Search
Search results
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Shadow Queen in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I'm not normally big on historical fiction unless it is about World War II, but this book was wonderful. I didn't even know who Wallis Simpson was to be honest. Sure, I'd heard of her, but didn't know much about her life at all. She is such a fascinating character with such a horrific, yet charmed life it was hard not to like her & feel for her with all that she went through.
The book is a mix of fiction & real life, so I don't know exactly what was true & what wasn't. But honestly it doesn't really matter. The story is so easy to lose yourself in & the characters are all so real (I know some of them are really real!) I found myself looking Wallis up on Wikipedia before I was even halfway through the novel, that is how fascinated I had become by her.
I really hope that Rebecca Dean writes another book about Simpson. The book ends before Prince Edward becomes her beau, but it is obvious that is where the whole thing is going. In fact, Edward is hardly even a character in the book. Sure he's in it, but most of it is as a pin up from a magazine or in girlhood fantasies of Wallis & Pamela. He doesn't become real until very late in the story. I would love to read more about their life together!!
Very well done Rebecca!!!
The book is a mix of fiction & real life, so I don't know exactly what was true & what wasn't. But honestly it doesn't really matter. The story is so easy to lose yourself in & the characters are all so real (I know some of them are really real!) I found myself looking Wallis up on Wikipedia before I was even halfway through the novel, that is how fascinated I had become by her.
I really hope that Rebecca Dean writes another book about Simpson. The book ends before Prince Edward becomes her beau, but it is obvious that is where the whole thing is going. In fact, Edward is hardly even a character in the book. Sure he's in it, but most of it is as a pin up from a magazine or in girlhood fantasies of Wallis & Pamela. He doesn't become real until very late in the story. I would love to read more about their life together!!
Very well done Rebecca!!!
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Polish Wife (The Secret Resistance Series) in Books
Apr 4, 2023
I am gradually getting into reading historical fiction and it is through excellent writers like Gosia Nealon that has kept me seeking out something I wouldn't normally consider.
The Polish Wife is part of The Secret Resistance series but the first I have read; I will say that I think it worked as a standalone very successfully.
Although this is a work of fiction, it feels realistic and I can imagine many of the experiences and events written about in this book are similar to what actually happened at various times throughout World War II. What I do know is that any member of the resistance, be they Polish, French, British, etc., were extremely brave individuals and I think Gosia captured that courage very well.
The Polish Wife is, however, more than a story about the fight against the Nazi regime, it's also about love, honour, freedom, survival and hope. The characters Gosia has created are strong and believable and the story if easy to follow but with twists that will have you holding your breath waiting for the outcome which was definitely not a foregone conclusion.
The Polish Wife is one of the top books of this genre I have read so far; I became totally invested and engrossed from the start and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this great read.
The Polish Wife is part of The Secret Resistance series but the first I have read; I will say that I think it worked as a standalone very successfully.
Although this is a work of fiction, it feels realistic and I can imagine many of the experiences and events written about in this book are similar to what actually happened at various times throughout World War II. What I do know is that any member of the resistance, be they Polish, French, British, etc., were extremely brave individuals and I think Gosia captured that courage very well.
The Polish Wife is, however, more than a story about the fight against the Nazi regime, it's also about love, honour, freedom, survival and hope. The characters Gosia has created are strong and believable and the story if easy to follow but with twists that will have you holding your breath waiting for the outcome which was definitely not a foregone conclusion.
The Polish Wife is one of the top books of this genre I have read so far; I became totally invested and engrossed from the start and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this great read.
Rachel (48 KP) rated Small Gods in Books
May 24, 2017
Funny (4 more)
Philosophy
Fantasy
Terry Pratchett
Excellent fiction
The 13th Discworld book
Small God's is the 13th book in the Discworld series. You do not have to have read any of the other books to understand this one as it features characters that (mostly) only appear in this book.
As with all of Pratchett's work it is a subtle blend of humour and humanity. It uses amazing characters and situations to highlight the hypocrisy and insanity of real life.
This book focuses on Brutha; a 'slow', ordinary monk for the God Om. It is the biggest, and most ruthless, religion in this part of the Discworld.
Brutha is gardening, as he always is (not much use for anything else) when a tortoise literally drops into his life and changes his world......
This book questions the hierarchy of religion, the wisdom of power, philosophy, the righteousness of war and whether a tortoise really does make good eating.
As with all of Pratchett's work it is a subtle blend of humour and humanity. It uses amazing characters and situations to highlight the hypocrisy and insanity of real life.
This book focuses on Brutha; a 'slow', ordinary monk for the God Om. It is the biggest, and most ruthless, religion in this part of the Discworld.
Brutha is gardening, as he always is (not much use for anything else) when a tortoise literally drops into his life and changes his world......
This book questions the hierarchy of religion, the wisdom of power, philosophy, the righteousness of war and whether a tortoise really does make good eating.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Midwich Cuckoos in Books
Nov 20, 2019
The Midwich Cuckoos does what a lot of Wyndham's fiction does, taking a normal situation of a sleepy rural village then turning it upside down, showing how fragile our comfortable lives could be.
While one of his best known works, I wouldn't personally rank this as highly as say The Day Of The Triffids or The Kraken Wakes. Whereas I would recommend those to anyone, and as stories that mostly still stand up today, The Midwich Cuckoos plays a lot on themes such as Cold War paranoia to achieve much of its effect, and that has obviously diluted over the years.
It's still a good read and full of the usual Wyndham sense of humanity that grounds even the most far fetched of his stories. Perhaps not quite recommended, but worth picking up one day. It just hasn't stuck in my mind like other works, probably not a good sign for something designed to be thought provoking.
While one of his best known works, I wouldn't personally rank this as highly as say The Day Of The Triffids or The Kraken Wakes. Whereas I would recommend those to anyone, and as stories that mostly still stand up today, The Midwich Cuckoos plays a lot on themes such as Cold War paranoia to achieve much of its effect, and that has obviously diluted over the years.
It's still a good read and full of the usual Wyndham sense of humanity that grounds even the most far fetched of his stories. Perhaps not quite recommended, but worth picking up one day. It just hasn't stuck in my mind like other works, probably not a good sign for something designed to be thought provoking.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Traveller-Inceptio ( Traveller Book 1) in Books
Mar 18, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Traveller Inceptio: Traveller Book 1 by Rob Shackleford is a hard book to put into just one genre. It is both an adventure and a romance while also being science fiction and historical fiction. Overall an odd combination.
A group of friends working towards advanced college degrees decide to work on some research together. They are even able o secure funding from a major security company, Helguard. Their goal is to create new scanning equipment to be used by security in places such as airports. The team works extremely well together and soon they have a working prototype. However, something goes wrong with the machine and a mass of wires fuse together, causing a completely different result. When they turn the machine on and tell it to scan something, the item disappears instead.
After some research, it is discovered that the machine is sending items to the exact same location, just 1,000 years into the past. This discovery naturally gets the attention of governments around the world and the military who try to take over the project. Military men are trained in the ways of the Saxons and are sent back in time to become part of their society and provide reports and pictures of a time period that was originally poorly documented. There are many dangers that the travelers face for this project, but the main one is that the Saxons are currently at war with the Vikings.
What I liked best was the one member of the original team who was largely responsible for the creation of the transporter never claimed it. I am unsure if this is because he remains unaware of what he did, or out of fear because he was messing where he did not belong, either way, this is what stuck with me the most. There was a lot of technical speak, along with war and battle pans that were confusing and boring. The war or battle aspect of the book was very drawn out, though I have never been one to enjoy play-by-play fight scenes.
This is more of an adult book. The length and technical stuff would probably be a bit daunting for younger readers. It is also rather detailed in the more graphic fight scenes (gore) and rape, which might make some readers uncomfortable. I rate this book 2 out of 4. The more interesting parts of this book, such as when Michael is becoming part of the Saxon culture moves quickly and is enjoyable. The duller areas such as the fights and technical speak are dry and really bring this otherwise interesting book down.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
A group of friends working towards advanced college degrees decide to work on some research together. They are even able o secure funding from a major security company, Helguard. Their goal is to create new scanning equipment to be used by security in places such as airports. The team works extremely well together and soon they have a working prototype. However, something goes wrong with the machine and a mass of wires fuse together, causing a completely different result. When they turn the machine on and tell it to scan something, the item disappears instead.
After some research, it is discovered that the machine is sending items to the exact same location, just 1,000 years into the past. This discovery naturally gets the attention of governments around the world and the military who try to take over the project. Military men are trained in the ways of the Saxons and are sent back in time to become part of their society and provide reports and pictures of a time period that was originally poorly documented. There are many dangers that the travelers face for this project, but the main one is that the Saxons are currently at war with the Vikings.
What I liked best was the one member of the original team who was largely responsible for the creation of the transporter never claimed it. I am unsure if this is because he remains unaware of what he did, or out of fear because he was messing where he did not belong, either way, this is what stuck with me the most. There was a lot of technical speak, along with war and battle pans that were confusing and boring. The war or battle aspect of the book was very drawn out, though I have never been one to enjoy play-by-play fight scenes.
This is more of an adult book. The length and technical stuff would probably be a bit daunting for younger readers. It is also rather detailed in the more graphic fight scenes (gore) and rape, which might make some readers uncomfortable. I rate this book 2 out of 4. The more interesting parts of this book, such as when Michael is becoming part of the Saxon culture moves quickly and is enjoyable. The duller areas such as the fights and technical speak are dry and really bring this otherwise interesting book down.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews/
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Witchfinder's Sister in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<i><b>I think now that to be close to someone can be to underestimate them. Grow too close, and you do not see what they are capable of; or you do not see it in time.</b></i>
<i>The Witchfinder’s Sister</i> is based on true life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins that grew to fame during the English Civil War around East Anglia, hunting and killing “witches”. This book isn’t non-fiction, it’s fiction based around non-fiction! I love these sorts of books that create their own stories from something that was very much real. Not only does it make for good reading, they also bring in some true history facts, so you’re being educated on the subject as you read.
High praise goes to Underdown for this novel. I feel like historical fiction can be hard genre to get right, and considering this is a <i>debut</i> novel, I’m amazed at how well put together and beautiful this has turned out to be! I love reading historical fiction, every once in awhile, and this is the sort of book that keeps my love for the genre burning.
The writing in this novel was haunting and beautiful. Nine times out of ten, it was exactly as you would have imagined the 17th Century to be, but I felt there were a few slips that made the book feel modern. For example, would a lady in 1645 say the phrase <i><b>“shitting herself”</b></i>? Correct me if I’m wrong, but that feels like a reasonably modern phrase to me.
I loved our main character, Alice. Me and my mum were talking about historical fiction novels and how we find it hard to understand why women make the decisions they make in these books, because we’re so used to having some equality and independence. But I noted that in this book, even though Alice is inferior to her brother and his counterparts, she is still a risk taker; going against her brother's wishes & sneaking around. I liked that she was strong and a little rebellious, it was so much easier to connect with her because of this.
On the other hand. I <i>hated</i> Matthew. He was a despicable character. I can rarely hate a character in a book, even if I’m supposed to. I tend to find the good in them at some point, or have some sort of sympathy for them, but I absolutely despised Matthew. Well done to Underdown for creating such a hate-inducing character. It’s quite a hard feat, but she managed it perfectly. The same goes for Mary Phillips.
The tension was built so well in this novel, you could feel the mystery growing and growing with every page and I loved it! Though the story moved reasonably slowly, the book was still absolutely riveting and I found it extremely hard to put down when I knew it was time to get some rest.
I am so, so excited to read more from Underdown. This was an amazingly well put together and researched.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
<i>The Witchfinder’s Sister</i> is based on true life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins that grew to fame during the English Civil War around East Anglia, hunting and killing “witches”. This book isn’t non-fiction, it’s fiction based around non-fiction! I love these sorts of books that create their own stories from something that was very much real. Not only does it make for good reading, they also bring in some true history facts, so you’re being educated on the subject as you read.
High praise goes to Underdown for this novel. I feel like historical fiction can be hard genre to get right, and considering this is a <i>debut</i> novel, I’m amazed at how well put together and beautiful this has turned out to be! I love reading historical fiction, every once in awhile, and this is the sort of book that keeps my love for the genre burning.
The writing in this novel was haunting and beautiful. Nine times out of ten, it was exactly as you would have imagined the 17th Century to be, but I felt there were a few slips that made the book feel modern. For example, would a lady in 1645 say the phrase <i><b>“shitting herself”</b></i>? Correct me if I’m wrong, but that feels like a reasonably modern phrase to me.
I loved our main character, Alice. Me and my mum were talking about historical fiction novels and how we find it hard to understand why women make the decisions they make in these books, because we’re so used to having some equality and independence. But I noted that in this book, even though Alice is inferior to her brother and his counterparts, she is still a risk taker; going against her brother's wishes & sneaking around. I liked that she was strong and a little rebellious, it was so much easier to connect with her because of this.
On the other hand. I <i>hated</i> Matthew. He was a despicable character. I can rarely hate a character in a book, even if I’m supposed to. I tend to find the good in them at some point, or have some sort of sympathy for them, but I absolutely despised Matthew. Well done to Underdown for creating such a hate-inducing character. It’s quite a hard feat, but she managed it perfectly. The same goes for Mary Phillips.
The tension was built so well in this novel, you could feel the mystery growing and growing with every page and I loved it! Though the story moved reasonably slowly, the book was still absolutely riveting and I found it extremely hard to put down when I knew it was time to get some rest.
I am so, so excited to read more from Underdown. This was an amazingly well put together and researched.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Lindsay (1706 KP) rated Until Leaves Fall in Paris in Books
Feb 8, 2022
Are you a history buff or a fan of historical fiction? Are you learning about World War II before the Americans entered the war? Desire to find out more about Nazi Germany and what Hitler did in France. Well, this book “Until Leaves Fall in Paris” by Sarah Sundin will take you on a lovely adventure and danger of two people trying to flee and get home save to America.
At this point, we have to meet Lucille and Paul. Will they learn to work together and see if they are made for each other? Will Lucie’s friends influence her to stay away from the new friend she meets and enjoy the company of?
Hitler and Germany are now really somewhat abetted in Paris, France. Is America still unaligned, or are they getting ready to jump in and fight? Both Paul and Lucie have stayed in Paris for two different reasons. The other was convinced to remain; and help the US, while the other chose to help her fled friends.
We are dealing with more resistant and some Germans. The Germans are occupying more of Parisians. Lucille and Paul are doing some dangerous work. Will they be found out?
Paul seems to have detected bad things in his factory. But Will his worker blackmail him? Lucille finds out Paul is working for the US. Paul finds out the bookseller is involved.
What will happen to Josie? Will they all get out safely?
At this point, we have to meet Lucille and Paul. Will they learn to work together and see if they are made for each other? Will Lucie’s friends influence her to stay away from the new friend she meets and enjoy the company of?
Hitler and Germany are now really somewhat abetted in Paris, France. Is America still unaligned, or are they getting ready to jump in and fight? Both Paul and Lucie have stayed in Paris for two different reasons. The other was convinced to remain; and help the US, while the other chose to help her fled friends.
We are dealing with more resistant and some Germans. The Germans are occupying more of Parisians. Lucille and Paul are doing some dangerous work. Will they be found out?
Paul seems to have detected bad things in his factory. But Will his worker blackmail him? Lucille finds out Paul is working for the US. Paul finds out the bookseller is involved.
What will happen to Josie? Will they all get out safely?
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated The Navigator’s Daughter in Books
Jun 13, 2022
Good, but Not What I Expected
When Kat Lawson’s father gets a letter from the DOD that someone has found the wreckage of his downed plane from World War II, he asks Kat to go to Hungary and take pictures of it for him and find out what happened to the people who rescued him. Since Kat’s personal life is in a state of flux, she agrees. What she finds when she gets there are people who are almost too willing to help her. Are they up to something? What will she learn about her father’s past?
This book takes place in 1996 and the setting just after Russia had left Hungary makes for an entertaining read. It allows us to get caught up in not only what happened to these characters during World War II, but also in the decades since. Honestly, if the book had stayed focused on that, I would have been completely satisfied with it. There is a crime fiction element, but it came across more as a sub-plot, and I felt it was a little forced into the book. However, it appears to be setting up future books in the series, and I will definitely be back for them. I enjoyed getting to know Kat and watching her grow as the book progressed. The other characters helped pull me into the story. This is a promising debut that I enjoyed.
This book takes place in 1996 and the setting just after Russia had left Hungary makes for an entertaining read. It allows us to get caught up in not only what happened to these characters during World War II, but also in the decades since. Honestly, if the book had stayed focused on that, I would have been completely satisfied with it. There is a crime fiction element, but it came across more as a sub-plot, and I felt it was a little forced into the book. However, it appears to be setting up future books in the series, and I will definitely be back for them. I enjoyed getting to know Kat and watching her grow as the book progressed. The other characters helped pull me into the story. This is a promising debut that I enjoyed.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated A Short History of the World in Books
Aug 5, 2018
Best known for his classic fiction, HG Wells also wrote a non-fiction book summarising the history of the world, going from the history of the solar system, right up to the date the book was published in 1922.
As I hoped, the book often reads like a novel, with 67 distinct sections, each like a mini story. In order to fit the history of the whole world into one book, by nature the story telling ranges from nice and rapid, to a little too rapid. I found it rather like a catalogue of numerous interesting little nuggets of information. Despite covering events from all over the world, the topics often flow seamlessly from one topic to the next. Due to so many overlapping topics, this history of the world isn't told in a linear purely chronological pattern, but has to go backwards a little, now and again.
At various times throughout, the stories are gripping and Wells successfully brings history to life. I particularly liked the various sections on religious leaders. Appropriately, Wells tackles religion as would any unbiased historian-become storyteller. I also enjoyed the beginning, where Wells paints a crystal clear picture of our solar system and the vast empty space that our dramas are within. His description of our galaxy sounds nothing short of beautiful.
The book was meant to be predominantly factual, but Wells did include a substantial amount of speculation and opinion. This does not distract from the storyline, but adds value in generating the concepts of the time periods.
It covers progress and prosperity as much as carnage and decimation, and provides good explanations of everything it covers. (Although it would benefit from more illustrations). At times it feels detail heavy but also gives the reader a feel for each age - the book is not limited to which country went to war with which country and when, but also examines changes in ways of thinking through the ages. Including the Ancient Greek philosophers, Arabian progress in maths and science, the advent of experimental science, and the development of political and social ideas in Wells’ time.
I was reassured to learn that despite not studying the history of the world in its entirety in school, I was already familiar with much of the book’s content. Having said that, there were also topics where I really felt I was learning something. I read Wells’ opinion on why the Roman Empire fell, and how the industrial revolution was not merely a revolution in machinery, but rather a revolution in how people conducted their everyday lives. There were also some important figures from history described that were never mentioned in my school days, particularly Charlemagne and Roger Bacon.
Towards the end of the book, Wells correctly predicts another war like that of the Great War. However his final message was one of faith and hope in humanity’s progress.
With such a huge scope, Wells must have struggled with deciding what topics to include and what to exclude. I thought he ought to have included a touch more detail on Ancient Egypt, and on the causes of the Great War (World War 1). As a British person myself I would have liked to have seen more on British history.
Likewise, if the book were written now rather than 1922 I began to speculate on what he would and wouldn’t have included. I imagine there would certainly be a section on World War 2, rockets into space, the internet, and 9/11. He would have provided an excellently conducted section on how humans are destroying the planet.
One of the beauties of this book has to be its availability. If you type “short history of the world” into Google, the free PDF of this book takes up much of the first 2 pages of results. If you’re sketchy on world history, this book will fill in the main blanks, and is worth a read if this is your aim, especially if you wish to do so quickly. The fact that it’s split up into so many succinct sections also means that you can pick up and put down the book as often as opportunity allows. It also works well as a reference book, as it does not need to be read from cover to cover in order to look up one particular event or time period.
In summary, this book would be a welcome addition to bookshelf (or ebook library) of the general non-fiction fan or historian.
Find more of my book review on www.bookblogbycari.com
As I hoped, the book often reads like a novel, with 67 distinct sections, each like a mini story. In order to fit the history of the whole world into one book, by nature the story telling ranges from nice and rapid, to a little too rapid. I found it rather like a catalogue of numerous interesting little nuggets of information. Despite covering events from all over the world, the topics often flow seamlessly from one topic to the next. Due to so many overlapping topics, this history of the world isn't told in a linear purely chronological pattern, but has to go backwards a little, now and again.
At various times throughout, the stories are gripping and Wells successfully brings history to life. I particularly liked the various sections on religious leaders. Appropriately, Wells tackles religion as would any unbiased historian-become storyteller. I also enjoyed the beginning, where Wells paints a crystal clear picture of our solar system and the vast empty space that our dramas are within. His description of our galaxy sounds nothing short of beautiful.
The book was meant to be predominantly factual, but Wells did include a substantial amount of speculation and opinion. This does not distract from the storyline, but adds value in generating the concepts of the time periods.
It covers progress and prosperity as much as carnage and decimation, and provides good explanations of everything it covers. (Although it would benefit from more illustrations). At times it feels detail heavy but also gives the reader a feel for each age - the book is not limited to which country went to war with which country and when, but also examines changes in ways of thinking through the ages. Including the Ancient Greek philosophers, Arabian progress in maths and science, the advent of experimental science, and the development of political and social ideas in Wells’ time.
I was reassured to learn that despite not studying the history of the world in its entirety in school, I was already familiar with much of the book’s content. Having said that, there were also topics where I really felt I was learning something. I read Wells’ opinion on why the Roman Empire fell, and how the industrial revolution was not merely a revolution in machinery, but rather a revolution in how people conducted their everyday lives. There were also some important figures from history described that were never mentioned in my school days, particularly Charlemagne and Roger Bacon.
Towards the end of the book, Wells correctly predicts another war like that of the Great War. However his final message was one of faith and hope in humanity’s progress.
With such a huge scope, Wells must have struggled with deciding what topics to include and what to exclude. I thought he ought to have included a touch more detail on Ancient Egypt, and on the causes of the Great War (World War 1). As a British person myself I would have liked to have seen more on British history.
Likewise, if the book were written now rather than 1922 I began to speculate on what he would and wouldn’t have included. I imagine there would certainly be a section on World War 2, rockets into space, the internet, and 9/11. He would have provided an excellently conducted section on how humans are destroying the planet.
One of the beauties of this book has to be its availability. If you type “short history of the world” into Google, the free PDF of this book takes up much of the first 2 pages of results. If you’re sketchy on world history, this book will fill in the main blanks, and is worth a read if this is your aim, especially if you wish to do so quickly. The fact that it’s split up into so many succinct sections also means that you can pick up and put down the book as often as opportunity allows. It also works well as a reference book, as it does not need to be read from cover to cover in order to look up one particular event or time period.
In summary, this book would be a welcome addition to bookshelf (or ebook library) of the general non-fiction fan or historian.
Find more of my book review on www.bookblogbycari.com
Merissa (11805 KP) rated The Scent of a Storm in Books
Dec 8, 2021 (Updated Jul 9, 2023)
THE SCENT OF A STORM is the second book by this author I have read and gave me the same authentic feel I got from the first. This is based upon real events that made it into the history books.
One thing that seems easy to forget is not everyone in Germany thought Hitler was doing the right thing; not everyone belonged to the SS. This book paints the picture of what it was like for those who tried to live as best they could before they were unwillingly drawn into the middle of events that would change their lives forever.
The hardships told in this book sound like fiction; terrible, horrible fiction, which makes it even harder to understand when you realise circumstances like those mentioned were 'normal'.
Whilst the whole book is brilliantly written, I preferred it when Annie and Werner were young, even though the conditions were heartbreaking. When it changed to the more recent time, I felt like I'd lost something. That is the way of war, I guess. I just wanted more than I received.
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. 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!
Dec 8, 2021
One thing that seems easy to forget is not everyone in Germany thought Hitler was doing the right thing; not everyone belonged to the SS. This book paints the picture of what it was like for those who tried to live as best they could before they were unwillingly drawn into the middle of events that would change their lives forever.
The hardships told in this book sound like fiction; terrible, horrible fiction, which makes it even harder to understand when you realise circumstances like those mentioned were 'normal'.
Whilst the whole book is brilliantly written, I preferred it when Annie and Werner were young, even though the conditions were heartbreaking. When it changed to the more recent time, I felt like I'd lost something. That is the way of war, I guess. I just wanted more than I received.
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. 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!
Dec 8, 2021