
City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940's
Book
In 1939, fifty million Americans went to the movies every week, Louis B. Mayer was the highest-paid...

Where Every Man (Inspector James Given #4)
Book
James Given must investigate another murder in wartime France! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie,...
Historical Fiction World War II France

David McK (3562 KP) rated Hearts of Stone in Books
Feb 9, 2022
Until recently, I've tended to avoid his few works that are more contemporary in nature, only recently (towards the end of last year) reading Blackout as I felt they were 'too close' (if that makes sense) for comfort for me in that there are still people alive who lived through the setting.
I must admit, I did quite enjoy Blackout so thought I would also give this a go, due to the roughly the same (WW2) setting.
This novel flits back and forth between then and 'now' (of 2013), as the descendants of the main 1940s settings character start to discover more about their ancestors - in particular, as history teacher Anna uncovers the story of her maternal grandmother Eleni, who participated in the Greek resistance on the island of Lefkas during 1943.
The whole had-a-German-friend in 1939 thing almost seems incidental to the story (he's not), until roughly about the final third.
And yes, I did pick up on the arguments in favour of teaching history (a subject I did, mostly, enjoy in school) passages.

Bluegrass Bluesman: A Memoir
Josh Graves, Fred Bartenstein and Neil V. Rosenberg
Book
A pivotal member of the hugely successful bluegrass band Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain...

John Lee Sonny Boy Williamson: The Blues Harmonica of Chicago's Bronzeville
Book
John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson was one of the most popular blues harmonica players and singers from...

Illinois State Redbirds Football
Book
This first-ever history of the Illinois State University football program chronicles Redbird legends...

Concepts in Law and Economics: A Guide for the Curious
Book
Economic debates about markets and freedom from the late 1940s onwards focused increasingly on how...

The Road to Bittersweet
Book
Set in the Carolinas in the 1940s, The Road to Bittersweet is a beautifully written, evocative...
literary fiction

Modern Landscape Architecture: A Critical Review
Book
These twenty-two essays provide a rich forum for assessing the tenets, accomplishments, and limits...