The Lost Airman: A True Story of Escape from Nazi-Occupied France
Book
Arthur Meyerowitz was on his second air mission over France when he was shot down in 1943. He was...
A Theory in Vienna
Book
‘I bring to light a truth, which was unknown for many centuries with direful results for the human...
Historical Fiction
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Midwife's Child (WW2 Resistance Series #3) in Books
May 21, 2023
This is the third in this series but I think it works successfully as a standalone because whilst there are recurring characters, each book is a separate story which focusses on one of those recurring characters.
The Midwife's Child centres around Maggie, a former SOE Special Operations Executive) but now incarcerated in Auschwitz following her capture. There she finds herself working in the camp hospital where the devil incarnate, Joseph Mengele, practised his infamous experiments and where Maggie is determined to save the life of her friend Eva and new born, Leah. The end of the war is fast approaching and the Russians are getting close, Eva is too unwell to go on the forced march so she begs Maggie to save her child and reunite her with her father. A seemingly impossible task but one which Maggie vows to complete.
Told from two timelines, from her time as a doctor working in the 'hospital' at Auschwitz towards the end of the war and the period afterwards, The Midwife's Child is a story of exceptional courage, duty, love, friendship and hope and a story that I highly recommended to those of you who enjoy this genre and I have to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Midwife's Child.
Kelly (279 KP) rated The Birth of a Nation (2016) in Movies
Jan 9, 2019
The film tells a story of a personal history, which may otherwise be forgotten and serves as a stark reminder of what happens when we allow profits to prioritise over humanity. The bulk of the film concentrates on the slipping standards and increasing violence on the plantation where Nat was enslaved. Being a preacher, Nat was privy to conditions on nearby plantations, but chose to act after a series of event, which included the brutal attack of his wife and his own lashing for baptising a white man without the permission of his owner.
The acting within the film was good and believable. The plot line includes some pretty horrific scenes that demonstrates the ways in which slaves were punished. These scenes were used to serve a purpose to the story rather than forced to the audience.
Personally, I felt that the film itself focuses too much on the motivation of Nat Turners rebellion, and brushed over the events of the rebellion and Nat’s execution. However I have still scored the film highly, as I believe that it is a story that needs to be told in order to remind us of the horrific way that an entire race of people were perceived and treated during the 17 and 1800s. So many story’s of brave people have been lost, and we need to be aware of stories like that of Nat Turner in order to understand that slaves were not always complacent of their circumstance.
Serpico (1973)
7.7
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Movie Watch
Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) is an idealistic New York City cop who refuses to take bribes, unlike the...
Fruitvale Station (2013)
6.5
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Movie Watch
Though he once spent time in San Quentin, 22-year-old black man Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) is...
Every Man Dies Alone: A Novel
4.0
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Book
This never-before-translated masterpiece--by a heroic best-selling writer who saw his life crumble...
Beyond the Call: The True Story of One World War II Pilot's Covert Mission to Rescue Pows on the Eastern Front
Jeremy Dronfield and Lee Trimble
Book
As the Red Army advanced across Poland in 1945, thousands of freed Allied POWs - viewed by the...
When I realised that this was based on a true story, I decided to read it, thinking that because it was meant that it wouldn’t to be too pink and fluffy. And I was quite glad that I picked it up because it was entertaining.
I really liked Maya, the fact that she seemed so normal. I loved that her obsession with James was so obvious, it made her such a relatable character.
I did struggle a bit with the pace of the novel. It was quite slow all the way through, when I’m more into novels that jump straight into a good juicy plot. But I should have expected this from a book that’s about missed chances.
It was definitely an enjoyable read, with some funny parts. It also definitely made me smile. However I did definitely struggle with it, and to say that it’s only short, it took me a bit longer to read than I thought it would. It just seemed to be missing something.
But since it’s based on a true story, I’m not sure I can really comment much on the plot.
It’s definitely worth reading if you like Jojo Moyes, and I did enjoy it. My only comment is that the pace seemed to let it down.
