Tag: #Historical FIction

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. 

Being on the historical fiction kick I have been on lately, I was looking forward to reading this book. I thought the premise of two girls from disparate backgrounds meeting and forming in a friendship amidst the horrors of WWII sounded intriguing.

There were indeed several engaging moments throughout the novel, but overall I felt that the author just skimmed the surface and could have gone a lot deeper into the girls’ experiences. The concept of their meeting as Land Girls is interesting, as I didn’t know much about the program.

Getting to that point, however, was a little rough. The first chapter addresses the need to spirit Jewish children out of Berlin in the wake of Kristallnacht, and the trip made by Frieda and her brother Kurt to escape. That grabbed me right away. But then the author left them to introduce Sandra five years later (1943).

By the time we get back to Frieda in chapter six, it is also 1943, and her experiences of the previous five years are narrative, not action. I found this to be jarring because there were three chapters of Sandra and only one of Frieda to set everything up. It seemed unbalanced as if the author didn’t know where the heft of the story was.

This was my thought throughout the rest of the book as well. I did think it evened out some once the girls “met” in the program, and I was interested as their friendship grew, but the rest of the novel felt like a basic war story of love and loss. I do think the author did convey the dread and then agony felt by families when they received telegrams, and I liked how the girls bonded over their shared experiences.

All in all, this was a decent book but didn’t have as much depth as I would have liked, and I think that could have come at the beginning to set up the dire need to get children to safety out of Germany. It might have set a different tone. That being said, I did learn more about the Land Girls, though, and if I learn something new from a book, it’s a win for me!

AUTHOR BIO

Shirley Dickson was born and grew up in the seaside town of South Shields. She left school at fifteen and can’t remember a time when she didn’t write. She entered her first short story competition in ‘School Friend’ when she was eleven. After Shirley retired from auxiliary nursing, she was able to devote her time to writing. After living in various locations, she settled under the big skies of Northumberland and has lived with her husband in the same house for over forty years. Shirley has three daughters and four grandchildren and likes nothing better than family gatherings.

Gutwrenching, heartfelt, and well-researched, this novel was truly unputdownable. The usual themes of a plot set during WWII are all here, but there were a few new perspectives that had me thinking on a deeper level.

I found the early chapters of Felix’s life to be particularly interesting. When it comes to the Nazis and their ultimate goal, the details are often lost in the horror of the overall plan. I appreciated that the author took the time to describe the different ways that the SS identified people and how there was a hierarchy to which groups had “preferential” treatment.

What really struck me is the way people made excuses along the way. I am a history buff and have been to the camp at Dachau and am familiar with the way townspeople in the surrounding areas “ignored” the situation. I understand the power the Nazis had and how speaking out could bring their wrath down on a family.

However, the author laid it even barer: people knew even after the war was over and still chose to ignore the atrocities. The scenes surrounding the trials were exceptionally well-done. Kitty’s observation that people were not as concerned about what Germany did as they were about what Russia might do was especially thought-provoking.

The attitude of “let’s forget the past and focus on the future” disallowed justice for the millions who died. While the world was correct to worry about Russia, the Germans should not have been let off the hook so easily.

The author illustrated this with Felix’s determination to find the particular person he held responsible for his family’s situation. I won’t say any more than this, but I liked how the book elaborated on those officers who got away and what they did when they escaped. That’s also something that isn’t often covered in novels set during this time.

I also thought it was interesting how Inge and Felix’s lives paralleled each other (in a manner of speaking) and how they both were in untenable situations that caused them both to do what they had to keep going. Those small moments and little steps within a journey that propel a person forward are well-described for both characters.

There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from WWII, and this book does a fantastic job of enumerating several of them. The author vividly illustrates the many different types of losses suffered by the people of Germany. She also allows the reader to feel the determination to survive experienced by people who were caught in the Nazi trap, regardless of which “side” they were on.

I highly recommend this book, as it is a stark reminder of a period in history that should never be repeated.

Author Bio

I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don’t try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.

I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I’m not at my desk you’ll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.

I’d love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website https://www.catherinehokin.com/ or on my Cat Hokin FB page or on twitter @cathokin

Reading this book was like wandering the streets and alleyways of Paris.  The story unfolded at a leisurely pace, a few turns sent the action in a different direction, several parts that required more thought like pausing at a store window, and it eventually reached its final destination. Just as a walk through Paris is enjoyable, so was this book.

I thought that the cast of characters was representative of Paris at the time (1920s). Exiled Russians, jaded Parisian artistes, Americans who stayed in Europe after WWI – all are present. Some of them are more vivid than others, and some could have done with more depth. I would have liked to have seen more of Constanza and Tatiana’s relationship that would have supported events later in the book. I did think that her villains were very well-done, and easy to loathe.

I also wish that the author had spent a little bit of background time on the exploding artistic scene in post-WWI Paris. This was the time of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Stein,  of Picasso, Dali, and Chagall. I loved the focus on couture and fashion, but (once again) acknowledgment of the overall artistic scene of 1920s Paris could have used some beefing up.

I wasn’t kidding when I said that the plot meandered. It all worked together in the end, and to great effect, but there were several times that I wasn’t sure where the focus of the story was actually going. At the time it was a little frustrating because I was looking for a linear story. However, after some reflection, I have a greater appreciation for the way the plot was crafted.

I did think that the Russian aspect was particularly fascinating to me. Having visited and studied the history of the country, I would have loved if the author had gone into a little bit more detail about Tatiana’s family and the reasons for their situation. I think that was one plot point that could have used a little fleshing out.

These points are mainly because I am a huge history buff, and I feel a little bit like there was a missed opportunity here. That being said, the author did a bang-up job of describing the life of mannequins and the French fashion houses. I didn’t know much about them, so that was very informative.

Overall, it was an enjoyable story. I especially liked the plan that three main characters come up with towards the end – I think it encapsulated American ingenuity, Parisian class, and Russian daring. It was a good read, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone with interest in historical fiction.

Author Bio

Natalie Meg Evans has been an art student, actor, PR copywriter, book-keeper and bar tender but always wanted to write. A USA Today best-seller and RITA nominee, she is author of four published novels which follow the fortunes of strong-minded women during the 1930s and 40s. Fashion, manners and art are the glass through which her characters’ lives are viewed. Each novel is laced with passion, romance and desire. Mystery is never far away. An avid absorber of history – for her sixth birthday she got a toy Arthurian castle with plastic knights – Natalie views historical fiction as theatre for the imagination. Her novels delve behind the scenes of a prestige industry: high fashion, millinery, theatre, wine making. Rich arenas for love and conflict. Most at home in the English countryside, Natalie lives in rural Suffolk. She has one son.