New Release Review ~ Come from Away ~ Genevieve Graham #2018NewRelease

Come from Away by Genevieve Graham
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author via Netgalley. This did not affect my rating and my review is provided voluntarily.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
In the fall of 1939, Grace Baker's three brothers, sharp and proud in their uniforms, board Canadian ships headed for a faraway war. Grace stays behind, tending to the homefront and the general store that helps keep her small Nova Scotian community running. The war, everyone says, will be over before it starts. But three years later, the fighting rages on and rumours swirl about "wolf packs" of German U-Boats lurking in the deep waters along the shores of East Jeddore, a stone's throw from Grace's window. As the harsh realities of war come closer to home, Grace buries herself in her work at the store.

Then, one day, a handsome stranger ventures into the store. He claims to be a trapper come from away, and as Grace gets to know him, she becomes enamoured by his gentle smile and thoughtful ways. But after several weeks, she discovers that Rudi, her mysterious visitor, is not the lonely outsider he appears to be, but someone else entirely - someone not to be trusted. When a shocking truth about her family forces Grace to question everything she has so strongly believed, she realizes that she and Rudi have more in common than she had thought. And if Grace is to have a chance at love, she must not only choose a side, but take a stand.

After reading Sophia's review of Tides of Honour (@Delighted Reader), I determined that Genevieve Graham was an author I needed to read. There were several reasons for this: 1) Her story seemed well written and she crafted fully-realized characters, and 2) The setting is Canada (Nova Scotia, specifically) and Ms. Graham tells stories set during Canadian history that I'm unfamiliar with and curious about as well as writing about the Acadian people whom I'm also unfamiliar with and curious about. So when Ms. Graham contacted me asking if I'd be interested in Come from Away, I was giddy! And I was also not disappointed.

Come from Away is set in Nova Scotia with WWII as the backdrop. It revolves around the Baker family, their life in the small fishing town of East Jeddore, and how the war affects them. It delves into perceptions, feelings, and emotions experienced when loved ones are far away fighting and everything you read or hear about the enemy paints them *all* as monsters.

Grace has stayed home to tend to her family and her hometown via working at the general store. She struggles with this decision, uncertain if she's doing her part for the war effort. She'd really like for things to return to normal - where one of her biggest concerns would be her brothers teasing her over her impending spinsterhood. When the town holds a dance, Grace meets a young man who makes her heart race and as she later gets to know him, he challenges her preconceived notions and perceptions - makes her consider her own prejudices and those of he neighbors.

Rudi arrives in East Jeddore on a mission and stays by way of a twist of fate. He grew up very differently than Grace. He was raised to feel a nationalistic pride unlike most. But the things he's seen and experienced at home and during the war make him question what he was taught. Rudi is forced to make difficult decisions and must learn to deal with the perceptions about himself and his countrymen. He must figure out a way to prove that in his heart, he's a good man.

The ways in which Ms. Graham dealt with the ugliness of war and he feelings he war evoked - the pride of country and the hatred towards the enemy on both sides - was masterful. Especially in that she used those who'd seen war, those currently fighting, to impart logic and reason upon a subject that seemingly has none. Watching as Grace fought against her prejudices to embrace her feelings for Rudi, how she and her family had to deal with a community who would persecute their own over the biases created by war was gut-wrenching and heartwarming. Ms. Graham illustrated the triumph of humanity over war in this story. It's a beautiful, timely, and brilliantly rendered story. And one that made me a fan of Ms. Graham's storytelling abilities. I'll be reading more for certain.

Review ~ The Alice Network ~ Kate Quinn #TakeControl

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: Purchased in paperback
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #TakeControl
Goodreads

Synopsis
In an enthralling new historical novel from the national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women - a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947 - are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

Masterfully written, impeccably researched with characters who leap from the pages and setting so well conveyed I could fairly smell the sea, the countryside, the hyacinths, The Alice Network was engaging, entertaining, and enlightening. I'm eager to devour all KQuinn's novels.

Seriously, y'all. This books is so good! I've been telling Hubs about it - my kids too! - and he finally said:

H: Stop telling me about it or I'm not going to need to read it. 

Me: But you HAVE to read it! It's sooo good!!

The story is told in two timelines - one during WWI and from Eve's POV and the other in 1947, just after the end of WWII and from Charlie's POV. KQuinn did an phenomenal job of tying these two women's stories together and in such a compelling way. I don't really want to say much about the plot because I think reading it as it unfolds is so much more affecting. But here are some highlights from my perspective:

• History
  The historical detail - from both wars - illustrates KQuinn's skill and attention to detail. From the elements of a network made up of female spies to the feelings of those affected by the wars and the disasterous landscape left in the wake of the wars, KQuinn placed me in war-torn France and England during both eras. I must also make special mention of how well she conveyed the feelings of utter helplessness and frustration felt by both heroines at not having control over the lives by simple virtue of being female. I know we've come a long way and still have a long way to go but living during either of these time periods would have been stifling.
• Intrigue/Suspense
  KQuinn kept me turning the pages swiftly with the need to know...was she found out? did she find the person she was looking for? how did she end up in her current predicament? is her bravery/courage rewarded? does she find redemption? And all these questions apply to both heroines!
• Character Development
  I'm a huge fan of unconventional heroines and both Eve and Charlies qualify. They each dug deep and found the courage to go for what they wanted/needed in life. But there's also a few more characters in the novel - Alice and Finn, specifically - who fit the bill. KQuinn did spectacularly in creating these characters and bringing them to life so vividly. The way she brought Eve and Charlie together - two women who needed each other to prove their worth to themselves, to find the redemption they were each looking for, and to figure out a way to move forward in their lives - was creative and well executed. And Alice and Finn were incredibly defined as well, adding to the depth of the story overall.

The Alice Network has everything that makes for good historical fiction. And I can guarantee you'll see more of KQuinn here as I read her backlist.

Review ~ The Nightingale ~ Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: Gift
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove
Goodreads ~ Amazon

Synopsis
Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her.

As the war progresses, the sisters' relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.

It took me awhile to put some thoughts into words about The Nightingale and even as I'm typing this review, I find myself affected by the story. It's powerful, thought-provoking, impactful...in short, it's a read that will stay with me for a very long time. 

The Nightingale tells the story of two women, sisters, and the roles they take on during WWII France. But more than that, it tells the story of the human spirit, and what it can endure under great duress. What a woman will do when she's greatly aggrieved by injustices perpetrated against her people - people in general. What a mother will abide to protect her children.

We all know of the atrocities committed by the Germans during WWII - although I will admit to learning a few history lessons about France during the reading of this book - but here, Hannah sets about showing the reader how the war affected the women left behind. It made me question how I'd be affected, how I'd act and react, what I'd suffer to protect my children. It made me wonder at the human spirit - how it can still soar when it seems humanity is lost. And it made me grateful - grateful to have never experienced such pain, tragedy, loss at the hands of humans. It also made me grateful and hopeful - for our world - to see the human spirit triumph.

"Think about who you are and what sacrifices you can live with and what will break you." 

"In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are. And sometimes, perhaps, we don't want to know what we would do to survive."

"But love has to be stronger than hate, or there is no future for us."

This was my first time reading Hannah...it won't be my last. Her skill was deftly illustrated in this novel which was engrossing as well as touching...haunting...these characters, Vianne and Isabelle, will live on in my heart.