Earlier this year, Penguin moved to quench readers' thirst for all things Jojo Moyes by publishing one of the newly popular author's earlier books, SILVER BAY, in the United States for the first time. Now they're following that up by reissuing another of her early works, THE SHIP OF BRIDES. This World War II-era novel showcases her versatility while providing an interesting contrast with her more recent output.

In an author's note, Moyes mentions that the phenomenon she describes in THE SHIP OF BRIDES was very much a real one, and in fact the diaries, letters, etc. with which she opens each chapter are taken from actual historical documents. In the early days after World War II, thousands of young Australian women who had married British and American soldiers before or during wartime were eager to be reunited with their sweethearts. Facing a dearth of transportation options, the military decided to put many of these women on the biggest ship they had --- an aircraft carrier called the HMS Victoria, which also was bringing a thousand naval officers back home at the end of the war.

"THE SHIP OF BRIDES is a diverting and, at times, powerful novel about a specific (and little-known) episode in wartime history. It also offers a unique opportunity to witness an author's evolution while also enjoying a well-told story."

From this tidbit of history, Moyes brings us the story of several very different women, each of whom finds herself on the HMS Victoria, thrust into unlikely (and, at times, strained) friendships with each other. There's Margaret, a sensible young woman whose farm upbringing and large family have left her unfazed by most things. She is in love with her absent husband and had hoped that her pregnancy would afford her a private cabin on the trip. Much to her surprise, though, she is given roommates who, willingly or not, help her keep a secret from the powers-that-be on the ship.

There are Avice and Jean, polar opposites who nevertheless find themselves friendly by default. Avice is a society girl whose powerful father has pulled some strings to get her on the very next transport to England. Jean is incredibly young and naïve, still a teenager who relies on the other women to read her letters for her and is more than a little enticed by the shenanigans of the naval officers on board the ship.

And finally, there's Frances, a serious and even withdrawn young woman, a trained nurse who keeps to herself but isn't afraid to come to her new friends' defense when needed. Could she be hiding the biggest secret of all, and will it come back to haunt her?

Moyes packs a lot into this historical novel. In fact, one of the biggest contrasts between this early work and her more mature later fiction is that here she puts together an ensemble piece (which also provides glimpses into the lives of two of the male officers on board), weaving together personal histories and romances while also furthering several plots. In her more recent work, however, Moyes seems to have edited herself somewhat, focusing on deeper exploration of single characters or pairs of them, often ones who are simultaneously quirky and complex. That's not to say that THE SHIP OF BRIDES is a bad novel, or even grossly imperfect; it's just very different from what readers of Moyes' current fiction might have come to expect.

THE SHIP OF BRIDES is a diverting and, at times, powerful novel about a specific (and little-known) episode in wartime history. It also offers a unique opportunity to witness an author's evolution while also enjoying a well-told story.