The Stars in the Night

by Clare Rhoden

Harry Fletcher is a confident young man.

Harry’s sure that he will marry Nora MacTiernan, no matter what their families say. He’s certain that he will always be there to protect Eddie, the boy his father saved from the gutters of Port Adelaide.

Only the War to End All Wars might get in the way of Harry’s plans…

From the beaches of Semaphore to the shores of Gallipoli, the mud of Flanders to the red dust of inland South Australia, this is a story of love, brotherhood, and resilience.

Genres: Historical Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2019

About the author

Clare Rhoden started making up stories early and never stopped. She writes sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction with loveable characters, adventurous plots and awesome world building.
Clare loves books, books, books, dogs, cats, craft and gardening.
Oh, and her husband - forever.
Clare is a writer, editor and reviewer from Melbourne Australia.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Fletcher and his foster brother Eddie were close. Ever since his dad had rescued him from the gutter as a six-year-old, Harry had been there for him. When Harry enlisted to fight in WWI, Eddie was right there by his side. Harry was sweet on Nora MacTiernan – he’d known her since he was twelve – and Eddie was sweet on Peggy. They lived with Harry’s mum, Irish born Ellen, and their siblings in Semaphore in South Australia. But the war interrupted their peaceful lives…

Once training was done, it was Gallipoli they headed to first. The disaster of Gallipoli was their first introduction to the war. But it was the mud and freezing cold of Flanders that shook them up. The war didn’t want to end – the deaths of friends and fellow soldiers was all around Harry and Eddie. The horrors were real…

Would Harry return home to Nora? Would he be the same man who left?

The Stars in the Night by Aussie author Clare Rhoden tells the story of a shocking war, in part by means of a diary and letters home. Told in two time frames, with a granddaughter going through old letters and the discovery of a notebook after her grandmother dies, in 1970 and 1917 onward in the war years. Heartbreaking, sad and emotional as the war most surely was, the days, months and years after the war were full of hope and happiness, littered with lingering grief and post traumatic stress – though not recognized as such back then. Rhoden has told a well-researched story, of which the idea came from stories of her own grandparents’ emigration from Europe to Port Adelaide in 1914. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Odyssey Books for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Isobel Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stars in the Night opens on a grieving Harry Fletcher missing his wife, Nora. His granddaughter is helping him go through Nora's things. She discovers a journal, composed in WW1 and she insists on hearing her grandfather's story. After a charming portrait of the old man, Harry - heavy of heart, his mind laden with memories - and descriptions of Semaphore, his childhood, his friends and family, the narrative shifts back to the war. First to Gallipoli and then ultimately to Passchendaele, where Harry and his foster brother, Eddie, live out the day-to-day reality of trench warfare. The Stars in the Night captures all that World War One was at a very human level, focussing on the before, the during and the aftermath of survivors picking up their lives. This is a story of resilience, of tragedy, of coming to terms, and of love and hope. At times unbearably sad, at others triumphant and even a little funny, the novel paints a picture of war that is intimate, showing how events occurring in the trenches impacted on the lives of a small coastal village in Australia.Rhoden is careful not to portray her protagonist, Harry, in a stereotypical Aussie bloke fashion. The prose has a distinctly Australian flavour, the tone carrying a hint of Aussie vernacular, but that voice is thankfully not over-played. Rhoden has crafted real men with cares and troubles and shame and big hearts. Plotting, pacing, characterisation are all excellent. The structure - a patchwork of carefully woven scenes interspersed with letters and fragments of Eddie's diary - works perfectly. The story is well-researched. Scenes in the trenches are graphic enough and horrifying. Rhoden's prose comes into its own during the battle scenes:"Now all his senses were stretched alive. The riven darkness slashed his vision, violently radiant with fire, while the air bucked, furrowed by metal. The noise pushed against his ears and the deceitful duckboards beneath him wore a slimy reptilian coat."Such visceral prose that abounds throughout to my mind places The Stars in the Night in the canon of novels set in WW1. This is the smoothest, most unpretentious and laid-bare engaging war story I have read in a long time. Rhoden is a master storyteller, displaying insight, restraint and empathy. Rhoden has crafted a gem of a story that I hope becomes a set text in Australian schools. Unputdownable.

[S.C. Karakaltsas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year, I discovered letters, photos and other paraphernalia which belonged to my grandparents. There were letters from my grandfather when he fought in WW1. He spent time in Egypt and then in France where he was wounded. The Stars in the Night took my breath away as I was transported to some of the same places where my grandfather had been.

Clare Rhoden tells the story of Harry Fletcher, who with his foster brother Eddie heads off in December 1914 from Semaphore, a town in South Australia to Egypt, Gallipoli and France. He leaves behind the love of his life, Nora and despite the fact they're from different backgrounds, his desire to come back and marry her drives him to survive.

The author artfully takes us on a journey and what a journey it is.

Through Egypt -
‘every bit of Egypt, from the vomit and crap in the ward to the bustling, slovenly, thieving damn streets, stank like damnation.'
To Gallipoli -
‘Anzac Cove had a stench, too, higher that the waste out the back of the butcher shop in January. Australian and Turkish dead lay bloating between the lines.’
To the trenches of France -
‘There was watery mud up to his chin. The trick was not to swallow any.
He stretched his right leg beneath him. The mud stirred like cold lumpy soup and he found
some sort of purchase… he drove his foot into whatever – whoever - was underneath him.’

At times it’s gut-wrenching as we’re put right into the action. The love and friendship Harry has for Eddie was touching as was the camaraderie the soldiers had for each other. War is not confined to the fight itself but lingers long afterwards into lives and future generations. And Harry’s fight, like so many others never stops.

This is a very well researched and beautifully written novel with wonderful characters. I found it difficult to put down and at times quite emotional. If you haven’t read anything about this war, then try this new release. And even if WW1 is your thing, read it anyway. You won’t be sorry.

[AnnMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stars in the Night is a standalone book by Clare Rhoden.

Harry Fletcher and his foster brother Eddie, much to the despair of their mother, join the army. World War One has begun and although Australians weren't conscripted at the time, Harry and Eddie wanted to do their bit to help. In December 1914 they leave their home of Semaphore in South Australia to take part in the nightmare of war in Egypt, Gallipoli and France.

The story begins after the war when Harry Fletcher and his granddaughter are sorting through his late wife's belongings. Amongst them is a diary written by Eddie starting on the journey from Australia. It's through diary entries and memories that the author tells of the plight of the men, their family, friends and loved ones during those terrible years.

There is little doubt that a lot of research went into this story. Not only for the factual things such as the dates and places. The descriptions of life during the war, in the trenches, on the front lines were written as if the author had been there herself. Or at least spoken to many ex-servicemen to find out what it was like. I was amazed at what I read, and I don't mind telling you that I ran the gamut of emotions. I cried big ugly tears at one point. I cringed a lot at the conditions I was reading about. I also had some smiles for when the good times happened. I really feel that my eyes have been opened to what life was like during the war, and in Harry's case, after the war too. Men didn't come back 'whole.' The war and what happened during it will never leave them or their loved ones. I am emotionally shattered.

This book is a must read for anybody with an interest in learning about life during WW1. It might be a fictional set of characters, but looking into the realities of the war is something I think we should all do. I definitely recommend this book if for no other reason than that. Not for people who don't like to get emotional!

[Lel Budge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Australia, Harry Fletcher misses his wife. He and Nora, his granddaughter are going through her things now, as it’s time. They find a journal, written during WW1….

The story travels through the war, Gallipoli, Passchendaele and more…it tells of the horrific life in the trenches…..

It also tells the emotional side of surviving a war, the struggles, tragedies, love and ultimately the feeling of Hope. This is such an emotional read, unbearably sad at times but still has a little humour now and then….

I found the characters to be well written and immensely likeable, great storylines and full of empathy…..this will tug at your heartstrings that’s for sure. I liked how the story was laid out with the letters and journal entries adding a feeling of reality and the descriptive scenes of the trenches themselves are just brutal. A tale of the effects of war on the soul….wonderful writing by Clare Rhoden.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

[Jena Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The War to End All Wars ended on November 11, 1918. Our feelings of the Australian character and nation that exist today have their origins in the War and Anzac Day is commemorated as a national holiday in Australia. From a vantage of 100 years, author and historian Clare Rhoden shows us the experience of The Great War through the eyes of one Australian man.

The main character in this haunting historical fiction is Australian Harry Fletcher, and what a hero he is. “He didn’t notice other men looking to him for what to do next, because others had watched him for the lead all his life.”

Harry wasn’t wealthy, and he wasn’t educated. He worked in his family’s bakery and helped take care of his large family after his father died. He had a strong bond with his foster brother Eddie, a foundling that his father took in.

Harry was born to be a leader. He decided that the right thing to do was to enlist and fight for the British Empire. Of course, Eddie came, too.

“They’d been apprenticed to war as to a pernicious master, one who demanded heart and soul as well as body.” Harry and Eddie’s war started in Gallipoli in 1916, and then they served in France and Flanders. Conditions were horrible, but Harry was solid and realistic and did his best. By the end of the war, life had been harsh with Harry.

“He was Harry Fletcher and he was not finished yet.” He went back to Australia and once again, he did his best.

The blurb for this book explains the story well. “From the beaches of Semaphore to the shores of Gallipoli, the mud of Flanders to the red dust of inland South Australia, this is a story of love, brotherhood, and resilience.”

The author writes in a haunting and emotional style that will transfix you. The bond between Harry and Eddie was of a type that many people have probably not experienced. The cover of the book evokes the mood of the story. It looks similar to photos I have seen of the war zone near Chateau Wood.

This book truly moved me and I am thankful I read it. As I know mainly about the involvement of the U.S. in the War, which didn’t occur until the last year of the war, it would have helped me if there had been more details about the actual battles. But, I can see, that the author was not writing about World War 1 so much as she was writing about one man’s soul.

I will also note for readers, that the first part of the book shifts frequently between 1970 and 1915- 1917 and this confused me at first. But, once the story cast its spell, I found this to be a haunting read.

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for a review copy. This is my honest review.

Jena C. Henry, April, 2019

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit I wasn't expecting this read to be as introspective and deep as it was. The author combines the tragedy and horror of war with the more trivial moments of these fictional characters. Eddie becomes a symbol of the type of haunting trauma the men and women emerged with after dealing with the atrocities caused by men playing strategy, as those in charge sat safely in their offices and homes.

Even at the end nothing is more prevalent in Harry's thoughts than the fate of his brother Eddie. Even decades after he last saw him, he is filled with fear and heartache at the thought Eddie might have called out for him. That he might have taken days to die by himself, feeling abandoned like he was by his abusive mother. Harry feels as if he let Eddie down, and there is nothing anyone can do or say to alleviate the guilt.

Although the fate of Eddie and how Harry suffers isn't a singular experience, the fact the focus is on the two of them makes it more tangible for the reader. We know the facts and figures of the Great War. The Lost Generation and the repercussions of the war. Aside from the ones who were recorded as dead, there are still tens of thousands who remain MIA. No narrative for the loved ones, no exact place to pay respects and no certainty of death. I would personally find that much more difficult to cope with than a definitive answer or an eyewitness account. There will always be a part of those left behind that expect their husbands, father and sons to just turn up again. It's the not knowing that destroys the soul.

I really enjoyed the fact Rhoden didn't tell the story from the perspective of a romantic relationship. Instead it's a story of love between two men who are brothers in every sense of the word except by birth. Brotherhood, camaraderie and an unbreakable bond of trust between the two of them.

It's historical fiction with intense war scenes, and it's also the story about the strong bond of brotherhood. I was impressed with the way the author described the combat scenes and the way the characters talked about war. It's not easy to capture the desperation, the feeling of helplessness and the reality of being used as bullet fodder. Simultaneously she captures the courage, the fear and the confusion of the situation. It's a sad read, but also one that speaks of moving forward in spite of the sorrow and the loss.
*I received a courtesy copy*

[Deb Whittam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and because it was partial set in my local area I decided that I would give it a go. While it is very well written and I couldn’t fault the premise or how the characters developed, I soon realized that this wasn’t really my style of book. If I was going to categorize it I would say it was a saga, it’s slow pace and emphasis on relationships was reminiscent of Bryce Courtney’s Power of One, but I didn’t really find that book engaging either.

In terms of the characters it did a great job of setting up the relationship between the foster brothers Harry and Eddie, which was the key to the entire story. I really enjoyed how Clare Rhoden accurately patterned the Australia vernacular and how she captured the easy going nature of the Australian character. This gave the book a unique flavor within which we witnessed the development and disintegration of relationship through the brutality of the war but I will admit, without giving away too much, that the inevitable climax left me a little untouched.

My favourite section of this was when Clare Rhoden delved into the effects of post-traumatic stress syndrome which affected so many in the aftermath of the war. I found this quite poignant and I think personally I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been predominantly set in the current era and this had been the primary focus of the book rather than used as a means of concluding the multiple storylines.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the grand sweeping saga and has an interest in an Australian perspective.

[Chelle W (teaandplottwists) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much more than a love story…..it truly is a story of love, loss, trauma, brotherhood, friendship, family, heartbreak and resilience.

We meet Harry at the beginning of the book in 1970 when his Granddaughter is asking him about a diary she’s found from the first world war…..he’s reluctant to talk about it though…….

It then moves on to diary entries, written by Eddie…….as well as the story progressing from Harry’s point of view. As you can imagine, a story about World War I comes with lots of emotions, struggles and loss. But how will it pan out for Harry? Will he have some sort of happy ending? And how will he cope with the war? And what about Eddie?

As an avid lover of history, this book moved me so much. Knowing that the war happened, and that people went through the same things that are discussed in this book really made me think. How do people get past what they experience at war? How did those involved in trench warfare get by….struggling with loss, lice and sickness? How did those at home cope not hearing from their loved ones for weeks, months or years….with only letters to get them through? The story sent me on an emotional rollercoaster, and as a person who is highly empathetic, I found it hit me quite hard.

This is fantastically researched and written. Clare has done an absolutely wonderful job of bringing this story to life, and looking at the sensitivities and experiences of war. I will come back to this book time and time again, it’s a truly beautiful but heart-wrenching story. Most definitely recommended by me.

[Lorraine Cobcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Fletcher was just 22 when, very much against his Irish mother's wishes, he enlisted to fight in World War I. Naturally, Eddie, the foster brother Harry's father had rescued from the streets, signed up as well. The two were inseparable, until...

Harry believed he would always be there to protect Eddie. Harry was also certain he would return to marry his beloved Nora MacTiernan, regardless of the obstacles that stood in their way. But the war lingered on, and it took a heavy toll.

The history books tell us of the events of the war - the battles fought and won or lost, the casualty numbers, the towns and cities that were destroyed. Clare Rhoden reveals the strength and resilience that drove brave soldiers into battle after battle, despite the high human cost; the brotherly love that bound mates; the mothers' suffering and anger; the patience and devotion of the women who waited. As we follow Harry from a South Australian beach to Egypt, Gallipoli and France, we share the fear and suffering of his loved ones; we cheer his courage; we admire his confident, easy-going charm; and we pray for his safe return to Nora, and the family he yearns to create.

A genuine page-turner, this is a story that will appeal to lovers of historical fiction and to anyone who enjoys a story that tugs at the heartstrings and introduces characters that leap from the pages into life, and remain admired friends long after the back cover is closed.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stars in the Night was such an insightful historical timeslip novel that deeply moved me. The author Clare Rhoden's words of life living within the stench, the noise and the darkness of war felt very real to me. I could sense the urgency, the fear, the brothers in arms camaraderie but I could also feel the sudden rush of love for the letters from home and also for the simple things in life that we take for granted.
This is a story that starts off in Australia in the 1970's when Kate is helping her Grandfather Harry clear out her late Grandmother Nora's personal belongings following her death. Discovering a pile of letters written by Harry to Nora during his conscription and also a notebook written by her late Great Uncle the author then takes us back in time to 1917 to when Harry and his brother Eddie joined up.
The story continues following the days that led to weeks, months and years following the war from Australia to Egypt to Europe and Passchendaele and France.
This is a fictional story based on real life facts of the true horrors of war but it is also a story of love and of loss. The loss of comrades and also of the loss of life as it was before war ravaged countries and lives.
The Stars in the Night is a story that was hauntingly beautiful but so tragic at times. It was a story that fascinated me and evoked many emotions. I appreciate how authors research historical moments in time and bring them to life with fiction.

[Kate Murdoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stars in the Night is an accomplished novel, telling the story of two brothers, Harry and Eddie. Their destinies are changed forever when they decide to sign up for battle, first in Gallipoli then France. The brothers’ bond is fierce and Harry does everything in his power to keep Eddie safe—their presence to each other is integral to their sense of self and happiness. At the same time, Harry is very much in love with Nora who waits for him at home. The correspondence bolsters him as he wades through mud on incursions, watches his friends die, and tries to support everyone around him.

The Stars in the Night explores the bonds between people—how they give strength and meaning in the face of trauma. Harry’s knowledge that Nora waits for him allows him to endure the harsh conditions of the Western front. Having Eddie by his side does the same. In turn, the other soldiers admire Harry’s quiet strength. The visuals in this book are excellent, such as the visceral and harrowing battle scenes. The characterisation is well done. I found Harry and Eddie’s bond very moving along with Nora’s devotion. Without giving spoilers, we learn the extent of her love for Harry in a poignant scene later in the novel.

The author portrays trench warfare in sensory prose. This was done with great skill. I gained a deeper understanding of trench warfare in a physical, visual sense.

A well-told, insightful and ultimately uplifting novel.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one packs a punch! So much contained in 224 pages, it is immensely enjoyable.

Harry Fletcher is a young man who works in the family business; with his father deceased he helps his mother care for all the family. Whilst not rich, they keep their heads above water .. then The Great War comes along and changes things.

A really interesting novel, this one begins with Harry in his senior years and the vast majority of the story is told in retrospect. As we follow his life, we are privy to so many of his thoughts and dreams and the skilful writing makes it all seem so real! The war details are as grim and harrowing as you would expect, and I really appreciate that the horrors weren't glossed over as they so often are. The family bonds shine through,  so do love and the pain of being separated due to world conflict. This is a truly satisfying read, and an author I'm so happy to have been introduced to. An excellent historical saga to which I'm happy to give four stars.

My thanks to Henry Roi of Odyssey Books for contacting me and providing my copy. As always, all my stated opinions are both completely honest and entirely my own.

[Nirmalendu Mohapatra]

Clare Rhoden’s book is a historical fiction where the grandeur of the first world war mingles with an astounding inner private world of the protagonist. A great global upheaval like the war is placed along with an equally tumultuous web of relationships of love and togetherness.
The reader is effortlessly transported to the war trenches, billets and medical centre with descriptions, sounds, conversations, fantasies, memories, events, scenes, moments with realism of superlative degree.

What makes the book very special is that soon after you have finished reading, you are left wondering how much of the book is real history and how much is the novelist’s imagination.

Lastly, an aspiring author myself, I had a learning point from the novelistic juxtaposition of different formats like narratives, letters and diary noting adopted throughout the work.

[Veronica Strachan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet memories

Resting in Harry's mind and experiencing the rollercoaster of a young man at war, and a grandfather remembering his past has brought poignant memories of my own grandfather to mind.
This is a beautifully crafted story of love and loyalty, friendship, loss and grief. The plot switches effortlessly between the now and the then, capturing the raw brutality of battle and the strange pauses in between. It shares the changes in attitudes to war and social standing, faith and gender.
Rhoden has masterfully described decades-long grief, the impact on those closest and the hole that changes a p erson forever, and never leaves them.
A wonderful immersive story and well worth your time to read.
Highlyrecommended.

[Gill Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Stars in the Night' is a powerfully written and memorable novel with compelling characters and impeccable research. Clare Rhoden brilliantly conjures the life of a world war one soldier to the point where the readers feel themselves right in the trenches alongside Harry, Alex and Eddie. The ending is beautifully done. I thoroughly recommend this book.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The Stars in the Night is not just a story of the Great War, but a story of what war does to those who participated in it. "

[Cel Jel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was grabbed by the story and the way that the author introduced us to the main character before the war and in context of his family and their place in a beachside part if wider Adelaide.
The choice to sign up for the War was not a question for the main character, but his mother did not want him to go because she knew that another member of the family would want to go as well.
Without giving heaps of detail Clare managed to relay the difficulties at Gallipoli, the fact that soldiers could be sent for treatment and then come back, the experiences as young men in Egypt, and then the horrors of trench warfare in France/Belgium.
I valued how she wrote the characters struggles with the trauma left in their psyche when they came back to Australia, and how she managed to slowly give more of the story away as we reached the end, the grandfather sharing memories after his wife had died and his grand daughter had come to help him clear out the house.
Well worth a read, as blood and guts are not revealed in gory ways, but you definitely get a feel for the horrors both then and there and post war when the men come back.

[Northern Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie and Harry are brothers living an uneventful life until WWI when many join up to fight. Even though they're in Australia it still feels like they should fight so off they go.

Some of the worst battles and the horrendous conditions are featured. There is no shying away from the bruttle realities and while of course nothing can ever truly describe what happened this book is one of the best.

One passage that hit me was when a soldier realises he is walking over the bodies of the fallen.

Amongst the horror there are lighter moments but they provide a small interlude to the horror.

Will either of them survive and go back home to Australia. What will life be like?

I read it this week which was appropriate for Remembrance Day and the 100th anniversary of the burial of the Unknown Soldier.

I received this book for free and the views expressed are solely my own.

[Eileen Kindschy]

This book kept me engrossed and turning pages. I got really involved with the characters and the effects of WWI on them. I don't really know anyone well who was in a war, but it very much expands my understanding of those veterans I've talked with. The author includes those who wait at home and their feelings. I loved it.

[Heather W · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the majority of the novel, the reader follows Henry and Eddie, as well as a cast of other background characters as they attempt to survive the horrors of the First World War. Ms Roden demonstrates an uncanny ability to be able to craft a realistic portrayal of the experiences of the men who were on the front at the time. Henry and Eddie do have real human reactions to the events around them and this makes the book an emotional read throughout. Certain scenes are so wonderfully crafted I could practically smell the trenches and really demonstrate Ms Roden’s writing ability. However, my main issue with this book is that these scenes are few and far between, interrupted by huge sections where the book took on a more text book approach rather than a novel. It meant that I found it difficult to concentrate throughout. It was not helped by the timeline which jumped around a lot and missed sections of time out, meaning that events had happened that we were just told about rather than shown. Although this style of writing and presentation is not something I enjoy, that does not mean I don’t recommend it. As stated, Ms Roden is able to craft some wonderful scenes, and her characters jump off the page and really come alive during those times. If the book had been consistent in this manner I would probably have enjoyed it more.
Another issue I had was the fact that during the times when the book was slightly tedious, I had no emotional investment in our main characters. I was not invested in the relationship that was developing between Nora and Henry(we are shown one meeting and suddenly he is writing to her from the trenches). This suddenness felt contrived and I wasn’t a fan. Also, in terms of Eddie, I had very little emotional investment in him and, since we know from the start that he at least goes missing, I really didn’t bond with him. I missed the emotional impact of his death which was a shame considering this was the main relationship throughout the book. I felt more towards Alex and his final scene, as we had a few pages telling his story and I think he was a more relatable character.
I had times where I really enjoyed this book, but for the majority of it I found it difficult to read and engage with the characters meaning a lot of the emotional impact was lost. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel for a fair and unbiased review.

[B.P. Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

[The tl;dr – engaging, enjoyable, emotional, and recommended war / family drama.]

War stories, especially those about WWI, generally focus either on the horrors of the trenches, or the trials of the women left behind. There’s plenty of oral histories and first-person accounts of both, so writers and authors are spoiled for choice of insights.

To manage both in the one novel is a worthy, if potentially clumsy, premise. The historical writer must undertake years of research, yet not weigh down their prose with 'authentic' detail. Avoiding overly familiar or clichéd situations and characters is a tough gig – so much has been written of this era, especially for British and Australasian readers. Avoiding sentimentality and cloying focus on ‘sacrifice’, ‘hardship’, ‘mateship’ and other ‘ANZAC values’ is often difficult. To write across an entire era – in this case from WWI to the 1970’s – and with multiple time-jumps, is fraught and risky.

Rhoden not only succeeds in all of this, by writing with focus, care and insight, she creates a richly emotional novel woven from the deeper truths of war and love.

In part a straightforward war drama, in part family drama, I was hooked by Rhoden’s clean, effective and unpretentious prose, captured by her characters and their journeys, and genuinely affected emotionally. I’m not prone to gushes of what normal people call ‘feelings’ – I have a stony, black heart – but I confess there were several points where I…well, let’s just say hay-fever is something I experience from time to time, and several bouts coincided with reading Stars in the Night.

Rhoden also captured the trenches as well or better than any I’ve read, and I’m even prepared to compare her favourably to Pat Barker’s stunning literary masterpiece, The Regeneration Trilogy, on that score.

Stars in the Night also features one extra aspect I rate highly – it’s written neither for women or men but both. Well done, Ms Rhoden – I dips my lid, and thanks you.

[Billie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of war books but this was recommended by a friend and it’s actually really good. The friendship between Harry and Eddie is very touching and I was a bit tearful when Eddie got lost at Passchendale. It’s gripping and intense without glorifying the war, and has lots of good characters.

[Lorrie Dougall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you Clare Rhoden and Voracious Readers for my ARC of this novel "Stars in the Night" in exchange for my honest review.
Initially, I was excited to be chosen to leave a review f0r a historical romance novel. I did not however, find a lot of romance, just some light drama. The majority of the novel read like a newsreel or report with camaraderie between the soldiers. I will admit it was very descriptive, the noises, the smells, and even the tastes.
I am sorry Ms. Rhoden, I felt the novel contained too much war narrative and not enough of the "romantic story."

[Shelly Lindsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart wrenching! Well written. A well developed story with wonderful characters. Full of love, heartbreak, success and failure. A new perspective on a well known event in history. A good look at human strength and weakness. Recommend. Thanks Voracious Readers Only for my free copy.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, sad and heart rending.