Auschwitz 70

January 27th marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp, and in conjunction with that date the BBC released video footage of a drone they sent over the camp grounds. I think this chilling footage is absolutely essential viewing, a stark reminder of those horrors.

Honoring the Courage of Strangers

Sarah J. Maas shared her grandmother's story of loss, survival, and hope on her blog today -- and trust me on this, it is a must read (and have tissues at hand)! May these stories never, ever be forgotten. 

Thanksgiving: Honoring the Courage of Strangers

Review: Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton

Cinderella's Dress
By: Shonna Slayton
Publisher: Entangled Teen
ASIN: B00GL3NBQK

Review:

The better part of Kate Allen's youth has been spent coming of age in a world at war, never forgetting the twin mantras of making do and doing without in order to support the war effort. But now, on the cusp of adulthood, she finds herself caught between the life she's always known and dreams of making a name for herself, of doing something to set herself apart. While her mother has long harbored dreams of stardom for her only daughter, shuttling her from auditions to fashion shows, Kate would much rather be known for her creativity than her figure or dubious acting talents. With the end of the war at long last in sight, Kate pushes to realize her ambition of breaking into the male-dominated world of window design at the department store where she works. And when she catches the eye of handsome Johnny Day, the owner's son, she seems tantalizingly close to realizing both her professional dreams and, at long last, the promise of romance.

But when Kate's great-aunt and uncle unexpectedly arrive on her doorstep, everything changes. Elsie and Adalbert bring with them not only stories of war-ravaged Poland, but a large trunk containing their most closely-guarded secret. Within the trunk lies the real-life Cinderella's dress, and with its possession a familial legacy of honor, heartache, and danger. As Kate quickly discovers, the dress -- and its powers -- are real. And how she responds to the legendary garment and its call on her life promises to impact both a centuries-old feud and the course of her own future.

I was thrilled when approached with the opportunity to review Cinderella's Dress, for beyond that gorgeous cover image, it promised to combine my two great reading loves -- World War II history and re-imagined fairy tales. For her debut, Shonna Slayton set herself the ambitious task of translating a beloved fairy tale into a believable fashion into an already rich, real-life historical framework. And while the end result isn't quite what I anticipated, I must applaud Slayton for this fresh take on the ever-popular trend of retelling classic tales, particularly in such a unique and fresh way.

Going into the novel, I expected more dress-specific impact to the storyline -- more of a direct translation of the fairy tale to Kate's twentieth-century world. Instead, Slayton delivers a wartime coming of age tale lightly-colored by Kate's unique family history, inspiring her own Cinderella-esque romance. I wish the importance of the dress and the role it would come to play in Kate's life had been established sooner in the narrative. Instead, over the course of this relatively slim novel, the dress lingers in the background, an on-going mystery while months pass and the war eventually ends. While this stalls the forward momentum of the narrative, it does reveal Slayton's greatest strength -- and that is in the establishment of a wholly believable, 1940s-era teenage voice in Kate. I LOVED watching Kate grow up, push boundaries, and fall in love. The letters interspersed throughout the text were an especially welcome touch -- my only complaint is that there weren't enough of them! The letters also illuminate the issue of pacing and the passage of time in this novel -- one or two brief missives may span a time jump of months, leaving readers to assume a growth in Kate's friendship with Johnny that I would have preferred to see explored in greater depth on the page.

Slayton has a wonderful knack for evoking wartime New York. From Kate's relationship with her mother and brother, their collective concern over her father in Europe and her brother's upcoming enlistment, to Kate's relationship with her best friend and their conversations about everything from film and fashion to Frank Sinatra (LOVED that!), and her desire to break into a male-dominated profession, the homefront springs to life on the page with a refreshing authenticity. Cinderella's Dress may be light on the fairy tale-related drama, but as a sketch of the hopes and fears of those on the wartime homefront it succeeds marvelously.

I was pleasantly surprised by the manner in which Kate's slowly-blossoming romance with Johnny mirrors the story beats of the Cinderella tale, with a thoroughly modern twist. No wicked stepfamily here, just a working girl falling in love with the gorgeous, artistic-minded "prince" of her workplace. While the twist of a real Cinderella dress was a promising concept, what enthralled me most about this debut was Kate's pitch-perfect period teenage voice, career aspirations, and relationship with Johnny. In fact, until the novel's final act, the Cinderella conceit felt *almost* unnecessary. What color it does add to the story I wish had been explored in greater depth, but for a debut I love the gamble taken here in seeking to incorporate the twin passions of history and folklore.

While Cinderella's Dress is less of a historical fairy tale and more of a slow-burning period character study, I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Slayton's writing. I desperately wish some of her promising concepts had been given more room to develop, making the dress lore aspect of the story more prominent. But that aside, Slayton has a clear affinity for the time period and a charming ability to pen a sweet romance that left me thoroughly charmed. I would love to see more historical fiction of this ilk, and with clearer pacing and a stronger integration of the fairy tale and historical elements, I have high hopes that further ventures of this type from Slayton's pen may well outshine the first!

About the book:

Being a teen-ager during World War II is tough. Finding out you’re the next keeper of the real Cinderella’s dresses is even tougher.

Kate simply wants to create window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella’s dresses, life gets complicated.

Now, with a father missing in action, her new sweetheart shipped off to boot camp, and her great aunt losing her wits, Kate has to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.

After all, the descendants of the wicked stepsisters will stop at nothing to get what they think they deserve.

Review: My Sweet Valentine by Annie Groves

My Sweet Valentine (Article Row #3)
By: Annie Groves
Publisher: Harper
ASIN: B005WKGN9U

Review:

After surviving the onslaught of Hitler's Blitz on London, the women of Article Row -- Olive and her daughter Tilly, and their lodgers Agnes, Sally, and Dulcie -- continue to struggle to adjust to life under the ever-present specter of war. Working as a nurse at St. Bart's, Sally continues to see the worst of the Blitz's impact on London, but finds solace in her relationship with George, a young doctor whose affections have helped her forget her own breach with her family back in Liverpool. Agnes is blissfully happy to be engaged at long-last to her boyfriend Ted -- the only thing marring her joy is her future mother-in-law's refusal to open her heart to the one-time desperately lonely orphan. Dulcie is as incorrigible as ever, exasperating and endearing herself to her fellow lodgers by turns, and dating an American pilot -- and determinedly ignoring disturbing signs that he's less than enamored of her than she'd like to believe. And while Tilly is blissfully happy dating Drew, the dashing American reporter, Olive fears that in wartime Tilly's passionate nature will only lead to heartache. But even as Olive fights to protect her headstrong daughter, the widow finds herself increasingly drawn to the attentive -- and very married - neighbor, Archie Dawson. As each woman strives for happiness in an increasingly war-torn London, they find that the only constant they can rely on is change, as they strive to hold on to the hope of a better world in the midst of unimaginable sorrow and loss.

My Sweet Valentine, the third outing in Annie Groves's Article Row series, continues to be a warm-hearted, poignant portrayal of life on the home front during the horrors of the Blitz. Whereas previous installments of the series gave relatively equal page time to each woman's story, this volume focuses primarily on Tilly and her romance with Drew, and its impact on her relationship with Olive. In the second volume, Home for Christmas, Grove introduced -- albeit in a very gentle fashion -- the changing moral values of the time, and the impact a potentially rash liason or even marriage could have on a young woman's life, with a couple's future so uncertain thanks to the realities of the war at home and abroad. Groves further develops this theme here, giving, I think, a very realistic portrayal with Tilly of a "good girl" struggling to navigate rapidly changing social mores of the day and reject or reconcile them with her conservative upbringing.

That said, I do feel like the book suffers for focusing so much on Tilly and Olive's oft-times stormy relationship, and relegating the other residents of Article Row to minor supporting players. One of the main reasons I enjoyed London Belles and Home for Christmas was the sense of community Groves managed to build between these very different women, brought together by shared need and the rigors of life on the homefront. Agnes all but disappears, left to suffer off-stage with her future mother-in-law's patently obviously disapproval, with only a brief update on the state of her relationship with Ted. Dulcie fares somewhat better -- Groves offers a tantalizing glimpse into the development of her unlikely friendship with an erstwhile suitor, now horribly wounded and rejected by his family. I love Dulcie because at first glance she seems like such a selfish character -- but underneath that bold-as-brass exterior lurks a heart of gold.

Of the lodgers, Sally fares best here. Groves continues to explore the toll Sally's fractured family life took on her emotional well-being, and while her reaction to her father's remarriage is extreme, and certainly the stuff of soap opera, Groves manages to imbue Sally's story with an appreciable level of emotional authenticity. Groves continues to explore Sally's changing moral views here, particularly vis-a-vis her intensifying relationship with George, contrasting her more mature decision-making process with Tilly's youthful, impetuous nature. It's a contrast that brings into sharp relief the error of focusing so much on Tilly -- likable enough, but incredibly immature -- and that quality, coupled with Olive's smothering, wears thin in a novel of this length (400 pages).

Sadly, Annie Groves passed away shortly before this novel was published, but with it she cements her status as a master when it comes to writing nostalgic, warm-hearted, female-centric wartime fiction. While My Sweet Valentine is far from perfect, focusing on -- at this point -- my least favorite resident of Article Row, it is a solid entry in the series. I particularly appreciate how, despite the story's gentle tone, Groves never shies away from exploring the stark realities of wartime, delivering brutally honest sequences exploring the emotional impact the Blitz has on survivors. She's at her best when exploring the human toll of war on the homefront, and its catalyst as an engine of social change. Though the prose is still occasionally clunky and repetitive, and the characterizations uneven, I enjoyed revisiting Article Row, and I look forward to finishing the concluding, posthumously published volumes in this saga -- Only a Mother Knows and A Christmas Promise.

About the book:

An emotional portrayal of the lives of four women as Valentine’s day approaches, in 1941 wartime London

‘Life brought enough problems and upsets for young hearts, especially young female hearts, without them having to carry the added burden of the war…’

Tilly is passionately in love with the dashing American journalist, Drew. But he is harbouring a secret that threatens their burgeoning love. At the same time, Dulcie’s brother Rick walks back into her life, the man who she longed for all those years ago…

Agnes is comforted by the loving arms of her caring train driver fiancé Ted. And Sally could not be happier with her talented surgeon boyfriend at her side, especially since he’s risked his life to visit her at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.

For Tilly’s mother, Olive, the cold heart that had been frozen since her partner died, is beginning to thaw. But the man she pines for is betrothed to another. The net curtains on the well-to-do Article Row have been twitching, and prying eyes have seen the way she’s been looking at Sergeant Dawson…

When the clock strikes midnight at the Hammersmith Palais, three couples stare deeply into their lovers’ eyes. The confident and stunningly beautiful East Ender, Dulcie, is left alone once more, abandoned by her boyfriend at this most precious of precious moments.

But the women of No. 13 Article Row know that joy is short lived in the London of 1941. It’s a treacherous place, especially for the tender-hearted. As Valentine’s Day approaches, the perils of war threaten life as they know it and all matters of the heart.

Murder on the Home Front - this Sunday on PBS!

This is another film I feel as though I've been waiting ages for PBS to air -- Murder on the Home Front, based on the wartime memoirs of Molly Lefebure. It's slated to air this Sunday following Downton Abbey, but check local listings to confirm!

Review: Home for Christmas by Annie Groves

Home for Christmas (Article Row #2)
By: Annie Groves
Publisher: Harper
ASIN: B005IH023K

Review:

Annie Groves's saga following four women on the London homefront during the early days of World War II continues in Home for Christmas. Picking up just a few short weeks after the conclusion of London Belles, which saw Olive, her daughter Tilly, and their lodgers Sally, Agnes, and Dulcie survive the first wave of Hitler's blitz on London, these five very different women find themselves newly bonded in a sisterhood forged by the hardships of war. Sally continues to bury herself in her work as a nurse at St. Bart's -- immersed in the horrific impact of the Blitz first-hand, she remains haunted by her mother's death and father's hasty remarriage. Agnes is thrilled to be "as good as" engaged to her boyfriend Ted -- the only blight on her joy the shadow of her past as an orphan and the obvious disdain in which Ted's mother views her son's relationship. The vivacious Dulcie finds security in her new-found friendship with her fellow Article Row residents, but struggles with her mother's rejection and chafes against wartime restrictions. Tilly, determined to forget Dulcie's handsome brother, blossoms in her work for the ambulance service, and catches the eye of a handsome American reporter newly-arrived to bring stories of the Blitz home to audiences across the sea. And Olive worries for all of "her girls," but particularly Tilly, as she fears the desire to seize a scrap of happiness in these uncertain times will lead one or more of the girls to irrevocable heartache, little realizing that it is perhaps her own heart in need of guarding most of all. 

Whereas London Belles, the first installment in Groves's Article Row series, was tasked with introducing five heroines from wildly varied walks of life, in its sequel roles and personalities are established, allowing Groves to shift her focus to the impact of the war on the homefront society as a whole as seen through the experiences of her heroines. While I enjoyed the nostalgic, sentimental feel of London Belles, that novel as an introduction to Groves's writing is not without its problems -- among them the aforementioned sentimentality and the arguably often glacially-paced plotting -- I genuinely felt invested in the characters' lives and experiences. I love the fact that Groves opts to explore in great depth the lives of women on the homefront, and how the war not only gave them increasingly wide opportunities in the professional realm but she invests great time and detail and explicating the war's emotional and practical effects.

Happily Groves's second outing to Article Row goes a long way toward ameliorating -- if not eliminating -- many of the issues that plagued the first book in the series. With London deep in the throes of the Blitz, Groves's character development is given the chance to shine, as -- having established the players -- she is now free to delve more deeply into the impact the war and its attendant fears and privations have on their lives. One of my favorite storylines is Tilly's sweetly developing romance with Drew, the American reporter. He is SUCH a gentleman and I loved how he gently persisted, determined to win her friendship first, and then her heart. Groves continues to develop Agnes's romance with Ted, and my heart just broke when she first met Ted's battleaxe of a mother, and celebrated when she finally received her longed-for ring. And though it may be the stuff of pure soap opera, I'm anxious to see how the ever-proper Olive's feelings for her very married policeman neighbor develop, as even in wartime such a whisper of scandal could ruin a single -- albeit a widowed -- woman's reputation.

Groves touches on the issue of changing moral views in almost every woman's life, but the focus on such comes in to sharp relief as concerns Sally and her struggles to reconcile her past with the possibility of a future with her doctor boyfriend George. As the war and the Blitz progresses, and casualties on the homefront and abroad mount, society -- particularly young women -- were faced with a choice: cling to a pre-war moral mentality, or bend and embrace a more carpe diem approach to the increasing uncertainties of life. Sally in particular is susceptible to this effect of war, as she is plagued by lost romantic opportunities in her past and faced with death on a daily basis in her role as a nurse (brought into stark relief in the aftermath of a harrowing train derailment). But bending moral views as regards intimacy between men and women is not without consequence, and here Groves hints at drastic changes -- and consequences -- to come, as women both young and old, as embodied by the likes of Sally and Olive, struggle to reconcile societal expectations with the pressing desires of the heart.

Home for Christmas is a wonderful, nostalgic glimpse into a world at war, improving in nearly every respect on its predecessor. While not without its faults (the flashback to Sally's earlier heartbreak feels shoe-horned in and overly long), its occasional "clunkiness" is forgivable in light of its improved  pacing, plotting, and character development. Groves is at her best when exploring the emotional, human toll of the war, and while her characters are simply drawn they are heartfelt and genuine. I like these women, I want them to triumph, but above that my vintage-loving heart appreciates Groves's writing as more than just a love letter to the time, but a tribute to the ordinary men and women who, in the face of the unimaginable horror of the Blitz, found in themselves the ability to become extraordinary survivors.

About the book:

Home for Christmas is a tale of four very different young women thrown together by war. Finding freedom and independence – as well as love, passion and heartbreak – for the very first time, a unique bond is formed as the hostilities take their toll on Britain.

It's September 1940 and the German blitz on London has just begun. The four young girls who live at No. 13 Article Row live under its constant threat. But life must go on…

Tilly and Sally both work at Barts Hospital where they witness the cruelty of war first-hand.

Agnes volunteers to work extra hours at her underground station to help with the nightly influx of people seeking safety from the bombs.

Dulcie, with her broken ankle, tries to make peace with her mother, following the news of the death of her sister Enid. But her grief-stricken mother doesn't want to know.

Sally returns to her painful past in Liverpool. But it's not seeing the man she once loved, nor her father and ex-best friend's child that hurt most…

As Christmas approaches, the arrival of the handsome young American Drew, ignites new life in the heart Tilly thought was broken.

As the bombs continue to rain down on a frosty London, perilous challenges lay around every corner. And all anyone wants this year is to be home for Christmas.

Review: London Belles by Annie Groves

London Belles (Article Row #1)
By: Annie Groves
Publisher: Harper
ASIN: B004Q3RMOY

Review:

With England on the cusp of a second war with Germany, Olive determines to take assure the future both herself and her daughter, Tilly, by opening her Article Row home to lodgers. Left widowed thanks to injuries her husband suffered in the Great War, and short on income with the recent passing of her father-in-law, to the chagrin of some her neighbors Olive advertises for respectable working girls in search of clean, reasonably priced room and board. The all-too-eager to grow up Tilly, working in the financial office of St. Bart's, London's oldest hospital, discovers their first lodger in the form of Sally, a nurse from Liverpool who fled to London to escape the pain of loss and betrayal, determined to hide from her past. Their second lodger, Agnes, receives a recommendation from the minister's wife -- raised in an orphanage, Agnes stayed with the only home she'd ever known until it was forced to relocate to the country, pending Hitler's potential attacks on London. Olive's carefully laid plans for respectable lodgers seems set until wires are crossed and a room is promised to the bold and brassy Dulcie, a clerk at Selfridges, seeking to escape her East End upbringing and determined to ruffle Olive's maternal reservations at every opportunity. The group's disparate personalities, secrets, and dreams threaten to bring more drama and heartache to her home than Olive bargained for -- but as the country edges closer to the brink of war, the women of No. 13 Article Row slowly find themselves united in an unexpectedly rewarding sisterhood that may just be the key to surviving the coming storm.

World War II-era history is a period that holds endless fascination for me, and as such I am always on the lookout for new fiction that promises to shed fresh light on those pivotal years of the twentieth century. After Annie Groves's novels appeared in my Amazon recommendations several times, I finally decided to explore her wartime-era fiction (and I'm not gonna lie, I loved the candy-colored covers!). Groves is one of the pen names of prolific British novelist Penny Jordan, who appears to have produced fiction at a rate -- and with a resulting popularity -- to warrant being likened to perhaps Danielle Steel or Mary Higgins Clark (please be kind, those are my best guesses!). :)

While wartime history in general is always of interest to me, I find women's history in particular during this time period fascinating as opportunities for women to develop careers and lives outside the traditional realms of home and family flourished. With men volunteering -- or being conscripted -- in droves, opportunities for women in those jobs traditional held by men (i.e., factories, etc.) exploded. Where fiction of this ilk might typically choose to focus on a "Rosie the Riveter" type heroine, here Groves sheds welcome light on the lives of women on the homefront, seeking to survive and thrive under wartime rationing, bombing raids, and the restrictions that come with making one's home on an island under veritable siege from Hitler's blitzkrieg. Groves's wartime fiction is ostensibly in part based on family history and reminiscences, occasionally lending London Belles the flavor of a memoir. The characters inhabiting Olive's Article Row home come to life on the page with the gentle feel of the romanticized time period -- one is given the sense of revisiting history through the sentimental, sepia-toned lens of the British stiff-upper-lip sensibility.

I loved the unlikely group of women with which Groves populates her novel. From the oft-times overly protective, duty-bound Olive to Dulcie, the sultry Selfridges' employee always skirting on the edge of decorum, to Sally, a dedicated nurse whose professionalism in the workplace belies the personal wounds -- and stunted maturity -- haunting her personal life, the women of Article Row must navigate broken hearts and questions of morals while seeking to live in something resembling peaceful accord. Groves's characterizations might like the clarity and spice I generally crave in my fiction, but she her prose with moments of unexpected warmth and depth that make London Belles an enjoyable foray into the realm of popular British fiction.

Clocking in at well over four hundred pages, London Belles is overly long, in desperate need of editing to tighten the plot (if I had a dollar for every time the word "whilst" appeared in this book, I'd be a rich woman), and arguably overly sentimental, but for all that I enjoyed it and look forward to exploring more of Groves's backlist. If this novel is any indication, Groves's World War II fiction is going to prove the historical equivalent of contemporary chick-lit, and as such I am thrilled to have discovered her work. Despite the lack of polish in her characterizations, I genuinely liked Olive, Tilly, Agnes, Sally, and Dulcie, and I look forward to subsequent volumes and the opportunity to see these women grow and navigate the murky waters of rationing, the proliferation of black market goods, and the ever-present threat of bomb raids -- all whilst (I couldn't help it) coping with the changing mores of the time and the tantalizing promise of romance.

About the book:

London Belles is a tale of four very different young women thrown together by war. Finding freedom and independence – as well as love, passion and heartbreak – for the very first time, a unique bond is formed as the hostilities take their toll on Britain.

United by chance, bound together in times of need...

When tragedy strikes, Olive is forced to seek lodgers. Three girls come knocking at her door, each in need of a roof over their heads.

Sally has left Liverpool to work as a nurse in London and when she arrives she is a shell of her former self. Where once stood a vivacious, sociable girl, now stands one plagued by homesickness and a betrayal that is devastatingly fresh in her mind.

Dulcie is living the high life in the West End, a world away from her home in Stepney. Working at Selfridges gives her access to the most fashionable clothes and makeup, but at home she is the black sheep of the family; always second to her sister. So she decides it's time to make a bid for freedom.

Agnes grew up in an orphanage, having been left on the steps as a new-born baby. But with war looming, and the orphanage relocating to the country, she must now seek out a job and lodgings. But with change comes exciting new opportunities, worlds away from the life she's known…

As the women prepare for war, all of their futures hang in the balance. Soon their lives will change irrevocably and the home that binds the London Belles is no longer the sanctuary they once sought.

The Monuments Men trailer

How did I not realize this movie was coming out later this year? Major fail, Ruth. *wink*

Walking with the Enemy trailer

This movie needs to get a release date already. I think I first heard about it two years ago (at least) when I was, I don't know, going through Jonas Armstrong withdrawals from the cancellation of Robin Hood or something (I still don't understand how Merlin got five seasons and Robin Hood got only three, but whatever, I'm not bitter...Joanna Froggatt has gone onto bigger and better -- and more likable -- things in Downton Abbey) -- and then nothing. But this movie must actually exist, since there's a trailer and BURN GORMAN and BEN flippin' KINGSLEY are in it, right?!



Please be good in this Jonas, please be good...

Review: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

What I Saw and How I Lied
By: Judy Blundell
Publisher: Scholastic
ASIN: B0035SAHKM

Review:

It's 1947, and with the return of servicemen from overseas, all of America -- including Evie Spooner and her parents -- are determined to embrace the promise of a postwar boom, to realize anew the promise of the American dream of success and plenty, uninhibited by wartime rationing and shortages. At fifteen, Evie is caught between the comfort of childish things, the known, and the irresistible pull of adulthood -- the mystery of filling out a stylish dress, red lipstick, and nylons. It's the mystery of being desired -- of finding within herself when she looks in the mirror some version of her glamorous mother Bev, something more than the Plain Jane she sees, the one her parents refuse to release into adulthood.

The Spooner family has everything to gain thanks stepfather Joe has plans to expand his string of electronics stores, but beneath the veneer of success and respectability lurks the specter of wartime deprivation and secrets. Following a mysterious phone call, Joe packs the family in the car on a whim and they head to Palm Beach, Florida -- a promised land of milk and honey. But the glamour of Palm Beach is a patchwork fraud, as the city is closed for the season, and in this land of thinly-veiled artifice Evie begins to see the first cracks in her family's happy facade. With ex-GI Peter Coleridge, an wartime acquaintance of Joe's, she feels the first stirrings of love -- but her obsession with Peter blinds her to the havoc he wreaks in parents' relationship. When a deadly hurricane bears down on the Florida coast, ripping away Evie's security, she's left with to pick up the shambles of her adolescent dreams -- and the price of a maturity hard-won and come far too soon.

What I Saw and How I Lied is a deliciously atmospheric coming-of-age story amid the possibilities and optimism that exploded within the postwar decade. Blundell has succeeded in penning a novel that reads like a film noir classic come to life on the page. Evie's story possesses the shadowed, moral ambiguity found within classic noir films like of The Big Sleep, the romantic obsession of love gone wrong in Laura, and the collision of untamed nature and man's basest instincts in Key Largo. With the finesse of a finely-edited film and the wry sensibilities of a noir master like Raymond Chandler, Blundell has crafted a remarkably atmospheric novel, steeped in not only the history of the time period, but its entertainment sensibilities as well, wrapped up with a timeless understanding of the heartache attendant with growing up hard and fast.

I absolutely loved Evie's unvarnished honesty. Her desire to experience the trappings of adulthood without (as yet) a measurable understanding of the cost is heartbreakingly relatable. There is a timeless quality in her desire to find love, her idolization of her parents, and I suspect her drive to keep peace between them -- to ignore any fissure in their relationship -- will ring all too true for many who read her tale. Quite frankly, I found her story highly disturbing in many respects -- Evie's utter naivete, the increasingly, glaringly apparent fact that those adults she should be able to rely upon for advice and protection are falling woefully short  alternately broke my heart and left me deeply chilled, wondering just how many unknown Evies are out there, facing their own impossible choices all in the name of survival.

With What I Saw and How I Lied, Blundell has succeeded in crafting a pitch-perfect, beautifully realized historical imbued with a timeless, chilling intensity. I loved how she sprinkled the history of the war and its impact on those who fought and those who survived throughout the narrative, from war profiteering to the tragic blight of prejudice and the unfathomable horror faced by the realization of what that prejudice wrought in the Nazi camps. Evie's coming-of-age is delicately fashioned on the page, absolutely heartrending in how Evie's adolescent daydreams collide with the stark adult reality of her parents' secrets. A twisty, thought-provoking period piece, timeless in its emotional intensity and honesty, What I Saw and How I Lied is a gorgeously-rendered coming-of-age story told with the grace and shadows of the finest noir tale. A chilling, unforgettable story sketched with a filmic sensibility that brings Evie's postwar world to vibrant life on the page -- very well done, very well-told.

About the book:

This National Book Award winner set during the aftermath of WWII is now available in paperback!

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.

Review: Where Treasure Hides by Johnnie Alexander Donley

Where Treasure Hides
By: Johnnie Alexander Donley
Publisher: Tyndale
ASIN: B00AEB3CMS

Review:

With Europe on the brink of war, artist Alison Schuyler never expected to have her life changed while waiting for her train at Waterloo Station. Returning to her home in the Netherlands following an exploratory trip to Wales -- where, at the behest of her grandfather she gathered intelligence on how to protect their beloved nation's national art treasures from the coming conflict -- she is arrested by the sight of a British officer defending a young Jewish child from the recently-arrived Kindertransport. Lieutenant Ian Devlin is equally captivated by the beautiful artist, and puzzled by her determination to deny the obvious attraction between them. Though she spends just a few unforgettable hours in Ian's company, Alison is sure the family fate -- and the coming war -- means their fledgling relationship is destined to fail. When she returns to the Rotterdam and her family's renowned gallery, Alison throws herself into her work, determined to forget Ian's kind eyes and their ill-fated attraction, even going so far as to entertain the attentions of a persistent German count who seems to value winning her affections as much as the art treasures she so cherishes. But all is not as it seems with the count, and when war comes Alison must decide where her true treasure lies -- in her own efforts, in protecting the art that is her life, or in taking a leap of faith on a love she can't forget and a God who knows her heart's deepest desire?

It's no secret that I LOVE World War II-era fiction, so when Donley's debut was released earlier this year I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and knew I had to read it. The opening is promising -- I loved the romance of Alison and Ian's "meet cute" at the train station. It's reminiscent of two of my favorite classic wartime dramas -- Waterloo Bridge, a World War I-set drama featuring a gorgeously-told, ill-fated romance between Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh, and the poignant wartime romance The Clock featuring Judy Garland and Robert Walker. There is a fairy tale-like quality to the novel's opening pages, from Ian's gallant defense of the refugee boy, even to Alison's insistence that love is out of reach due to a family "curse."  Donley succeeds in imbuing the opening of her novel with an old Hollywood atmosphere and charm, with the promise of a romance laced with the bittersweet poignancy and uncertainty of wartime.

I applaud Donley for focusing her storyline on elements of World War II history that -- in my experience, at any rate -- have not received a great deal of attention in similarly-themed fiction. I loved the Rotterdam setting, and the passion Alison and her grandfather have to see their national treasures protected from potential Nazi looters. It reminded me a bit of the Masterpiece Contemporary film Framed, which -- though set in the present day -- took its cues from the historical evacuation of the National Gallery's treasures from London to Wales during the war, and similarly touches on the power of art to inspire and foster a sense of national identity and pride.

That said, where the novel begins to falter is in pacing and characterization issues that surface as the story progresses. First and foremost, the whole idea of a Schuyler family curse simply doesn't work. Frankly, it feels incredibly immature for Alison to continue to rebuff Ian in order to "save" him -- I'd have much preferred her to simply acknowledge that she has trust issues, scarred by her father's abandonment (instead of chalking up his behavior as a result of the "curse" playing out in his own life). SPOILERS: And the final fifth of the novel, where Alison leaves the safety of London on a stranger's word, and then develops a tolerance for her captor indicative of the Stockholm Syndrome is, quite frankly, beyond the scope of believability or sense. There is good drama and then there is just idiotic behavior, and unfortunately for Alison her actions in the novel's final act fall firmly into the latter camp. Pacing-wise, the novel possesses an ambitious scope by covering the entire war period -- I think this book would've been stronger and her characters better served if she'd had the chance to flesh out her storyline over two volumes instead of one, making time jumps less jarring and Alison's character more grounded and mature (especially given her complete disregard for her physical health when she leaves England).

Despite my issues with Alison and the story's pacing, I think Donley has the potential to be an author to watch. She has knack for imbuing her writing with period detail and a welcome willingness to explore lesser-examined aspects of wartime history. The beginning of Alison and Ian's romance has the charm of a fairy tale, and I loved the latter's sense of honor and duty, particularly as it plays out during his flight to freedom from the Germans. There is a lot of potential here, and should Donley release a sequel I'll definitely check it out.

About the book:

Artist Alison Schuyler spends her time working in her family’s renowned art gallery, determined to avoid the curse that has followed the Schuyler clan from the Netherlands to America and back again. She’s certain that true love will only lead to tragedy—that is, until a chance meeting at Waterloo station brings Ian Devlin into her life. Drawn to the bold and compassionate British Army captain, Alison begins to question her fear of love as World War II breaks out, separating the two and drawing each into their own battles. While Ian fights for freedom on the battlefield, Alison works with the Dutch Underground to find a safe haven for Jewish children and priceless pieces of art alike. But safety is a luxury war does not allow. As time, war, and human will struggle to keep them apart, will Alison and Ian have the faith to fight for their love, or is it their fate to be separated forever?

Review: The Clover House by Henriette Lazaridis Power

The Clover House
By: Henriette Lazaridis Power
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0-345-53068-4

Review:

Calliope "Callie" Brown, a first-generation Greek-American living in Boston, is shocked when she receives a phone call from her cousin notifying her of their uncle Nestor's death, and that she has been named heiress of all his worldly goods. At first uninterested in claiming the unexpected bequest, Callie's interest is piqued when her estranged mother Clio, who returned to her Greek homeland following the death of Callie's father, makes a rare call in an blatant attempt to dissuade Callie from fulfilling her uncle's dying wish. Eager to escape her commitment-ready boyfriend, Callie makes arrangements to journey to Patras, Greece, determined to discover a clue among her uncle's possessions to her own thorny relationship with her mother. As a child, Callie was captivated by her mother's stories of growing up in Greece, stories that painted an almost idyllic portrait of life in a world that was, in actuality, riddled by conflict. But her mother's stories are the only truth Callie knows, a truth she stubbornly clings to in the face of familial discord and her own increasingly fractured life. The deeper Callie delves into her uncle's treasures, the closer she comes to uncovering truths about her mother and family that threaten to fracture already-fragile bonds, unless those involved choose to accept Nestor's final bequests -- the light of truth and the balm of forgiveness.

The Clover House possesses a fascinating premise -- combining Callie's contemporary search for meaning and identity with stories from her mother's childhood, Power spins a highly-relatable tale of tension-fraught parent-child relationships peppered with the fascinating (and arguably generally un-studied) history of Greece during and after the second World War. As an amateur student of the era, I loved the opportunity Power provides of diving deep into the wartime experiences of a culture and its history that in my experience has not been given wide exposure in books or films. Through Callie, Power taps into not only I think a very human tendency to romanticize the past, but as her mother's story is gradually meted out throughout the novel it becomes a powerful exploration of how the past informs the present, and how secrets -- kept for good or ill -- can crack the foundation of relationships.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the idea behind The Clover House, and the gradual unfolding of the mystery surrounding Clio's life, I was struck over and over by the devastating lack of any sort of maturity or emotional health as exhibited by both Callie and her mother. Immaturity is more excusable of course in the chapters detailing Clio's childhood -- not only was she a teenager, eager for adult experiences, but her growing up was irrevocably changed by the advent of war -- a new norm that only those who lived like experiences could perhaps ever fully grasp. Callie, however, is another story entirely. I get that she had a terrible childhood and that she's been damaged by her parents' fighting and her mother's emotional distance. But when this novel opens she's about to turn thirty-five -- determined to destroy her boyfriend's attempts to build a future with her, getting upset when holes are discovered in her mother's DECADES OLD stories (hello, memory is not an exact science), and becoming petulant when others in her extended family don't share her obsession with their collective dysfunctional past and are more concerned with building reasonably happy lives in the present. I get that I can't (thankfully) relate to Callie's horribly skewed relationship with her mother, but what grates most is the immaturity and lack of any sense of personal responsibility for her own emotional health, for determining the trajectory of her own life, in a woman approaching her fourth decade.

Despite the fact that neither main character is particularly likable, The Clover House is a welcome addition to World War II-era fiction and a well-written, oft-times fascinating treatise on how the past, while gone, is never truly forgotten, its repercussions impacting the lives of generations to come. Power's narrative delves deeply into the richness of Callie's family heritage and provides a fascinating glimpse into Greek culture, particularly the importance of family ties in anchoring one's identity, critical in Callie's search for closure. I loved how Power intersperses the storyline with chapters from Clio's historical perspective, illuminating critical truths relative Callie's most recent discoveries. It's an effective narrative device, one I wouldn't mind seeing Power develop in subsequent novels but balanced by a protagonist who is at least marginally likable. While The Clover House didn't resonate with me quite as deeply as I'd hoped, it is nevertheless a richly-drawn and thought-provoking reading experience.

About the book:

Perfect for fans of Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key, this stunning debut novel brings to life World War II-era and modern-day Greece—and tells the story of a vibrant family and the tragic secret kept hidden for generations.
 
Boston, 2000: Calliope Notaris Brown receives a shocking phone call. Her beloved uncle Nestor has passed away, and now Callie must fly to Patras, Greece, to claim her inheritance. Callie’s mother, Clio—with whom Callie has always had a difficult relationship—tries to convince her not to make the trip. Unsettled by her mother’s strange behavior, and uneasy about her own recent engagement, Callie decides to escape Boston for the city of her childhood summers. After arriving at the heady peak of Carnival, Callie begins to piece together what her mother has been trying to hide. Among Nestor’s belongings, she uncovers clues to a long-kept secret that will alter everything she knows about her mother’s past and about her own future.
 
Greece, 1940: Growing up in Patras in a prosperous family, Clio Notaris and her siblings feel immune to the oncoming effects of World War II, yet the Italian occupation throws their privileged lives into turmoil. Summers in the country once spent idling in the clover fields are marked by air-raid drills; the celebration of Carnival, with its elaborate masquerade parties, is observed at home with costumes made from soldiers’ leftover silk parachutes. And as the war escalates, the events of one fateful evening will upend Clio’s future forever.
 
A moving novel of the search for identity, the challenges of love, and the shared history that defines a family, The Clover House is a powerful debut from a distinctive and talented new writer.

*Thanks to TLC Book Tours for the review opportunity, and my apologies for the late post!

Spies of Warsaw - extended trailer

If you ask  me, BBC America has been pretty stingy with the trailers for the upcoming David Tennant drama, Spies of Warsaw -- but at last, in advance of the April 3rd premiere, there is a longer television spot:



Can't wait. I mean this could end up being TERRIBLE, but I'm not going to care because 1) DAVID TENNANT and 2) DAVID TENNANT IN A WORLD WAR II DRAMA. It's a win anyway you look at it from that perspective. *wink*

two enemies discover a "higher call" in battle

People, PLEASE go read this article at CNN -- it is amazing, the story of a wartime encounter between two pilots -- one American, one German -- that gives rise to an unexpected friendship. And when you think of how many lives that split-second decision impacted -- well, I'm going to start crying again. Well worth the read!

Lore trailer

Has anyone seen this film? I think the premise sounds very interesting (it opens in at the local indie movie theater here next week so I may try to catch a showing).

Emperor trailer

I just heard about this film yesterday and it opens Friday. HOW AM I JUST NOW LEARNING ABOUT THIS MOVIE? It sounds fascinating:

As the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, Gen. Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years earlier in the U.S.

Review: A Future Arrived by Phillip Rock

A Future Arrived (The Greville Family Saga #3)
By: Phillip Rock
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0-06-222935-9

Review:

A decade has past since "the war to end all wars," and those impacted by that conflict's stunning, tragic losses fervently pray never again. But as time passes one adage seems determined to prove true -- the more things change, the more things stay the same -- and the Greville family and friends so tested by the conflict that spilled a generation's blood in the trenches stands in danger of seeing the lives of their children imperiled by a new, graver threat. Yet if there are always examples of the worst humankind has to offer willing to test the mettle of the world's resolve, so to are there those whose lives and faith in the potential goodness of humanity who resolve to shine all the more brightly against the threat of overwhelming darkness. In many respects, this final volume in Phillip Rock's Greville trilogy is not only about the final twilight of the Edwardian era, an examination of a world and class system shattered by the first world war,  but how one generation's trials and choices shape the lives of those who follow in their footsteps.

A Future Arrived opens with a symbolic passing of the guard, as long-time Greville family butler Coatsworth passes away, his death a stark, shocking reminder to the earl of his own mortality and the fragility of the legacy he desires to leave his children. But the war and the ensuing tumult of the 1920s, with its dissolution of social barriers once held sacrosanct and its rapidly changing moral values calls into question the very nature of a legacy and the inheritance, intentional or not, that is imparted to subsequent generations. One of my favorite story arcs in this installment involves Charles, the heir and one-time severely shell-shocked victim of the Great War. Charles has found passion and purpose in working with a school that caters to students who, for various reasons (i.e. bullying, as in the case of young Derek), are ill-suited to the rigors of a  traditional British boarding school system. Seeing someone once so broken by conflict, shepherding lives "the system" failed is incredibly heartening -- but also poignant, as the generation that comes of age during Charles's early tenure as headmaster are destined to be tested by the fires of an equally consuming conflict. Charles's accompanying love story is so perfectly realized, so well-meted out on the page as it speaks to not only the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream, but also the fruition of and fulfillment found within a new norm that recognizes that Charles is not -- nor should he be -- an heir fashioned from his father's mold.

Reporter Martin Rilke has been a favorite of mine throughout this series, with his warmth, humanity, and prescient ability to see world events unfold with a clarity and understanding most of his peers lack through either blindness or willful ignorance. Here, Martin becomes the mentor of his wife's brother Albert, the latter determined to follow his brother-in-law's career trajectory to journalistic renown. It's not only a pleasure to watch Martin mentor the next generation, but Albert is a fascinating, compelling character in his own right, who shares his mentor's ability to see world events with startling lucidity -- a gift and a determination to speak the truth regarding Hitler and the rising menace of Nazism to a world determined to maintain the status quo at all cost. I loved his burgeoning romance with the unlikely Wood-Lacy sister, Jennifer, a pacifist reluctant to wed her future to a man whose job requires his all -- much like her own father's undying passion to remake the British army into a viable 20th century fighting force, a viewpoint that, in decades obsessed with disarmament, would exact a stressful toll on her parents' marriage.

And therein lies the genius of this novel, marking it simultaneously as an incredibly moving coming-of-age portrait of the legacy of the post-1919 generationand a tribute to the courage and fortitude of the parents and Great War survivors that saw their world shattered and determined to make it anew. Rock's characters are incredibly flawed and real, genuine, passionate human beings whose hard-fought triumphs and tragic failings alike brought tears to my eyes in turn. While, with the benefit of hindsight, it always seems easy for the present to judge the past for short-sighted failures, if there's one thing Rock proves by transitioning to the younger generation in his conclusion to the Greville saga, it's the constancy of change and the resiliency of the human spirit. Change is hard, life can be overwhelmingly tragic -- but there is always, always hope in the ability of men and women to love, to remake themselves, to adapt, to survive.

As always Rock's ability to craft memorable characters and bring the past to vibrant, colorful life on the page is unparalleled in its power and accuracy. His scholarship is incredible, as is his ability to incorporate history within the novel while never bogging down the narrative with clunky or unnecessary detail. With incredibly fluid, powerful prose and characters so life-like I feel as though they've become dear friends, Rock brings his Greville trilogy to a powerful close with A Future Arrived. While those prone to cynicism might focus on the tragic reality of humankind's propensity for conflict, starkly illustrated just one hundred years ago by two world wars in the span of twenty years, what speaks most powerfully to me is the trilogy's poignant sense of hope in the face of incredible odds, of mankind's resiliency in the face of evil. Circumstances may shape us, but our choices -- how we respond to those circumstances -- that, in the end, is what defines a person and is what makes Rock's characters and his recreation of some of the twentieth century's most turbulent decades so unforgettable.

Putting a period to this trilogy by posting this review is an incredibly bittersweet experience for me. It is a rare treat to discover such a writer and to lose myself so wholly in his world. The Grevilles and their friends and family are characters I'll not soon forget -- quite frankly I'm loathe to leave their world -- and this is a reading experience that, quite honestly, will leave me hard-pressed to equal. Like its predecessors, I will never, ever get over my love for A Future Arrived. Breath-taking in its scope and heart-rending in its emotional power, this is historical fiction at its finest, positively breath-taking in its scope, vision, and raw honesty. Each page in this novel and its predecessors is worth savoring, richly replete with historical detail and achingly authentic characters capable of having you cheering for them at one moment and weeping the next. A Future Arrived is a beautifully-realized conclusion to a heart-pounding, emotionally-charged journey through the tumultuous early decades of the twentieth century. This, my friends, is a reading experience I'll not soon forget and one I'm extraordinarily thankful to have discovered. I will never get over this trilogy -- they've proven to be an exceptional gift, an experience worth savoring long after the final page has been turned.

About the book:

The final installment of the saga of the Grevilles of Abingdon Pryory begins in the early 1930s, as the dizzy gaiety of the Jazz Age comes to a shattering end. What follows is a decade of change and uncertainty, as the younger generation, born during or just after the "war to end all wars," comes of age.

American writer Martin Rilke has made his journalistic mark, earning worldwide fame for his radio broadcasts, and young Albert Thaxton seeks to follow in his footsteps as a foreign correspondent. Derek Ramsey, born only weeks after his father fell in France, and Colin Ross, a dashing Yankee, leave their schoolboy days behind and enter fighter pilot training as young men. The beautiful Wood-Lacy twins, Jennifer and Victoria, and their passionate younger sister, Kate, strive to forge independent paths, while learning to love -- and to let go.

In their heady youth and bittersweet growth to adulthood, they are the future -- but the shadows that touched the lives of the generation before are destined to reach out to their own.

My heartfelt thanks to TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to review this trilogy -- it has fast become a favorite of mine.

Review: The FitzOsbornes at War by Michelle Cooper

The FitzOsbornes at War (The Montmaray Journals #3)
By: Michelle Cooper
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: B007UH4EGW

About the book:

Michelle Cooper completes her heart-stealing epic drama of history and romance with The FitzOsbornes at War. 

Sophie FitzOsborne and the royal family of Montmaray escaped their remote island home when the Nazis attacked. But as war breaks out in England and around the world, nowhere is safe. Sophie fills her journal with tales of a life during wartime. Blackouts and the Blitz. Dancing in nightclubs with soliders on leave. And endlessly waiting for news of her brother Toby, whose plane was shot down over enemy territory.

But even as bombs rain down on London, hope springs up, and love blooms for this most endearing princess. And when the Allies begin to drive their way across Europe, the FitzOsbornes take heart—maybe, just maybe, there will be a way to liberate Montmaray as well.

Review:

I am reluctant to write this review, as it means that my time with Sophia and the rest of the FitzOsborne clan has come to an end. The FitzOsbornes at War is the concluding volume in Michelle Cooper's epic Montmaray Journals saga, a gloriously evocative, rich tapestry of prose that evokes the long-lost wonder of a world about to be changed forever by an epic, globe-encompassing war. This third volume picks up shortly after the conclusion of the second, which saw Sophia, her brother Toby, and cousin Veronica risk their lives to plead before the League of Nations for the return of their island kingdom from Nazi invaders. When England at last declares war on Germany, Sophia and her family throw all of their energies into supporting their adopted home's war efforts. This final volume is the lengthiest of the series, covering the years 1939-1945 (plus a short epilogue), as such delivering a veritable treasure trove of historical fact, a richly atmospheric, absorbing snapshot of life on the home front. As aristocrats and exiles of a nation allied with Britain, Sophia and her family are uniquely placed to experience the full range of wartime life, from rationing and air raids to the political machinations of the Foreign Office's attempts to gather valuable intelligence on the situation in Europe. Sophia's final journal not only documents her coming-of-age through the fires of war but serves as a fascinating witness to the turbulent times in which she lived -- a savvy, insightful, and utterly absorbing record of a world and a social class lost to the ravages of time.

A sense of unreality pervades much of the first portion of the novel, detailing the first months of the war. Through Sophia's eyes Cooper explores the disconnect between high-level political machinations and early rationing among the citizenry in the early months of the war, a brief "lull" before fighting commenced in earnest. I loved watching Sophia and Victoria spread their proverbial wings (much to the consternation of their Aunt Charlotte) and seek employment, as working-age men were funneled out of the private sector and into the armed services. The war blew open women's working opportunities (i.e., in the previously "male-only" Foreign Office), and every member of the FitzOsborne clan is determined to "do their bit" to support England, with the hope of freeing Montmaray a closely-cherished, if oft-seemingly futile dream. When Germany begins bombing London, the horrors of war are driven home to those left behind -- the uncertainty and soul-crushing stress of the attacks, and the unimaginable strength an average citizen required to simply endure the onslaught of fire and death pouring from the skies.

This series' greatest strength lies in Sophia as narrator -- remarkably intelligent and savvy, she is nonetheless an "everywoman" character, concerned with the minutiae of everyday life even as she strives to navigate a world consumed by war. Thanks to her aristocratic antecedents and connections to the Foreign Office via Veronica and the omnipresent Colonel, Sophia has a brief career as a pseudo-spy -- a nice touch since it allows Cooper to include familiar figures in the narrative like the Kennedys, Sophia's friendship with Kick gaining her access to embassy functions. But my favorite parts of the narrative are when Sophia is simply living, as everyday life in London under the Blitzkrieg is in essence an existence under siege. Through Sophia and her family, Cooper pays tribute to the men and women of London who refused to be cowed, who persevered, even as Sophia acknowledges what life must be like for average citizens feeling the reciprocal wrath of allied attacks. This is a chronicle of war that acknowledges the toll such conflict exacts upon each and every man, woman, and child whose lives are touched by the violence, even as it is a powerful exploration of the "home front" as its own field of battle.

There is a certain timeless quality to Cooper's writing -- like all youths on the cusp of adulthood, Sophia struggles to find her place in the world, her purpose, cope with disappointment and heartache, and hopes for love. Every character that inhabits Sophia's world is achingly real and complex. Over the course of three volumes one becomes extraordinarily invested in every detail Sophia shares on the page -- and therein lies a certain heart-breaking genius to Cooper's writing. One moment the reader rejoices with Sophia over some small victory, only to have the book steal your breath with the next entry as fate deals Sophia and her family a crushing blow. This glossy history seduces readers with unforgettable characters, lush descriptions, and well-meted detail -- and whether documenting a hard-won victory, the thrill of love realized, or the tragedy of loss, through Sophia's journals Cooper immerses her readers deeply within her characters' gloriously-rendered, Technicolor-hued lives.

The FitzOsbornes at War is the crowning jewel in the Montmaray Journals series, a heady, intoxicating, unforgettable blend of fact and fiction. Sophia is one of the most engaging narrators I've ever had the pleasure of "meeting" via the page, and her ruminations on life and love, family and world affairs are humorous, intelligent, and often positively raw in their honesty. Even in exile Cooper plays with the idea of home and family, for though Montmaray may fall, what it represents -- the idea of home, the importance of one's history, an ever-moving, evolving symbol of family -- shines through, making Sophia's journals a timeless, relatable chronicle of the time in which she lived and in a broader sense, of the human experience. This is historical fiction at its finest, a journey worth taking and not to be missed.

Bomb Girls trailer

Has anyone seen the television series Bomb Girls? It premieres in the US tonight on Reelz Channel. Here's a trailer:


Bomb Girls

Given my fascination with this time period methinks it is a foregone conclusion that I give this series a try!

Review: Muddy Boots and Silk Stockings by Julia Stoneham

Muddy Boots and Silk Stockings (Land Girls #1)

By: Julia Stoneham

Publisher: Allison & Busby

ISBN: B0077F5V14

About the book:

England, 1943. The country is at war

With so many men away fighting, it is the women left behind who must keep the country going, and when Alice Todd is abandoned by her husband, she must find a means to provide for herself and her young son. She is offered the job of looking after the group of land girls at Lower Post Stone Farm and soon discovers they each have a story – and some have secrets they’d rather not reveal. The harsh times of war are tempered by the Saturday evening dances in the local hall, but as the hostilities continue, it is clear to Alice that there is more tragedy to follow closer to home.

Muddy Boots and Silk Stockings is the evocative and compelling story of the sacrifices made during wartime and the indomitable spirit of those left behind, from the author of the much-loved drama series The House of Eliot.

Review:

With her marriage disintegrating and the country deep in the throes of World War II, Alice Todd finds she must reinvent herself from the roles wife and mother to mother and breadwinner. In order to support both herself and her young son Edward-John, Alice applies to the Women's Land Army for the position of warden at Lower Post Stone Farm, overseeing a the hostel and its Land Girls, managing the meals and schedules and ensuring that the girls adhere to a code of conduct and behavior befitting their status as representatives of the Land Army. With the reluctant support of the enigmatic farmer owner, Roger Bayliss, and Rose, her prickly assitant, Alice dives into the work and discovers the life of a warden to a group of very different girls is by turns both exhausting and terrifying. But as as her tenure at the farm progresses, Alice and her "girls" become an unexpected and unorthodox family, who must band together in order to survive when the horrors of war find their way to Lower Post Stone Farm.

Oh goodness, where to start. I adore World War II history, and was made aware of and interested in the history of the "Land Girls" through the three-season BBC television series of the same name. While the television show took some hits for historical inaccuracies, on the whole it is a delicious period piece full of atmosphere, suspense, and compelling characters. After finishing the third series I decided to seek out any books on the subject of the Land Girls and their role in the war effort. This novel was my first discovery of fiction in this vein -- and if you're thinking about reading it, let me recommend you stick with the television series instead.

All of the pieces are in place for what could, and should, have been a compelling character piece featuring women exploring new avenues of employment and opportunity thanks to the war and the accompanying need for workers in previous male-only fields. And there are moments of character depth, moments that hint at the possibilities inherent in material of this ilk (but too often sadly unrealized by this novel): the sensitive Jewish painter Andreis, who fled Nazi persecution in his native Netherlands but couldn't start anew in England; the shy Hester, raised in a (overly) strict religious home, who blossoms under the friendship of the other Land Girls and finds romance with a G.I. from North Dakota; the fiery attraction between Georgina, an avowed pacifist, and Christopher, Roger's son and a pilot, who find themselves irrevocably changed by the war and each other's convictions.

But these flashes of promising characterization are lost in a veritable sea of awkward prose, run-on sentences, and stagnant plot development. For example, Stoneham has an unfortunate tendency to repeatedly describe the girls' scent -- instead of being atmospheric it just reads as awkward and off-puttiing. And then, starting around chapter three, every few pages (I read this on my Kindle) contains sentences anywhere from six to ten lines long (one shouldn't become winded when reading!). And sadly there is an over-abundance of "telling" instead of "showing" the action unfolding on the page -- a shame since this time period, and Stoneham's subject matter, are rife with dramatic possibilities. While this novel had potential, and I applaude and appreciate Stoneham's desire to explore a little-discussed aspect of homefront, 1940s-era history, this effort stands in need of stronger characterizations, dynamic plot development, and thorough editing.