Thank you so much for letting me read an e-arc of The Eights by Joanna Miller. As soon as I saw the blurb I knew it was right up my street, but had no idea just how much I would enjoy it. I’m going to stick my neck out and say it’s my favourite read this year. The writing is wonderful, the subject fascinating and the storylines utterly absorbing. I’m so sad I’ve finished it. I loved those girls and I loved everything about this book. It is just perfect.

I absolutely love this story of womanhood and the historic Oxford University and how these woman all come together to unite into sisterhood. I enjoyed every moment! This is a perfect book for book clubs etc,Very excited for readers to have the opportunity to expertise book. I have a feeling it will be optioned for film as well

I loved this eminently readable literary tale about a group of four young women at Oxford University who were the first to be admitted to degree programs in 1920.
The descriptions are evocative and the period felt fresh and real to read. Strong characterisation and a compelling story with an insightful and immpactful view on this pivotal period of time, with the shadows of world war one haunting the world. This is literary but also a propulsive and highly readable book. The underlying themes of misogyny and friendship are well handled and its a satisfying read. Perfection. I'm a fan and can't wait to see what Miller does next.

This is a great novel and I learned a lot about these women who couldn't study at Oxford. Fancy being told you can't attend university because you're a woman. it shows just how women were viewed and this is onlyi the 1920s which is scary. We've come so far yet still have far to go. It really made me think reading this. Would love to see this on the TV!

A joyful, interesting read with some gorgeous historical detail. This made me want to go to Oxford immediately

Oxford University, 1920 - the first time women have been allowed to matriculate and gain degrees. Four women from very different backgrounds move into corridor eight of St Hugh's College and become good friends, helping each other to deal with past traumas and present challenges over the course of their first year.

What a brilliant book, I absolutely loved it! The author does a magnificent job of combining fascinating historical detail with a page-turning plot and I couldn't put it down. Loved the four women - Dora, Beatrice, Otto and Madeleine - and the different perspectives they brought to the story... but most of all their friendship. Amazing - can we have a series please?! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Really enjoyed this, it started out as a light and easy read, but developed into a far more engaging account of the four women and their lives after WW1. Oxford hasn't changed but captured the undergrad experience well.

I love a mid-century based book especially one focusing on the lives of women navigating and driving change and The Eights is an absolute delight bringing to vivd life the experiences of women fighting to be taken seriously as students straight after the First World War.

It is 1920. Men have returned home although many still bear the physical and mental scars of their time in the trenches, women have relinquished their jobs back to the returning soldiers but in return some have gained the vote, and the youngest adults have emerged from their schools into a different world to those of their older siblings. Oxford has had women students and colleges for some time now but separate not part of the illustrious university and this is the first year women students are allowed to matriculate. Among those students are Dora, Marianne, Otto and Beatrice, arriving at St Hugh's with vastly different hopes, dreams and experiences. Dora is still mourning the brother and fiance who should both have returned to their studies in Oxford, tall, awkward Beatrice is struggling to find her confidence and escape from the overbearing shadow of her formidable pioneeing mother, Otto is haunted by her experiences as a VAD, needing to prove that she is more than a party girl whose only role is to marry well and Marianne has well buried secrets she can't share even with her closest friends.

The Eights takes us through the four friends first year as they navigate onerous rules, double standards, hostile lecturers and male students. The book is filled with historical detail but wears its research lightly, entertaining as it educates, the author's love for the city, the traditions of the university and her subject shining through. An absorbing and enjoyable read, I loved it.

I loved this book on so many levels. The historical detail was wonderful and I really liked that so much was based on real people and events. It was fascinating to understand more about what life was like for female scholars in 1920, and I was completely swept up in the storylines of all four of the main characters. A wonderful read and a story I didn't want to end.

Well written, and fascinating, debut novel about some of the first female undergraduates at Oxford. Four women of different backgrounds, experiences - especially during World War One - share the 8th corridor, hence the name. The book chronologically follows the women through their first year, with some flashbacks. It chronicles the highs, lows, fears, disappointments they experience. This should definitely top of your TBR pile; you won't be disappointed.

With many thanks to NetGalley and Fig Tree for an ARC.

The Eights is a book that will stay with you for a very long time. Set in the aftermath of WW1, this is so much more than the telling of women finally being allowed to study for a degree at Oxford University. It is about a country forever changed by loss and trauma. About the survivors, both male and female, of a devastaing war that was supposed to end all wars. Recognising the impact on the women of WW1 was an additonal dimension that added so much to tthe book. Jo0anna Miller's research was amazing - I was there in 1920, on the bridges, on the lawns and in the library.
It almost goes without saying that I adored the four female students on Corridor Eight of St Hughs, an all female college. They are all so different, all so likeable, all so damaged but strong. I honestly couldn't pick a favourite. I love a book about female friendship, about a turning point in history, and about women suvceeding against the odds. The Eights had in all in spades. When I came to the last page I wanted to go back and read it all again.
If you have a book club you MUST pick this book. There is so much to discuss. II promise that you will not regret it. (And you can thank me later.)
Five massive fat stars from me. * * * * * (Wish I could give it six!)

Beautifully written, fantastic characters. It's Geeks in the City, the City of Dreaming Spires. I loved Otto!

My favorite kind of historical fiction, completely engrossing on a character level, with a transportive setting, literary writing and a feminist bent. I can't wait to see what Joanna Miller writes next!

I adored this book from the very first page - and didn't lose that love for a minute all the way through!
The Eights is the story of 4 young women who are among the first women to study at the University of Oxford in the immediate aftermath of the First World War. There is wealthy socialite Otto, who knows she is more than someone's trophy wife, and is a super bright mathematician. There is Marianne, daughter of a widowed vicar who arrives at Oxford on a scholarship. There is Beatrice, whose own mother is a prominent force in the women's suffragette movement. And then there is Dora, suffering the double heartbreak of losing both her brother and her fiance in the War.
Together they form a really strong bond as they battle through the male dominated university, trying to adhere to rules and regulations that of course seem preposterous now, but are all based on historical fact.
Could not love these 4 women more!

"It’s enough to send a chap to Cambridge"

Turbulent times at Oxford when in 1920, the first intake of female students allowed to formally matriculate arrived at Oxford.

They were a long way from being accepted and their journey at St Hugh's held many challenges. They were ridiculed, jeered at and held to account but slowly and surely they gained support and change began.

A well researched account of a turning point in Oxfords academic history, the city was instantly recognisable and I found this a fascinating and heartwarming read. Beatrice, Otto, Marianne and Dora came from completely different backgrounds but living in the same corridor 'The eights' they came together as a friends, allies and protectors.

A moving and inspirational read.

For many of us, we can resonate with the exciting, yet uneasy feeling of leaving home and beginning a new chapter. Starting university is one of the many potential possibilities. The Eights captures the thoughts and experiences of four young female students who are starting an education at Oxford University, a prestigious university that has just opened its doors to female students. When I say "opened", I mean left a little crack in the door. Obstacles such as misogyny, specific gender rules, the wide spreading post Great War impacts, influenza and more are mountains that these female students had to overcome. At this time in history, society, especially those less enthusiastic about female students, was consistently looking for excuses to close those doors.

Miller's characters are interesting and diverse, each bringing something different to Corridor Eight. They come from various backgrounds and have their specific individual experiences which keep this story endearing, edgy and exciting. It also highlights how first impressions can be misleading, and it really was wonderful getting to see how Marianne, Beatrice, Otto and Dora reveal more and more about themselves as you turn the pages. Historical Fiction continues to provide an opportunity to learn more about a time in history that you may or may not know much about. The first set of female students at Oxford University was something I knew very little about and really appreciated the chance to do so, especially through the eyes of these women. How brave!

Thank you to Penguin General UK for the opportunity to read an advanced copy via NetGalley. These opinions are entirely my own. May we all continue to celebrate females striving to learn more and make great impacts in our world, as well as those who encourage them!

This is the fictional story of 4 women who are amongst the first to matriculate at Oxford University. Four very different characters from very different backgrounds, some who struggled more to get there than others. It's very much a story of the prejudice women had to put up with in an era when most men didn't believe that women were capable of going to university and that it would ruin their beloved institution.
It's very hard to write a story where there are four main characters and, by and large, Miller pulls this off. We're starting to see a lot of novels which are about strong women who climb the many barriers put up by men in the late nineteenth, early twentieth century. This is great, these stories need to be told and this book does it pretty well. My main gripe is the 'jolly hockey sticks' narrative which starts to grate after a while. I get that tone in the dialogue, that would have been a fairly accurate depiction of the way those women spoke, but it goes just a bit too far by using that tone throughout the book.
The story takes us to the end of the first year of their degree. I wonder if we'll be looking at a follow up, or two...

Women should not be allowed to go to Oxford University, or write novels on the subject - because they’re too darned good at it. @joannamillerauthor’s debut, ‘The Eights’ coming this April, has stirred a very unbecoming excess of emotion, unbalanced and overheated my brain, and made me fall utterly, eternally in love with its four heroines: Beatrice, Dora, Marianne, and Otto (in order of appearance not esteem - I cannot decide who I love most). [PR Copy]

Set in Oxford in 1920-1, ‘The Eights’ is a fictionalised account of four of the first women to matriculate as full students able to take degrees.

The women’s academic ambitions and the barriers they face, including their own sense of self-doubt and guilt, are wholly convincing, inspiring, and relatable. Their position as women finding their own way in a world very different from that of their mothers is powerful and poignant. The profound aftershocks of the Great War are heartbreaking (much blubbing on my part), but the green shoots of hope were as uplifting as a hot air balloon ride (also much grinning, and happy blubbing on my part).

Sense of place is spot on, and period details were perfect without ever overwhelming the characters at the story’s heart.

Oxford has been the setting for 8.8 million novels over the past two centuries (official made up stats), but this miraculously offers a fresh, clear-eyed and modern perspective while retaining magic and charm. It’s pure Brideshead era - a city of aquatint - but shows one of the many other sides of the city and the university. It also contains fascinating insights into women’s work and lived experience during the war, plus the suffrage movement and manages not to feel preachy.

I will probably spend the next few weeks harvesting copies of Vera Brittain and Robert Graves from secondhand shops. When I’ve finished the essay I’m meant to be writing as a current student at the university, in honour of the Eights. Obviously.

Brava Joanna - can’t wait to read it again in hard copy! Thanks to @penguinfigtree and @netgalley for the advanced copy.

This was a very enjoyable and engaging read. I loved the characters and setting and also found learning about the history of women at Oxford fascinating. This is a well researched and well constructed book I would recommend. Would make a great film!

WOW what a read I absolutely adored it (& it firmly has a place in my top 10 of 2025!)

We meet Beatrice, Marianne, Dora & Ottoline, four young women from very different backgrounds who are among the first women to matriculate for degrees at Oxford University in 1920. They become friends quite quickly as they share the same corridor (eight) even though they have different life experiences to date. Beatrice is the daughter of a famous suffragette who is looking forward to life away from her mother & the chance to make her own way & her own friends. Dora lost both her brother and fiance on the battlefield and in essence is taking his place. Marianne is the daughter of a vicar who hides the biggest secret & Ottoline, the socialite who likes the finer things in life.

I loved the storylines of life, the battles they had to overcome with hostile professors & male students, the fun and friendship. It's meticulously researched and so, so readable. I so recommend it.

In 1920, Oxford University allows women to matriculate and graduate for the first time. Amongst that cohort are Dora, Beatrice, Otto, and Marianne, all rooming on corridor eight at St Hugh’s college.

The rules are extensive, especially compared to those for their male contemporaries, and the women face both constant supervision and extreme public scrutiny.

At the same time, they are all struggling with trauma and insecurities. Otto is a socialite with an overbearing mother and older sisters, Beatrice lives in the shadow of her uncaring suffragist mother, Dora is mourning both her brother and her fiancé, and Marianne has a secret that haunts her Oxford life.

As they wrestle with the scholarly demands, rigid rules, misogynism, and gender expectations, the girls only have each other to help them choose the lives they really want.

A poignant insight into women’s gradual and hard-won integration into Oxford University.

A line in the Afterword says it all: Readers might like to know that St Hugh’s admitted men for the first time in 1986, its centenary year. I understand they were welcomed with open arms.

Important and gorgeous, I learned so much in the company of the Eights – four of the first women to matriculate at Oxford – and loved every second of their company. A page turner but every line is a delight at the same time. Miranda Harte for Beatrice, please.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an early Kindle copy of this delightful book.

The Eights by Joanna Miller is an excellent debut novel that follows four very different young women in 1920, the first year women could receive degrees at Oxford. Set in St. Hugh’s College, it explores their struggles with misogyny, activism, and the lingering shadows of World War I and the influenza pandemic. The characters are vividly drawn, their flaws and strengths making them very relatable, and the story balances their experiences almost equally. I was particularly impressed by the depth and realism of this novel and will follow Joanna Miller’s future work.

This is the story of four women who are brought together when they study at Oxford University in 1920. They are among the cohort of women who are the first to matriculate after years of women being denied the opportunity to study alongside men, a turning point in history which roughly coincided with women over 30 having the vote. They all live in corridor Eight of St Hughes, each from different backgrounds and education and come to be the best of friends, looking after and supporting each other through a tumultuous time. The recent War hangs over everything with no one in the novel unaffected by it through war work, trauma and loss and memories.

This isn't just about Oxford, it's about women and the lengths they go for each other and for themselves. It's about friendship and love and I fell in love with the four very easily.

It is witty, poignant, has a bit of a twist and is extremely well researched. It's also a really great read!
I loved this novel, already recommending it to several people.

The Eights follows four young women during their first year at Oxford University. Otto, Dora, Marianne and Beatrice are part of the first intake of women to the university in 1920, living on corridor eight of St Hugh’s College.
This book gave me a new appreciation for what those pioneering women had to go through – I foolishly imagined they’d be welcomed in the name of progress, but instead they faced misogyny in various forms, from being the victims of embarrassing pranks to outright discrimination from some of the male professors. It was fascinating to 'see' Oxford in a different time, and the book was heavily rooted in the aftermath of WW1.
Otto was my favourite character – glamorous, forthright and witty. I enjoyed the structure too – the flashbacks meant the reader gradually learned more about each woman’s secrets, and what had led them to the university. Such a lovely ending too, I was so pleased for Marianne!
Thank you to Penguin Fig Tree and NetGalley for the advance copy.

As someone who lived in Oxford, I loved delving into this book. The characters felt like friends by the end of it, which says a lot about the author’s characterisation skills. The plot was well paced and I found the whole experience of reading it a joy.

A wonderful, warm and joyful debut. I loved Miller's writing style and I thought the sense of setting - 1920's Oxford - was well executed. Engaging and thoroughly researched, I would not hesitate to recommend this as a warming winter read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

The Eights is a poignant and deeply compelling debut set against the backdrop of post-World War I Oxford, where the university first admits female students. The novel centers on four young women—Dora, Beatrice, Otto, and Marianne—whose diverse backgrounds and dreams intertwine as they navigate the challenges of higher education, societal expectations, and personal struggles in a turbulent time. With themes of sisterhood, resilience, and the pursuit of self-determination, Miller crafts a rich narrative exploring the complexities of friendship and the quest for independence in an era still marked by the scars of war and entrenched misogyny. The characters are wonderfully realized, each grappling with their own secrets and aspirations, making their journey of growth and solidarity both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. The Eights is an evocative, insightful tale that beautifully captures the spirit of young women forging their own paths in a world on the brink of transformation.

Joanna Miller's debut novel, set in 1920s Oxford, takes us on a journey through a time when the university first welcomed women.

We meet four young ladies - Dora, Beatrice, Otto, and Marianne - who become close friends as they tackle this new world together. Each has her own past, dreams, and worries.

Dora, mourning her brother and fiancé lost in the war, finds herself at Oxford almost accidentally. Beatrice, the daughter of a suffragette, wants to make a name for herself. Otto, good with numbers, wrestles with her memories of being a war nurse. And Marianne hides a secret that could ruin her future.

The story's setting is beautifully painted. Miller's vivid descriptions of Oxford's grand buildings stand tall against the characters' heavy emotions. The air buzzes with both thrill and stress. These women are trailblazers in education and equality, but they also face society's judgments and personal battles.

Themes of friendship, courage, and self-discovery run through the book, showing how their bond helps them face their fears and what society expects of them.

Miller writes in a way that's easy to read and pulls you in, mixing historical facts with stories about the characters. She deeply explores each character's feelings, helping readers connect with their lives. Sometimes, the story might feel slow because Miller spends a lot of time building the world, but this helps us understand the characters and their complicated lives better.

Some might say that a few characters seem similar at first, but as we learn more about them, we see how different they are. Their stories touch on important issues like gender equality and making your own choices that we still deal with today.

This book shows an important time in women's history and celebrates friendship during hard times. It's a great read for anyone who likes stories about strong women making their way in the world.

The Eights is a novel full of warmth and humour, with strong female friendship. Immersive historical facts are mixed with fiction in a 1920s Oxford setting.

At a pivotal point in the rights of women, we meet Otto, Dora, Beatrice and Marianne, all determined, for their own reasons, to be the first women to gain a degree from Oxford. Facing strict rules of conduct, which Otto is brilliant at bending; hostility from men and navigating a postwar, depleted England, we watch each woman blossom as they find strength and a sense of belonging and validation from their new friendships. I was eager to follow the unfolding lives of each woman, wanting to get to know each better, and author Joanna Miller kept me reading late into the night as I bonded with these thoughtful, funny, strong, intelligent 'Eights'.

Joanna Miller’s debut, The Eights, is a captivating and beautifully written piece of historical fiction that immerses readers in a pivotal yet underexplored moment in history. Set against the backdrop of post-World War I Oxford in 1920, the book follows the lives of four remarkable women—Beatrice, Dora, Marianne, and Otto—among the first to matriculate at the historically all-male university.

Miller’s meticulous research brings this lesser-known chapter of history vividly to life. The richly detailed portrayal of Oxford’s dreaming spires juxtaposed with the lingering shadows of war creates a compelling atmosphere. Through the eyes of The Eights, readers witness the struggles of trailblazing women navigating entrenched misogyny, lingering PTSD from wartime experiences, and the societal double standards of the era.

Each character is uniquely drawn and feels utterly real. Beatrice, the politically charged daughter of a suffragette, longs to carve her path; Dora, grieving the loss of her brother and fiancé, finds herself at Oxford in their stead; Otto, a former nurse, seeks solace and distraction from her haunting memories; and Marianne, the reserved pastor’s daughter, conceals a shocking secret that threatens her success. Their bond, forged through shared challenges and triumphs, is at the heart of this story, illustrating the enduring power of friendship and solidarity.

Miller’s storytelling is effortlessly engaging, balancing moments of heartbreak with resilience and hope. The issues faced by these women—gender inequality, grief, and societal expectations—resonate powerfully, underscoring their relevance even a century later.

This is historical fiction at its finest, offering a meticulously researched narrative. From the first page to the last, I was utterly hooked and deeply invested in the lives of these four extraordinary women. The Eights is a triumph, blending history, emotion, and inspiration into a story that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Enjoyed this evocative debut and felt completely swept up in the era. Loved how authentic it felt. Such a striking cover too.

Behold... One of my favourite books of all time!

The Eights is a recipe for everything that I love in a novel. An Oxford setting, strong female friendship, historical facts mixed with fiction and incredible writing to power the story through.

The characters of Beatrice, Marianne, Dora and Otto have a Little Women-esque feel about them and I am DESPERATE to read more from them. They complemented one another perfectly and I loved how each of the women had such different attributes. Otto made me laugh on several occasions!

A powerful and beautiful story that I can't wait to see reach readers when it's published.

What an immersive read! I was totally transported to 1920s Oxford. The descriptive detail is exemplary and the pacing perfect. The depiction of the growing friendship of the four undergrads, who had such differing backstories was faultless and I loved learning about what life was like in post-war Oxford at a time when women really had to fight for opportunity and equality. I really miss the four friends I made in Otto, Beatrice, Marianne and Dora and could have read on and on. Could there be a sequel please?