I loved A View Across the Rooftops because it was my “gateway” historical novel that got me hooked on the genre. I was therefore very excited to see the second book of this type by Suzanne Kelman. I am extremely pleased to say that there is no sophomore slump here – it’s another winner! In fact, the author has outdone herself, as this is even better than her first one.
Writing a historical novel can be tricky because there is a delicate balance to uphold. It should be informative without being too much like a history lecture, but should also contain emotion and actions that are compatible with the era. Not to mention that history can sometimes be dry, and feelings and facts don’t always go together.
This author has succeeded again, as the characters are realistic and jump off the page. There are both historical and contemporary storylines and they mesh perfectly. Sophie (in the present) has suffered some terrible personal losses when a picture in an exhibition catches her eye, as the woman in the picture looks a lot like her mother. Intrigued and needing a project to focus on, she decides to find out more about the history of the woman in the snapshot.
Her investigation opens up the world of WWII France and England, and this is where the novel came alive. Vivienne (Vivi to her friends) is a member of the SOE, a British Spy Organization. She goes to France to help the Resistance fight the Nazi occupation. If that doesn’t intrigue you, I don’t know what else I can say because that had me hooked right in from the start.
What follows is Sophie tracking down Vivi’s story, and trying to determine how everything went wrong for Vivi, leading the family to never talk about her. I don’t want to say much more (loose lips and all), but Vivi is one of the most interesting characters I have ever read about, and I loved everything about her journey.
I have mentioned before that I love to learn something new from a historical novel, and this fits the bill perfectly as well. I knew about the French Resistance, but not about the Prosper Network in particular. The author did an excellent job researching and relaying the information in the course of the narrative without breaking the storyline.
Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about this book, but I don’t want to give it away. You really need to experience Vivi’s story and Sophie’s investigation on your own. Trust me on this one; if you like historical novels, you will not be disappointed with this one.
Author Bio
Suzanne Kelman is a 2015 Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Finalist, Multi-Award-Winning Screenwriter and a Film Producer. As well as working in film she is also an International Amazon Bestselling Fiction Author of the Southlea Bay Series – The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, Rejected Writers Take the Stage and The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding. Born in the United Kingdom, she now resides in Washington State.
