Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave

Title: Everyone Brave is Forgiven

Author: Chris Cleave

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2016

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 418

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Decades - 1940s; In Case You Missed It - 2016

London, 1939. The day war is declared, Mary North leaves finishing school unfinished, goes straight to the War Office, and signs up. Tom Shaw decides to ignore the war—until he learns his roommate Alistair Heath has unexpectedly enlisted. Then the conflict can no longer be avoided. Young, bright, and brave, Mary is certain she’d be a marvelous spy. When she is—bewilderingly—made a teacher, she finds herself defying prejudice to protect the children her country would rather forget. Tom, meanwhile, finds that he will do anything for Mary.

And when Mary and Alistair meet, it is love, as well as war, that will test them in ways they could not have imagined, entangling three lives in violence and passion, friendship, and deception, inexorably shaping their hopes and dreams. The three are drawn into a tragic love triangle and—as war escalates and bombs begin falling—further into a grim world of survival and desperation.

Set in London during the years of 1939–1942, when citizens had slim hope of survival, much less victory; and on the strategic island of Malta, which was daily devastated by the Axis barrage, Everyone Brave is Forgiven features little-known history and a perfect wartime love story inspired by the real-life love letters between Chris Cleave’s grandparents. This dazzling novel dares us to understand that, against the great theater of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs that change us most.

A book club selection this month. I was pulled in by the summary. It’s been awhile since I have read a good World War II novel and I had hoped that this would be it. Unfortunately, this one really missed the mark. As a point of mark, the writing style is just not that good. It’s weird and choppy with terrible dialogue. There’s an attempt at witty dialogue and sentence construction, but it just becomes much too clever and silly at times. Even when he storyline is focused on very serious events and consequences, the writing style continues. And then we turn tot he characters. I could never understand why Mary was so desirable. It was complete milquetoast to me. Tom was even worse. It was the blandest of the bland. At least Alistair had a bit of personality and metal to him. But it wasn’t enough to actually redeem the book for me. Not the book for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Signal Moon by Kate Quinn

Title: Signal Moon

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: Amazon 2022

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Pages: 57

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER

Yorkshire, 1943. Lily Baines, a bright young debutante increasingly ground down by an endless war, has traded in her white gloves for a set of headphones. It’s her job to intercept enemy naval communications and send them to Bletchley Park for decryption.

One night, she picks up a transmission that isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help.

An American ship is taking heavy fire in the North Atlantic—but no one else has reported an attack, and the information relayed by the young US officer, Matt Jackson, seems all wrong. The contact that Lily has made on the other end of the radio channel says it’s…2023.

Across an eighty-year gap, Lily and Matt must find a way to help each other: Matt to convince her that the war she’s fighting can still be won, and Lily to help him stave off the war to come. As their connection grows stronger, they both know there’s no telling when time will run out on their inexplicable link.

Do not let the short length fool you. Kate Quinn packs this short story with so much plot and characterization that you would swear that it had to be longer. But at the same time, the prose does not lag. I zipped through this story and then wished that I could turn around and read it again for the first time. With a very quick but concise setup, we are thrown into the mystery of the transmission as Lily tries to understand what she just heard. From there, we switch to Matt and piece the two storylines together. I was absolutely tearing up by end of the story. There’s a reason that Quinn is one my favorite writers.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron

Title: The Light in Hidden Places

Author: Sharon Cameron

Publisher: Scholastic Press 2020

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

One knock at the door, and Stefania has a choice to make...

It is 1943, and for four years, sixteen-year-old Stefania has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemysl, Poland, singing her way into their lives and hearts. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio -- a betrothal they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish.

But everything changes when the German army invades Przemysl. The Diamants are forced into the ghetto, and Stefania is alone in an occupied city, the only one left to care for Helena, her six-year-old sister. And then comes the knock at the door. Izio's brother Max has jumped from the train headed to a death camp. Stefania and Helena make the extraordinary decision to hide Max, and eventually twelve more Jews. Then they must wait, every day, for the next knock at the door, the one that will mean death. When the knock finally comes, it is two Nazi officers, requisitioning Stefania's house for the German army.

With two Nazis below, thirteen hidden Jews above, and a little sister by her side, Stefania has one more excruciating choice to make.

Not a bad book, but I am definitely not the intended audience for this one. I came into this book not knowing Stefania’s story, but knowing many stories from the Holocaust. Put those together with general knowledge about the time period and I had a strong basis before the story begins. And therein lies my biggest issue with this book. There is so much education about the general situation that I was bogged down by education instead of story. I skimmed a few sections not feeling the need to read every word printed. As for the story itself, it was interesting, but something about the writing style got in the way. I wonder if it was the perspective or the word choices. This is a young adult book. If I was 13, I might have really gotten into this book. Instead, I would have preferred to read the nonfiction account or a collection of nonfiction accounts about this geographic place.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

Title: The Librarian Spy

Author: Madeline Martin

Publisher: Hanover Square Press 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.

Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.

As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war..

Intrigued by the summary and the idea of two women being internal to the spy business during WWII. Disappointed that the spy business doesn’t really show up and just how boring and naive both women are. I think I am spoiled by WWII novels with Kate Quinn’s book. Her heroines (while usually based on real people) are spunky and tough. They are delight to get to know with the pages of the book. Ava and Elaine were pretty disappointing in comparison. I really detest when characters are super naive and others keep vital information from them resulting in miscommunications, faux-pas, and outright mistakes.This happened so many times throughout the book. I had trouble rooting for the ladies and really any of the characters. I was very angry with Joseph and his treatment of Elaine (before the book even starts). I just couldn’t forgive him for working with the resistance, lying to his wife the entire time, and even going so far as to forbid her to do anything for the war effort. Ugh! So frustrating. Overall, I was very disappointed in this novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor

Title: Address Unknown

Author: Kathrine Kressmann Taylor

Publisher: 1938

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 79

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

In this searing novel, Kathrine Kressmann Taylor brings vividly to life the insidious spread of Nazism through a series of letters between Max, a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco, and Martin, his friend and former business partner who has returned to Germany in 1932, just as Hitler is coming to power.

Originally published in Story magazine in 1938, Address Unknown became an international sensation. Credited with exposing the dangers of Nazism to American readers early on, it is also a scathing indictment of fascist movements around the world and a harrowing exposé of the power of the pen as a weapon.

A powerful and eloquent tale about the consequences of a friendship—and society—poisoned by extremism, Address Unknown remains hauntingly and painfully relevant today. 

One of the hosts of my favorite book podcast (Currently Reading) clued me into this book. Somehow I had never even heard of this slim novella. I read through the introduction, the text, and the afterward, and then went back to reread the introduction. I was rendered speechless by the powerful message contained within these pages. On the surface we get an epistolary novel between two friends and business partners. We see what happens when Martin returns to Germany in 1932 and very quickly becomes radicalized to Hitler’s message. The novella lulls you into a sense of familiarity and comfort for the first few letters before hitting you with fascism and intolerance in one angry passage. From there, we see the desperation and anger on both sides with a tragic ending. I most definitely will be recommending this book to all my people. I can see so many parallels to our own time and the lure of the alt-right. Should be required reading for all students. I will have to wait a few years for Arthur to truly grok this one, but it’s on my future reading list for his schooling.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

Title: Displacement

Author: Kiku Hughes

Publisher: First Second 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 283

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II.

These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself "stuck" back in time. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive.

Our June book club selection and a completely new-to-me book. This graphic novel details the experiences of Americans during the Japanese interment of WWII. While I knew a decent amount of the specifics, this slim book conveys a lot of information in a gentle, concise way. We follow a modern girl as she experiences what her grandmother did in WWII. The treatment of the people is brutal, but the book doesn’t dwell on the gore. There are very emotional scenes between characters. I imagine that we are going to have a lot of interesting discussions And I’m definitely put this one onto my homeschool TBR for future years.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Title: The War I Finally Won (The War That Saved My Life #2)

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Publisher: Dial Books 2017

Genre: MG Historical Fiction

Pages: 387

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When Ada’s clubfoot is surgically fixed at last, she knows for certain that she’s not what her mother said she was—damaged, deranged, crippled mentally as well as physically. She’s not a daughter anymore, either. Who is she now?

World War II rages on, and Ada and her brother, Jamie, move with their guardian, Susan, into a cottage with the iron-faced Lady Thorton and her daughter, Maggie. Life in the crowded home is tense. Then Ruth moves in. Ruth, a Jewish girl, from Germany. A German? Could Ruth be a spy?

As the fallout from war intensifies, calamity creeps closer, and life during wartime grows even more complicated. Who will Ada decide to be? How can she keep fighting? And who will she struggle to save?

I finally picked up this sequel after taking a bit of a break. The first one was great, but so incredibly heavy that I needed a little separate. This book picks off right when the first one leaves off. We dive right back into Ada’s life and follow her as she finds her home amongst a war, tragedy, and a cast of characters. There are many times when Ada is still very stubborn and angry, but we see so much growth from her in the short amount of time we spend with her. I loved the addition of Ruth and Lady Thorton to the household. The reader gets to dive into the conflicted feelings towards different people without being overwhelmed by the horrors. I am adding this to our homeschool curriculum for next year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Title: The Rose Code

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 624

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart. 

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer...

Another great WWII historical fiction novel based on historical fact from Kate Quinn. I really loved her previous two (The Alice Network and The Huntress) and this new one was no exception. Instead of being in physical danger, the women of Bletchley Park are in psychological danger as they navigate the secrets they must keep, doing their job, and having a personal life. I loved learning even more about BP (I had a fair bit of knowledge before reading) and diving in the lives of these three women. Osla was never my favorite, but I was intrigued by her life. Beth was an enigma throughout, but I felt a kinship with her at many times along her journey. Man was most definitely my favorite. She was such a complicated and interesting character. I was in tears when tragedy befell her. I was rooting for her all the way through the novel. A well-executed historical fiction was just what I needed. If you read, make sure to read the author’s note at the end that details The Who and what were real. Very interesting.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Title: The War that Saved My Life

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Publisher: Dial Books 2015

Genre: MG Historical Fiction

Pages: 316

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf Project - Season or Phase of Life

Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.

So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

I did not expect a middle grade book to hit me this hard emotionally. Ada’s story broke my heart in two. But there was so much hope! We follow along as Ada attempts to reconcile the world with her Mam and the outside world, even during wartime. It makes me so sad to think about the multitude of children who are treated like Ada. I’m still reeling a bit from the roller coaster of emotions. It was a beautiful story full of hardship, but with hope woven throughout. I will have to read the sequel soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

Title: The Forest of Vanishing Stars

Author: Kristin Harmel

Publisher: Gallery Books 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 376

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything.

Another WWII centered historical fiction. Kind of strange that I have read two in the past two weeks. This one is tough, but very engaging and good. The overall tone is very sad and disturbing, but as this is set during war, that is to be expected. My biggest issue with the book is how faith-forward it is. It got to be a bit much at times. But thankfully, Yona is a fairly engaging main character to follow through.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Title: Code Name Hélène

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: Anchor 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 496

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Modern Mrs. Darcy

In 1936 Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Marseille who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène follows Nancy's transformation from journalist into one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, known for her ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and her ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces. But with power comes notoriety, and no matter how careful Nancy is to protect her identity, the risk of exposure is great—for herself and for those she loves.

Our book club selection for November and a return to WWII historical fiction. Overall, I am burnt out on the subgenere, but this volume was a good addition. We get a semi-biographical story of Nancy Wake and her adventures within the French Resistance. We jump back and forth through her timeline understanding where she is now (the present) and how she got there (the past). We see her navigate tough positions and become a very independent thinker. We see she make friends and lose friends. Unlike many other books, the dual timeline was done well and did not annoy me. It probably helped that it’s one person’s timeline and not a modern and historical split like usual. Nancy is such a strong character that she carries the book for me. I was constantly intrigued by how she got into the position that she’s in in 1944. The pacing is a bit uneven. I sped through the first 60 pages and then it lagged for awhile. The book is almost 500 pages long.  There are two very graphic scenes fairly close together that caused me to put the book down for a few days. I definitely could not power through the graphic torture scenes without a bit of a breather. But once I moved past that section, I was back into the story until the end. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

Title: The Things We Cannot Say

Author: Kelly Rimmer

Publisher: Graydon House 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century.

Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate.

Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.

I’ve been really over the various WWII books this year, but this one was our book club selection for February. And I found that I mostly really enjoyed this one. I loved Alina’s story during the war. It was tough to read, but a great perspective on the war. You don’t often get stories centered in Poland during the 1940s. The first person narration felt a lot like Alina telling us her story from old age. I was fascinated by the mystery of Alina’s future. However I know need to go to the bad. I was not a fan of the modern story line. Well, that’s not quite true. I liked the sections where Alice tried to uncover the mystery of her Babcia’s life during the war and in Poland. I was on pins and needles waiting for the reveal of the players and what happened. I was not a fan of Alice’s voice throughout the modern sections. The voice was very whiny and informal. I thought I was reading a blog post instead of a published novel. The voice was grating. If I could have ignored the voice, I would have given the book 5 stars.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Between Shades of Gray

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Publisher: Penguin Books 2012

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Popsugar - Based on a True Story; Historical Fiction

Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life -- until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?

This book is rough! But ultimately it’s an amazing story of a facet of WWII that I don’t think many people know about. Lina’s story is so incredibly heartbreaking. I loved her as a character and the interactions that we see with her family at the beginning. I was constantly hoping for the family to be reunited, but I know how WWII stories go. The book itself is well written with a lyrical quality even in the harshest of passages.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

Title: The Huntress

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 560

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Astrology Term; Women Authors; Historical Fiction

Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive.

Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent Ian Graham has become a Nazi hunter. Yet one target eludes him: a vicious predator known as the Huntress. To find her, the fierce, disciplined investigator joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: the brazen, cocksure Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.

Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father unexpectedly comes homes with a new fiancée, Jordan is thrilled. But there is something disconcerting about the soft-spoken German widow. Certain that danger is lurking, Jordan begins to delve into her new stepmother’s past—only to discover that there are mysteries buried deep in her family . . . secrets that may threaten all Jordan holds dear.

To be honest, this one is not as good as The Alice Network. But if I had read it before The Alice Network or at least without reading the other, I would have really enjoyed this book. As it is, I thought the latest from Kate Quinn was good and a compelling story. It just doesn’t have the big gut punches of her previous work. The terror over confronting the Huntress just wasn’t there. I think most people figured out the identity of the Huntress within the first few pages. It’s not a big secret, which makes the confrontation lackluster. We just don’t get the big emotional upheaval. And I wasn’t a huge fan of the romances featured. They just didn’t feel that real. I did love the storyline featuring the Night Witches and Nina is a great character.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Title: The Alice Network

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow 2017

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 560

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsguar - Recommended by a Celebrity; Alphabet Soup - Q; Historical Fiction

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

After hearing so many friends yell at me for not reading this book, I picked it up and tore through the pages in just a few days. This is a gripping novel of spies in WWI and WWII. I was along for every twist and turn along the journey. I was worried that Charlotte’s story was going to be boring compared with Eve’s. But thankfully, Charlotte grew a lot in these 500 pages and become her own woman with a connection to Eve’s history. At times it was hard to read about the awful things down to some of the characters, but realize that these kinds of atrocities happened all the time during the wars (and even now, I know). Getting to the last page, I was satisfied with the ending of the story, but lingered, not wanting to leave the characters. Definite must read! Make sure to read the author’s note to find out what was historically accurate and what was embellished or made up for the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Title: The Light Over London

Author: Julia Kelly

Publisher: Gallery Books 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Published in 2019; Alphabet Soup - K; Historical Fiction

It’s always been easier for Cara Hargraves to bury herself in the past than confront the present, which is why working with a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is perfect. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship: among the treasures, a World War II-era diary and a photograph of a young woman in uniform. Eager to find the author of the hauntingly beautiful, unfinished diary, Cara digs into this soldier’s life, but soon realizes she may not have been ready for the stark reality of wartime London she finds within the pages.

In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene’s life had been decided for her—she’ll wait at home in her Cornish village until her wealthy suitor returns from war to ask for her hand. But when Louise unexpectedly meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. And changes again when Paul’s unit is deployed without warning.

Desperate for a larger life, Louise joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a Gunner Girl. As bombs fall on London, she and the other Gunner Girls relish in their duties to be exact in their calculations, and quick in their identification of enemy planes during air raids. The only thing that gets Louise through those dark, bullet-filled nights is knowing she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to him are returned unanswered, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.

After some disappointing reads, I was so glad to pick up a winner. I was thankful that this story was focused on WWII, but did get too depressing. Most of the story was lighter focusing on Cara’s search for the author fo the diary and a new life. And on the other side, we get Louise’s story of finding love and joining the ATS. A nice story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Title: Lilac Girls

Author: Martha Hall Kelly

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2017

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 487

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebooks; Popsugar - Plant in Title; Women Authors

New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.

An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.

The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

This one was such a disappointment to me. It’s gotten great reviews and my book club picked it for April. My strongest reaction to this book was “meh.” The writing was clunky in certain parts. The story definitely needed to be edited down in sections. But my biggest complaints center on the characters. I just didn’t care about them. There was no emotional connection for me. Were we supposed to feel something for Herta? Or even Kasia when she was struggling with her anger? And Caroline was so flat at times, I just couldn’t. I didn’t really get the message we were supposed to ascertain. I know WWII was horrendous and terrible things were done to people, but beyond that, what?

In finishing the book, I read the afterward from the author. Caroline and Herta were real people. She researched them, Ravensbruck, and the horrors of WWII to create this fictionalized account what happened during and after the war. Okay, so they were real people? I would have rather read biographies of them than this imagining of what went on. And apparently Caroline’s romance with Paul was completely made up. I knew I didn’t like that storyline for a reason. It was so unbelievable and flat to me. Turns out it wasn’t real. That makes me feel better. Overall, I was really disappointed in this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

Title: The Baker's Daughter

Author: Sarah McCoy

Publisher: Broadway Books 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 306

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Books -- W11; Women Authors; Library; Well Rounded Reader -- Historical Fiction

In 1945, Elsie Schmidt is a naive teenager, as eager for her first sip of champagne as she is for her first kiss. She and her family have been protected from the worst of the terror and desperation overtaking her country by a high-ranking Nazi who wishes to marry her. So when an escaped Jewish boy arrives on Elsie’s doorstep in the dead of night on Christmas Eve, Elsie understands that opening the door would put all she loves in danger.

Sixty years later, in El Paso, Texas, Reba Adams is trying to file a feel-good Christmas piece for the local magazine. Reba is perpetually on the run from memories of a turbulent childhood, but she’s been in El Paso long enough to get a full-time job and a fiancé, Riki Chavez. Riki, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, finds comfort in strict rules and regulations, whereas Reba feels that lines are often blurred.

Reba’s latest assignment has brought her to the shop of an elderly baker across town. The interview should take a few hours at most, but the owner of Elsie’s German Bakery is no easy subject. Reba finds herself returning to the bakery again and again, anxious to find the heart of the story. For Elsie, Reba’s questions are a stinging reminder of darker times: her life in Germany during that last bleak year of WWII. And as Elsie, Reba, and Riki’s lives become more intertwined, all are forced to confront the uncomfortable truths of the past and seek out the courage to forgive.

This was March's book club selection.  Apparently we have a thing for books (fiction or nonfiction) set in WWII.  As far as I know, our pattern is completely unintentional...  Weird!

As for the books, I liked it overall.  When I go a bit deeper, I found that i really enjoyed the story set in the 1940s and the parts of the 2007-2008 story that involved Elsie.  So I guess I really liked Elsie.  Reba just didn't speak to me as a character.  I kept thinking that her and Riki were wrong for each other and yet they still ended up together (pretty obvious from the set-up).  I glad Reba decided to eventually just be herself, but all of her waffling and fakeness just got to me after awhile.  On the flip side, Elsie was a great character.  She had layers.  She had great qualities, but also a few faults.  I loved getting insider her mind as she dealt with the realities of Germany during WWII.  I loved her relationship with her parents and especially her relationship with Tobias.  I loved watching her grow throughout the years to eventually become the woman that Reba meets.  A solid historical fiction story focusing on two (three if you count Jane) women growing.

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Title: Suite Francaise

Author: Irene Nemirovsky

Publisher: Vintage 2007

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 434

Rating:   4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it

Beginning in Paris on the eve of the Nazi occupation in 1940. Suite Française tells the remarkable story of men and women thrown together in circumstances beyond their control. As Parisians flee the city, human folly surfaces in every imaginable way: a wealthy mother searches for sweets in a town without food; a couple is terrified at the thought of losing their jobs, even as their world begins to fall apart. Moving on to a provincial village now occupied by German soldiers, the locals must learn to coexist with the enemy—in their town, their homes, even in their hearts.When Irène Némirovsky began working on Suite Française, she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz, where she died. For sixty-four years, this novel remained hidden and unknown.

Wow!  A very powerful novel.  I started reading it thinking it was a modern novel writing about the past.  Of course I realized my mistake when I looked up the author on wikipedia.  I thought that the language and sentence structure was a bit strange for a recently written novel.  And it is...  because it was written during WWII and has been translated from the original French.  That explains it!

As to the story, I loved following the various families through the ordeal of the German occupation of France.  We get to see how various people reacted to the events of turmoil.  I can't imagine having to become refugees in your own country.  It seems inconceivable and yet people had to continue with their lives.  There are some villains (besides the Germans) and yet I can understand why they are how they are.  Overall it was a very interesting read.

When starting this book, I realized that I have read multiple fiction books set during WWII this month.  All three  (Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, The White Pearl, and Suite Francaise) were set in different places.  It was interesting to see how different locations affected lives during the war.

The White Pearl by Kate Furnivall

Title: The White Pearl

Author: Kate Furnivall

Publisher: Berkley 2012

Genre: Historical fiction (WWII)

Pages: 433

Rating:  4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; Fall into Reading; Mount TBR; Color Coded -- White

How I Got It: I own it!

Malaya, 1941. Connie Thornton plays her role as a dutiful wife and mother without complaint. She is among the fortunate after all-the British rubber plantation owners reaping the benefits of the colonial life. But Connie feels as though she is oppressed, crippled by boredom, sweltering heat, a loveless marriage. . .

Then, in December, the Japanese invade. Connie and her family flee, sailing south on their yacht toward Singapore, where the British are certain to stand firm against the Japanese. En route, in the company of friends, they learn that Singapore is already under siege. Tensions mount, tempers flare, and the yacht's inhabitants are driven by fear.

Increasingly desperate and short of food, they are taken over by a pirate craft and its Malayan crew making their perilous way from island to island. When a fighter plane crashes into the sea, they rescue its Japanese pilot. For Connie, that's when everything changes. In the suffocating confines of the boat with her life upended, Connie discovers a new kind of freedom and a new, dangerous, exhilarating love.

Hmmm... First off, I have to say that I liked The Russian Concubine trilogy much more than this stand alone novel.  I loved the setting in Malaya and the Pacific.  I liked the backdrop of WWII.  I liked many of the side characters.  I just couldn't stand Connie.  Sure she was stuck in a bad marriage.  But did that mean she had to treat everyone else like she was the center of the universe?  I felt no sympathy for her.  And it made me want to throw the book down a few times.  Don't get me wrong, the story's great.  My annoyance at one character made my reading of the book feel like more of a struggle than an enjoyment.