A young member of the French Resistance in Paris is asked to accept a risky assignment in Reims, France. She's given the cover of working as a nurse fA young member of the French Resistance in Paris is asked to accept a risky assignment in Reims, France. She's given the cover of working as a nurse for an elderly woman who owns a Champagne estate. The woman she is employed as a nurse for is also part of the Resistance and the job provides cover and access for the young woman to complete other assignments and otherwise help the Resistance during the last year of WWII.
There is much danger and intrigue in this novel. And while it is in itself a work of fiction, the author has very clearly done her research into real world events that took place during the time and locations in which this book is set which and inspired this tale. Not only did I enjoy the story itself, but I very much enjoyed the historical information that the author included after the story was complete.
If you enjoy WWII stories, historical fiction set in this time period, or any of Ms. Gauci's other books, then I would strongly recommend reading this one. It was very well written and quite enjoyable. It is definitely worth reading....more
Christina Lehmann was the head of a couture house in Vienna in 1939. For quite some time, she has been in love with a man whose mother was Jewish thouChristina Lehmann was the head of a couture house in Vienna in 1939. For quite some time, she has been in love with a man whose mother was Jewish though his father was not, and was raised catholic in a time and place where those of any Jewish ancestry at all are becoming increasingly oppressed. Because of this, Max does not feel it is currently safe for them to marry, and he is unfortunately correct. Under Nazi rule, the country has been becoming an increasingly dangerous place as the war continues to make life worse for those living there who are not part of the Nazi regime.
This book was a very good read, especially considering events taking place in the world today. The author does not shy away from well known events that took place in WWII. Brutality towards those with Jewish ancestry, property seizure, medical experimentation, the killing of those considered weak or imperfect, parents sending their children away to Great Britain via the Kindertransport in an attempt to keep them safe, and many other things. While this book is a work of fiction, historical events and people were necessarily included in the story.
I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It was very well written and the story had me wanting to keep reading to see what would happen next. While the experiences of those sent to concentration camps was not explicitly shown in this book, we are shown gestapo interrogations as well as a good deal of violence (nothing too explicit, but given the period in which this book was written, such things could not be avoided.)
But I think the best of this book was the postscript written by Ms. Gauci. Be sure not to skip that section. It gives a lot of information on the people who inspired many of the characters as well as the places and events. I would highly recommend this book....more
Tom Sakai was a 2nd generation Japanese-American living and growing up in America. His life has been difficult because in many ways he and his older bTom Sakai was a 2nd generation Japanese-American living and growing up in America. His life has been difficult because in many ways he and his older brother are trapped between two worlds. No matter how hard they tried, many only saw them as only Japanese, rather than as Americans, and unfortunately they were often treated poorly because of it.
This was Tom's story. The tale of his life and the choices he made, many of which appeared to be because he had no other options left available to him at the time. People looked at him and saw a Japanese man, ignoring that he was born an American. And unfortunately things only became even more difficult after Pearl Harbor was attacked & thus brought the United States into WWII.
I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It easily captured my interest and held it, leaving me barely able to bring myself to put it down so that I could sleep at night. The characters were complex and well-rounded. The story was well thought out, and I loved the way in which the reader learns all the complexities of what is unfolding as the story progresses.
Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially those stories set during WWII should read this book. I happened to read the 2nd book in this series before this one, but as each book is a stand alone novel, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of either book or give away any spoilers. I would definitely recommend giving this one a try. You won’t be disappointed....more
Nefeli and her daughter live on one of the greek islands. Life has been difficult since the start of the war and the death of her husband, but they haNefeli and her daughter live on one of the greek islands. Life has been difficult since the start of the war and the death of her husband, but they have been getting by. One night after a very bad storm, while walking along the shore, she came across an unconscious german soldier who had been washed ashore after the ship he was on was sunk by the andartes (greek resistance fighters). He was gravely wounded and would surely die without help. Yet, if the other villagers were to find him, they would kill him and likely anyone who aided him. But still, Nefeli couldn't just leave him to die.
I will be the first to admit that this story was not what I expected when reading a WWII novel. This was not a tale focused on combat or spycraft, but instead it was about how the war affected those living through it. It was the backdrop for the story of Nefeli and what happens when she attempts to save an enemy soldier's life. She is aware of the risk she takes, but cannot bear to see more unnecessary death.
This was a story I greatly enjoyed. It did not try to hide the difficulties faced during the war, nor did it glorify the actions of one side or the other. This was a personal story of one woman, a man who was considered an enemy soldier, and what can happen when kindness is shown to someone who is helpless and injured. It is a story of life versus death, as well as the story of greek culture during a time that is quite different from what many of us know today.
I would definitely recommend this book. Anyone who enjoys WWII stories, tales of greek life during the war, or historical fiction, It is very definitely worth reading and one that you won't want to put down. ...more
This was a WWII story set primarily in France (with Some scenes in England.) Much of it takes place during the latter part of the war and focuses mainThis was a WWII story set primarily in France (with Some scenes in England.) Much of it takes place during the latter part of the war and focuses mainly on the story of a few women who were part of the resistance movement. This book is a work of historical fiction, and while the characters are fictional, their tale is based on places that existed and events that happened during the war.
The women depicted in this book were brave and often took great risks to help free the people of France from German control and oppression. I was fascinated by their stories. Some sought to help by working as double agents, often appearing to be collaborators who were involved with high ranking German officials, but were in reality only doing so to gain useful information and offer aid to the French resistance.
Such actions were incredibly dangerous as discovery of the truth by the german officials would likely mean torture and death, yet as they were often acting in secret, their own countrymen often saw them as traitors to France, potentially also ending with their deaths.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories that have a basis in actual events as well as to anyone who enjoys tales of WWII resistance fighters. I greatly enjoyed reading this book. While there may be many stories of the resistance fighters in WWII, I have not read too many of them, and very few from perspectives such as were shown to us in this book. ...more
To put it mildly, WWII was a harsh time for everyone around the globe. Life was particularly difficult for those living in areas occupied by enemy forTo put it mildly, WWII was a harsh time for everyone around the globe. Life was particularly difficult for those living in areas occupied by enemy forces. In such areas there were always pockets of resistance and secret networks connecting those groups fighting to free their homelands.
This book focuses mainly on the story of some of those working among the resistance groups in Greece. The lives of the people there were particularly difficult, especially when the undercover forces began to suspect that there was a traitor in their midst reporting back to the germans. Can they discover if there truly is someone in the resistance who is working against them, who the traitor is, and how their reports are being delivered to the enemy before all of the resistance's efforts are undone? And all this must be accomplished without giving away their suspicions and while still managing to accomplish their own mission.
I enjoyed the story told by Ms. Gauci. The historical aspects were clearly very well researched and the plot was well thought out. Seeing how the resistance operated while undercover was truly interesting and I enjoyed seeing the historical notes as well as the directions on how to make a few of the drinks mentioned inside the story at the end of the book. It is always fascinating to see a bit of the reality behind the historical fiction in any book....more
Sarah’s mother Claire, suffers her second heart attack after apparently reading a newspaper clipping about the death of an elderly German man that somSarah’s mother Claire, suffers her second heart attack after apparently reading a newspaper clipping about the death of an elderly German man that someone had sent to her from France. Sarah wasn’t familiar with the Frenchman who had sent her mother the notice, nor the man who had passed away. She was certain though, that this was what had triggered her mother’s most recent heart attack.
After recovering and being released from the hospital, Claire decides that she would like to visit France and would like her daughter to accompany her on the trip. Surprisingly, it is not the usual places that most tourists wish to see, but rather she wishes to visit somewhere she hasn’t even spoken of in her daughter’s memory. And once there, Claire begins to tell her daughter the tale of her life during WWII, a story that she has never even mentioned before.
Claire’s tale is one of love and heartbreak. Claire had been in France before the war had truly started, and had spent a number of years working various other jobs before finding herself in a unique position and being recruited to work with the Resistance as an undercover agent against the Germans. It was something Sarah hadn’t been aware of as well as the start of an amazing tale of her mother’s strength and bravery during a time of great hardship and loss.
I enjoyed reading this story. There was enough detail and expressions in the various languages used in the area at that time to bring the readers truly into the story and make them feel almost a part of what was happening. There were a few small typos that I ran into here & there, but not enough to really disrupt the flow of the action.
The story told by Claire to her daughter draws both Sarah and the reader of the book in and makes them want to know what happened and how it will all end. It has the reader both wanting Claire to get the happy ending, while at the same praying for her to succeed in completing the mission she has been assigned. And all the while, it seems to be fairly clear that the two possible outcomes are likely to be completely at odds with one another.
I am glad that I had the opportunity to read this book and will definitely be looking forward to the chance to read other stories by Ms. Gauci. She tells a very entertaining historical fiction story in this book, and I hope to read more of her books in the future....more
This collection of novellas written by a group of authors has created a very powerful collection of WWII stories for the readers to enjoy. Each story This collection of novellas written by a group of authors has created a very powerful collection of WWII stories for the readers to enjoy. Each story evokes quite the collection of images that stand out in their own way from each other. Each story is as good or better than the one before it. I had a hard time putting this book down to sleep at night, but I cannot regret any sleep lost while reading these amazing tales.
Some of these stories left me crying, while others were very inspiring in their messages of hope and a refusal to give up. The stories are placed all over the world and show us what life was like during WWII for those living in those countries during the war.
I loved reading this book and would strongly recommend it to anyone as a great collection of historical fiction stories and one well worth reading. Give this one a chance. You won’t regret it. Very Strongly recommended.
***All proceeds from this book will be donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Don’t miss out on this one.***
Bubbe’s Nightingale” by Roberta Kagan
As the first story in this anthology, I have to say that this was a very powerful way to start the book. Ms. Kagan ‘s story starts off with an elderly woman finally telling her story of what it was like to live during the War to her granddaughter, how she managed to live and eventually find love after her family was forcibly relocated to the Warsaw Ghettos. I found myself crying while reading this story. Recommended.
“Catriona’s War” by Jean Grainger
When Catriona’s father disappears while he is on an undercover mission for the resistance, she is recruited to take his place and finish what he started. Ome readers might have a slight problem with the fact that some of the story is written in French, but as Catriona was recruited because of her tri-lingual abilities, I felt it added to the story’s ability to draw the reader in.
“Reluctant Informer” by Marion Kummerow What do you do when the Gestapo decides that they need you to spy on someone and inform them of illegal activities, when you just want to mind your own business and try to survive the hard times you are living in? And when the arrest your husband to coorce your assistance, can you even consider not helping them any longer?
“Killing the Hangman” by Ellie Midwood
Can a pair of the Czech Resistance manage to assassinate the mad many believe cannot be killed? Or will he survive and manage to kill them instead?
“The Moon Chaser” by Alexa Kang
Yuan Wen-Ying has the opportunity to set in motion a plan that will take down he Japanese commander who slaughtered masses of people in Nanking. But can she do it if it will also destroy the one who is willing to stand by her side through it all?
“Enemy at the Gate” by Mary D. Brooks
How can a scared, frustrated 13 year old girl find a way to to help the Resistance when everyone keeps telling her she is too young to fight?
“The Occupation” by Deborah Swift
A young British woman living on one of the Channel Islands, learns her German husband has been drafted and will be fighting for the Nazi Army. To make matters worse, neither she nor her best friend (a jewish woman) were able to evacuate before the island was occupied by the Germans. Can they find a way to survive what follows?
“Code Name Camille” by Kathryn Gauci
A young woman joins the Resistance fighters in France. But it appears there may be a traitor to their cause among the group. Can the one betraying the group to the German occupiers be found before their group is caught and killed?
“V for Victory” by John McKay
Can a young boy help to restore Freedom and Honor to Paris in the face of Nazi oppression?
“Sound of Resistance” by Ryan Armstrong
When an American teenager loses his mother in a break-in at his house, he is sent to Live with his uncle, a high ranking and sadistic Nazi leader. This story comes with a trigger warning. The harsh language and abuse in the story does serve a purpose, but my be a bit much for some readers. ...more
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