Day: July 13, 2021

I feel like I have started reviews like this several times, but it bears repeating.

I love learning new things, especially from historical novels. WWII is a popular time setting, and it is very easy to find any number of books featuring some aspect of that particular war. This book is one of them.

It’s easy to get tunnel vision about WWII as well because we tend to think of mainly of England, America, Germany, and France (for the most part) – and again, there are certainly several books that cover the numerous stories from those countries.

However, the setting in this one is truly unique, as I don’t think I have ever read about WWII from the perspective of people in India/Sri Lanka (Ceylon). That alone makes this book worth your time. There’s more to like and discover, though.

The author has a knack for creating strong heroines who face unusual struggles (see Her Darkest Hour). That is definitely the case for Rosie.

When her mother dies unexpectedly, she is thrust into a position that is totally strange to her. Add in WWII and the impact it has on her new home, and it’s a compelling story.

It did take me a while to get into the book. There was a long setup to establish Rosie’s perspective, including much detail about the how and why she ends up where she does. And it takes a very long time for the author to get back to tying in the prologue.

But once WWII begins, the story really takes off. There is excitement, dread, fear, romance…everything you could want from a historical novel.

I will say that if you’re looking for a happy ending, you won’t exactly find it here. But you will find realistic relationships and resolutions. I do like that about this author. She understands that war does not necessarily make for happy or heartwarming endings – but there is a sense of hope.

What stood out most for me were the descriptions. The author gives vivid details of clothing, places, and customs. For me, that almost made it like two novels combined – life in Ceylon in the 1930s and 40s, but with the war added in.

I love the richness of the details in this author’s stories. Her unique settings and perspectives make her favorite, and I highly recommend this book.

Author Bio:

Sharon Maas was born into a prominent political family in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a trainee reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist.

Her first novel, Of Marriageable Age, is set in Guyana and India and was published by HarperCollins in 1999. In 2014 she moved to Bookouture, and now has ten novels under her belt. Her books span continents, cultures, and eras. From the sugar plantations of colonial British Guiana in South America, to the French battlefields of World War Two, to the present-day brothels of Mumbai and the rice-fields and villages of South India, Sharon never runs out of stories for the armchair traveller.