REVIEW: A Woman of War by Mandy Robotham

A Woman of War
by Mandy Robotham

Publisher: Avon
Page Count: 352
Release Date: December 7, 2018
Format: Netgalley ARC

How got: Free from publisher via NetGalley

First attention getter: setting

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Germany, 1944. 

Taken from the camps to serve the Führer himself, Anke Hoff is assigned as midwife to one of Hitler’s inner circle. If she refuses, her family will die.

Torn between her duty as a caregiver and her hatred for the Nazi regime, Anke is swept into a life unlike anything she’s ever known – and she discovers that many of those at the Berghof are just as trapped as she is. And soon, she’s falling for a man who will make her world more complicated still…

Before long, the couple is faced with an impossible choice – and the consequences could be deadly. Can their forbidden love survive the horrors of war? And, more importantly, will they?

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 3.5

Note: Book received for free from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What would have happened if Hitler had a kid? I’m sure that phrase pings a lot of interest for a lot of folks, myself included. So consider me intrigued when I got offered the opportunity to read/review this title. We follow Anke as she’s plucked from the horrors of the Holocaust to help care for and deliver Eva Braun’s child, all the while dealing with certain personages of Hitler’s inner circle and the politics of her odd situation.

As the book went along, it developed some issues I had a hard time with, but they never detracted from my enjoyment of Anke’s journey. She’s an incredible character with enormous strength of character and will, willing to take large risks to ease the burden of those under her care. I enjoyed her unwillingness to be cowed by Nazi officials, even those with the power to send her back to the hell she was pulled from or even kill her outright.

Her romantic connection to ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Dieter made for a sweet subplot. An SS officer with certain reservations about government policies and acting in small ways to counteract them was a nice gel with Anke. I pictured a Kurt Gerstein sort of figure, a man caught in a horrible scenario with few ways out and limited room to move.

I also found the history and midwife tidbits the author included interesting. Though they could be graphic in places and made me squirm, the details of childbirth and all involved really made me picture Anke, her character, and profession better. I also loved getting a window into the precarious life of Hitler’s inner sanctum home. Staff members, guards, and inner circle heavy weights played their parts in the scheming for places on top or just for survival.

Now for those issues I mentioned. I know the last few paragraphs extol the many virtues of this title and deservedly so. However, there are some problems that either irritated me, made me raise my eyebrow in disbelief, or just plain sour me.

The first problem is the premise of the book. The idea of a gal being stuck in the world of Nazi politics while trying to deliver the child of the Fuhrer was intriguing. However, my issue arises from where they pulled her from. I guess I have a hard time believing, no matter who wanted the child or not, that a random midwife from a concentration camp would be pulled to take care of this very politically charged scenario. While Anke is a good midwife, no where does it give an explanation why she was the one picked rather than another random midwife or even a sanctified Nazi midwife. This is especially given Anke’s personal and family history of anti-Nazi activity. The whole situation was my main issue with the premise.

Then there’s also the ending. I don’t want to go too far into things and give anything away. Yet, let’s just say that things are wrapped up, warp-speed! A ton of story threads are wrapped up in an epilogue that consists mainly of “this happened, then this happened, then this…”. I never really felt like I got to say goodbye to any of these people or situations properly. To me, it felt like there was at 2 or more chapters of story to tell to gather all the threads up to a satisfying conclusion.

However despite those two issues I had, ultimately I enjoyed this look into Nazi inner politics and seeing Anke grow as a woman and professional. As I’ve mentioned, I loved her journey and felt very connected to her as she went through these trying times. If those two issues hadn’t arisen, I’d feel very comfortable giving this a firm 5 stars. However, they do, so it’s a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for me. Definitely give this a look, though, it’s a great journey despite the flaws.

REVIEW: Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman

Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers
by Sara Ackerman

Publisher: MIRA
Page Count: 394
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Format: ARC Paperback

How got: GoodReads giveaway

First attention getter: that colorful cover!

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

When her husband mysteriously disappears and rumors swirl about his loyalties, a mother must rely on the remarkable power of friendship in war-torn Hawaii

It’s 1944, combat in the Pacific is intensifying, and Violet Iverson and her daughter, Ella, are piecing their lives back together one year after her husband vanished. As suspicions about his loyalties surface, Violet suspects Ella knows something. But Ella refuses to talk. Something—or someone—has scared her.

Violet enjoys the camaraderie of her friends as they open a pie stand for the soldiers training on the island for a secret mission. But even these women face their own wartime challenges as prejudice against the island Japanese pits neighbor against neighbor. And then there’s the matter of Sergeant Stone, a brash marine who comes to Violet’s aid when the women are accused of spying. She struggles with her feelings of guilt but can’t deny the burning attraction—or her fear of losing another man when Stone ships out for Iwo Jima.

Set amid the tropical beauty of Hawaii, Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers offers a fresh perspective on World War II as it presents timeless depictions of female friendship, the bond between a mother and her child, and the enduring power of love even in the darkest times.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

I loved this book from page one. The tale of female friendship and the unique WWII home front tale in Hawaii drew me in and wouldn't let me go. In a land commonly known as a paradise, it was jarring to see how war affected those left behind: death, detainment, and prejudice. This was one of the best books I read in 2018!

I loved Ackerman’s descriptive prowess. She brings to life the vibrant world of lush Hawaii and its various people groups. For such a small island community, there is an incredible diversity in cultures and races. Ackerman really does it justice in making the reader experience and appreciate how each group saw life and the war. Then you bring in the army on a war footing; with their paranoid lookout for any thought up spies, a proverbial stick of dynamite is thrown into that cultural pot and everything boils over in different ways. Let's just say you never get bored exploring the people groups of this island.

The dual story telling of Violet and her daughter was jarring at times; however, once I got used to that format, flowed fantastically. As the story went along, seeing the same events through the eyes of a mother and her child, each with differing POVs and information known, made the story all the more interesting. Those different perspectives gave the reader two completely different views of a family torn apart by tragedy and a society in flux.

Violet was an amazing character through which to tell this story. Her mix of vulnerability and strength of character and will made for a potent mix. She puts down prejudice and hatred wherever she encounters it, not letting her Japanese neighbors stand alone in the winds of war. Yet, she also feels a vast emptiness not knowing the ultimate fate of her husband and trying to help a daughter facing severe emotional crisis. Every time I encountered Violet, I knew I was in for a rich experience.

With a unique setting and vivid storytelling, Ackerman has given us a window into an island in turmoil during war. I loved all the characters and her way of telling a story. If ever you consider reading a book detailing WWII on the home front, give this one a look as it’s a great example thereof.

Note: Book received for free from GoodReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Year of Counting Souls by Michael Wallace

The Year of Counting Souls
by Michael Wallace

Publisher: Lake Union
Page Count: 332
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Format: E-Book ARC

How got: GoodReads giveaway

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

As Japanese forces attack the Philippines in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, US army nurse Louise Harrison waits to be evacuated from Manila. But with the enemy closing in, Louise is forced to flee with a handful of wounded soldiers to a field hospital deep in the mountains.

Isolated in an unfamiliar country amid desperate conditions, Louise strikes up a friendship with Sammy Mori, an injured Japanese soldier with a secret. Deemed a traitor for reporting on the atrocities in Nanking, Sammy is being hunted by his brother, Yoshiko, a member of the feared Japanese military secret police.

When Yoshiko discovers the hospital camp, Louise and her patients find themselves in even greater danger. Caught between new loyalties and old, Louise and Sammy must trust their unlikely bond to sustain them through deprivation and chaos. It’s a bond that inspires unexpected acts of courage and sacrifice—a light of hope shining through the darkness of war.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

I’ve read other books from this time frame, even a few set in this general location, but this one seemed to stand out as a very well rounded look at the material. It’s this historical material that made me take notice of the book to begin with. I had high expectations and they were all met.

Wallace has a real skill with giving us a balanced, three dimensional look at both sides to this conflict. He makes his characters extremely human, showing us the faces of each side in a dark/light way. We get to see the murderous in Frankie, the poetic in Sammy, the resilient in Louise, and the fanatical in Yoshi. I appreciated the fact that one side wasn’t “good” and the other “bad”. There was cruelty/betrayal and compassion on both sides of the divide.

I felt a real connection with our lead heroine, Louise. She’s a gutsy gal with a ton of common sense and a dedication to her patients that any nurse can appreciate. She never lets her situation, no matter how bleak or scary it might get, deter her from her goals or her boys. I also appreciated the fact that the author didn’t make her the focus of a love interest either. While I could see some hints here and there, the main focus was always on Louise’s struggle for survival and her growth through her ordeal.

I also appreciate the time frame explored here. I’ve read a couple works of WWII in this area, one even with captive nurses in the Philippines, the other in Japanese occupied Singapore. I really liked this one, though, as it explored a bit the guerilla activites of the Filipinos during this timeframe and the way in which some American servicemen who were left behind helped them. The reader gets a real sense of the danger of the times as told through Louise’s eyes.

I enjoyed Louise’s journey through the rough landscape of Japanese controlled Philippines. Her, and her men’s, struggle to survive kept me spellbound. The author did an incredible job in the characterizing and story departments. He also took the time to get the historical setting and details as well. An author whom takes the time to get all these areas right is an author to check out. Highly recommended for lovers of WWII fiction or gritty survival stories with great characters.

Note: Book received for free from publisher in exchange for an honest review via GoodReads Giveaway.

REVIEW: The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff

The Orphan's Tale
by Pam Jenoff

Publisher: MIRA
Page Count: 353
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Format: Trade Paperback

How got: personal buy @ B&N

First attention getter: cover design and already knew author's work

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan's Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival.

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep. When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.

Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another - or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

Pam Jenoff has always been hit or miss with me. I usually either love the book or hate it so much I drop it. This one, thankfully, was a homerun. Rich descriptions of a hidden world, flawed characters who make me fall in love with them, and a suspenseful tale of survival kept me thoroughly engaged.

The world of the circus inherently has that allure and mystery of the unknown. Whether it’s true or not, circus individuals are shown in various media outlets as closed off from outsiders, a world of secrets and intrigue. Now imagine all that in a setting like Nazi Germany and World War II, and you’ve got a captivating background for our story. The background story of a circus hiding Jews during the war is also a true story; I remember first reading about it in middle school when we were studying the Holocaust. That also gives it more weight, knowing elements were true.

Jenoff did a fantastic job in making us live and breathe a circus in freefall. In a world where being different can mean a death sentence and money is tight everywhere, trying to make a living as a circus was almost impossible. Yet, we still get a sense of that magic a circus can bring. The wonder of the exotic animals, the death defying flight of the acrobats, and the overall excitement all bleed through to make the reader experience this world of enchantment.

Her characters were also stellar here. Every single one are beautifully flawed and intrinsically human. From insecurity to fear to deep love, all emotions shine crisp and vivid. I love how each character grew in changed on this book journey. Noa, especially, showed this growth. She started out as such a broken down and lost individual; finding Theo gave her the push to leave her grinding situation at the train station and develop as she strived to save him.

I also loved Astrid and Peter. Both of their lives were destroyed by the Nazis and Stalin; yet they both had the incredible courage and fortitude to stay strong despite that. They both showed defiance in their own way, showing the world that evil would not crush them. Yet, for all that defiance, their emotional scars from the tragedy of their lives prevented them from reaching true happiness. In a world where life and death could be decided on the turn of the moment, this story element truly hits the heart when it comes to these two.

This tale hits the ground running from page one with a daring winter rescue. From that point, the action and suspense doesn’t let up. As the reader gets drawn into Noa’s and Astrid’s story, we get daring rescues, hair-raising close calls, and the knowledge that betrayal could come from anywhere. As we build to the suspenseful climax, the reader can’t help but turn page after page in a desperate struggle to keep up with the pace of the story. The power of the ending and the big reveal at the end is excellent pay-off and truly satisfying.

I’m glad this is one volume of this author’s that I truly enjoyed. She balances suspenseful storytelling and complex characters in a world so vivid I could hear the roar of the circus crowds beautifully. I look forward to another in-depth and fascinating exploration of World War II and the Holocaust from this author’s talented pen.

REVIEW: Goodnight From London by Jennifer Robson

Goodnight From London
by Jennifer Robson

Publisher: William Morrow
Page Count: 400
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Format: Trade Paperback ARC

How got: LibraryThing giveaway

First attention getter: already liked the author

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—author of Moonlight Over Paris and Somewhere in France—comes a lush historical novel that tells the fascinating story of Ruby Sutton, an ambitious American journalist who moves to London in 1940 to report on the Second World War, and to start a new life an ocean away from her past.

In the summer of 1940, ambitious young American journalist Ruby Sutton gets her big break: the chance to report on the European war as a staff writer for Picture Weekly newsmagazine in London. She jumps at the chance, for it's an opportunity not only to prove herself, but also to start fresh in a city and country that know nothing of her humble origins. But life in besieged Britain tests Ruby in ways she never imagined.

Although most of Ruby's new colleagues welcome her, a few resent her presence, not only as an American but also as a woman. She is just beginning to find her feet, to feel at home in a country that is so familiar yet so foreign, when the bombs begin to fall.

As the nightly horror of the Blitz stretches unbroken into weeks and months, Ruby must set aside her determination to remain an objective observer. When she loses everything but her life, and must depend upon the kindness of strangers, she learns for the first time the depth and measure of true friendship—and what it is to love a man who is burdened by secrets that aren’t his to share.

Goodnight from London, inspired in part by the wartime experiences of the author’s own grandmother, is a captivating, heartfelt, and historically immersive story that readers are sure to embrace.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

Out of this entire author’s works I've read, this book stands out as a favorite so far. She tells a story of maturing, fighting against adversity, and making one’s way in the world even though the odds may be stacked against you. Her world building skills are also nothing to sneeze at. I found myself rooting for Ruby more and more as the story progressed.

I've read works before that detail Blitz-era London, and I've read great takes on it. Robson’s take ranks up there with the best. The immediacy she works into her words grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let go. We experience the horrors of war right along with Ruby: bombed-out shells of homes, those left homeless and hopeless on the streets of London, the tragic loss of friends and colleagues, and the anxiety caused by never knowing when or where the next one will drop. Robson has it all.

Yet for all that, there's also a certain sense of hope, victory, and courage about her characters and atmosphere as well. Despite it all, everyone goes along with their lives: working, loving, and living. They don't let the anxiety of imminent death keep them from loving their families nor working towards their dreams. Ruby expresses her admiration for the courage of the British during this horrible event, and the reader can’t help but agree with her opinion.

The heart of our story, though, is Ruby. She's the kind of female lead I love in historical fiction. She isn't an Amazonian warrior feminist crusader (though there's nothing wrong with that) nor is she a docile, gentle lamb of her era (also nothing wrong with that). She's just a regular woman with big dreams, the courage to strive for them, and the iron will to withstand the prejudice and hardships she faces. Her quiet strength and determination to better herself both professionally and mentally gained my admiration; I couldn't help but root for her on every page and during each scenario.

The romance aspect wasn't as large as previous works. I found it to be far secondary to Ruby's journey as a woman and professional writer surviving in World War II London. Maybe this was the author’s intention, maybe not. Either way, I enjoyed it that way. Bennett is still very much present in the story as a man working behind the lines to bring his country to victory. His scenes with Ruby are emotionally packed and tug at the heartstrings. There’s still enough romance to please the palate either way.

To me, this is Robson's best work so far. Her fantastic lead character makes you love her from page one. Ruby isn’t going to win the war single-handedly nor she going to sit meekly at home, knitting socks. She's a woman like any nowadays who has a dream and the will to chase it. I love her for that. Robson’s world building make the reader experience World War II rather than just reading the words on a page. And her romance is still present enough to make any romantic happy while being more muted than previous works, not taking over the story completely. I highly recommend this work; in fact, it's probably the best work to start with if experiencing Jennifer Robson for the first time.

Note: Book received for free via LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Alice Network
by Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow
Page Count: 528
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Format: Trade Paperback ARC

How got: ARC giveaway on LibraryThing

First attention getter: already loved the author and spy stuff in WWI

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

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.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

Kate Quinn stands as a personal favorite of mine; I know that anything she writes will be visceral in its setting/story and her characters will be as real as I. When I learned she was departing the worlds I knew her from, ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy, to explore the dramatic setting of World War I and II, I was all on board from day one. She doesn't fail to deliver, either.

World War II spy thrillers are almost a dime a dozen nowadays. Everywhere you look, someone has their own take or spin on the familiar tales, especially when you talk about spy thrillers in Nazi France. Yet, WWI is a whole new world when it comes to espionage stories. Then Quinn explores one of the most successful spy rings from that era, ran by women no less, and you've got a suspenseful narrative to hold you on your seat’s edge.

Quinn applies her skill at world building to this era just as well as her previous historical escapades. The harsh reality of German occupied north east France during the First World War comes to stark life as she portrays a population who will do anything to survive, snakes who profit from such an environment, and a German occupation force who revel in their control. The odds these women faced, fighting for their country in their own way, were truly staggering. On top of the already inherent dangers, these women also faced draconian prejudice and views on their role in war and their reputations. The bravery shown by these gals in the face of all that truly inspires. Sad to say, not every member of this ring had a happy ending, either, so the odds got some folks.

On top of utilizing some excellent historical details and scene settings skills, Quinn continues to create excellent, realistic characters through which to tell her story. Every single one stands out as a real individual, even the secondary background folks. It's our leads, though, that really shine. Each is damaged by war in their own way, all experiencing grief and some elements of PTSD. From the severe case of Evelyn who faced the true horrors of war and mankind's evilest behavior to Charlie's obsessive grief over her cousin's disappearance, each tale takes the audience on an emotional journey unlike any other. Not many authors can achieve as much success with their characterizations as they do with their world building, but Quinn is one of them. Truly a master!

Then on top of everything, Quinn weaves an intricate plot line that ties everything together in a truly suspenseful climax. Hidden connections as both world wars unfold surprised me left and right. I loved how the author tied in her character’s emotional journey with the story as well. Healing from past trauma and facing your demons played a huge part in the story overall. As our characters traverse over France looking for their missing pasts, the reader can't help but be transported in this journey of growth and overcoming the odds.

One can never fail when reading a Kate Quinn book. She has it all: great characters, a spellbinding story, and a setting and world you can sink into. Not once was I bored and looking for the motivation to continue on this epic story. I can't recommend this book highly enough; safe to say that if Kate Quinn wrote it, it's got to be good!!

Note: Book received for free via LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

Land of Hidden Fires by Kirk Kjeldsen

Land of Hidden Fires
by Kirk Kjeldsen

Publisher: Grenzland Press
Page Count: 212
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Format: Kindle

How got: free copy from author

First attention getter: setting/synopsis

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Occupied Norway, 1943. After seeing an allied plane go down over the mountains, headstrong fifteen year-old Kari Dahlstrøm sets out to locate the wreck. She soon finds the cocky American pilot Lance Mahurin and offers to take him to Sweden, pretending she's a member of the resistance. While her widower father Erling and the disillusioned Nazi Oberleutnant Conrad Moltke hunt them down, Kari begins to fall for Lance, dreaming of a life with him in America. Over the course of the harrowing journey, though, Kari learns hard truths about those around her as well as discovering unforeseen depths within herself.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

A riveting tale of suspense, survival, and danger, this title has some strong points in its favor for a small publishing house\self-published book. The reader can't help but be pulled chapter to chapter, being held on the edge of their seat to see what happens. While not perfect, I'd still highly recommend this book.

Strongest point is the suspenseful story and how well the author does in keeping the audience engaged. Reading as a spy thriller mixed with a coming of age, the narrative has no problem flowing from scene to scene. The author has a talent in keeping the tension ratcheted up as Kari and Lance make for the Swedish border in frigid temperatures and with enemies hot on their tails. The alternating POV's do detract a bit from this aspect; however, the author still keeps things ramped up enough to make the climax a suspenseful showdown and a growing experience for Kari.

I'm not sure if the author is a native of Norway; his name might suggest so. His bio says he lives in Germany and got his degree in California. Yet, even so, his depth of knowledge and way of conveying the landscape and aura of Norway are incredible. I could literally feel the frigid mountain majesty of the northern peaks and feel the bite of the snow on my cheek. Very specific mountain, river, and town place names puts the reader right into the country. A country held under the Nazi thumb also came through vividly. The struggle to survive both the climate and the oppressors added a depth to the story.

When it comes to characterizations, this book also stands out. Each POV and secondary character has their own distinct personality and motivations. There was also a significant change and growth as the story progresses. This was especially evident in Lance and Kari as they struggle through the frigid arctic conditions, the dire circumstances that arose revealing their true natures. Yet in all parties explored, the author has a deft hand when it comes to revealing the inner depths of his character’s psyches. We really got to know everyone, which isn't always the case in a book this short.

There's one aspect that is this books shortcoming, though, and it sort of falls in this area. For a book that clocks in at 212 pages according to Goodreads, I felt like this book had too many POV's. The count standing at four, I felt like I was ripped from one tale to another, just as I was getting into the action of a certain storyline. Some of the suspense got lost and at times, the POV's would get muddled. While engaging, Sturre’s POV in particular, felt completely superfluous. The bits he added to the story could have been better done with Kari, Erling, or Moltke.

At the end of the day, though, this dynamic tale of survival, escape, and resistance keeps the reader engaged. Great characters, a vibrant setting, and action filled narrative keep the story hopping to a fantastic climax. Despite that one fallback, I still feel comfortable recommending this tale to lovers of historical fiction, especially for World War II fans and those who love spy thrillers. Not many tales explore World War II occupied Norway, so this is a real treat.

Note: Book received for free from author in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Fire By Night by Teresa Messineo

The Fire By Night
by Teresa Messineo

Publisher: William Morrow
Page Count: 320
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Format: ARC Trade Paperback

How got: LibraryThing giveaway ARC

First attention getter:synopsis

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

A powerful and evocative debut novel about two American military nurses during World War II that illuminates the unsung heroism of women who risked their lives in the fight—a riveting saga of friendship, valor, sacrifice, and survival combining the grit and selflessness of Band of Brothers with the emotional resonance of The Nightingale.

In war-torn France, Jo McMahon, an Italian-Irish girl from the tenements of Brooklyn, tends to six seriously wounded soldiers in a makeshift medical unit. Enemy bombs have destroyed her hospital convoy, and now Jo singlehandedly struggles to keep her patients and herself alive in a cramped and freezing tent close to German troops. There is a growing tenderness between her and one of her patients, a Scottish officer, but Jo’s heart is seared by the pain of all she has lost and seen. Nearing her breaking point, she fights to hold on to joyful memories of the past, to the times she shared with her best friend, Kay, whom she met in nursing school.

Half a world away in the Pacific, Kay is trapped in a squalid Japanese POW camp in Manila, one of thousands of Allied men, women, and children whose fates rest in the hands of a sadistic enemy. Far from the familiar safety of the small Pennsylvania coal town of her childhood, Kay clings to memories of her happy days posted in Hawaii, and the handsome flyer who swept her off her feet in the weeks before Pearl Harbor. Surrounded by cruelty and death, Kay battles to maintain her sanity and save lives as best she can . . . and live to see her beloved friend Jo once more.

When the conflict at last comes to an end, Jo and Kay discover that to achieve their own peace, they must find their place—and the hope of love—in a world that’s forever changed. With rich, superbly researched detail, Teresa Messineo’s thrilling novel brings to life the pain and uncertainty of war and the sustaining power of love and friendship, and illuminates the lives of the women who risked everything to save others during a horrifying time.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

Not holding back when it comes to the hard descriptions of war, this debut author has created a book worthy of losing a few hours in. Be prepared to ignore daily life and the need for sleep while reading this. There are a few issues holding this book back from true perfection, yet overall the book is in engrossing read.

I love how the author wasn't afraid to explore the truth about war, especially the harshness entailed with World War II. From the blood and pus of army medical tents to the starvation of Japanese internment camps in the Philippines, the author explores the true grit needed to survive such events. I also love how the author didn't let her characters escape such circumstances without some effect. Life decisions and goals grow and change as the girls experience pain and tragedy.

Of the two girl’s storyline, I enjoyed Jo the most. This might have been, in part, because more time is spent on her story; she is the more developed of the two. The lengths she goes to protect the men under her care and provide for them while stuck behind enemy lines shows true grit and survival instinct. She demonstrates the true heroism of the Army nurse during World War II. I found myself captivated by her story and by Jo herself. I loved how the author explored Jo’s PTSD as well; it’s refreshing to see an author explore how it affected the women in war as well as the men.

Kay's story wasn't as engrossing for me, which is odd given the circumstances of her story. She doesn't face less horrors then Jo; yet, I found myself more intrigued by the other girl. What we got, though, of Kay’s story did make for a fascinating tale. She faces the invasion of the Philippines and the tragedy of Japanese internment camps with the other Allies stuck behind Japanese lines. The few chapters we got of her (so short!) were packed with emotional turbulence and pain. Again, I love that the author showed the impact the events had on Kay's personality and outlook on life. She is forever changed by her experiences in World War II’s South Pacific theater.

Beyond the unevenness of story balance between our two women, the only other issue I have is the unexpected scene shifts the author makes. Sometimes happening even mid paragraph, the author will jump locations and even timelines with no warning to the reader. I feel the author was trying to go for flashbacks. But the absolute no warning that we're going to shift tales threw me from the narrative more than once. A subtle break, more space between paragraphs or a small paragraph break bar or something would've been appreciated. Maybe this is a personal thing. All the reviews I've read of this book don't mention this aspect at all; maybe it's just me.

Despite those few small issues, I found the story a worthy addition to the body of World War II historical fiction out there. The reader is drawn into the story of army nurses who face the same dangers and pain as the soldiers yet were rarely given the respect of the same. Our two girls grow incredibly, maturing and changing as they face tragedy after tragedy. The high emotional tone of the book draws you into their story and makes you root for them, chapter by chapter. Even though I was thrown from the narrative now and then by those ambushing breaks, I still devoured this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys World War II historical fiction.

Note: Book received for free from the publisher via a LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Witch Hunt: Of The Blood by various

Witch Hunt: Of The Blood
by Devin O'Branagan, Suzanne Hayes Campbell, Keri Lake, Krista Walsh, K. L. Schwengel

Publisher: self
Page Count: 364
Release Date: December 8, 2012
Format: Kindle

How got: personal buy via Amazon

First attention getter: enjoyed book 1

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Five novellas based on Devin O'Branagan's bestselling novel, Witch Hunt.

The anthology begins with O'Branagan's own novella about the Hawthorne matriarch, Vivian. She and her fellow British witches work together to prevent a Nazi invasion during World War II. Then there is Colonial maiden, Bridget, who struggles with the guilt of failing her family in Salem, 1692. Her younger sister, Prissy, mysteriously disappears and finds another magical world. Julia, torn by family loyalties, love, and her spiritual quest, pays a huge price to continue the bloodline. And Miranda uses her powers against the great influenza outbreak of 1918 - but finds the ultimate foe is prejudice against her kind.

Discover what was left out of Witch Hunt and revisit your favorite characters with these exciting novellas.The story isn't done until the battle's lost and won.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

I was already a fan of the first book in the series that I read back in October on my family road trip. That book was one of my best reads of 2016; so needless to say, this collection of short stories that explore some of the secondary characters from that book was a must read for me. For the most part, it held true to its promise, but it lacks the magic (sorry for the pun LOL) of the original work.

I enjoyed exploring the background and personality quirks of some of the lesser characters from the original. I think Vivian especially benefited from a second look. In the original, she comes off as a bit of a bitch with little to recommend her. Yet, her tale in the collection gave us more of a look at why her personality developed as it did and why her distrust of non-witches is so strong. The actions that she takes in book one are more understandable after watching her core personality develop.

My favorite tale though, hands-down, is Madeline. The idea of exploring the Spanish flu and how witchcraft, or the illusion there of, might influence the actions of those in that time period was fascinating to explore. Madeline herself also made the story. I loved her dedication to her craft and her vulnerability when love finally found her. It was the end of that tale, though, that cemented my love. The author showed incredible bravery to go where she did, and this reader, at least, appreciated the journey. Definitely have a hanky handy for this story.

I also liked that the tales in this book, for the most part, followed in the footsteps of the original in their tone. The first book stood out in that it wasn't afraid to explore harsh and tragic themes in all their blaring light. The tales in this anthology follow suit. Not every story has a happy ending, and the one that does, isn't smooth sailing. We get to see an early modern version of a witchhunt, character death, and horrific pain. These tales will break your heart just as much as the original book does, so be forewarned on that point.

My one disappointment for this book, though, was that for some of the characters, I didn't feel as invested with their stories as others. Priscilla I actually found a bit boring. I guess compared to all the drama and tragedy of her other family members, her tale was fairly tame. I also had a hard time connecting to Julia's tale, even though it was loaded with as much drama and despair as Vivian’s.

Though not all the characters grabbed me as strongly as others, this collection of character pieces still stand as a worthy follow up to book one. Secondary characters are more fleshed out and the overall mythology of the witch world Devin's created is added to. If you liked book one, definitely check out this one!

REVIEW: Marlene by C. W. Gortner

Marlene
by C. W. Gortner

Publisher: William Morrow
Page Count: 432
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Format: Hardcover

How got: local library

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

A lush, dramatic biographical novel of one of the most glamorous and alluring legends of Hollywood’s golden age, Marlene Dietrich, from the gender-bending cabarets of Weimar Berlin to the lush film studios of Hollywood—a sweeping story of passion, glamour, ambition, art, and war from the author of Mademoiselle Chanel.

Raised in genteel poverty after the first World War, Maria Magdalena Dietrich dreams of a life on the stage. When a budding career as a violinist is cut short, the willful teenager vows to become a singer, trading her family’s proper, middle class society for the free-spirited, louche world of Weimar Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, seductive silk cocktail dresses, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses, and becomes entangled in a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention.

For the beautiful, desirous Lili Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler and the Nazis rise to power, she sets sail for America. Rivaling the success of another European import, Greta Garbo, Marlene quickly becomes one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starring with legends such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Desperate for her return, Hitler tries to lure her with dazzling promises. Marlene instead chooses to become an American citizen, and after her new nation is forced into World War II, tours with the USO, performing for thousands of Allied troops in Europe and Africa.

But one day she will return to Germany. Escorted by General George Patton himself, Marlene is heartbroken by the war’s devastation and the evil legacy of the Third Reich that has transformed her homeland and the family she loved.

An enthralling and insightful account of this extraordinary legend, Marlene reveals the inner life of a woman of grit, glamour, and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path on her own terms.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

Ah Gortner... He's one of those authors that you know is going to be good when reading his works. He knows how to create dramatic characters in an equally dramatic setting to create a story that stands out. This book is no different!

Before starting this work, the most I knew about Marlene Dietrich was that she was a famous black and white movie actress from the World War II era and that she was an ardent anti-Nazi. What the author has done has flesh her out so completely that I felt I was meeting someone completely new. He gives her such a rich background and shows us as she develops into the personality history comes to know, that the reader can't help but be held fixated by.

I love how the author showed us so many aspects of her background. World War I, acting school, her many affairs, and her nightlife in decadent 1920s Berlin all show us the complex character that can't be fit in any one character mold. She's one of those personalities that defies convention and compartmentalization.

Her best admirable aspect, though, that the author showed was Marlene’s brash disregard for how the world saw her. She didn't let society, family, lovers, or the movie industry dictate who she was or how she thought. Any woman who has the balls to show even a small part of her true self to the world is to be admired.

Then of course, there is the author’s usual talent at historical detail. Not only is history explored and used to develop Marlene; equal measure is given to history itself. The author gives us an intimate and intricate look at a society on the brink. The interwar years in Germany were a time of great change, with political organizations popping into and out of office with disturbing regularity. Berlin provides an incredible backdrop for the story of both Marlene and of the development of Germany into the fascist state we knew it became. It was fascinating to see how Berlin developed from decadent night clubs where porn shows were the norm to a city full of jack boots and censorship. Seeing Germany's descent into madness through Marlene’s eyes contributed to the overall historical tone of the story as well as to her own growth and journey.

Needless to say, even though the year is yet young, I think I'm safe to say this book is among my best of 2017. The author has created a glorious story of a country in flux, torn between so many mirrors of itself that no one knows the true Germany. Along with that tale, we get a hell of a woman who is full of grit, courage, and enough ambition to topple Hollywood. Marlene is one of those personalities that you can't help but love and admire. It's safe to say that I will be looking for more of this author’s work, if this book is any indicator of his level as a writer.

REVIEW: The Beast's Garden by Kate Forsyth

The Beast's Garden
by Kate Forsyth

Publisher: Random House Australia
Page Count: 512
Release Date: August 3, 2015
Format: Trade Paperback

How got: personal buy via ebay

First attention getter: fairy tale retelling in Nazi Germany... hell yes!

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

The Grimm Brothers published a beautiful version of the Beauty & the Beast tale called ‘The Singing, Springing Lark' in 1819. It combines the well-known story of a daughter who marries a beast in order to save her father with another key fairy tale motif, the search for the lost bridegroom. In ‘The Singing, Springing Lark,' the daughter grows to love her beast but unwittingly betrays him and he is turned into a dove. She follows the trail of blood and white feathers he leaves behind him for seven years, and, when she loses the trail, seeks help from the sun, the moon, and the four winds. Eventually she battles an evil enchantress and saves her husband, breaking the enchantment and turning him back into a man.

Kate Forsyth retells this German fairy tale as an historical novel set in Germany during the Nazi regime. A young woman marries a Nazi officer in order to save her father, but hates and fears her new husband. Gradually she comes to realize that he is a good man at heart, and part of an underground resistance movement in Berlin called the Red Orchestra. However, her realization comes too late. She has unwittingly betrayed him, and must find some way to rescue him and smuggle him out of the country before he is killed.

The Red Orchestra was a real-life organization in Berlin, made up of artists, writers, diplomats and journalists, who passed on intelligence to the American embassy, distributed leaflets encouraging opposition to Hitler, and helped people in danger from the Nazis to escape the country. They were betrayed in 1942, and many of their number were executed.

The Beast's Garden is a compelling and beautiful love story, filled with drama and intrigue and heartbreak, taking place between 1938 and 1943, in Berlin, Germany.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

This book took a while to get into; but once hooked, it was a wild ride to the finish. I went in expecting a fantastic retelling of a beloved fairytale in a time era that fascinates me. What I got was so much more! Drama, resistance, love, and horror all play a large part in the story. There's something for everyone in this Kate Forsyth work.

The characters, by and large, are sympathetic and feel real. Let's just say I fell in love with Leo from the very beginning. He's an honorable and dignified man, from a privileged background, who is faced with horrible decisions and the tragedy of the Nazi hierarchy. Some of the choices he’s forced to make will make your heart bleed; needless to say, the reader will find him very relatable.

I ended up loving Ava as well. It took me a while to warm to her; at times, she could read a bit Mary Sue-ish. However, as tragedy upon tragedy is visited upon her family and friends, I could see her mature and grow as a woman as she made difficult decisions. As the tension ratcheted up with each resistance group and subtle act of defiance Ava involved herself with, the reader can't help but be sucked in chapter by chapter, not wanting to stop for anything.

I have to give special props to the author for her careful attention to historical detail. From the minutest snapshot of daily life in Nazi Germany to the discussion of the various formats of German resistance, the reader gets a real picture of a society under siege from fear and horror. Where a simple word or stray glance could send you to prison and the guillotine, the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, actions Ava and Leo took stand out all the more.

I enjoyed learning about the various formats in which that German resistance took shape. From college students handing out pamphlets to major movements in the military, the reader gets a real sense of how people from all steps of German society contributed to the attempted overthrow of a megalomaniac tyrant. I personally had never heard of some of these movements like the Baum Group nor knew much about such organizations as the Red Orchestra and Canaris' Abwehr. For this alone, the book is worth recommending as historical fiction done right.

Yet also impressing me was the author’s very careful attention to the Holocaust details as they took place in, and impacted the community of, Jewish Berlin. So many times in the past I've seen authors summarize or skim over small details to hurry the story along. When one even gets the big details of such a tragic event wrong, I feel like history is being dealt an injustice. And yes I know, this is only historical fiction and not a documentary on the Holocaust, but I feel writing such an event and using it as a backdrop or device in the story requires respect.

For what areas use Holocaust aspects, I felt the author did this. From the intimate horrors of Kristallnacht and how it impacted one particular family to the tiny details of deteriorating daily life of the Berlin’s Jews leading up to the last big round up of 1943, the reader gets a real sense of the pain and tragedy experienced during this event. The author even went so far as to give hints of the fate of one of the first transports sent to Riga in November of 1941 from Berlin, a detail so small even some devoted Holocaust scholars might not know it. That's attention to detail, folks!

What started out as just an intriguing idea of a fairytale retold in Nazi Germany quickly grew into something else entirely. I fell in love with the characters the story was told through; both leads are empathetic and realistic, even if Ava could come off as too perfect in the beginning. However, what really drew my love and respect was the author’s attention to the slightest detail, respect for the material, and the suspenseful tale she told of tragedy, survival, and love. This was my introduction to Kate Forsyth, and I find it sets a high bar for me when it comes to her writing. I feel very comfortable recommending this book to anyone, whether you enjoy historical fiction, fairytale retellings, or just the tale of a girl trying to survive and build a life in a world gone mad.

REVIEW: Karolina's Twins by Ronald H Balson

Karolina's Twins
by Ronald H. Balson

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Count: 320
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Format: ARC Kindle copy

How got: free ARC from NetGalley

First attention getter: setting and synopsis

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

From the author of Once We Were Brothers comes a saga inspired by true events of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to fulfill a promise, return to Poland and find two sisters lost during World War II.

Lena Woodward, an elderly woman, enlists the help of both lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart to appraise the story of her harrowing past in Nazi occupied Poland. At the same time, Lena’s son Arthur presents her with a hefty lawsuit under the pretense of garnering her estate—and independence—for his own purposes. Where these stories intersect is through Lena’s dubious account of her life in war-torn Poland, and her sisterhood with a childhood friend named Karolina. Lena and Karolina struggled to live through the atrocity of the Holocaust, and at the same time harbored a courageous, yet mysterious secret of maternity that has troubled Lena throughout her adult life. In telling her story to Catherine and Liam, Lena not only exposes the realities of overcoming the horrors of the Holocaust, she also comes to terms with her own connection to her dark past.

Karolina’s Twins is a tale of survival, love, and resilience in more ways than one. As Lena recounts her story, Catherine herself also recognizes the unwavering importance of family as she prepares herself for the arrival of her unborn child. Through this association and many more, both Lena and Catherine begin to cherish the dogged ties that bind not only families and children, but the entirety of mankind.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - none given since DNF-ed @ 20%

I must be in the severe minority when it came to this book and author. Maybe it was trying to get into characters and story while starting with book three; don’t know. Yet, I found myself disappointed, DNF-ing at 20% because I just couldn’t take it anymore.

Given the hype this author has garnered, there’s got to be something to his writing. I heard his first book was on book club reading lists, a bestseller, and the rights have recently been optioned for a movie. So obviously something good is going on here.

Apparently I’m not like most folks. Maybe books one and two were better. However, this one was a chore to get through, even up to the point of the 20% where I dropped it. Except for a few scenes between Catherine and Liam, the entire first 20% was one huge information dump in the form of a lawyer interview, conveying Lena’s story of Holocaust survival.

While the information and story doesn’t lend itself to boredom, I found myself slogging through one endless conversation. I couldn’t immerse myself into Lena’s story as we were just told everything. The sights, sounds, and emotions of that suspenseful tale were lost in the format in which they were told. I never thought I’d come across a book that would make the Holocaust boring, but this book accomplished that.

Sad to say I wasn’t thrilled with this one, especially since I dropped it so quickly. The endless slog of a lawyer interview/conversation that lasted chapters killed it quickly. Maybe if the author had chosen a different layout or format to tell the story. Who knows? I might give books one and two a look; maybe I’ll get the author’s writing style and Catherine’s and Liam’s characters better then. Sad I started with this one, though.

Note: Book received for free from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A Plum Job by Cenarth Fox

A Plum Job
by Cenarth Fox

Publisher: Self published
Page Count: 249
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Format: Kindle

How got: free copy from author

First attention getter: description

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

It’s 1940. Germany’s military might is smashing through the Low Countries and the British, Belgian and French forces are trapped at Dunkirk. The Nazis will soon be in Gay Paree.

Louise Wellesley is a gorgeous and aristocratic young Englishwoman desperate to become an actress. But her upbringing demands that young women of her class go to finishing school, the Buckingham Palace debutante ball and then remain at home until the right chap comes along. Such young ladies most definitely do not cavort semi-naked upon the wicked stage. 

But war brings change. People tell lies. Rules are broken. So when you’re in a foreign country and living by your wits while facing arrest, torture and death from the French police, Resistance, Gestapo and a double-agent, you bloody well better remember your lines, act out of your skin and never ever bump into the furniture. 

Oh and it helps if your new best friend is Edith Piaf.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 2.5

This book started with a good premise and had no shortage of skill in scene-setting. When the author approached me for a review, the description sounded right up my alley (WWII being a big weakness of mine in historical fiction). Yet, I found myself growing more irritated and bored as the story went along due to a variety of factors. I think I have to disagree with the majority of reviewers who are handing out 4 and 5 stars.

I’ve read an English gal caught in Nazi occupied Paris before and found it done well. The author does please in the scene setting department, matching up to those previous portrayals of this plotline. I could picture everything perfectly from the beginning rumblings of the war to Louise’s early years in the theater. Her encounters in France, while not exactly as I expected, were still vivid and suspenseful enough to keep me going.

However, after the scene setting is discussed, this book goes downhill fast, in my humble opinion. First off, the main character is far too perfect. She’s beautiful, courageous, desired by all, talented, and the best actress to ever come out of England….. You get the drift. She’s far too perfect to be relatable to your average gal on the street; I got sick of her real quick, myself. That impacted my caring later in the story on what happened to her ultimately, and my enjoyment of the story overall.

Kurt and Max were a bit better, but they were still flat and two-dimensional. They were characterized by bland, straight forward statements rather than developing through what happened and changed. They became mirrors of different aspects of Nazi Germany and didn’t change much.

Another issue is the amount of told scenes in the book. In the beginning, they’re rife. “This happened here” and “that happened on this date” made more than once appearance. “This person is so-and-so”, because I say so. As the book gets further into the action, the amount of told stuff does diminish, as we get to know the characters and their actions more. Yet, they still crop up more often than is palatable.

For a book whose description touts the action set in Nazi Occupied Paris and the suspense that all entails, Louise takes way too long in getting there. I think it was something like 59% in before Louise even got to the continent and then 70% before the war even started. Way too much time was spent on Louise’s early years acting and in college. She could still have been established as a talented and intelligent actress in far less time, with the remaining spent in a Paris in turmoil, at war. Then once in Paris, at least half the remaining time is spent on plot B threads like a murder/mystery that came out of nowhere.

The book had good bones, thoughts, and intentions. Yet, the meat of the book went bad real fast. Characters are either too perfect or too flat. Storytelling and action flows choppy between sedate tales of the theater and fast paced murder plots that went off on a tangent. The book took too long in getting where it could have shone and once there, just whimpered. This book could do with some polish.

Note: Book received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Translation of Love by Lynne Kutsukake

The Translation of Love
by Lynne Kutsukake

Publisher: Doubleday
Page Count: 336
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Format: Kindle ARC

How got: ARC copy from NetGalley

First attention getter: synopsis and gorgeous cover

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Set against the pulsing backdrop of post-war Tokyo, The Translation of Love tells the gripping and heartfelt story of a newly repatriated Japanese-Canadian girl who must help a classmate find her missing sister. A dazzling New Face of Fiction for 2016 that will appeal to readers of All the Light We Cannot See and Anita Shreve.

Thirteen-year-old Aya Shimamura is released from a Canadian internment camp in 1946, still grieving the recent death of her mother, and repatriated to Japan with her embittered father. They arrive in a devastated Tokyo occupied by the Americans under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. Aya's English-language abilities are prized by the principal of her new school, but her status as the "repat girl" makes her a social pariah--until her seatmate, a fierce, willful girl named Fumi Tanaka, decides that Aya might be able to help her find her missing older sister. Beautiful Sumiko has disappeared into the seedy back alleys of the Ginza. Fumi has heard that General MacArthur sometimes assists Japanese citizens in need, and she enlists Aya to compose a letter in English asking him for help.

Corporal Matt Matsumoto is a Japanese-American working for the Occupation forces, and it's his overwhelming job to translate thousands of letters for the General. He is entrusted with the safe delivery of Fumi's letter; but Fumi, desperate for answers, takes matters into her own hands, venturing into the Ginza with Aya in tow.

Told through rich, interlocking storylines, The Translation of Lovemines a turbulent period to show how war irrevocably shapes the lives of both the occupied and the occupiers, and how the poignant spark of resilience, friendship and love transcends cultures and borders to stunning effect.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

An amazing examination of life in Occupied Japan, this book keeps readers enthralled with an intimate look at a society in flux and the people who inhabit that world. The author does a fantastic job in making her characters very real; yet, she struggles with one main issue that ultimately make is so this book doesn’t shine as well as it could.

The author chose a fascinating subject and setting to explore. I’ve not read anything before on how life was in post WWII Japan, how a people who prided themselves on victory were in defeat or how it affected daily life in such a war-torn landscape. I’ve seen Germany explored before but not Japan.

Kutsukake also explores so many POVs that our look into Occupied Japan life is even more three-dimensional. Usually, for me, this would be a weakness as multiple POVs can dilute a story and its emotional resonance very easily. Yet, the author balances everything by making her different characters have such unique voices and coming from such different backgrounds that I never got lost at whom I was reading about. They actually proved a strength for this work.

As mentioned, the characterization for this book is something else. Every character/POV has its own unique voice: word usage, phrasing, skills, way of looking at things, ect. From the determined Fumi to the tired Kondo to the determined-to-survive Sumiko, everybody stood out as individuals. I fell in love with each and every person, rooting for each struggle to survive in a brutal new world and to build a life again.

The one area this work lacked in was the ending. It’s momentum throughout the story was going strong and then just seemed to sputter, then fail. Only a few of the story threads and POVs were resolved. I found myself thirsting for resolution on most of the threads. There are clues provided about possible ultimate fates for many of the characters, but the reader is left guessing on how many people’s future life situations worked out.

Still, overall, this is an engaging look at post-WWII Japan, a world full of change, despair, and ultimately hope for the future. The characters sing with life, and the story itself is the novel’s strongest feature. Even though there are a ton of loose threads at the end, I still feel this is a strong example of historical fiction done well. Recommended for sure!

Note: Book received for free from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

REVIEW: Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon

Flight of Dreams
by Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: Doubleday
Page Count: 336
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Format: Kindle

How got: ARC from NetGalley

First attention getter: exploration of little known history

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

With everyone onboard harboring dark secrets and at least one person determined to make sure the airship doesn't make the return trip, Flight of Dreams gives an utterly suspenseful, heart-wrenching explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century.

On the evening of May 3, 1937, Emilie Imhof boards the Hindenburg. As the only female crew member, Emilie has access to the entire airship, from the lavish dining rooms and passenger suites to the gritty engine cars and control room. She hears everything, but with rumors circulating about bomb threats, Emilie's focus is on maintaining a professional air . . . and keeping her own plans under wraps.

What Emilie can't see is that everyone—from the dynamic vaudeville acrobat to the high-standing German officer—seems to be hiding something.

 
Giving free rein to countless theories of sabotage, charade, and mishap, Flight of Dreams takes us on the thrilling three-day transatlantic flight through the alternating perspectives of Emilie; Max, the ship's navigator who is sweet on her; Gertrud, a bold female journalist who's been blacklisted in her native Germany; Werner, a thirteen-year-old cabin boy with a bad habit of sneaking up on people; and a brash American who's never without a drink in his hand. Everyone knows more than they initially let on, and as the novel moves inexorably toward its tragic climax, the question of which of the passengers will survive the trip infuses every scene with a deliciously unbearable tension.

With enthralling atmospheric details that immediately transport and spellbinding plotting that would make Agatha Christie proud, Flight of Dreams will keep you guessing till the last page. And, as The New York Times Book Review said of her last novel, "This book is more meticulously choreographed than a chorus line. It all pays off."

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

It took me awhile to get into this book; we’re talking days to weeks to really get drawn in. I think it was the multitude of POVs. That took some getting used to. There also aspects of some of the relationships that seemed very sudden and overly melodramatic. Nothing will turn me off faster than melodrama. So why the five star rating you ask?

Let’s just say that after I finished, I had to take a moment to ponder the wonder I had just finished. The author is able to pull all those POVs into a cohesive whole, bringing to life one of the biggest unknown tragedies in history. I’ve met people today who have never heard of the Hindenburg; long less explored all its implications and human drama. I’m glad the author decided to explore this story.

I have to give kudos to the research that went into this book. The author brings the ship to life mechanically, to start with. Through various crew member POVs, we get to see how the ship was built, how it operated, the involved command structure, and how the very nature of the ship itself led to its doom.

She also pays as much attention to the personalities of the people involved. As the author’s notes mention, there aren’t any big biographies or works devoted to the people involved in the Hindenburg. She had to rely on sketchy background details and hints to personalities. I also really enjoyed the fact that Lawhon didn’t alter any fates; everyone who died, died or everyone who survived, survived in the book. Every character is a real person who was really there.

Lawhon takes the little known tidbits and creates characters as grand and vivid as the ship they flew in. Every single POV was rich with motivations, aspirations, dreams, and thoughts. I actually grew to love and enjoy the various POVS, making it an asset by book’s end rather than a liability that it was in the beginning.

All that melodrama and relationship stuff that was originally a burden actually turned into quite an asset. As the tension grew and grew closer to ship’s destruction, all those relationship woes turned into painful, tragic yet beautiful reminders of human life and existence as fire rained from the heavens. I think I got drawn into the lives of these characters more than I originally anticipated as by book’s end, I was actually crying.

The author has created a true gem of historical fiction in this work. She takes a dramatic story and makes it very human. By breathing life into little known people she does what historical fiction should do, bringing the past to life and making it very relatable to a modern audience. I loved her attention to detail; it paid off immensely in the emotional impact at book’s end. So I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s a true treasure of historical fiction and I look forward to exploring more by this author.

Note: Book received for free from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

REVIEW: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr

Publisher: Scribner
Page Count: 530
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Format: Hardcover

How got: personal library; bought via local bookstore, Cassiopeia Books

First attention getter: synopsis

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times)

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 3

For all the hype this book has, I’m sad to say I must be in the minority to not love the heck out of it and be awarding it five stars. The author does some great things, but there are some major flaws that keep it from being five star material at least in my book.

The themes and story the author presents is a huge plus. He examines the human cost of warfare in a jaw-dropping way. At one point, he talks about how it’s the dreamers of the world that pay the most in wartime. That’s a very true statement and is very evident in the persons of Werner and Fredrick who seem to pay the most in that regard. The author makes the reader think about what they’re reading rather than just engross themselves in the actual story which is a nice treat from your usual historical fiction.

Doerr knows how to tell an emotionally heavy story and make his setting come to incredible life. He uses metaphors a ton to draw great comparisons, giving his details more depth and life. From chapter to chapter, I was drawn into the lives of each of our leads by the complexity of their emotions and the wonderful world-building. At times, though, the metaphors gimmick seemed to be used too much. There were times where I got lost in the visuals and lost track of the actual story for a few paragraphs.

Favorite character hands down is Werner. He changes the most during his journey from a young boy interested in radios to a man struggling to balance his conscience with the reality of life in Nazi Germany and the army. What he’s exposed to and how torn he is literally ripped my heart in two. I cried over every crisis of principle, every harsh exposure of terror and blood.

Marie-Laure, though, I’m not so in love with. She’s not horrible, but she seems to change the least. She’s the same brave and intelligent girl at age sixteen as at age six. Her horizons are broadened in that she changes locales and gets outside more alone. But I think she had the courage to do that at the beginning too, even if her age and overprotective father kept her limited in what she actually did. So while she wasn’t horrible or unlikable, I found her story far more boring than Werner’s.

This book also suffered somewhat from pacing issues. The chapters dealing with the character’s early years flowed far better than the 1944 chapters. Maybe it’s because more ground and growing was covered by those early years, but I got bored real quick with the 1944 circumstances the characters themselves in. The same events would happen again and again; the characters would be stuck in the same places chapter after chapter. Eventually, in the last 60-70 pages or so, things moved far faster. But the last third of the novel, I’ll admit I scanned chapters now and then to get to something actually happening.

So it turns out I can’t share the same opinion as most the rest of the reader’s base for this book. I loved Werner to death. The themes and metaphors, overall, added to the story as well. But Marie-Laure’s unchanging character arc, the overuse of metaphors, and the pacing issues keep this from being a truly enjoyable book for me. I’d recommend it for Werner’s journey; he gives a fantastic POV into life in Nazi Germany and what it did to the regular German under their horrible influence. Yet, for the size of the book, it’s definitely a slog with the other issues.

REVIEW: The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews

The Heart Mender
by Andy Andrews

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Page Count: 256
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Format: Hardcover

How got: personal library; via Amazon

First attention getter: synopsis

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

In the classic storytelling style of The Noticer and The Traveler's Gift, New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews now delivers an adventure set sharply against the warm waters and white sands of the Gulf of Mexico in WWII America.

Saddened and unable to abandon her resentment toward the Nazi war machine that took her husband's life, the young and attractive Helen Mason is living a bitter, lonely existence. Betrayed and left for dead, German U-boat officer Lt. Josef Landermann washes ashore in a sleepy town along the northern gulf coast, looking to Helen for survival.

The Heart Mender is a story of life, loss, and reconciliation, reminding us of the power of forgiveness and the universal healing experience of letting go.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 3

I anticipated receiving this book in the mail; the story idea of a German navy guy washing up on American shores during WWII and falling in love with an American woman was such a unique idea. Unfortunately, some aspects of the book kept it from reaching its full potential.

Written as a unique blend of fictional tale and non-fiction research story, this book fooled me at times whether certain aspects of it were actually true or not. There is a section at the end that tells what ultimately happens to the different parties in the story that leads me to believe that maybe some aspects of this book were real. I’m still not sure on that account.

I loved getting a window into an area of WWII not often explored. The story of the perilous times that existed in American waterways on the east coast and in the gulf is not that well known. Even during the times, the government put a gag order on the papers to keep the story from the general population. Of course, the population who lived close to the coast knew what was going on. This book plays on this premise, playing on the idea of a man from the German navy washing up on shore after being shot overboard.

I liked that the author used Josef and Hans to show the readers that not all Germans were hardline Nazis. Many found small ways to resist and had a firm sense of honor and duty. Josef was a honorable, courageous man who fought for his country and loved his fellow brothers in the military. He was a great point of view to tell the story through. I also liked Helen and how bitter she was. Her levels of rage and hate were believable given the circumstances she had experienced. Helen’s journey to healing made her story relatable and emotionally resonant.

Where this book fell down and faltered was in its heavy-handedness with the themes of forgiveness and healing. While good, worthy themes to explore to be sure, when you’re portraying them with the proverbial 2x4, they can be tiresome. Nothing was subtle or interwoven with the story here. There would be entire paragraphs and dialogue exchanges where the only thing talked about was the need for forgiving others and how much peace and healing that brings. The other story threads of love, hiding, and unexpected alliances were completely overshadowed; this book suffered from that imbalance.

A good story idea and great lead characters made for a promising title. They helped to make this book at least semi-enjoyable. However, an overemphasis on themes killed the book overall. I felt drowned in the proselytizing and was just glad when the book was done. At least I finished it; the underlying story was enjoyable enough to carry me to the finish line. But, I don’t see myself picking up this book again.

REVIEW: The Scent of Secrets by Jane Thynne

The Scent of Secrets
by Jane Thynne

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Page Count: 448
Release Date: Sept. 15, 2015
Format: Trade Paperback

How got: free copy from GR giveaway

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Rich with political intrigue and authentic period details, this historical crime novel—the first of three—is perfect for fans of Jaqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, Robert Harris, and Susan Elia MacNeal. In Berlin, 1933, British actress Clara Vine finds herself dangerously involved with the British intelligence service.

Clara Vine, a half-Jewish Anglo-German, uses her unique access to the upper echelons of pre-war Nazi society to spy for her native Britain. The novel richly fuses fact and fiction with a cast of real Nazis and their British admirers, such as the Mitford sisters and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Clara Vine, through her friendship with Eva Braun, finds herself enmeshed in a plot to assassinate Hitler. The setting of pre-war Germany is a treasure trove, and the irresistibly fresh perspective of Nazi wives puts a new spin on an ever-fascinating era, fraught with glamor, political tension, tragedy, and romance.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

Engaging as heck, this book kept me enthralled from beginning to end. With a great balance of descriptive passages, fast-paced action, and peering into windows of Nazi society not often explored, this was a great introduction to this author.

The author treads a fine line between wordiness and perfect amount of detail in setting her scenes. An author can be bogged down by using too many words when describing a scene or passage; sometimes a thesaurus is NOT your best friend. Somehow, this author is able to incorporate large descriptive paragraphs without bogging the action down. Instead, the story comes to vivid life, making everything breathe for the reader.

As a mystery and spy-thriller, this book excels for the most part. I was kept guessing and on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book. I loved that the author incorporated real conspiracies against the Nazis and a realistic set-up for the murder/mystery. It made everything all the more believable for me.

Clara is a great foil against all the spy suspense and dark, mysterious meetings. She’s a great blend of vulnerable and street-smart that I enjoyed. I liked that her position in society as an actress placed her in a special position to peer into the upper echelons of Nazi society and yet still be on the fringes as not your normal German woman. The other characters were also as enjoyable; all of them adding something to the story or as a window into Nazi Germany in 1938.

Right up there with the great story and characters is the information the author chose to incorporate from the time period. I was especially enjoying seeing, in detail, the position of women in Nazi Germany: the bureaus that dealt with them, their new expected position in life, their limited opportunities, how society saw them, and how they saw the new Nazi society as well. Seeing into the cruel politics of Nazi wives was also interesting. That’s not a side often explored.

The only thing against this book I have is actually a minor one, really. This book is a volume 3 in a series; I could definitely tell. The book can stand alone as a complete work; it has a beginning, middle, and definite conclusion to the specific mystery and conspiracy. Yet, there are characters and events that are referred to or re-introduced that made me hesitate and question. That interrupted the story flow more than once. So probably best to read books 1 and 2 first, but this is still enjoyable by itself, too.

A great blend of characters, suspenseful story, and historical detail, this book holds the attention of the reader with great skill. I kept devouring page after page, eagerly waiting to see what would happen next to Clara and her crew. I will be looking out for the other books in the series so I can get the full picture of the overall story. The author has proven herself in scene-setting and storytelling.

Note: Book received for free from publisher via GoodReads FirstReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.