God's Rainbow
Jaroslav Durych and David Short
Book
This is a book about collective guilt, individual fate, and repentance, a tale that explores how we...
Hollywood's Hawaii: Race, Nation, and War
Book
Whether presented as exotic fantasy, a strategic location during World War II, or a site combining...
Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated The Diplomat’s Wife in Books
Jan 14, 2021
It kept me guessing right until the very last chapters, which is very unusual.
It follows Emma and her grandson as they travel around Europe to France, Germany and finally Spain to solve a mystery that Emma has been trying to work out for 40 years... what happened to her brother. Throughout the book she tells her grandson but about her life in the 30s before WWII broke out when she met and married her husband - a British diplomat.
I loved that the font changed when it came to the chapters about Emma’s life in the 30s and when she was with Phil in the 70s, it made it so much easier when I’d put the book down (unwillingly!) for a little while to remember, just by looking, the perspective the book was coming from.
I was very sad about the book ending, as it was such a lovely read and one that was very easy to lose yourself in. I would definitely recommend it!
Among the Red Stars
10.0
Rate It
Book
A suspenseful historical YA debut inspired by the true story of an all-female bomber unit in Russia...
war military Russia WWII YA young adult
Merissa (12781 KP) rated A Lightness in My Soul in Books
Jan 18, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)
Just like the British evacuated their children, so did the Germans, although not everyone was put into homes, but camps instead. This is a heartbreaking and harrowing tale, told in the first person, as Arthur goes to a KLV camp. You stay with him as he begins to question just what is going on, then the Americans arrive, and you stay with him in the aftermath of that.
The conditions Arthur has to face are very well-written, managing to give the reader the horror and hopelessness of the situation without making it gruesome or unnecessarily violent.
For anyone with an interest in the history of WWII, especially if you are interested in the German perspective, then this is definitely one for your bookshelves. A one-sitting, engrossing read highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 18, 2021
The Girl from Bologna (Girls from the Italian Resistance #3) by Siobhan Daiko
Book
Bologna, Italy, 1944, and the streets are crawling with German soldiers. Nineteen-year-old Leila...
Historical Fiction Women's Fiction WWII Italian Historical Historical Romance
The Shadow Network (WW2 Secret Agent #2)
Book
One woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth in this enthralling historical novel,...
Historical Fiction Thriller WWII
Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders
Games and Entertainment
App
Apple Design Award 2013 Winner! Launched as Editor's choice on the AppStore! Slide To Play - 4 out...
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Darkest Hour (2017) in Movies
Jan 14, 2018
This film focuses partially on that, but more on Churchill's doubt within himself and his party he can faithfully executive the weight of being Prime Minister during the "darkest" of times and having to make the hard decisions especially involving many human lives and the possible ultimate fate of his country itself.
Obviously, this film is mainly a character study of Churchill and Gary Oldman's transformation into him. The make up is astounding as is his portrayal. Only occasionally do you see glimpses of the cranky Oldman we know from other films like Air Force One, Bram Stoker's Dracula and JFK. Otherwise his submersion into the character is complete.
I was unaware of the doubt the country and some of its key leaders had in Churchill, so this made for an interesting watch.
I thought the film maybe could have been 10-15 minutes shorter, but this is a mild complaint for an otherwise masterful film with beautiful direction with both the art direction and cinematography shining brightly.
Highly recommended.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Something Old, Something New in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Love, loss, betrayal -- all in the time of Nazis
Elodie and Monique are rummaging through their family attic one day when they come across an old trunk full of letters and memorabilia. They find it all extremely interesting, so they start to peruse the trinkets. Little do they know this will set them on a whirlwind adventure through their family history, bringing to light that which has been hidden for decades.
I absolutely loved this story. It has so much information regarding World War II, and it really gets to the heart of what it was like for families during that time, especially those living in occupied France, such as the one featured. There are many issues expressed during the course of the novel, and not just those stemming for the occupation. It made for a very interesting read that I couldn't put down, and I love the format in which it's written: the story being told to an author in order to help Elodie write the book on her family.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good romp through history, especially the WWII era, as well as those who like intrigue, love stories, and just great stories.
5 stars