Their Finest: A Novel

Written by Lissa Evans

Narrated by Peter Wickham

From the author of the acclaimed Crooked Heart comes another “smart, funny, ingenious, revealing tale of London life during the Second World War” (The Independent)—longlisted for the Orange Prize upon its original publication in England.

It is 1940. France has fallen, and only a narrow strip of sea lies between Great Britain and invasion. The war could go either way and everyone must do their bit. Young copy writer Catrin Cole is drafted into the Ministry of Information to help “write women” into propaganda films—something that the men aren’t very good at.

She is quickly seconded to the Ministry’s latest endeavor: a heart-warming tale of bravery and rescue at Dunkirk. It’s all completely fabricated, of course, but what does that matter when the nation’s morale is at stake? Since call-up has stripped the industry of its brightest and best, it is the callow, the jaded and the utterly unsuitable who must make up the numbers: Ambrose Hilliard, third most popular British film-star of 1924; Edith Beadmore, Madame Tussauds wardrobe assistant turned costumier; and Arthur Frith, whose peacetime job as a catering manager has not really prepared him for his sudden, unexpected elevation to Special Military Advisor.

Now in a serious world, in a nation under siege, they must all swallow their mutual distaste, ill-will, and mistrust to unite for the common good, for King and Country, and—in one case—for better or worse....

“Evans displays a fine eye for detail and for the absurdities involved in filming. She also brilliantly evokes the disruption and dangers of wartime London. This funny, heart-warming and beautifully crafted novel is a must-read.”—Daily Mail (London)

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Feb 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9780062564955

Lissa Evans

Lissa Evans has written internationally bestselling books for both adults and children, including Crooked Heart, Old Baggage, and Their Finest Hour and a Half, which was made into the feature film Their Finest. Her books have twice been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She lives in London with her family.

Reviews for Their Finest

[herenya_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young scriptwriter, a pompous middle-aged actor, a lance corporal and a historical costumes expert become involved in the making of a British propaganda film during WWII. Certainly an aspect of history I hadn’t seen addressed in fiction before! That was satisfying and fascinating.And as if it had heard my criticisms of the novel I’d read *checks record* just the day before, very little here is readily resolved! Lots of nuance and complexity. But also lots of details of the discomforts and disappointments its characters endure, especially with the London Blitz. The effect is unexpectedly bleak, especially as these characters are all, in their varying ways, rather lonely. I enjoy stories about lonely people building positive relationships and support networks, but prefer more emphasis on the actual “building relationships” part.I mostly liked the ending and certainly don’t regret reading this -- I read it all in an afternoon! -- but I came away feeling a bit flat. (And after the previous book I'd read by Evans, Old Baggage, was so delightful…)“What I think,” said Buckley [...] “that we have to slide this Yank into the gaps -- we don’t want to tinker with the story too much, we’ve already got pretty girls and heroism and comedy and sacrifice and a dog.” “All exits covered,” said Parfitt.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well I saw the film and the book and film are close cousins but honestly the film engaged me more. It's an interesting read with interesting characters, but doesn't add anything to the film experience. I never thought that a film about propaganda films during world war II would be such a good experience but it was, the cast did a good job of interacting well and bringing the story to life, I cared about the characters and wanted them to succeed and it was the same with the book. I did hear the actors talking in my head as I read dialogue.

[lara335 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

During the war an assortment of characters come together to make an uplifting film about a Dunkirk rescue. Lots of home front detail, and amusing characterisation of Ambrose, an egocentric ageing leading-man in this gentle novel.

[marthahuntley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's interesting that the other reviews of Their Finest are in several cases so negative and its ratings are across the board; maybe this book is one of those that people either love or hate.I loved it! I saw the movie, Their Finest, based on the novel, on Saturday and enjoyed it so much that I ordered it right off and started it on Monday. and I enjoyed reading every page. I think the level of writing is superb, one reason the book is even better than the movie. In both cases, the story of propaganda film making in London during the Blitz is a fascinating story of grit, determination, resiliency - so characteristic of the British in wartime. There is a great deal of wonderful dry wit. And then there are all the interesting details of film making, whIch is said to resemble sausage making. The book and the movie have slightly different endings. The book follows the stories of several of the people working on the movie whereas the film concentrates on Catrin Coles and Buckley, the screenplay writers, and of Ambrose Hilliard, the dour but talented aging actor. Just a delightful book, and one I would recommend heartily for book clubs - much to discuss here. WWII, Dunkirk, writing about real events for propaganda or entertainment, truth and fiction, women's role in virtually any workplace in the 1940's and now, the characters, the characters' various trials and romances and more. I loved all the characters and their interactions, and found them to be very believable and excellent company. It is interesting that the original title of the novel is Their Finest Hour and a Half, which was changed to match the movie title, Their Finest. I prefer the original title.

[pokarekareana · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It is London in 1940, and the Ministry of Information is churning out films to improve morale. Catrin Cole, writer, followed her lover to London from South Wales. Ambrose Hilliard is the character actor dreaming of the lead roles he played twenty years earlier. Arthur Frith is the military advisor who can’t quite shake his memories of Dunkirk. Edith sews buttons on costumes. Cerberus the dog doesn’t like water. The American can’t act. One of the other writers has oily hair.Therein lies my main problem with this book. There are a lot of characters, and at one point or another, they’re all doing something that is of central importance to the plot. Sadly, they are all forgettable characters, insipid and something short of endearing. There were brief glimpses of humanity in each of them, but they all eventually retreat into dull wartime wallpaper. I kept getting characters mixed up in my mind, and I really struggled to imagine any of them as real people.Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a story about London during the Blitz. This is principally a story about these somewhat two-dimensional characters, and their experience of making what is supposed to be a heroic film whilst some beastly Jerries are outside, making a frightful racket and keeping people awake at night. The war encroaches on their daily lives, with houses bombed out and characters killed off, but there is a peculiar lack of real emotional response to this. Finally, the last hundred pages were exceptionally tedious. This felt like a two-hundred-page book that had been stretched out to fill four hundred. Disappointing.