My Oxford Year - Julia Whelan

Date of Reading: 19/04/2020

Author: Julia Whelan

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: April 24, 2018

Rating: 5/5

(This review is part of the #BookReviewBlogChallenge organised by Great New Reads. 

Day 01, Prompt: Dreams & Ambitions)

About the book:

Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.

Review:

       Whatever that I thought about this book, that is not this. Well, I don't even remember what I expected. So careless of me, not to be alerted by the warning in the blurb, the book being for the fans of Nicholas Sparks. Then I would not have been overwhelmed by this roller coaster of emotions. Yes, that is what this book is; it will floor you and leave you tongue tied. Remarkably and incredibly.

      From the age of thirteen, Ella Durran had dreamed of studying at Oxford, the City of Dreaming Spires. Now at the age of twenty four with her Rhodes scholarship, she is fulfilling her dream. Her background is politics, but she chooses English literature for her masters, the literature from 1830 to 1914 to be precise. And she finds herself with a group of students who live and breathe literature. Sure, it brings back some memories since I too did my masters in English Lit.

       The poems that started each chapter, literary jokes, essays and discussions . . . this was like slipping back into a familiar world. Poetry may not be my forte, but I love Tennyson and all the allusions to his life just made this story a lot sweeter. But this is not a mere academic story, this is the story of a dream that didn't go as planned. Then again, "if you are not surprised by life, what is the bloody point?"

       The surprise comes in the form of a teaching assistant; a gorgeous, funny teaching assistant, burdened with a life altering secret. There begins a tale of woe, sending Ella in a quest for her own identity. It is heartbreaking, enlightening and hopeful. Ah! I need more tissues. Five stars . . . without any doubt.

Favourite quotes:

"Everyone else looks very British about it, like this is where fun comes to die" - 43

"Open the bottle. Open every damn bottle you can, while you can. Then let me go. In love. That's what you can do" - 259

"But death without the process of dying is an abomination. It takes nine months to create life; it feels unnatural, a sin against nature, that the reverse shouldn't also have it time. Time to let go of the known as we take hold of the unknown." - 287

"It turns out, the act of making a choice, of choosing a path, doesn't mean the other path disappears. It just means that it will forever run parallel to the one you're on. It means you have to live with knowing what you gave up". - 291

". . . that being called upon to do something because you're good at it is not the same thing as having a calling" - 293

"The hardest thing is love, with no expiration date, no qualifiers, no safety net. Love that demands acceptance of all the things I cannot change. Love that doesn't follow a plan." - 296

Meet the author:

Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, life-long actor, and award-winning audio book narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master. When not writing her own books, you can find her reading other people’s out loud into a microphone.