Review: The Comfort of Ghosts (Maisie Dobbs, #18)
Gaby Meares
It was a bitter-sweet experience to read this 18th instalment of Winspear’s wonderful Maisie Dobbs series. as it is her last.
From the first book, I felt an affinity with Miss Dobbs, and a yearning to be a little bit more like her: her empathy, patience and grace are well worth aspiring to. Throughout this series, we have travelled beside her through war, and loss and grief, and then hope. Winspear has used this series to explore many issues, particularly to do with the trauma inflicted by war, and the long term effects after the war is over. She has led me to further related reading: a sure sign that a book is not only engaging, but draws you to seek more knowledge.
Winspear has done a wonderful job of bringing all our favourite characters into this final book, and sharing with us, her readers, what is in store for them all.
I was fortunate enough to be in the UK when this book was released, and purchased a hardback copy in Cambridge: this is a book that I will not be giving away. It’s a fitting memento of my time in England.
CODA: If you are new to Maisie Dobbs, don’t start with this book! It is a series that benefits from being read in order to fully appreciate the character development and changes in society that often drive the narrative.