Day: May 7, 2021

I learned something interesting about myself while reading this book.

I found that I am much more disturbed by animals being harmed than people. Not quite sure what that says about me.

I would like to think it is because animals put their trust in humans to take care of them and are often put in positions where this is the only path to survival. This is especially true of animals in a zoo.

That responsibility multiplies infinitely when the zoo is in the middle of a war zone.

I found the subject matter and the setting of this book to be fascinating. The author either had some personal connection or did extensive research because everything zoo-related seemed authentic and plausible.

As with other historical fiction novels, there are dual storylines: one historical, one contemporary. I thought this worked in the book because there was not only a connection between the two, but some of the characters spanned both.

I’m not going to give away who, but the revelations were well-done and caught me by surprise.

It was difficult to get through the first few chapters, largely due to the aforementioned feeling about animals being harmed. Those were tough passages, and I wanted to cry right along with the characters.

However, I’m glad I pushed through because I was completely taken by the story of the “Zoofamilie.” Those chapters were especially informative and page-turning.

There are a lot of novels that are set during the Blitz in London, but this is one of the first in my memory where the action takes place in Berlin during the retaliation strikes. It was interesting to read from the German point of view.

Kudos also to the author for addressing how Russia was viewed toward the end of the war and for being brutal in the accurate descriptions of the mentality.

The only thing that felt a little flat for me was Bethan’s relationship with Callum. I get why it was in place, but it was pretty obvious which way it was going to go. I almost wish it wasn’t there at all.

I do think that Bethan’s “mystery” had a great build up, but it almost seemed anti-climactic when it was resolved. After the entire novel, the mystery was solved within a couple of pages. That was a little bit of a let-down.

But those are minor complaints, because everything worked out in the end. I would highly recommend this novel for the unique point of view and setting and for the reminder that humanity can be judged by how we treat others – including animals.

Author Bio:
Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers.