Elise Landau is 19 and has led a charmed life with her wealthy artistic parents in 1930s Vienna. However, the mood is changing as Europe hurtles towards war, and things become very difficult for Viennese Jews. To get her out of the country and keep her safe, Elise’s parents make her apply for a position in a great house in England. Much to her chagrin, she is accepted as the parlour maid at Tyneford – “I knew nothing about England, except that I wouldn’t like it”. Her father, a celebrated novelist, sends his final novel to England with her, secreted inside a viola, hence the title. Having been rather indulged in Vienna, Elise finds it difficult to adapt to the life of a domestic servant, feeling that she doesn’t fit in with either the staff or the owners of the house. However, as time goes by, she begins to make friends, and even falls in love. But just as she feels she is finding her place in life, war breaks out, and everything changes again…
Anyone who has read Natasha Solomon’s first novel, Mr Rosenblum’s List, will be familiar with her charming, quirky style. Her characters are real originals, and it is a treat to watch Elise mature and evolve. I found The Novel in the Viola to be unashamedly romantic, and a lovely evocation of life in a great house (a little Downton Abbeyish, perhaps?) before it is irrevocably changed by war. An enjoyable read. Paperback, $23
