The Last Telegram

January 15, 2013
A routine World War II romance, Trenow's debut, is distinguished by the author's smooth-as-silk delivery. Lily is in the twilight of life as she sorts through the remnants of her past at her rural British home, The Chestnuts. When her granddaughter finds a locked briefcase in a closet, she's flooded with memories of her youth, including a guilty secret she's harbored for many years. Lily's story, told in hindsight, is the tale of a young woman who discovers love and purpose while learning the intricacies of the family business under the tutelage of Gwen, the assistant factory manager. As her friendship with Gwen deepens and the inevitability of war edges closer, Lily excitedly accompanies her brother to a party where she meets pilot Robert Cameron. He visits the family at The Chestnuts and persuades her father and brother to invest in machinery that will enable the mill to manufacture silk for parachutes. A wise venture, their business deal keeps the factory operating and enables the Verner family to sponsor three German refugees and to provide them with jobs and a cottage. Much to her father's dismay, Lily rebuffs Robert's romantic advances and falls in love with Stefan, one of the refugees. She's heartbroken when England enters the war, her brother enlists in the RAF, and Stefan and the two other refugees are taken into custody and shipped to an internment camp in Australia. As the war rages, Lily becomes her father's assistant and suddenly is thrust into the directorship, which she manages with Gwen's assistance. She and Stefan have kept their love alive via post, and when he returns to England, now called Stephen Holmes, their romance strengthens. The story takes a predictable path and ends on a too-perfect note, but nevertheless, it's worth reading. Trenow, who serves as a perfect example of the old adage that you should write what you know--she's the descendant of generations of weavers--has penned a mellifluous, impeccably researched narrative.

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Starred review from April 15, 2013

As World War II looms over Britain, Lily Verner forgoes a continental education, instead apprenticing in her family's silk-making business. Instead of wedding gowns and regimental ties, Verner & Sons is making parachutes for the RAF. Labor is scarce and the plant has taken on a few German Jewish refugees. Lily falls in love with Stefan, one of the refugees, and is crushed when he is rounded up in a group of enemy aliens and sent to Australia. When Lily's father dies in a bomb raid, she assumes charge of the mill. There is little time for romance amid the demands of the war effort, but Lily never loses hope of seeing Stefan again. When he does return, her love for him requires life-altering decisions that leave her with heartbreaking guilt. In a narrative told in flashbacks, Lily reflects on a time of relentless pressure, heart-stopping loss, and love that endures despite the horrors of war. VERDICT This stunning debut glows with the fervor and intensity of what life must have been like for civilians in World War II England. Trenow's firsthand knowledge of the generations-old silk-weaving business provides an enlightening backdrop. The novel is worthy of comparison to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; readers will love it.--Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA

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