Tag: WWII

Categories
Uncategorized

Blog tour for The Berlin Wife’s Vow (German Wives Book 4) Happy Publication Day

ABOUT THE BOOK

She kneels by her husband, his face contorted with pain. “You must get yourself to safety,” he tells her. She grips his hand tighter as a tear tracks down her drawn, pale face. “I promised to stay beside you. I will keep that vow to the end.”

Berlin, 1944. Edith Falkenstein weeps with joy when the crowds of brave women protesting on Rosenstrasse manage to save their Jewish relatives, including her husband Julius, from deportation to the camps.

Julius once believed abiding by the rules would shield him and his wife. But now he knows better: there is no such thing as mercy from the Nazis, and they must do all they can to save others. Their apartment, long stripped of its luxurious furnishings, might offer little protection from the frigid winter air, but it has become a place of secret shelter—though it puts all their lives at risk.

As bombs rain a thunder of devastation on the city and Soviet soldiers close in from the east, the Nazis have only become more desperate, and more deadly. For the inhabitants, their only option is to flee. But when another raid leaves Julius critically injured, Edith realises he is far too frail to make the perilous journey. She closes her eyes and prays for a miracle.

The final days of the war are here, but there is no cause for celebration in Berlin, where death lingers on every corner. Their love has been the source of their strength and survival all these long years, but will either of them live to see the end?

MY THOUGHTS

This is the final book in the Berlin Wife’s series, and I have diligently read and followed along with it all.

Being fascinated with learning about past history especially WWII history I enjoy reading this author’s books so much for what I learn from them. Exceptionally well researched which I always appreciate she makes the stories come to life on the pages. It’s as though she’s there back in time and writing about her observations in day-to-day life, amidst the fear, danger, courage, blood, sweat, tears and shocking realizations.


I have read most of the books the author has written and was pleased to see a return of characters from other books in the series and even a few characters made it into the book I remember from other series. If I had to choose my favorite characters would be David and Roxie. Roxie has really come a long way from the time we were first introduced to her.


Such resilience in the face of darkness. We meet new characters, see failures but despite these, the human spirit is strong.
I am so impressed with the way the author portrays each character, so realistically, the struggles and hardships are real. Despite all this I felt the strong family love the characters have for each other. I greatly look forward to reading the new series the author is writing.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marion Kummerow writes historical fiction that explores the dark side of human history. A USA Today Bestselling author, she has received rave reviews from readers and critics for her novels about the German resistance during World War II. Her books feature characters who face moral dilemmas, make difficult decisions, and fight for what is right. She also infuses her stories with humor and undying love, because she believes that love is what makes the world go round.

Born and raised in Germany, Marion has lived in various countries before returning to Munich with her family. After writing several non-fiction books, she felt drawn to the past and the subject of resistance to the Nazi regime. It took her years of courage and hard work to turn the true story of her grandparents Ingeborg and Hansheinrich Kummerow into a trilogy: “Love and Resistance in the Second World War”. UNRELENTING is the first book in this series.

Bringing history to life through her books is Marion’s passion. She visits museums, travels to memorials and the locations in her books, reads original source material, and consults experts to meticulously research the historical facts and details in her novels.

Her stories are authentic and immersive, transporting readers to another time and place. She writes with the conviction that we must never forget the past, so it won’t repeat itself.

When she’s not writing or researching, Marion likes to travel, do yoga, and spend time with her family. She also enjoys reading books by other historical fiction authors.

If you want to get a taste of her writing, you can download a free short story about a downed British airman here: https://kummerow.info/

Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
Uncategorized

Embers in the London Sky: (WWII Historical Fiction with Mystery, Suspense, and Clean Romance)

394 pages Revell publisher Feb 6 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.

When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.

MY THOUGHTS

When I think of WWII books this is the author I think of. Her books are amazing, and she is an auto read author for me.
She has a new and interesting take on WWII that I’ve not seen presented before.


As the Nazi’s invade the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens is on her way to London with her husband and son to escape. Her son is separated from her without her permission and the young widow heartbrokenly makes it her mission to find him.

In a city as huge as London it may be next to impossible. It was interesting to read about the reporting the BBC did, how they had to give information but not too much so as to aid the enemies.


As she and BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood draw closer, he vows to do whatever it takes to find her son. I could feel their frustration as they visit many children’s homes where refugee children have been taken, they are so close but yet so far away.


As the search continues you can feel the danger surrounding them with the London Blitz. There are so many twists and turns with events happening while the search continues: multiple murders and a mother’s unwavering love for her son leading to the most heartrending decision of her life.

Pub Date: 06 Feb 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of Embers in the London Sky (February 2024), The Sound of Light (2023), Until Leaves Fall in Paris (2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), and several World War II series.

Sarah’s novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award and was a semi-finalist for the 2023 Carol Award, The Sound of Light, When Twilight Breaks, and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award, and The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers’ groups. Sarah serves as Co-Director for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference.

Is this an author you have read yet? Do you have a favorite book she has written? When Twilight Breaks is one of my favorites by her.

Thank you for stopping in. Enjoy your day.

FONT: MilkyWell READING

Categories
Uncategorized

The Last Restaurant in Paris: Completely heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 fiction

332 pages Bookouture publisher Pub Date 18 Jul 2022 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Paris 1944. To save her people, she served the enemy.

In enemy-occupied Paris, as the locals go to bed starving and defeated by the war, music and laughter spills through the door of a little restaurant, crowded with German soldiers. The owner Marianne moves on weary feet between its packed tables, carrying plates of steaming, wholesome food for the enemy officers. Her smile is bright and sparkling, her welcome cordial. Nobody would guess the hatred she hides in her heart.

That night, the restaurant closes its doors for the final time. In the morning, the windows are scratched with the words ‘traitor and murderer’. And Marianne has disappeared without a trace…

Years later, Marianne’s granddaughter Sabine stands under the faded green awning, a heavy brass key in her hand, staring at the restaurant left to her by the grandmother she never met. Sabine has so many questions about herself. Perhaps here she can find answers, but she knows she isn’t welcome. Marianne was hated by the locals and when Sabine discovers they blamed her for the terrible tragedy that haunts the pretty restaurant, she is ready to abandon her dark legacy.

But when she finds a passport in a hidden compartment in the water-stained walls, with a picture of a woman who looks like her grandmother but has a different name, she knows there must be more to Marianne’s story. As she digs into the past, she starts to wonder: was her grandmother a heroine, not a traitor? What happened to her after the tragic night when she fled from her restaurant? And will the answer change her own life forever?

A haunting and compelling story of love, strength, and sacrifice in Nazi-occupied Paris as one brave young woman risks everything to save the lives of those around her. Fans of The Nightingale, The Paris Library and The Alice Network will lose their hearts to The Last Restaurant in Paris.

Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

MY THOUGHTS

A dual timeline taking place in modern times of 1987 and WW11 years. A gentle back and forth storyline each one easy to follow. Sabine finds out she has inherited a restaurant business in Paris from her grandmother. She is shocked to find out family secrets she had known nothing about.


The author vividly brings the story to life, and it is based on true events. Finding out these secrets is haunting as we can easily visualize the restaurant full of life.

While the young pretty owner of the Parisian restaurant smilingly serves the enemy German soldiers no one can guess the secret she harbors in her heart. Heartbreaking and thought provoking.

The main plot of the story is the action taken that causes her to be labeled a traitor and murderer. I enjoyed reading Gabriel’s thoughts as he actually knew Marianne during WWII. The book has the running of the restaurant as the main focus during the war, which is different than many books, I’ve read but it works well.

This is a book that won’t be easily forgotten.

Pub Date 18 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lily Graham is the author of the bestselling, The Last Restaurant in Paris, The Paris Secret and The Island Villa, among others. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, including French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish.

She grew up in South Africa, and was a journalist for a decade before giving it up to write fiction full time. Her first three novels were lighter, women’s fiction, but when she wrote The Island Villa, a story about a secret Jewish community living on the tiny island of Formentera during the Spanish Inquisition, she switched to historical fiction and hasn’t quite looked back since.

She lives now in the Suffolk coast with her husband and dog.

Thank you for stopping in and enjoy your weekend.

Categories
Uncategorized

Blog Tour for The Berlin Wife’s Resistance by Marion Kummerow 

Book Description:

The soldier looks her dead in the eye, his weapon raised. “You must leave now,” he warns. But this is her last chance to save her husband, and she won’t be silenced…

1943. Fleeing Germany had been Edith Falkenstein and her Jewish husband Julius’s last hope, selling their remaining precious possessions to make the gruelling journey. But to their horror, they are turned away at the Swiss border. Devastated, they return to the tiny Berlin apartment they share with other Jewish families, with its peeling wallpaper and bare kitchen cupboards. It is a world away from the heady glamour of their lives before.

Edith’s worst fears come true when Julius is brutally arrested and imprisoned alongside thousands of other Jewish men, destined for the camps. When she hears the news, Edith feels her heart crack wide open with unbearable grief.

But then she hears of women gathering outside the prison in their hundreds—wives and mothers from every walk of life whose relatives have also been taken. They are united by a single, desperate wish. She links arms with the woman next to her and takes up the chant.

Standing among these brave women offers Edith a flicker of hope. But can they really save their loved ones? And as Edith faces the lines of German soldiers with cold savagery in their eyes, will she pay the ultimate price for this small act of courage?

An absolutely unputdownable, heartbreaking and hopeful story of love and courage. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, My Name is Eva and The Nightingale will be swept away by this book based on incredible true events.

MY THOUGHTS

I have read plenty of WWII books and after a while many of them have starting sounding like the others I’ve read. That is not the case with this author’s books, her books captivate me and keep my attention the whole way through.

Very well researched, the author’s books are automatic reads for me, and I love that I am always learning something new from them. Having read the first two books in the series I was pleased to see this book picks up right where the last one ended. The story is one of survival and the brave women play a big part in this.


Despite the danger they put themselves in the women have had enough and stand up for their families after the rounding up and “cleansing of the Jews.” Such resilience in the face of darkness. We meet new characters, see failures but despite these, the human spirit is strong.


I am so impressed with the way the author portrays each character, so realistically, the struggles and hardships are real. Despite all this I felt the strong family love the characters have for each other. I am very much looking forward to the fourth book in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR

Author Bio:

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her family.

Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.

https://kummerow.info/
https://www.facebook.com/AutorinKummerow/
https://www.instagram.com/marionkummerow/
https://twitter.com/MarionKummerow

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Marion Kummerow here: https://www.bookouture.com/marion-kummerow

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CFM4TMKCsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Have a great day. Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
Uncategorized

From the Dark We Rise: An utterly gripping WW2 historical novel about a devastating secret (Margarete’s Journey Book 2)

252 pages Bookouture Book November 27,2021 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

1942, Germany: A Nazi fortune. A Jewish girl hiding in plain sight. An impossible choice…

When the Nazis destroyed all that Margarete Rosenbaum knew, taking everything and everyone she treasured, she prayed only to survive. Until chance allowed her to disguise herself as Annegret Huber, the daughter of a prominent Nazi.

As Annegret, Margarete had a moment of safety, but now the legacy of her false identity means she must make a devastating decision, and risk everything to save the lives of others.

Because the true Annegret and her family are dead, and the fortune is all hers – all Margarete’s. There is a grand house with crystal chandeliers, and a factory with fences built high and topped with cruel curls of barbed wire. Inside, the workers shiver, their faces gaunt from hunger. Margarete struggles to hide her gasp when—amongst the faces of the prisoners—she sees one that is achingly familiar.

Suddenly, she has hundreds of lives in her hands, including one who means more to her than anyone else left in the world. There’s no question that she must act. From that moment, Margarete is more than just a girl in hiding. She’s a girl who can save others. But in her new position of power, surrounded by the Nazi elite, every move she makes is being watched. Every mistake she makes could lead to disaster.

As the war tears through the country she loves, and turns the world dark, Margarete knows she can’t ignore her chance to stand up against evil. Even if it means risking her own life to save the innocents in her protection…

pin

MY THOUGHTS

This is my second book read in this series in as many days. I’ll just warn you ahead of time, if you start this series, you may as well just buy all four books in it now. There’s no way you’re going to be to read just one, or two…….. Each book will leave you fully engaged in the author’s writing and needing to get right to the next book in the series. Each book starts at exactly where it left off in the previous book so an in order read is a must.


In this one, former Jewish maid Margarete has really moved up in the world. After the death of her former employers, an important senior Nazi officer, his wife and daughter she assumes the identity of the dead daughter. Upon taking her papers she must now assume her identity and her self-confidence rises as she goes on the run.

Found by one of the son’s she is forced to live with him, and this SS man falls in love with a Jew. She is devastated by the death of him and his brother in a bombing as he died protecting her.

As the “daughter” of a rich Nazi officer she is the only one left in the family and is shocked to see she has inherited a huge fortune, including a house and factory.
Fooling the staff at the house is easy as they haven’t “seen her” in ten years.

When an escaped prisoner in Nazi Germany turns up, she knows she must help. Through her actions the woman realizes Margarete is also a Jew. Can she trust a few of the staff to keep her secret?

Seemingly with Gestapo and SS everywhere it is getting harder and harder to pretend to be a strong German woman. The tension rolling off the pages kept me glued to them. The working conditions of the war prisoners was hard to read. These people were basically worked to death, very little food, filthy, beaten, no breaks.

My heart breaks for the injustices. How can people treat others like this and live with themselves? Even though it’s her people being treated so poorly Margarete can’t risk doing too much so as not to give her identity away.

I read this in one day, I was riveted and simply couldn’t put it down.

Pub Date 17 Nov 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

“Auschwitz”, “Auschwitz-Birkenau”, and “Birkenau” redirect here. For the town, see Oświęcim. For other uses, see Auschwitz (disambiguation) and Birkenau (disambiguation). Auschwitz concentration camp was a network of concentration and extermination camps built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. It consisted of Auschwitz I (the original concentration camp), Auschwitz II–Birkenau (a combined concentration/extermination camp), Auschwitz III–Monowitz (a labor camp to staff an IG Farben factory), and 45 satellite camps.

THE AUTHOR

Marion Kummerow writes historical fiction that explores the dark side of human history. A USA Today Bestselling author, she has received rave reviews from readers and critics for her novels about the German resistance during World War II. Her books feature characters who face moral dilemmas, make difficult decisions, and fight for what is right. She also infuses her stories with humor and undying love, because she believes that love is what makes the world go round.

Born and raised in Germany, Marion has lived in various countries before returning to Munich with her family. After writing several non-fiction books, she felt drawn to the past and the subject of resistance to the Nazi regime. It took her years of courage and hard work to turn the true story of her grandparents Ingeborg and Hansheinrich Kummerow into a trilogy: “Love and Resistance in the Second World War”. UNRELENTING is the first book in this series.

Bringing history to life through her books is Marion’s passion. She visits museums, travels to memorials and the locations in her books, reads original source material, and consults experts to meticulously research the historical facts and details in her novels.

Her stories are authentic and immersive, transporting readers to another time and place. She writes with the conviction that we must never forget the past, so it won’t repeat itself.

When she’s not writing or researching, Marion likes to travel, do yoga, and spend time with her family. She also enjoys reading books by other historical fiction authors.

If you want to get a taste of her writing, you can download a free short story about a downed British airman here: https://kummerow.info/

Or visit her website for a complete list of her published books and interesting background information: https://kummerow.info/recommended-reading-order/

Categories
Uncategorized

Season of My Enemy (Heroines of WWII)

258 pages Barbour publisher June 01,2022 publish date grab a copy here

ABOUT THE BOOK

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

Only last year, Fannie O’Brien was considered a beauty with a brain, and her future shone bright, despite the war pounding Europe. With her father’s sudden death and her brothers overseas, Fannie must now do the work of three men on their 200-acre farm—until eight German prisoners arrive and, just as Fannie feared, trouble comes too. Someone seems intent on causing “accidents,” and Fannie is certain the culprit is one of the two handsome older Germans—or possibly both. Can she manage the farm, keep the prisoners in line, and hold her family together through these turbulent times?

MY THOUGHTS

This book has an interesting take on WWII. So many books have been written about the men off fighting the war on foreign soil. This one takes place on American soil and is about the people left at home while their loved ones are off fighting.


A woman missing her husband, recently widowed is running their Wisconsin farm along with her two daughters and a son. Her two older sons are in Germany fighting the war. Missing them desperately every day they pray for their safe arrival back home.


One thing I had never heard of was German POW’s being held were used as laborers at farms with a guard at every work area. The farms still needed planting and harvesting to provide for themselves and those on the frontline.


The author brings to life the feelings the characters have in the many situations they are forced to endure.


There is a light romance, but I am glad that it wasn’t the focal point of the book. I enjoyed the information the author presented, especially in her notes in the back of the book. I’ve learned so much from this series.

Pub Date 01 Jun 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Series

THE AUTHOR

Naomi is an award-winning author who crafts her stories from the pristine north woods of Wisconsin, where she and her husband Jeff live as epically as God allows near the families of their five children. She enjoys roaming around on the farm, snacking out of the garden, relaxing in her vintage camper, and loving on her passel of grandchildren. Naomi is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers; and the Lake Superior Writers. Though she has written in a variety of venues, her great love is historical fiction. She had three new releases in 2022. Her novel, Song for the Hunter is the sequel to Mist O’er the Voyageur, a 2019 Selah Awards finalist and two-time Book of the Year nominee. Not for Love is her novella in Barbour’s new Lumberjacks & Ladies collection. Her Heroines of WWII novel titled Season of My Enemy releases in June. She is the author of several other series, collections, and stand-alone novels. Naomi would love to connect with you around the web and you can sign up for her monthly newsletter on her site.

Website: naomimusch.com

FB: Naomi Musch – Author

Twitter: @NMusch

Instagram: Naomi Musch

Goodreads: Naomi Dawn Musch

Bookbub: Naomi Musch

Pinterest: Naomi Musch

Share your smile with someone today. Thanks for stopping in.

Categories
Uncategorized

The Girl from Bletchley Park: Heartbreaking and gripping WW2 historical fiction 

322 pages November 3,2021 publication date HQ Digital publisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

Will love lead her to a devastating choice?

1942. Three years into the war, Pam turns down her hard-won place at Oxford University to become a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. There, she meets two young men, both keen to impress her, and Pam finds herself falling hard for one of them. But as the country’s future becomes more uncertain by the day, a tragic turn of events casts doubt on her choice – and Pam’s loyalty is pushed to its limits…
 
Present day. Julia is struggling to juggle her career, two children and a husband increasingly jealous of her success. Her brother presents her with the perfect distraction: forgotten photos of their grandmother as a young woman at Bletchley Park. Why did her grandmother never speak of her time there? The search for answers leads Julia to an incredible tale of betrayal and bravery – one that inspires some huge decisions of her own…

Gripping historical fiction perfect for fans of The Girl from Berlin, The Rose Code and When We Were Brave.

Grab a copy here

Lots of information about Bletchley Park and the Codebreakers/WWII

MY THOUGHTS

What an excellent read. I’ve had this in my tbr pile for several years and I’m so glad I finally had a chance to get to it.

A beautiful time-slip historical fiction novel taking place in 1942, Bletchley Park and modern times. I know when I read a time-slip I usually connect with one of the time periods more but in this book, I’ve enjoyed reading both time periods equally.

A young married woman, Julia is frustrated. She has two young boys, an inattentive husband, jealous of her being the breadwinner in the family. He just doesn’t seem to have the time or interest in her anymore though she tries to hold it all together, cooking, cleaning, being super Mom, working and being there for her husband.

Her brother thinks he’ll help distract her and gives her forgotten photos of her grandmother during a family clean out after her death. Once she starts investigating, she finds out so much. Pamela, her grandmother has given up a fantastic schooling offer at Oxford University to become a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. Julia had no idea her grandmother had done this because she never once spoke of this.

The older generation kept secrets of this tragic time they were told to never talk about even to family members and their secrets died with them. While at Bletchley Park, two men vie for her attention, but she makes her choice and the other remains her friend. As Julia finds out more information from her grandmother’s best friends daughter things become clearer.

The secrets are slowly unwrapped like tissue paper, not too much is revealed at a time. Each story progresses in its time period, I could hardly put this down and read it in one day.

Some very surprising events happened to each woman, but these women are strong and have the support of family. They know what’s important is not themselves but their family. Heartbreaking but the light shines through with these women’s resilience.

Pub Date 03 Nov 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Frugal Wartime Recipes to See You Through Challenging Times!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGurl lives in Christchurch, UK, with her husband. She has two sons who have both now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has published several novels with HQ and self-published another. She has also sold dozens of short stories to women’s magazines, and written three How To books for writers. After a long career in the IT industry she became a full time writer in 2019. When she’s not writing, she’s often out running, slowly.

Website: kathleenmcgurl.com

Twitter: @KathMcGurl

Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping in.

Categories
Uncategorized

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Forgotten Children by Ann Bennett

About The Book

Paris, 1941. As we drive down the cobbled street, I take in the red banners with swastikas covering every building. Suddenly a group of guards appears. I duck beneath the window of the car, and my heart thumps as my hand jumps to my chest. But I’m not wearing my yellow star now, I left it with my sister. Tears well in my eyes. Will I ever see her again?

1939. Standing in front of the orphanage’s imposing stone walls, eleven-year-old Jewish twins Helga and Ruth shiver with fear. The war has taken their mother and father, their home in Berlin has been turned to rubble, but their soft, dark eyes meet and Helga gives Ruth a reassuring smile. They should be safe here together.

Yet every day bombs fly overhead. And when Ruth becomes desperately unwell, the girls are torn apart. As war rages on, will they ever find each other?

Paris, 1990. When Naomi moves to Paris, she hopes the city will help her find herself again. But whilst exploring the antique markets in the early morning sun, she is shocked to discover a duplicate of a photograph her mother Helga has on her mantelpiece back in London of a magnificent vine-covered villa on the outskirts of the city. Naomi soon discovers it was used as an orphanage during the Second World War. But why was the photo so precious to her mother?

When Naomi tells her mother what she’s found, Helga is furious. She begs Naomi to leave the orphanage alone. But Naomi is already desperate to discover the truth about her mother and the secrets of the other forgotten children of Montmorency. If Naomi learns the heart-shattering mistake her mother made, it will change their lives forever. But if she leaves the secrets in the past, Helga will never find out what happened to her sister…

Breathtaking and unputdownable, this story is about courage, hope and the resilience of the human spirit, perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Sold on a Monday and The Orphan’s Tale.

My Thoughts

The Forgotten Children by Ann Bennett captivated me as I read it. It is a gripping and heartbreaking story. Such an excellent story! Swirled amongst the dual timeline you'll find a historical fiction story filled with sadness as you feel empathy for our young Helga in the earlier timeline. A very trying, scary and confusing time for a young person to have to experience during the war.

 Due to circumstances she had to move around a lot and didn't have the security of a good home environment.
In a later time frame, we meet her daughter, who would really love to know about her mother's past and her experiences. Helga, due to her tragedies will not share her story with her daughter and it's causing such a tension in their relationship.

 Many secrets are being kept; can this mother daughter bond be broken by omission of truths? I very much enjoyed reading Helga's backstory, it's so tragic but yet I could see why she wanted this kept secret and to not bring it to mind again. We get a harsh insight into the darker side of war and how it affected the innocent children. Will her daughter make a breakthrough with her mother?

 The ending was superb, the light shines through in such a beautiful way! I loved this book!

Pub Date 18 May 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0BW4C5W7Wsocial

Visit other blogs on the tour

About the author

Ann Bennett is the author of several historical novels about the second world war in South East Asia, inspired by her father’s experience as a prisoner of the Japanese on the Thai-Burma railway. She has a Law degree and works full time as a lawyer, but is fascinated by India and South East Asia. Since her early twenties she has spent as much time as possible travelling in the region. She’s married with three sons and lives in Surrey.

Author social media:

Website

https://www.bambooheart.co.uk/

Facebook URL

https://www.facebook.com/ann.bennett.104

Instagram URL

https://www.instagram.com/annbennettrann

Twitter URL

Newsletter sign up

Ann Bennett email sign-up

Thank you for stopping in today. Share a smile today.

Categories
Uncategorized

The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific by Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton

397 pages Revell publisher publication date May 2,2023

About the Book

Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire.

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise–until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history.

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive.

Inspired by true stories, The Long March Home is a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.

My Thoughts

The Long March Home is raw, gritty and very realistic. The thing I appreciated is it’s based on true events. Very well researched, I learned a lot and I have read many WWII books so that’s saying something.

Childhood friends from Mobile, Alabama have no idea what they will be facing once they enlist. The Philippines where they’re sent is a world away from Mobile and a whole new culture and many different experiences. Vowing to stick together, always the teens enjoy themselves training waiting for the war to come.

I had not heard of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines or how the Japanese immediately invade the country after bombing Pearl Harbor. The teens are not prepared for the realities of war, the death, the daily struggle for survival with little to eat, standing guard not knowing who’s going to be sneaking up on you.


They are all determined to come back home alive to their loved ones who are desperately waiting for mail and any word of how they’re doing.
Full of hope and determination The Long March Home is a very powerful read. Highly recommended!

Pub Date: 02 May 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Author

Marcus Brotherton is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author or coauthor of more than 25 books that have been called “fascinating,” “brilliantly arranged,” “magical,” and “refreshingly frank.”

Tosca Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of 11 novels, including The Line Between, The Progeny, The Legend of Sheba, and Iscariot. Lee’s work has been praised as “deeply human,” “powerful,” and “mind-bending historical fiction.”

Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping in today.

Categories
Uncategorized

Sisters of Night and Fog: A WWII Novel by Erika Robuck

475 pages Berkley Publisher March 1, 2022 publish date

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Buzzfeed · Bookbub · BookTrib · and more!

Two women, two countries. Nothing in common but a call to fight.

A heart-stopping new novel based on the extraordinary true stories of an American socialite and a British secret agent whose stunning acts of courage collide in the darkest hours of World War II.

About The Book

1940. In a world newly burning with war, andin spite of her American family’s wishes, Virginia d’Albert-Lake decides to stay in occupied France with her French husband. She’s sure that if they keep their heads down, they’ll survive. But is surviving enough?
 
Nineteen-year-old Violette Szabo has seen the Nazis’ evil up close and is desperate to fight them. But when she meets the man who’ll change her life only for tragedy to strike, Violette’s adrift. Until she enters the radar of Britain’s secret war organization—the Special Operations Executive—and a new fire is lit in her as she decides just how much she’s willing to risk to enlist.
 
As Virginia and Violette navigate resistance, their clandestine deeds come to a staggering halt when they are brought together at Ravensbrück concentration camp.
 
The decisions they make will change their lives, and the world, forever.

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

Powerful and heart pounding! The author tells the tale of two women, women whose bravery is beyond compare.
This story based on true events and people shows the bravery these women displayed despite the cost to themselves. Their actions and bravery helped to defeat the Nazis.
Based upon the experiences of renowned WWII SOE agents Violette Szabo and Virginia d’Albert-Lake this book has been meticulously researched. Compelling read, you won’t soon forget the sacrifices these women made.

Published March 1, 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Author

Erika Robuck is the national bestselling author of Sisters of Night and Fog, The Invisible Woman, Hemingway’s Girl, Call Me Zelda, and more. In 2014, Robuck was named Annapolis’ Author of the Year, and she resides there with her family.

Have you read this book or plan to? I’d love to know your thoughts.

Have a fabulous day.