Review: The Secret History of Audrey James

I, like most people, fell immediately in love with Heather Marshall’s debut novel Looking for Jane when I read it back in 2022. It was intriguing and well-written and I loved that it featured a piece of Canadian history. I was also so surprised it was a debut because it was just so damn good. Obviously, I was looking forward to her sophomore novel. The time has come and The Secret History of Audrey James is now out in the world and it will be a huge hit with historical fiction fans. I absolutely adored it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Sometimes the best place to hide is the last place anyone would look.
Northern England, 2010
After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers the mysterious elderly proprietor is harbouring her own secrets…
Berlin, 1938
Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As she prepares to finish her piano studies, Audrey dreads the thought of returning to her father in England and leaving Ilse behind. Families like the Kaplans are being targeted as war in Europe threatens.
When Ilse’s parents and brother suddenly disappear, two high-ranking Nazi party members confiscate the Kaplans’ upscale home, believing it to be empty. In a desperate attempt to keep Ilse safe, Audrey becomes housekeeper for the officers while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic—a prisoner in her own home. Tensions rise in the house and the chance of survival diminishes by the day. When a shocking turn of events pushes Audrey to become embroiled in cell of the anti-Hitler movement - clusters of resisters working to bring down the Nazis from within Germany itself - Audrey must decide what matters most: saving herself, protecting her friend, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.
Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during WWII, this is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.

I know what you might be thinking. Another WWII novel? Told from dual timeline/perspectives? Does the world need yet another one of those? Perhaps I’m blinded by how much I loved Marshall’s debut but I definitely think we needed another one of those. (And I say this having recently DNF-ed a historical fiction by another author I loved that just wasn’t telling me anything new. So, yes, I can be objective.) A WWII historical novel has to prove it’s going to give me a new perspective on a time period that’s been written about time and time again. And I immediately got the sense that Marshall’s would be different as soon as I started it.

It helped immensely that Audrey and Kate both were intriguing characters. They both seemed like women I would like (how I wished I could have sat with them to watch Bake Off) and there were depths to them both that kept me curious about their pasts. And their pasts weren’t easy and they both made some decisions they probably would have liked to take back. And they both helped each other, too, which I liked. Kate allowed Audrey to finally tell her whole story and Audrey convinced Kate that hanging onto some of the feelings Kate had been keeping buried weren’t helping her and she needed to properly grieve and move on.

I also really liked that Audrey got the chance to tell Kate her story. Too often the “present” day character has to make guesses or rely on historical documents to figure out what happened during the war. But in this book, Audrey told the story herself and we, the reader, got to hear about it alongside Kate. It was surprisingly refreshing.

I mentioned that Audrey and Kate’s pasts weren’t easy. It was, as you’d imagine, especially hard to read some of Audrey’s memories from her time before and during the war. As I was reading about what was happening to the Kaplans and families like theirs, it hit me that Marshall was timing the start of the novel with Kristallnacht, which took place in November 1938. It was heartbreaking.

I loved The Secret History of Audrey James. Heather Marshall has firmly placed herself on my “favourite authors” list and I couldn’t be happier about it. She writes amazing historical fiction with immense talent and a feminist lens. I love that she looks back at history, asks, “But what were the women doing?” and then proceeds to tell us their stories. Historical fiction readers must pick up Marshall’s latest novel. I think you’ll love it.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Tomorrow is for the Brave

It’s been awhile since I’ve devoured a book in one sitting but the long weekend was too good an opportunity to pass up and I just could not put down Tomorrow is for the Brave! I’ve read a number of Kelly Bowen’s novels and this one definitely gripped me the most!

Here’s the book’s description:

1939, France: Lavish parties, fast cars, and a closet full of the latest fashion—to the average eye, socialite Violet St. Croix seemingly has it all. But what she truly wants is a life full of meaning and purpose. So when France falls to Germany, Violet defies her parents’ wishes and joins the war effort. With her impeccable skill for driving under pressure, she is soon sent to North Africa to shepherd French Foreign Legion officers carrying valuable intelligence through dangerous territory.
But as the Allies encounter one mishap after another, Violet becomes convinced there is a spy in their ranks. And when her commanding officer is murdered, Violet realizes she might be the only one who can uncover the traitor and save the lives of countless soldiers on the front lines. Convincing others to believe her is difficult enough. Finding someone she can trust just might be impossible.

This is a historical fiction novel for those who like a lot of action along with their history (Kate Quinn fans, I’m looking at you). Violet’s work is dangerous - and that’s before she finds out there’s a spy in their midst. Between the battles and the traitor storyline, it’s no wonder I was flipping pages quickly to find out what on earth was going to happen!

The spy part of the story probably could have been a little bit stronger. I could see that Bowen was trying to toss in some red herrings and even I wasn’t sure who the spy was. I did have it narrowed down to two people quite early on and some of the hints Bowen was giving seemed a little heavy handed. But I think that’s just me (someone who enjoys a good mystery as much as a historical novel) being very particular and perhaps a tad nitpicky. It didn’t take away my enjoyment of the story.

The author’s note in this novel was just as robust as I hoped it would be. Bowen explains which timelines she adjusted slightly and gave a lot of insight into her inspiration. I absolutely must find out more about Susan Travers, the real life woman who inspired Violet’s role in the war.

Given all the WWII novels I read (and there have been A LOT of them), I always appreciate when an author gives a new perspective on the battles. In Bowen’s case, she focused on what was happening in Africa during the war. I didn’t know much beyond the fact that fighting took place in North Africa so was interested to have a different look at WWII. I also appreciated that there was a focus on the French Foreign Legion, something else I wasn’t very familiar with. I’ll have to do some more research!

Violet was, to start, a tad…I’m going to say insufferable but that’s not quite the word I’m looking for here. She was just so sheltered - not that I blame her for her lack of worldliness. She wasn’t seen as a daughter - or even her own person - in her family. She was a pawn, a thing, to her father who only took interest in her to make sure she wouldn’t embarrass the family name and would someday marry someone suitable - of his choosing - who would make the family "stronger". Her thoughts and feelings did not matter at all. Which, naturally, made my blood boil. It can be so hard to read stories like this from a modern, feminist perspective and not feel enraged. I just had to hope that Violet would come to her senses and realize that she could absolutely survive on her own and live her own life.

Tomorrow is for the Brave was an entertaining and gripping historical fiction novel that I could not put down. Kelly Bowen is very talented and I think every historical fiction fan should make sure to pick up a copy of her latest book.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Every Time We Say Goodbye

I’ve been reading Natalie Jenner’s work since her debut novel, The Jane Austen Society, was released in 2020. She writes really thoughtful and quite interesting historical fiction stories with characters who feel so familiar even though they lived so long ago. Every Time We Say Goodbye is her latest and readers will recognize some of the characters in this tale and will feel as though it’s like revisiting an old friend.

Here’s the book’s description:

In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy.
As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also must face the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the mystery of what really happened to her deceased fiancé. Every Time We Say Goodbye is a brilliant exploration of trauma and tragedy, hope and renewal, filled with dazzling characters both real and imaginary, from the incomparable author who charmed the world with her novels The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls.

There was something niggling at me while reading this one, making me wonder why I wasn’t loving it as I expected to. As talented as I think Jenner is, I didn’t feel like she quite brought all the stories together in a cohesive way. There was a lot going on - in two timelines - with a lot of characters. Probably too many characters. I appreciated that Jenner wanted to include some of the real folks who would have been in Italy at that time (Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner to name two), but I felt they didn’t really add anything to the story. Another blogger put it well when we were talking about why this one didn’t hit as we expected. We both love Natasha Lester’s novels and she is a master at sharing information about a specific topic (usually fashion in Lester’s case and the film industry in Jenner’s) and weaving a historical story around it. The weave in Jenner’s story was loose and I think that’s why we were struggling a bit.

All that said, I didn’t find this to be a bad book. I was still interested in the story and wanted to find out how it all ended. I was invested in Vivien’s life and wondered how the tale of la scolaretta would unfold. How did a young, female resistance fighter tie into Vivien’s story? (You’ll have to read it to find out, obviously!)

I remember learning about the Hollywood blacklist and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) way back in university. It’s a fascinating and heartbreaking part of history. So many folks in the film industry were pressured to give up information on their colleagues during the witch hunts simply because Hollywood was trying to prove they were patriotic and not supporting communism. Jenner’s novel didn’t feature the hearings or what was happening in Hollywood. Instead, it showcased how many American filmmakers fled to Europe (the reverse of what happened during the war) to avoid persecution. I don’t think I’ve come across many novels that feature this so heavily and I’d be interested in reading more fiction stories about it.

Even with the inclusion of the WWII storyline, Jenner’s novel is a quieter historical fiction tale. She’s explored topics and a point in time that some may not have read about (I certainly haven’t seen it often in novels) and gives us a glimpse of what life could have been like in 1950s Rome. The war is behind them, but the effects of it were still being felt strongly and on an almost daily basis. It’s not going to be for everyone but if you’re genuinely interested in history and getting a feel of what the time period could have been like? Jenner’s novels are for you.

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner wasn’t a winner for me but I’m still glad I read it. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the film industry of 1950s Rome and revisiting characters I had met in her previous novels.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard

Natasha Lester has become a Must Read author for me ever since I read her novel The Paris Secret at the end of 2020. I love how she approaches historical fiction and how she weaves (pun intended) fashion into her stories. The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is her latest and it’s another winner.

Here’s the book’s description:

Three generations. One chance to prove themselves. Can the women of the Bricard fashion dynasty finally rewrite their history?
French countryside, Present: Blythe Bricard is the daughter of famous fashion muses but that doesn't mean she wants to be one. She turned her back on that world, and her dreams, years ago. Fate, however, has a different plan, and Blythe will discover there is more to her iconic mother and grandmother than she ever knew.
New York, 1970: Designer Astrid Bricard arrives in bohemian Chelsea determined to change the fashion world forever. And she does―cast as muse to her lover, Hawk Jones. And when they're both invited to compete in the fashion event of the century―the Battle of Versailles―Astrid sacrifices everything to showcase her talent. But then, just as her career is about to take off, she mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind only a white silk dress.
Paris, 1917: Parentless sixteen-year-old Mizza Bricard has made a to be remembered on her own terms. Her promise sustains her through turbulent decades and volatile couture houses until, finally, her name is remembered and a legend is born―one that proves impossible for Astrid and Blythe to distance themselves from.

There are some definite Daisy Jones and the Six vibes about this story but Lester’s novel is entirely her own. The focus is on fashion instead of music but the time period is similar, as is the gossip, sex, drugs, and rock and roll atmosphere. I wouldn’t say music or fashion are huge passions of mine but Lester, like Jenkins Reid, was able to hook me with a world I may never have read about. Which would have been a damn shame.

Like Lester’s other novels, and many other historical fiction stories, this was a multi-timeline novel. I’m honestly getting a little over that…would we call it a trope? Storytelling choice? I don’t know why it’s been such A Thing in historical fiction but here we are. But Lester uses the three timelines well, for the most part. The bulk of the novel is dedicated to Astrid and Hawk during the seventies as their personal and professional lives collided in a spectacular explosion. Then there was Blythe in what the book’s description calls “present” but is actually the 2010s (I want to say 2012?). Finally, Lester introduces Mizza in 1917 and follows her through both World Wars, focusing on what she was involved in during WWII. 

Mizza’s storyline is where things got a bit muddled which is interesting since, of all the characters, she’s the only person who actually existed. Lester notes at the end that much of Mizza’s background is unknown and, like a lot of French women who lived through World War II, she never spoke of what happened during that time. I don’t really mind when authors take liberties with real people, and I don’t think that was my issue with Lester’s treatment of Mizza. As intrigued as I was with Mizza and how the Bricard dynasty began, I felt like it was a totally separate story and didn’t quite mesh with Astrid and Blythe’s story. 

I never, ever feel like Lester does an info dump in her novels, which is surprising since there is always so much new-to-me information in her stories! I love love love how passionate she is about fashion and how she inserts interesting (and relevant) details into her novels about the world of fashion. She does her research on other historical tidbits too which make the novels feel authentic and such a joy to read.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard isn’t going to usurp The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre as my favourite Natasha Lester novel but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great read. I still loved it! Other historical fiction lovers will find a story that is interesting, emotional, informative, and entertaining all at once. I definitely recommend it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Traitor in Whitehall

I’ve been happily reading Julia Kelly’s historical fiction novels since the publication of The Whispers of War in 2020 - which I LOVED (review here). I’m always excited when she has something new being published but I was especially excited when I learned her 2023 release would be a historical mystery. A Traitor in Whitehall is the first in a new series and I absolutely devoured it. It was so good!

Here’s the book’s description:

1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.
However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.
With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?

I’ve been learning more about what kinds of mysteries I enjoy as I’ve been reading more and more of them. I don’t always love amateur sleuths but this one worked for me. I think because I could tell Evelyne was being groomed for working as a spy for the government during the war. Truthfully, that’s one of my catnip stories - show me a book about a female spy during World War II and I’ll grab it right out of your hands. The mystery itself was, I felt, well-written. I was always a step behind Evelyne and David and had no idea how it was going to all wrap up and that’s the way I like it. I was invested and intrigued the whole way through.

The description hints at a romance between Evelyne and David but don’t let that detract you if you’re not a lover of love stories. A frisson of attraction is there but it is so not the point of this story. I have a feeling they tucked that in there to appease the (mostly female) readers of the current historical fiction fad (you know, the types of books I love!). I liked the inclusion of the will-they-won’t-they because, for most people, love is a part of life and it made the story feel more authentic. Am I hoping they get together romantically in a future book? Absolutely. Will I be mad if it doesn’t happen in the next one? Definitely not. I’m here for the history and the mystery, not the romance!

Evelyne was a great character to spend time with. She had a past that was intriguing but she didn’t let it bother her or get in her way. She was smart and had a wonderful and loyal best friend. She was thrust into a wild situation and handled it well - and when she struggled, she learned from her mistakes. I cared about her so much by the end of the novel and I’m so glad this book is just the first in a series. I cannot wait to read more about Evelyne and see what she gets into next.

If you’ve read Kelly before, you know she’s a great writer of history. She never falls into the dreaded info dump trap and always manages to make you feel like you’re right there in the story with the characters. The novel starts near the beginning of WWII and I found it weirdly difficult to know that the bombing that’s begun during this story is only going to get worse for the characters. I also enjoyed the peek into Churchill’s War Rooms because I’m planning on visiting when I’m in London later this year.

As I’ve been writing this review, I’ve realized something: this book reminded me a little of Iona Whishaw’s Lane Winslow mystery series, which I absolutely ADORE. It’s well-written with a focus on history and a well-crafted mystery. The main character isn’t actually an investigator but she has a background/future in spying and other types of sleuthing. And she’s smart and someone who you love to read about. So, if you’ve enjoyed Whishaw’s novels, you might want to consider Kelly’s latest.

I loved A Traitor in Whitehall so much and am really glad Julia Kelly decided to try her (talented) hand at historical mysteries. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Fans of mysteries will enjoy this novel just as much as historical fiction fans will. Pick it up - you won’t regret it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Minotaur, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Women of the Post

I’ve realized in the last few (several?) years that my particular love of historical fiction set during and around each World War means the overwhelming majority of what I’ve read is written and told from a White perspective. I acknowledge that I may not be working hard enough to seek out titles written by BIPOC authors but I also think part of it is the stories just aren’t being published. (I’m more than happy to be told I’m an idiot who has to do more research, by the way.) So, when I came across Women of the Post, Joshunda Sanders’ debut novel, I was immediately intrigued. It was a solid novel that kept my interest and shone a spotlight on a part of history many people may not know much about.

Here’s the book’s description:

1944, New York City. Judy Washington is tired of working from dawn til dusk in the Bronx Slave Market, cleaning white women’s houses and barely making a dime. Her husband is fighting overseas, so it's up to Judy and her mother to make enough money for rent and food. When the chance arises for Judy to join the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and the ability to bring home a steady paycheck, she jumps at the opportunity.
Immediately upon arrival, Judy undergoes grueling military drills and inspections led by Second Officer Charity Adams, one of the only Black officers in the WAC. Judy becomes fast friends with the other women in her unit—Stacy, Bernadette and Mary Alyce—who only discovered she was Black after joining the army. Under Charity Adams’s direction, they are transferred to Birmingham, England, as part of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion—the only unit of Black women to serve overseas in WWII. Here, they must sort a backlog of over one million pieces of mail.
The women work tirelessly, knowing that they're reuniting soldiers to their loved ones through the letters they write. However, their work becomes personal when Mary Alyce discovers a backlogged letter addressed to Judy that will upend her personal life. Told through the alternating perspectives of Judy, Charity and Mary Alyce, Women of the Post is an unforgettable story of perseverance, female friendship, romance and self-discovery.

This was not, surprisingly enough, the first novel I’ve read about the women of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion. Kaia Anderson’s Sisters in Arms from 2021 (review here) dealt with the same group of women. I much preferred Sanders’ novel but I still found it ever so slightly lacking. I think the issue is I found it too slow. There had to be a lot of set up, just because of the story Sanders chose to tell. I am very happy Sanders took the time to really lay out what it was like for Black women in the US during the war and she gave a lot of detail without the dreaded info dump. I found the story dragged when the women were all in training but I don’t know what Sanders could have done about that. Maybe it’s just me and I was far too impatient for them to get over to England and do actual work instead of being stuck in barracks, not being allowed to because they’re Black. (White women at this time were being sent to Europe to "do their bit" but Black women were being barred from doing the same.)

The story is told from the perspective of three women: Judy, Mary Alyce, and Charity. Judy and Mary Alyce are fictional characters but Charity Adams was a real person. I know authors take liberties with history for the sake of the narrative - and almost all of them will explain why and how they made those changes in a note at the end of the story. I understand how fiction works. What I don’t understand is why Sanders chose to give Charity a female love interest in the book when there’s no evidence that she was queer. She absolutely could have been, of course, and (do I really need to say this?) obviously the presence of a queer character isn’t the issue. The issue is changing a core part of a real person’s being for the sake of the story. Charity was a wicked amazing woman though and I’m glad to have learned more about her and will research more about the real woman behind the novel in the future. Mary Alyce, as I said, was fictional but Sanders noted that she’s kind of based on a real person she had read about. As the book's description notes, Mary Alyce had no idea she was Black until she arrived at training because her mother had hidden her father's race from her and she was light enough to pass. There actually was a woman that happened to, as Sanders mentions in her note. I couldn't even imagine having your world shaken up like that when you're already on edge, heading to training to help with the war efforts. 

Somewhat related, even though I found the training portion of the book to drag, I was loved reading as the women all became friends and bonded with their fellow WACs. They knew they didn’t all have to like each other but they worked hard at making sure there was some respect so they could operate well as a unit. It would have been such a different and eye-opening experience for these women and I was glad they had each other to lean on as they dealt with falling bombs and racism while working in England.

Another reader on Goodreads mentioned that this book would make a better film or TV show and I think I’d have to agree. The information and history is so important but a novel might not be the best format to tell the story of these women. THEN another reader mentioned that Tyler Perry is working on a movie about the women of the Six Triple Eight which is extremely exciting and I’ll for sure be watching.

I liked Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders and am glad to have read it. The history she shared was fascinating and I learned a lot. I’ll keep an eye out for her next novel!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HTP Books, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Keeper of Hidden Books

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Madeline Martin’s novels because of the history she uncovers and the bookish references she weaves into her stories. It’s no surprise that World War II novels are a particular favourite of mine and when you add in a reference to books, reading, or libraries? I’m even more intrigued. Martin’s latest is The Keeper of Hidden Books, published earlier this month, and it was an unflinching look at what it would have been like in Warsaw during WWII.

Here’s the book’s description:

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.
With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.
But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

There were times I felt Zofia was...going too far into saviour mode - and I do wonder if that’s an unfair assessment. She could clearly see how the war was affecting not only Christians, like herself, but the Jewish people, like her best friend, Janina. She had as close to a front row seat as you could get and understood how dangerous it was for the Jewish folk in Warsaw. She was enraged and I don’t fault her for wanting to do something. I’m glad Martin had a scene where Zofia realized how dangerous it could be for Janina when Zofia stood up to the Nazis occupying their city because, until that point, she was only thinking of how upset she was and how unfair it all was from her own perspective. Of course it was unfair. I’m definitely not arguing that. She just hadn’t realized how impossible the situation was and how her actions could put others in danger. Would I have done any better? Hell, would I have even tried to stand up to a Nazi? It’s so hard to say, isn’t it? We want to think we’d stand up for others in a dangerous situation but would we? Martin shows all the shades of grey in this situation and illustrates very well how difficult it would have been for all Warsaw residents during their occupation. Once she got her hotheadedness under control, Zofia was able to use her rage for good and I hoped it would be enough to help liberate her city.

Books, reading, and libraries play a huge role in this novel and I loved that element. I was so happy that Zofia and Janina wanted to be educated in working at a library but then, almost immediately, I was heartbroken that these young women (and so many others like them) had their lives turned upside down and weren’t able to pursue their education. Hell, eventually Janina wasn’t even allowed to be in the library, let alone be learning or working there. Martin showed that, amongst all the sabotage and fighting for freedom, books were important to the people of Warsaw. Books have power and the girls used that power as much as possible. Hitler was banning and burning books and Zofia and those she worked with tried to save as many books as they could, to prevent stories and ideas being lost forever. They also tried to read as many as they could, having their own anti-Hitler book club. Martin used a lot of research to illustrate the power of libraries and books, including how important they were in the Jewish ghetto. For a bookworm like me, it was really powerful.

This is probably one of the most grim WWII novels I’ve read in some time. All of them are, to some extent, but this one hit especially hard. Was it because it was about a part of the war I hadn’t read much about before? I knew the invasion of Poland kickstarted the war but I hadn’t really thought about what it would have been like for the Polish people. Not in as much detail that Martin presented, that’s for sure. It was hell for those people. The description of the ghettos, the scarcity of food, the roundups, and the public executions. Pure and utter hell. It can be hard to read about these things and wonder about similar issues going on in the world right now that are being ignored. Are most of us any better than our ancestors were? It’s a sobering thought.

The Keeper of Hidden Books was extremely interesting and I’m glad I read Madeline Martin’s latest novel. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations but I appreciate the insight Martin gave with this story and how she showed the importance of books and reading, even in some of the darkest times.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HTP Books, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Code Name Sapphire

Why, yes, I am here with another review of another historical fiction novel set during World War II! I’ve been chasing the high Pam Jenoff gave me with The Lost Girls of Paris since I read it back in 2019 (review here). I was hopeful Code Name Sapphire, which was published back in February, would live up to my high expectations but I was just a wee bit let down. I definitely enjoyed the read but it won’t be one I remember for a long time.

Here’s the book’s description:

1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.
Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Mateo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves?

I really enjoyed reading about another resistance network during World War II. One would think I would get tired of it but that hasn’t happened yet! I’m here for the abundance of WWII novels but I’m also here for the ones that give me something a little unexpected. Did this book give me something unexpected? I’m not totally sure. I think I liked having a viewpoint from a city other than London or Paris. I don’t forget, exactly, that other countries would have been involved in the war. I am well aware that “world” is in the descriptor for this particular war. But so much of the media I tend to consume (books, movies, TV) focuses on a small portion of the affected countries so areas like Brussels and what those residents had to deal with aren’t top of mind. It’s a sobering reminder that there weren’t many countries that escaped unscathed from WWII.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: not all historical novels with more than one point of view are created equal. Some have multiple characters who all add their own important piece to the overall narrative. And some…well, some feel like there’s not enough story for one character to stand on their own so a second (or third) character is created and their story is mashed in wherever it can fit. Sometimes that can work. I didn’t really find that it did with Jenoff’s latest novel, which was disappointing. Hannah’s storyline was the strongest but Micheline’s was the more intriguing one. Lily’s POV served to show how easy it would have been for the average citizen to bury their head in the sand during the war and not realize (or want to realize) what was happening all around them. It’s frustrating to read but partially because who can say for sure what they would do in that kind of situation? As I said, Micheline’s storyline was the one I was a little bit more interested in but there wasn’t as much to her POV as I would have liked. Perhaps it’s because there’s not as much research on women resistance leaders, particularly in Belgium, and Jenoff didn’t want to take too many liberties with historical fact? Even though I didn’t love the tri-POV, I can see what Jenoff was trying to do and I do think I got a slightly better grasp on what it would have been like for many different women in Brussels during the war.

Sure, I wanted to like Code Name Sapphire more than I did but I still think Pam Jenoff has written an interesting historical fiction tale. The true stories that inspired her are fascinating and make me want to read and watch more about it. I still consider that a win for a historical novel!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HTP/HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Lost English Girl

I’ve been reading Julia Kelly’s books since 2020 and I always eagerly await her latest release. This year she gave us The Lost English Girl, which was published back in March of this year. I know I’m going to get a well-researched and well-told story from Kelly and while this new one didn’t quite live up to my high expectations, I enjoyed it and was very invested in the characters and their lives as they tried to make it through World War II with as little hurt - emotional or physical - as possible.

Here’s the book’s description:

Liverpool, 1935: Raised in a strict Catholic family, Viv Byrne knows what’s expected of her: marry a Catholic man from her working-class neighborhood and have his children. However, when she finds herself pregnant after a fling with Joshua Levinson, a Jewish man with dreams of becoming a famous Jazz musician, Viv knows that a swift wedding is the only answer. Her only solace is that marrying Joshua will mean escaping her strict mother’s scrutiny. But when Joshua makes a life-changing choice on their wedding day, Viv is forced once again into the arms of her disapproving family.
Five years later and on the eve of World War II, Viv is faced with the impossible choice to evacuate her young daughter, Maggie, to the countryside estate of the affluent Thompson family. In New York City, Joshua gives up his failing musical career to serve in the Royal Air Force, fight for his country, and try to piece together his feelings about the family, wife, and daughter he left behind at nineteen. However, tragedy strikes when Viv learns that the countryside safe haven she sent her daughter to wasn’t immune from the horrors of war. It is only years later, with Joshua’s help, that Viv learns the secrets of their shared past and what it will take to put a family back together again.

Kelly’s latest few books aren’t for readers who want fast, action-packed historical fiction. Her books are quieter and focus on more of the day to day impact of historical events, in the case of The Lost English Girl it was World War II, instead of the flashy, big moments we all know about. I personally don’t mind that at all but I know some readers expect a faster paced historical fiction and I’d advise them to try other authors instead of Kelly.

Viv’s family drove me up the freaking wall. I cannot stand any story where the female main character is completely controlled by their family. It gets really hard when there’s a time or cultural difference and I try to keep my expectations in check but, oof, I struggled with this one. I hate that women had no powers, that they had to report to their father and then their husband, and that women like Viv, who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant, were shamed (hell, some women are still shamed nowadays). It enrages me, quite honestly. So, it’s no surprise I was totally rooting for Viv as she tried to make a life for herself and her daughter that didn’t include her parents. I desperately wanted her to succeed.

I had a feeling that this book was going to rip my heart out and it most definitely did. But I wasn’t as sure that Kelly would put it back together again. Eventually my assumption was proved correct and the characters had to work hard in the post-war chaos to put their family back to rights. (Is that vague? Good. I was trying to be. Read the book to see what I’m alluding to!)

The Lost English Girl isn’t just a book about how World War II affected the people of Liverpool. It’s about families - made and found - and motherhood. There’s pain and loss, of course, it’s a book set during war, but there’s hope, too. Julia Kelly has written another interesting and emotional novel and I’m already looking forward to what she writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Paris Deception

You know I love a good historical fiction set during the wars. What you may not know is how interested I am in any storyline that references the theft of art from (mostly Jewish) individuals by the Nazis. I’m horrified by it but also fascinated by those who did everything they could to hide pieces, make lists of what was stolen, and tried to track the artwork down after the war. So, it was no surprise I was interested in reading The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull. I was fascinated from the start and the historical tale she told was entertaining and engaging.

Here’s the book’s description:

Sophie Dix fled Stuttgart with her brother as the Nazi regime gained power in Germany. Now, with her brother gone and her adopted home city of Paris conquered by the Reich, Sophie reluctantly accepts a position restoring damaged art at the Jeu de Paume museum under the supervision of the ERR—a German art commission using the museum as a repository for art they’ve looted from Jewish families. 
Fabienne Brandt was a rising star in the Parisian bohemian arts movement until the Nazis put a stop to so-called “degenerate” modern art. Still mourning the loss of her firebrand husband, she’s resolved to muddle her way through the occupation in whatever way she can—until her estranged sister-in-law, Sophie, arrives at her door with a stolen painting in hand.
Soon the two women embark upon a plan to save Paris’s “degenerates,” working beneath the noses of Germany’s top art connoisseurs to replace the paintings in the Jeu de Paume with skillful forgeries—but how long can Sophie and Fabienne sustain their masterful illusion?

Sometimes dual narrative storylines bother me. Usually because one character doesn’t have as much to do with the story and it can seem obvious that the author is padding the novel because there isn’t enough historical detail to fully flesh out one character’s story. That wasn’t the case with this book. Sophie and Fabienne had very different roles to play even while they were working towards the same goal. They also had very different backgrounds which allowed the reader to gain a better understanding of what life would have been like during this time. Sophie’s past, especially, was eye-opening. I know it’s just fiction but I felt Turnbull was able to illustrate how it would have felt for anyone living in Germany as Hitler gained more and more power prior to the outbreak of World War II.

I must say that I don’t think I cared about the main characters as much as I think I was supposed to. I liked them and was rooting for them, of course. But I don’t know if I was particularly invested. I cared far more about the art and the work they were doing to save it. Was this a personal bias? Perhaps. This is a part of history that fascinates (and saddens) me. Maybe I was just too focused on that rather than making sure I was caring more about the characters.

As with many war novels, I found myself wondering what I would do if I found myself in Sophie or Fabienne’s positions. Would I have smuggled art out of a museum at the risk of my own life? Would those small acts of resistance been enough or would I, unlike the women in the book, have formally joined the Resistance? Would I have hid Jewish families in my home? Or would I have turned a blind eye and just tried to survive the Nazi occupation in my city? We all hope we’d be brave and on the right side of history (you know, the side where people weren’t being murdered for their beliefs), but we can’t really know. Not until we’re faced with that choice. It’s a sobering thing to think about and I’m glad authors like Turnbull write books that show the shades of grey that was just trying to survive the war. It’s not as black and white as our history books make it seem.

The Paris Deception was my first Bryn Turnbull novel but it certainly won’t be my last. She’s a talented author with a knack for finding interesting parts of history to write about. Lovers of art and historical fiction should think about checking this one out.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: The Secret Book of Flora Lea

The Secret Book of Flora Lea was a bit of a mystery for me before I read it. I was told it was one I would probably very much enjoy so I went into reading Patti Callahan Henry’s latest novel with cautious optimism. It won’t hit my favourites list but I was intrigued by the story from start to finish.

Here’s the book’s description:

1939: Fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora evacuate their London home for a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the Aberdeen family in a charming stone cottage, Hazel distracts her younger sister with a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their Whisperwood.
But the unthinkable happens when Flora suddenly vanishes after playing near the banks of the River Thames. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, carrying the guilt into adulthood.
Twenty years later, Hazel is back in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore for a career at Sotheby’s. With a cherished boyfriend and an upcoming Paris getaway, her future seems set. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing a picture book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars . Hazel never told a soul about the storybook world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to her beloved sister’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that Flora is still alive after all these years? Or is something sinister at play?

This was a good read - and I'll definitely read more from the author - but I found it a bit...lacking, I think. I was invested in the story and the mystery but the characters seemed more two dimensional than I would have liked. It was like…I cared about finding out what happened to Flora far more than I cared about Flora herself. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted a happy ending for the characters because I’m not a monster. But the plot and atmosphere, as well as the research and history, far outstripped the characterization in this book.

While set, in part, during World War II, this novel is more about the people and the fallout of war than the war itself. The impact was brutal on the battlefield but those left at home had their own particular horrors to deal with. Hazel and especially Flora are so young during the war that their experiences were vastly different than those of the adults around them - and the adults I’ve read about in countless other historical fiction tales. I appreciated that aspect of the story - getting to “see” what it would have been like for young kids and teens during WWII. I’ve also been enjoying more stories set just after WWII recently. It wasn’t just “poof the war is over and everything is back to normal.” I don’t think I ever really thought that but there was so much more rebuilding - literally and figuratively - to do after VE Day and that took years. While the second timeline was well after the war, there were still a lot of emotional traumas stemming from wartime that hadn’t yet been dealt with.

I did enjoy that this novel was a bit of an homage to fairy tales and books and stories in general. It perhaps veered too much into feeling like a fairy tale but I appreciated it nonetheless. Stories have immense power. I don’t need to tell you that. You’re reading a book review on a blog dedicated solely to books. But this novel really hits home how important stories and books are and the impact they can have on someone, even years after they first hear it.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this new historical fiction novel from Patti Callahan Henry and it gave me some Kate Morton vibes. Overall, I enjoyed The Secret Book of Flora Lea and think others who like some of the slower historical fiction stories will also like it.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: The Garden of Lost Secrets

While Kelly Bowen has written a number of historical romances, I hadn’t heard of her until her novel The Paris Apartment was published in 2021. (Review here.) I liked it so much that I didn’t even need to read the description of The Garden of Lost Secrets to know that I’d want to read it. That doesn’t always work out but, happily, it did in this case. I really, really enjoyed this book.

Here’s the book’s description:

1940 - Stasia always found comfort in the idyllic French countryside where she spent her childhood summers, roaming the gardens of an old chateau and finding inspiration for fairy tales full of bravery and adventure. But these days are much darker, and with Nazis storming across Europe, she soon finds herself one of the most hunted agents of the Resistance. The only safe haven she can think of is Chateau de Montissaire. But she’s about to discover that it just may be the center of her biggest mission yet.
Present day - When Isabelle purchases a crumbling chateau in Rouen, it’s not just a renovation project—it’s a chance to reconnect with her sister, Emilie, the only family she has left. What she uncovers instead is an intriguing mystery… As the siblings piece together the incredible truth behind the books written by their great-grandmother Stasia, they discover an exciting story of courage in the face of treachery and an explosive secret that will change everything they believed about their family.

For some reason, even though I knew Anne Frank lived (and hid) in the Netherlands, I never realized how much World War II impacted that country. I didn’t know Nazis moved in and I didn’t really think about how many Jewish people would have been removed from that country. I definitely didn’t know much about the Resistance efforts there nor did I think about how so many people would have said, after the war was over, they were part of the Resistance but, in reality, did nothing to help their Jewish neighbours and others who were being sent to labour or death camps. This is not the first historical fiction book I’ve read this year that featured Dutch characters (though this one was much better) and I think we might start seeing more of these stories soon. It’s another little nugget of WWII history that is interesting and why I will continue to read these kinds of stories. Bowen shared in the historical note that there were 140,000 Jewish people living in the Netherlands before WWII. Around 107,000 of them were deported to camps and 102,000 of them died in those camps. This was, as Bowen writes, the highest mortality rate for Jewish populations of all the occupied Western European countries. It’s sobering and I always appreciate reading these notes, especially when I’ve really enjoyed the fictional story that came out of the research. This might have been a novel I’ve loved reading but I need that reminder that this fictional tale was based in real, horrifying, facts.

Dual timeline historical fiction novels aren’t always done well and are becoming maybe, a little bit, overdone. That said, I’ll defend them when the present day timeline plays an important role. Usually the present day characters can serve as stand ins for the reader as we all go on a journey of learning about the past. That’s somewhat the case in this book. Isabelle’s discoveries and research, with the help of experts which I loved, shed some light on the past while also recognizing that there is so much we don’t know. And so much that we’ve been told - like how so many people had been involved in the Resistance - is more fiction than fact. The truth is, sometimes we just can’t get a final answer to what happened in the past. It’s frustrating but I appreciated Bowen including some of that in this story.

It’s no surprise that I enjoy a love story in all my books so I was really hoping for a happy ending for Stasia and Nicholas. I loved how they met and desperately wanted them both to make it through the war. They had absolutely horrifying experiences and they each thought the other was dead. Oh, the heartache I was feeling for them both! They were both such strong characters and I really loved them and their love for each other.

I don’t want to say too much more about The Garden of Lost Secrets because I feel like it’s best if you go in without too much information. Just know that Kelly Bowen has written an excellent historical fiction novel that is full of interesting and devastating facts and characters that you can’t help but love. If you’re a fan of historical fiction written about World War II, you should definitely read this book.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by Forever via NetGalley and a finished copy was provided by HBG Canada, both in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Dutch Orphan

I enjoyed Ellen Keith’s debut novel, The Dutch Wife, back in 2018 when I read it. I even got to meet her and hear how her first book came to be. Always inspiring to hear from debut authors! I didn’t love the book but I liked it enough that I knew I’d read the Canadian author’s next novel, whenever it came. That moment is finally now as The Dutch Orphan is out in the world today. I read it a few weeks ago though… “read” might be a bit of a stretch. I skimmed. I wanted to know the ending and how Keith wrapped up things for her characters but I didn’t really care. And that made me so sad!

Here’s the book’s description:

Amsterdam, 1941. When the Nazis invade Amsterdam, singer Johanna Vos watches in horror as her Jewish friends are forbidden from performing with her onstage, and the vibrant music scene she loves is all but erased. Johanna helps organize the Artists' Resistance, an underground network that arranges for Jewish musicians to perform at house concerts hosted by their allies. When Johanna is told about a Jewish orphan who is headed for deportation, she does not think twice: she takes the baby in as her own, hiding the truth from everyone, including her sister, Liesbeth.
Meanwhile, Liesbeth de Wit finds herself torn between her sister and her failing marriage. She knows Johanna is an ally of the Resistance, while her husband actively supports the Dutch Fascist Party. As the sisters navigate the ongoing Nazi occupation, they find themselves growing further and further apart. And when another charming member of the Dutch Fascist Party sets his eyes on Liesbeth, her predicament only deepens.
As the war unfolds, secrets continue to grow between the sisters, severing their once-unbreakable bond. Eventually, both women are forced to make a choice that will alter their lives forever: the choice between family and freedom.

I think my ultimate problem with this novel was the characters. I couldn’t understand their motivations, not really. And, sure, a part of that is I literally cannot imagine what it would be like to have my city become occupied by Nazi soldiers. I recognize that. But Keith still should have been able to make me see why they were acting in certain ways. Johanna, for example, seemed like a really smart woman but she acted like an absolute idiot on a number of occasions in the novel that put herself and others in danger. Liesbeth, on the other hand, had absolutely no spine until suddenly she did? Maybe I missed the growing of the spine because I had really started skimming by that point but the plot points in the novel at that spot didn’t quite seem like enough to make her change. I also couldn’t forgive her for something she did and I don’t know how other characters would be able to either.

I knew that Keith had a connection to the resistance in the Netherlands because of the event I went to after the release of The Dutch Wife (recap here). She also wrote a good part (if not all) of The Dutch Orphan while living in Amsterdam, which is where the book is set. I appreciate that kind of connection to the story and I really feel like that came through in the heart of the story. And it was that heart that had me finish the book.

What Keith’s novel does well is really hit home what it was like to live in Amsterdam specifically, and the Netherlands generally, during World War II. For some reason, I always forget that they were occupied by the Nazis beginning in May 1940. So, I appreciate that reminder of history and the examples of how everyday Dutch residents worked to protect their Jewish neighbours and undermine the soldiers’ orders. I had the feeling that I was there right alongside Jo and Lies, which, to be honest, was really hard sometimes. The suffering was intense and I was thankful for my own life circumstances as I read it.

All in all, The Dutch Orphan was an interesting historical fiction read with a lot of heart. I didn’t love Ellen Keith’s sophomore novel but I’m still willing to give her another chance whenever she publishes a third. I think if you really like learning about World War II history, especially the parts that we don’t always learn about in Canada (even though Canadians played a role in liberating the Netherlands), you should still pick up a copy of this one from your local library.

Content warnings: miscarriage/stillbirth, pregnancy, infertility, war, prison camps, murder, infidelity, suicide

*An egalley of this novel was provided by HarperCollins Canada via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: One Woman’s War

I love World War II spy stories. This is not a secret. I love a lot of spy stories, to be honest. So, naturally, I was interested when I heard about One Woman’s War by Christine Wells. It had WWII, it had spies, it had Ian Fleming, and it had Operation Mincemeat. I was sold. And, happily, it was a great read!

Here’s the book’s description:

World War II London: When Victoire "Paddy" Bennett first walks into the Admiralty's Room 39, home to the Intelligence Division, all the bright and lively young woman expects is a secretarial position to the charismatic Commander Ian Fleming. But soon her job is so much more, and when Fleming proposes a daring plot to deceive the Germans about Allied invasion plans he requests the newlywed Paddy's help. She jumps at the chance to work as an agent in the field, even after the operation begins to affect her marriage. But could doing her duty for King and country come at too great a cost?
Socialite Friedl Stöttinger is a beautiful Austrian double agent determined to survive in wartime England, which means working for MI-5, investigating fifth column activity among the British elite at parties and nightclubs. But Friedl has a secret--some years before, she agreed to work for German Intelligence and spy on the British. When her intelligence work becomes fraught with danger, she must choose whether to remain loyal to the British and risk torture and execution by the Nazis, or betray thousands of men to their deaths.
Soon, the lives of these two extraordinarily brave women will collide, as each travels down a road of deception and danger leading to one of the greatest battles of World War II.

Paddy is considered to be one of the women who inspired Ian Fleming’s character Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond series. When I heard that, I was so intrigued. I knew Fleming had pulled a lot from his own war experience to inspire Bond and it made me curious to get to know one of the women who kept Bond in line (or tried to, at least). As with most historical fiction, Wells did take a few liberties with Paddy’s character but she explains that in the detailed notes at the end of the book. I know I’m reading fiction but I admit I get totally swept up in the story and sometimes forget that what I’m reading may not have actually happened in that manner.

Reading more about Operation Mincemeat and seeing how Wells interpreted it was really interesting. If you don’t know anything about this plan, I highly recommend reading up on it and watching the movie of the same name on Netflix (which is, in turn, based on a non-fiction book with the same name). The lengths the Allies went through to trick the Nazis is bonkers and the fact that this operation actually worked is totally mind-boggling. I love it so much.

Wells lost me a bit with Friedl. I didn’t really care about her part of the story and I didn’t really see how it connected with what was happening to Paddy and those in her storyline. I’m finding that more and more historical fiction novels are trying to connect more than one character together when they really don’t need to be and most of them are not done all that well. I’m not sure why that is but it’s something I’ve noticed - and you all know I read a lot of historical fiction!

One Woman’s War was fascinating and Christine Wells’ novel kept me entertained throughout. My favourite WWII historical fiction tale? No, but it was still a great read and one that helped me understand what it would have been like during the war just a little bit more.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Little Wartime Library

Dangle a World War II set novel that features a bookstore or library in front of me and I am going to snap it up. We should all know that by now. So, it’s no surprise I was immediately drawn to Kate Thompson’s latest novel, The Little Wartime Library. I devoured it in a weekend!

Here’s the book’s description:

London, 1944 : Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While war ravages the city above her, Clara has risked everything she holds dear to turn the Bethnal Green tube station into the country’s only underground library. Down here, a secret community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theater—offering shelter, solace, and escape from the bombs that fall upon their city.
Along with her glamorous best friend and assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women's determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.

Some people may call this a dual narrative but there are only two chapters that take place in the present(ish) timeline so I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as dual. That said, I really appreciated how Thompson introduced the characters in 2020 because it kept me curious about who, exactly, it was visiting the former underground library with her daughters. Having this time period briefly included also allows the readers a chance to connect this historical novel to their own lives, in today’s time. We’re losing more and more people who lived through WWII and books like Thompson’s allow their stories to live on and, with this one in particular, remind readers, and those who live in the Bethnal Green area, about a part of their history they may have forgotten or never known about it in the first place. I definitely had no idea there was a library in the underground during the war and I was fascinated, and a little heartbroken, at the lives of those who visited the library.

Now, I do have to say that this book was a little too long. It clocks in at 480 pages which is a lot for any book, let alone a historical fiction title. I think Thompson just had so much information she wanted to include in the story that it ended up being longer than it should have. I didn’t find too many info dumps, which I hate in historical fiction, and was swept away into the world and time period Thompson recreated for me with her story. I respect that she wanted to include the history of the Channel Islands, Jersey in particular, but I found myself rushing through those chapters to get back to the main story. I learned a lot though and applaud Thompson for the time and effort she put into making sure her story was as accurate as she could make it.

The novel’s chapters alternate between Clara and Ruby but the pair were together so often that I sometimes got a bit confused about who I was supposed to be following. The story is told in third person too so that didn’t always clear things up. I liked both women and by having them have different backgrounds (widow vs woman on the town) allowed Thompson to share even more history of the time and what it would have been like for women of the time.

I found, at times, that maybe Thompson was reaching a bit in an effort to compare the library then to libraries now but maybe I just don’t know enough about the history of libraries. The library boss was an atrocious little man who didn’t think women had brains and didn’t appreciate the novels being circulated by the library (educational reading only if he had his way). It was a strong parallel to the censorship issues libraries across the world are facing, particularly in the United States. And the reader couldn’t help but compare the rules faced by those living through the war to some of the restrictions we had to deal with at the start of the pandemic.

I may have had teeny issues with Kate Thompson’s novel but on the whole? I loved The Little Wartime Library. Those readers who like slightly quieter and understated historical fiction (think Genevieve Graham or Jennifer Robson) will also enjoy this one, especially those who love any novel that focuses on books and booklovers. I am going to do more reading on the Bethnal Green library and I’m so thankful Thompson chose to explore this little part of history in her novel.

*An egalley was provided via NetGalley by Forever and an ARC was provided by HBG Canada in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

I first read one of Natasha Lester’s novels at the very end of 2020. The Paris Secret (review here) had been on my radar but it was thanks to the rave review from a trusted book friend that had me finally picking it up as 2020 came to a close. And, my word, was it ever good. I loved it so much that I requested both The Riviera House (review here), Lester’s 2021 release, and The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre (publishing tomorrow in North America) without even bothering to read what the stories were about. That is how much I love what Natasha Lester writes. And this new one? It is, by far, my favourite (so far).

Here’s the book’s description:

1943.  After spearheading several successful advertising campaigns in New York, PR wizard Alix St. Pierre comes to the attention of the U.S. government and finds herself recruited into a fledgling intelligence organization.
Enlisted as a spy, Alix is sent to Europe where she is tasked with getting close to a Nazi who might be willing to help the Allied forces--but there's also the chance he might be a double agent.
1946.  Following the war, Alix moves to Paris and takes a position as head of publicity for the yet-to-be-launched House of Dior. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes that only she can right the wrongs of the past and bring him to justice.

Dual-timeline historical fiction novels are all the rage these days and Lester has done that in previous books. Usually the timeline is war and present day (or the not so distant past as it’s getting awfully hard to set a book in the 2020s and also have folks who fought in the war are still alive - a sobering thought). I love that Lester chose to have the two timelines in this novel take place fairly close together. We find Alix in Paris in 1946 as she’s forging a new life, but we also had Alix’s time in the war, specifically from 1942-1945 (recall that World War II began in 1939 and America, where Alix is from, didn’t enter the war until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941). I enjoyed this for a couple of reasons. First, it meant the entire story was all about Alix. I got to meet different side characters but she was the star for the entire novel. I don’t get that often enough in historical fiction novels these days. Second, it reminds readers that WWII didn’t just magically end on VE day in May 1945. There was still rationing and, in the case of Alix and countless others, there was still an immense amount of grief and trauma and that really came through, and came through masterfully, in Lester’s novel. 

Whenever I read historical fiction, I always come away having learned something new or at least gaining a better understanding of something. It’s been through books that I’ve started to understand how both world wars, for example, affected not only the men who fought, but the rest of their communities. Especially how women stepped up to take on work and, as it turns out, become spies. The fact that women were spies was not a new fact for me but Alix’s experiences were. It was fascinating - and heartbreaking - to read about her time gathering information and trying to save her informants.

Alix was a fascinating character and I absolutely adored her. She was living in the wrong time and I wish she could see what women are now able to accomplish (though we still have some work to do). I hated that she felt that marriage (and therefore love) was not for her because she adored her work so much. Most men wouldn’t want their wives to work and even if she did work, she couldn’t have her own bank account if she was married. Those restrictions chafed at Alix, and I don’t blame her. Also, given my own background in communications, marketing, and PR, I loved that she was working as a publicist for Dior. The decisions she made (for work, at least) were brilliant and I hope I can be half as good at my own work as she was at hers.

Don’t forget to read the author’s note at the end of this one (or any book, for that matter, but especially historical fiction). Lester shares some of the sources she used for her (massive amount of) research as well as explains how and why she shifted some details around to suit the narrative.

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and Natasha Lester did not let me down. The story was captivating, the characters were intriguing, and the writing was excellent. If you’re a historical fiction fan, you must buy this book!

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Librarian Spy

Dangle a World War II set novel, written by a woman, with “librarian” in the title in front of me and you better believe I’ll grab it. Immediately. With both hands. I was so excited to read The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin not just because of those three things but also because I very much enjoyed her debut, The Last Bookshop of London (review here). It was a really interesting – and enjoyable – read!

Here’s the book’s description:

Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.
As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.

Truthfully, the use of “librarian” in the title is a wee bit misleading. Ava isn’t at the Library of Congress for very long and I didn’t get the sense that she was very bookish (and if I’m misremembering, my apologies to both Ava and Martin!). BUT librarians (and other library staff) do a lot of different things and her knowledge of certain materials would have been intriguing and helpful to the government during war (how did they find these people?).

I found switching between Ava’s story in Portugal and Elaine’s in France to be a bit…I don’t want to say annoying because I wasn’t frustrated. It was more…like I was reading two different stories. I was certain they’d connect at some point, but it took an awfully long time for the two women’s stories to come together. They were both interesting, don’t get me wrong. Each woman was doing really important work to help end the war and I enjoyed learning the little bits of information Martin shared. But there have just been a lot of historical fiction novels like this that are either dual timeline or dual narrative and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. I have to wonder if it’s done because authors don’t think they have a robust enough story to focus on just one aspect or if publishers somehow think this is all historical fiction readers want.

I really didn’t know much about Portugal’s role in WWII before reading this novel. Essentially, they were neutral throughout most of the war – although it seems they were quite helpful to the Allied forces. They were also one of the last escape routes out of Europe for those trying to flee the dangers of war. I’m definitely interested in learning more about this part of WWII that is new to me.

The Librarian Spy was one of those books that I had a great time reading but isn’t the best novel in the historical fiction genre. I expected a little better from Madeline Martin and this book doesn’t hold up to a scrutinizing review but I was entertained from start to finish and I’ll for sure be reading whatever Martin writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: The Diamond Eye

Ah, Kate Quinn. I’ve been absolutely loving her new historical fiction novels (because, PS, did you know she wrote historical romances before The Alice Network was published?) and eagerly await each new release. The Diamond Eye is her latest and it was just as amazing as the rest of her novels.

Here’s the book’s description:

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv), wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son--but Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper--a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.
Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC--until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.

I know some people like to know how an author’s latest book compares to their others so, in my opinion, I liked it less than The Rose Code but that doesn’t make this one any less good. It’s phenomenal. Well written, well researched, well told. It’s just that sometimes different stories grab you. I felt the same about The Huntress – it was great but I didn’t love it as much as The Alice Network.

I don’t remember ever hearing about Mila – who was a real person – but it’s entirely possible her name had flitted across my eyeballs in high school history class when learning about World War II. Now that I know about her, though, I’m fascinated by her and her story. Quinn takes care to explain where she pulled her research and how she crafted the novel. There were some things she took more creative license with than others and she tells the reader of that process so the reader understands what is fact and what is fiction. I love a good authors’ note!

Mila was a fascinating character. She was a young mother who relied on her parents and not her husband to help her raise her son. She worked hard to get into university and loved history. But she didn’t (seem to) hesitate when war broke out and signed up to fight for her country. (Related: it was incredibly awkward timing to be reading about a war and Russia being the invaded country…) She understood she had skills that could help and put her thesis aside and picked up a rifle instead. Quinn didn’t shy away from the mental aspects of war and how Mila suffered from the aftereffects of working as a sniper and the many injuries she sustained while doing so.

The story flips back and forth between two time periods. One focuses on Mila and how she got started on the path of being a sniper and her time fighting in World War II. The other is during the tour in America. Eventually the two meet and the tension is increased even more as the reader realizes what might happen to the characters they’ve been so invested in.

I really loved The Diamond Eye and historical fiction fans will be more than pleased with Kate Quinn’s latest novel. It was, as always, really well written and full of intense action and fascinating characters. You definitely want to read this one!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Miss Dior

I feel like Dior is one of those fashion names that I’ve always been aware of but never really knew much about. So I definitely didn’t know Christian’s sister, Catherine, was involved in the French Resistance until I read Natasha Lester’s novel The Paris Secret. I was fascinated with the work of the Resistance during WWII and the stories that were never told. So, when I had the chance to review Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture, I jumped at it because I wanted to learn more about Catherine. A hefty book full oh photos, Justine Picardie’s latest work was interesting, if far lighter on Catherine’s life than I would have liked.

Here’s the book’s description:

When the French designer Christian Dior presented his first collection in Paris in 1947, he changed fashion forever. Dior's "New Look" created a striking, romantic vision of femininity, luxury, and grace, making him--and his last name--famous overnight. One woman informed Dior's vision more than any other: his sister, Catherine, a Resistance fighter, concentration camp survivor, and cultivator of rose gardens who inspired Dior's most beloved fragrance, Miss Dior. Yet the story of Catherine's remarkable life--so different from her famous brother's--has never been told, until now.
Drawing on the Dior archives and extensive research, Justine Picardie's Miss Dior is the long-overdue restoration of Catherine Dior's life. The siblings' stories are profoundly intertwined: in Occupied France, as Christian honed his couture skills, Catherine dedicated herself to the Resistance, ultimately being captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbrück, the only Nazi camp solely for women. Seeking to trace Catherine's story as well as her influence on her brother, Picardie traveled to the significant places of Catherine's life, including Les Rhumbs, the Dior family villa with its magnificent gardens; the House of Dior in Paris; and La Colle Noire, Christian's chateau that he bequeathed to his sister.
Inventive and captivating, and shaped by Picardie's own journey, Miss Dior examines the legacy of Christian Dior, the secrets of postwar France, and the unbreakable bond between two remarkable siblings. Most important, it shines overdue recognition on a previously overlooked life, one that epitomized courage and also embodied the astonishing capacity of the human spirit to remain undimmed, even in the darkest circumstances.

After reading Lester’s novel, I did a bit of research myself to see what was out there about Catherine Dior. The answer is: not much. She was incredibly close-lipped about her time in the Resistance, her arrest, and her imprisonment and eventual release from a Nazi camp. Picardie gives life to a woman who stayed towards the shadows after the war – but there’s only so much she could do. I found the book was far more about Christian and his fashion house than it was about Catherine. Interesting? Sure. But not exactly what I signed up for.

Because there isn’t a lot of information from Catherine directly, Picardie used stories from other people who were experiencing similar things as Catherine during the war. In this, Picardie did very well and I could begin to have a sense of what Catherine would have gone through. She shares stories of other people who were also captured by French informants and tortured by the Gestapo, and women who were imprisoned at Ravensbrück at the same time as Catherine. Those stories, as you can imagine, were hard to read. Not only did it highlight that there were completely terrible people who had no qualms about sending people to die just because they were “different” but there were so many others who were complicit. Catherine was tortured because she was trying to help stop the war and the atrocities. She was tortured and injured so badly she was never able to have children. French citizens turned on each other and helped the Nazis. And the conditions at the camps were horrifying. There really is no other word for it.

Picardie visited a few of the places that were of significance to Catherine’s life, including Ravensbrück. She puts quite the personal spin on the visits, which I wasn’t expecting but isn’t surprising. I imagine one can’t help but reflect when visiting a place like a concentration camp. What was somewhat irksome was she referenced her own grief in such a way that I felt like I was supposed to know Picardie’s own background and history (from a brief search, I learned her sister died). It seems a bit…harsh, I guess, to remark on the author’s own grief but it took me out of the narrative I was expecting from this book.

The photographs and other images used throughout the book were great and added a lot to the overall narrative of the book. While I wasn’t expecting so much fashion talk, I was glad of the photos that accompanied those chapters. I did a listen/read combo with this one but I’m definitely glad I had a (hefty) physical copy as well so I got the full experience. The audiobook is narrated by Picardie herself and was well done.

Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture was definitely more couture than courage. If you know what to expect going into Justine Picardie’s latest book, I think you’ll enjoy it more. Catherine Dior may have been the focus of the book but she still remains an elusive historical figure.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*  

My review of The Paris Secret