanley Tucci’s What I Ate in One Year. Tina enjoyed, mostly, The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Book: The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Harper
Publication date: 2023

Source: E-book borrowed from the library

Summary: The White Lady is Elinor White (born Elinor De Witt in Belgium and also known by many other names). We see her, in 1947, take an interest in a neighboring family and, in particular, the young daughter. The explanation behind her interest is told in the stories of what Elinor did during both World Wars. She has experiences and skills that are uncommon among women, made even more mysterious by the secretive nature of the work that she did.

The neighbors find themselves in trouble. Their attempt to escape the life of crime mapped out by their gangster family was not met with approval by the patriarch. When violent men show up to enforce the will of the gangsters, the small family gains an unexpected defender: the quiet lady next door.

Thoughts: The White Lady is the first book I’ve read by Jacqueline Winspear that is not a Maisie Dobbs novel. The final installment of the Maisie Dobbs series was published last year, but I’m putting off reading it because I don’t really want it to end.

I thought The White Lady might remind me of the Maisie Dobbs novels and, occasionally, it did. More often, though, it reminded me of Kate Quinn novels because of the multiple timelines, the complex story that encompassed both world wars, and the focus on a strong female character who fought in those wars in unconventional and adventurous ways.

The Maisie Dobbs books rubbed some people the wrong way because of the odd bit of psychology/spirituality that showed up in her methods of solving mysteries. I always liked that element and found it calming. That’s almost completely missing from The White Lady. There are moments here and there of intuition, but nothing more.

Appeal: I think fans of Jacqueline Winspear or Kate Quinn will want to give this book a try. It worked for me!

I chose to read The White Lady in January due to the wintery cover, which I did enjoy. But the scenes in the book go through many years and seasons, so feel free to read it any time. Except for the cover, there was nothing that made this feel like a book that should be read in winter.