Farthing by Jo Walton

This was a March book group selection. Again, it's one of those that succeeded in surviving our convoluted voting process. This is also an alternate history, set in England in 1949. What this isn't is science fiction.

The Farthing refers to a local in England and in particular are a group of English elite who helped persuade Hitler to come to some kind of peace agreement. Hitler rules the "Continent" and the English are still intact. The story is told from the point of view of two people: Mrs. Lucy Kahn, an Eversely heiress disowned because she married a Jew, and Peter Carmichael, the Scotland Yard investigator.

In the tradition of Agatha Christie, a murder has occured. Lady Eversley has thrown a grand party for the Farthing politicians. In the morning a high ranking politician and lord has been found murdered in his bed, his breast painted red and a Jewish star pinned to his chest with a dagger. Carmichael is called in to solve the murder and all the evidence points to Lady Lucy's husband, a Jew.

Jo Walton weaves an interesting tale, Jews are still being persecuted on the Continent while England says they are more open minded - but in reality they are only steps away from segregation themselves. Her writing drew me in and I honestly read this in a day. The subject was disquieting. I thought the alternate history part interesting, but she had a subtle underplot that discussed homosexuality. It was as if every other character had an alternate lover that was the same sex. It was a strange combination.

The strongest part of the book was the ending. It left the reader wondering and it wasn't, shall we say, a "stock" conclusion. I'm torn - I liked the authors style enough that I would read her again, but I'm not sure that I want to. It will be interesting to see what we have to say about it at book group.