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
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This is the true story about nine young women brought together under the most heinous of situations but who, together, show the power of friendship amongst the shadow of human depravity and the light of the kindness of strangers.
The book follows each of the nine before, during and after the WWII and whilst this ensured a complete picture was formed it did jump a bit between different times, people and different places which made it difficult to follow and, I think, detracted from the flow somewhat. Despite this, I got a real sense of the personalities and characters of each of the women and it was really interesting to read about the plight of political prisoners and captured resistance fighters during this time period.
By the very nature of this book and it's subject matter, it is not an easy read however the resilience, bravery and courage of these young women deserves to be told and should be told. I also feel that, done sensitively, this could work well on the big screen which would bring this amazing story to the masses.
Thank you to Bonnier Books UK / Manilla Press and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.
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