The Eights: The captivating debut historical novel following the first women to study at Oxford University
‘Entertaining and moving…I came to love these four women as though they were my sisters’ TRACY CHEVALIER
‘I ADORED it. What a fantastic read. My book of the year’ JILL MANSELL
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They knew they were changing history.
They didn’t know they would change each other.
Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world’s most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms on Corridor Eight. They have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.
Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Beatrice, politically-minded daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way – and her own friends – for the first time. Socialite Otto fills her room with extravagant luxuries but fears they won’t be enough to distract her from her memories of the war years. And quiet, clever, Marianne, the daughter of a village vicar, arrives bearing a secret she must hide from everyone – even The Eights – if she is to succeed.
But Oxford’s dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.
The Eights is a captivating debut novel about sisterhood, self-determination, courage, and what it means to come of age in a world that is forever changed.
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‘Beautifully captures the power of friendship … A pleasure to read’ PIP WILLIAMS, author of A Dictionary of Lost Words
‘I so enjoyed The Eights’ CLARE CHAMBERS, author of Small Pleasures
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by Kee Lady
The Eights is well written and excellently researched but it didn’t quite have the impact and depth I craved. I didn’t connect with the characters like I wanted too. For me they were stereotypes – the rich one, the beautiful one, the poor one and the feisty one – as such, their character arcs were somewhat predictable and I was left wanting. That said, I did enjoy it overall – it’s a sweet, inoffensive read.
by McKay
Brilliant book with great characters intertwined with historical facts showing the trus struggles of women in a man’s world , highly recommend
by recreader
The premise of this book held promise: the first women to attend Oxford. However, the author gets bogged down with unnecessary details & descriptions. I ended up speed reading much of that in order to concentrate on the dialogue between the characters. I felt that it would have been more interesting to write about their trials and experiences as they continued their education. The book stops pretty abruptly.
by Dilly
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Ms Miller has obviously conducted a lot of detailed research, which shines through in her book. I loved the historical references and the detail of University life after World War I. The four lead characters were each interesting in their own right, as were the male characters who were on the periphery but integral to the storyline. I will be passing this book on to friends, and look forward to more from Joanna Miller.
by Schmetterling
This is a vivid, engaging and brilliantly researched novel. The backdrop of Oxford in the 20s is fascinating and richly detailed, but you never feel that the author is shoehorning her research into the story. It’s woven into the narrative and the lives of these four beautifully drawn women. All their stories individually build throughout the book, with twists and turns you don’t expect, and although it seems gentle at first it really packs a punch and by the end you feel all four strands have come together very movingly. Cried my eyes out. This would make an incredible film. Can’t wait to see it!
by Laura R
Really enjoyed this story, the setting/ premise and the characters she wrote, informative and insightful.
by Deborah Leff
Follows four young women who, in 1920, are among the first matriculating class of women at Oxford University. Prior, women had been grudgingly allowed to attend classes if allowed by a professor, but we’re not granted degrees. With characters that are well drawn and relatable, from varying backgrounds, the book is actually more character driven than plot driven. One of the best things about The Eights, however, is it’s sense of historical place and time. It explores the changing British class structure in the wake of WWI, the Suffrage Movement and the devastation, on a personal and societal level, of a nation that has lost the majority of a generation of young men to the war, either through death or terrible injury, both physical and emotional. The cultural mores, speech patterns and attitudes, even the narration, are very much spot on. None of the grafting of 21st century sensibilities onto historic time periods that spoils so much of current HF. (I swear, if I read “I’m here for you,” one more time in a book set before 1970, I’ll bite somebody!) If you were a fan of Downton Abby, you’ll probably love this book.
by Gabrielle Massey
I think this is a perfect book -the story, the characters, but maybe especially the actual writing. I’m not sure how often I notice the beauty of sentences as I have in this book.
Fortunately for me, the husband went to Cambridge and his brother to Oxford (I went to a fairly rubbish place in London), so for any details I didn’t know, I had a resident instructor. I feel that I should be writing this in Received Pronunciation….
Living in NY, this has been a most wonderful visit to the England that no longer exists.
Absolutely loved it!
by Finchley
This is the story of several young women who are in the first “coed” class at Oxford in the 1920’s. The novel develops each character in some depth. It also offers historical and cultural background for the times. It kept my interest throughout although it is not full of suspense, humor or sensationalism.
by K A Sandford-Clisby
What a beautiful novel! I absolutely loved this book about a group of women who were among the first women to be admitted to Oxford to study for degrees. The book starts in 1920 and all of the main characters have been affected by WWI in one way or another. It also touches on the suffrage movement as well. The amount of research that the author did is incredible and brings it to life. Highly recommend!
by L Mee
At first I was a bit unsure about this. And about a quarter of the way in, I wavered again. I was craving more impact and for the characters to appeal more; I felt the story hadn’t ‘hooked me’.
But I had to admit it was well written and I loved the history of the period immediately after the Great War, Oxford University and the development of women’s rights. So I persevered.
And then, unexpectedly, the story grabbed me and sucked me in. I devoured the remaining three quarters of the book in 48 hours. I was completely absorbed in this delicious tale. One of the best books I’ve read for a while. If you’re enjoying it but not totally convinced during the first quarter, my advice would be to stay with it, because it becomes a beautiful read.
by lisa5750
I enjoyed this book , I learned a lot and found myself researching various aspects alluded to by the author. I’m very interested in women’s rights and have read
much on the subject, but this is the first book I’ve read about female education at Oxford. Elements of the story were fascinating , as was the afterword. The main reason for the 4* rather than 5* is mainly because I found it a slow slog at the beginning , in fact I almost stopped reading a third of the way through. I’m so glad I stayed with it though , it really is a fascinating depiction of the struggle for women’s rights during the early part of the C20th. The characters of ‘The Eights’ do become more engaging as the story unfolds. Very much worth a read it you enjoy learning about women and their struggles at the turn of the century.
by Steph
Recommended. A very effective setting, Oxford University in 1920. The novel really catches the contradictions. Women have finally been admitted as full students (previously they couldn’t receive degrees) but they’re constrained by strict regulations and openly ridiculed by many male academics and students. And people are still suffering the aftermath of the Great War – bereavement, trauma, guilt at having survived. The four main characters are slightly caricatured – good time girl, lesbian daughter of a suffragist etc – and the storylines become over-elaborate but it’s a good read.