Tawny808

Story Was Great, Narration Not So Much

Revisado: 03-15-24

The story about a New York librarian who specializes in microfilm was interesting. I had never thought about how they documented Axis publications, or how important they were. I also enjoyed Tiago’s story. His empathy for the Jewish people escaping France, Germany and Poland wasn’t overdone. Mr. Hlad hit just the right note.

Maybe it is me, but Maria seemed a bit too naïve and reckless at times. Okay, it is me. Every heroine in these WW II historical fiction novels do things I think they should no not to do. But hindsight is 20/20 and I have the benefit of knowing how everything ended. So, there’s that.

The story is excellent. The dialog was on point for the time in history. It is very challenging to get the dialog right, not using phrases or words that didn’t exist yet. That made the story more enjoyable. I wish there had been more descriptions of the clothes they wore, but I am a sucker to historical clothing.

The narration was not horrible but nothing spectacular. Ms. Lewis’s voice had no emotion, especially when Maria was supposed to be sad, or Lars was angry. I kept wanting some emotion, a warbling in her voice when Maria talked about the crash and her injuries. The only time I admired her cool, unemotional tone was towards the end of the book when she was negotiating terms.

The librarian spy is a new twist on this genre. I liked it. Who knew librarians could have so much fun?

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Wonderfully Thought Provoking

Revisado: 12-12-23

Broken, But Not Beyond Repair

Nessa (Vanessa), Flynn and April are cousins from each of Nanny Lucy’s three children. Each of them has emotional baggage, as we all do. They have come to claim their inheritance, but they have very specific terms to meet to obtain that inheritance.

One thing they all inherit is the house and land that their grandmother left them. Another is the mysterious hope chest referred to in the title. The contents can only be viewed once they have completed an unfinished quilt.

Nessa is the schoolteacher who loves Nanny Lucy’s quilting business. She is considering quitting her job to take on the quilting business their grandmother left behind.

Flynn is the womanizer who wants to change his ways. He is swearing off women until he can sort himself out. He has taken up woodworking under the tutelage from Jackson, who lives on the next property.

April is the youngest cousin, and she was raised by their grandmother. She knows all of Nanny Lucy’s dark moods and was eager to leave her grandmother’s house when she turned 18. She has had a very difficult time of it and is truly searching for who she is.

The three cousins have not seen each other for more than ten years and have a low-grade animosity when they gather at the house. Nessa believes some very harsh things about her cousins. She has only her prejudices to base her opinions on. In my opinion, she is the harshest critic of the three. She makes some pretty cutting comments based on those prejudices.

Flynn is trying to determine why he has followed in his father’s love-em and leave-me footsteps. He gets his comeuppance and does not know how to deal with it. He is ashamed of his past behavior and wants to change. He does love woodworking and working with Jackson.

April has been emotionally scarred by her grandmother. Nanny Lucy had to raise her after her mother, Lucy’s daughter, died four days after April was born. Lucy’s own tumultuous emotional and mental state damaged Lucy in ways neither of them could have foreseen. This has led April into one abusive relationship after another. She is ready, and in need of a new start.

The three of them uncover secrets about Nanny Lucy’s life. Their illusions are shattered as they discover her flaws and the pain she has endured. You feel sorry for Lucy, Nessa, Flynn and April. The wonderful thing is they find a way to accept their new vision of who Lucy was. They also find a way to understand their parents.

The thing I didn’t like about the book is the back biting from Nessa and April about Flynn. The man is trying so hard to overcome his wrong thinking, but they seem to enjoy throwing it in his face. I kept getting the sense they didn’t like him at all. I found it hard to want Nessa to have a happy ending with Jackson.

I understand that Nessa has commitment issues and was seeking every opportunity to sabotage her relationship with Jackson. The most obvious and pitiable was the incident in Walmart. She jumped to a conclusion and then blew it out of proportion. Talk about making mountains out of mole hills!

The book addresses the various errors parents make when raising children, and how those mistakes have long lasting results. It reminded me of something my mother said. Children don’t come with instruction manuals. That is very true.

Wonderful, thought provoking story. I highly recommend it.

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Wonderful Insight on WWII's Female Spies

Revisado: 12-02-23

I both listened to and read this novel. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and experiences during World War II. I enjoyed the book. Ms. Healer really brings those few months Anna was in occupied Paris to life.

Anna is a bit of an idealist who is recruited to work for what would become the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Her training in England witIh the Special Operations Executive (SOE) was fascinating. Who knew they were made to bicycle and run so much?!? Later in the book you learn why all that biking and running were so important.

I must admit I didn’t know who Julia McWilliams was. Even after the mention of Paul Child. I liked learning about the six-foot tall woman with the unusual voice and infectious laugh. I only know the French Chef. Seeing the woman, she was before she became THE Julia Child was delightful. I got a glimpse of the type of friend she was. I am so glad her letter about arriving in Ceylon was included.

Josette, Tatiana, Georges and Henri rounded out the cast of characters nicely. Their insights and savvy provided much needed counterpoints to Anna’s overabundant enthusiasm and idealism. Their caution was needed when Anna was being less than reasonable. The instance where she argued with Henri to stop transmitting had me wanting to shake her. She knew wireless operators had an average life expectancy of six weeks. It was as if she didn’t know her actions could have affected anyone else.

I knew Willliam “Wild Bill” Donovan create the Office of Strategic Services but never got the sense of what type of person he was. This gave me a glimpse into his character.

The book has a mostly contented ending. It is war after all, but Americans love a happy ending.

In chapters 15, 16 and 17 Jane Healer introduces us to Nora Khan who is based on Noor Inyant Khan, a real person who was killed in 1944 at Dachau. She was a brilliant wireless operator. She excelled at her training, and she was the first woman wireless operator sent to Paris. She was also hunted by the SS because she successfully transmitted a n abundance of information. Had she not been betrayed we can only guess at the amount of additional information she may have recovered.

She decided to join the war effort thinking that if an Indian were to receive high military distinction it would improve British-Indian relations. Unfortunately, she was mistaken.

Ms. Healer credited Anna’s husband with plasma research at Harvard University. Unless Harvard was allowing African-Americans to conduct research and experiments in the 1930s, this is not true. Plasma was researched, isolated and developed by Charles Ricart Drew. He attended McGill University’s Medical School in Montreal. The closest he got to Harvard Medical School was a letter of deferment for one year.

I bring up these two inaccuracies because I am annoyed by the misinformation in this book about people of color. I believe it is important for historical novelists to create a picture but get the facts right about the real people added for context and depth in the story.

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A Heroine Without Integrity

Revisado: 11-08-23

The Duke Undone

This story is about Anthony and Lucy.

Anthony is drowning his guilt in alcohol. Many people found this addiction cowardice. I saw it for what it was, escapism. The mental anguish of so many things hitting one after another overwhelmed him.

Lucy is judgmental and without integrity. Judgmental because she compares Athony’s addiction with her father’s. She believes her father’s addiction was the cause of her mother’s death.

Her lack of integrity is made obvious when she decided to work with Anthony’s “guardian” to trap him. He could only gain control of his inheritance if he met certain conditions. She colluded with this “friend” to entrap him into failing.

To me Lucy was easily misled and manipulated. She lacked strength of character. She refused to think for herself. She was led into each decision she made. Analytical thinking isn’t her strong suit.

**********SPOILER ALERT**********
Lucy visits an insane asylum looking for Anthony’s missing sister, Effie.

Instead of going straight to Anthony and alerting him to the situation, she grabs her friend and goes to the asylum. Now she knows about asylums and how they are run, but, in her wisdom (which is null), she goes to the asylum and then attempts an escape with Effie! The result, Lucy, her friend Kate, and Effie are all captured, drugged and confined.
**********END OF SPOILER**********

If you are used to strong, independent female characters, this is not the book for you. You would do better with books by Stephanie Dray or Marie Benedict.

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An Unusual Love Story

Revisado: 11-03-23

This is an unusual love story because it is about a woman and a girl. Not sexual but familial.

The main characters are Tor, Gretchen and Katya.

The story takes place in Vienna in the 1930s. Katya is the child of exiled, and poor, Russian Royalty. She is told she must go to Vienna to be a governess because her parents are on the verge of bankruptcy.

Gretchen is a child prodigy who is autistic and has dyslexia. She plays the piano by ear but lacks self-control when overwhelmed by her emotions. Combine her “deficiencies” with the Nazi race hygiene practice and you have a really great story on that alone. For me, the romance was extraneous and unnecessary.

Katya is an interesting character who doesn’t know when she should be quiet. Her mouth gets her into a lot of trouble. She never learns discretion until the very last chapter of the book. I wanted to shake her several times because of this.

Katya and Gretchen have a harrowing journey with the Nazis, but it turns out better than expected in the end.

Karen Cass does an excellent job narrating the story. Her voices for each character are distinctive and engaging.

This book uncovered information I didn’t know about Hans Asperger. That led me into a rabbit hole of research, and I found out that he, Hugo Boss, Coco Chanel, and Elsa Schiaperelli had a lot in common when it came to being Nazi collaborators.

All in all a fascinating historical drama about a very dark period in world history.

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I Felt Cheated

Revisado: 10-02-23

I would love to write that I loved this book, but I didn't.

I was left wanting more and wondering why Lee Child made Reacher unlikeable and the two female leads senseless. I love reading the Jack Reacher books. I don't think I like listening to them.

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Too Much A Fairytale

Revisado: 10-05-19

I liked the book, but wish it wasn't a 17th century fairytale. This is more about the protection money offers than love and respect.

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