Thursday, June 27, 2024
Reviewing The Secret Book of Flora Lea
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Netflix Series Review - All the Light We Cannot See
A couple of weeks ago, Fran was looking for something to watch on Netflix and came upon this Netflix limited series, "All the Light We Cannot See"
If you love historical fiction, like I do, you will love this limited series. We were hooked from the very first episode and binged the whole series in one night.
All the Light We Cannot See is based on the critically acclaimed novel by Anthony Doerr.
The book was published in 2014 and was a New York Times Best Seller, and also won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Netflix released the limited series on November 2, 2023. This series will have you on the edge of your seat through every episode.
Set during World War II the story follows two young individuals whose lives intersect amid the chaos of the war.
Newcomer Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French teenage girl and the daughter of Daniel LeBlanc played by Mark Ruffalo.
Aria Mia Loberti is really blind and this was her first acting experience.
Louis Hoffmann as Werner Pfennig, a young German orphan who eventually becomes a soldier specializing in detecting and tracking radio frequencies.
Lars Eidinger as Reinhold von Rumple, an officer of the SS who certifies and evaluates art, and jewelry.
Hugh Laurie as Etienne LeBlanc, a reclusive World War I veteran suffering from PTSD and the great uncle of Marie-Laure.
The series spans from the years 1934 to 1944. When Nazi Germany invades France, Marie, and Daniel flee to Saint-Malo to take refuge in her great-uncle's house.
All the Light You Cannot See is a rollercoaster of emotions as the series balances moments of intense drama, heart-melting romance, and the harsh realities of war.
I was emotionally invested in the journey of each character. I found myself rooting for their triumphs and feeling their heartaches as their lives intertwined. You find out early on in this series what bonds Marie and Werner, and you are eager to find out how it ends.
Watch the YouTube Official Trailer here:
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Book Review The Diamond Eye
Imagine that you are a young woman in 1940's Russia. You are a mother raising a young son alone as you work in a library and study to gain your degree. You are forging along in everyday life when suddenly your country is invaded, and you are facing a world at war. In this riveting novel, Kate Quinn gives a look into the life of Mila Pavlichenko, a young history student and mother who joins the Russian military and becomes a world-famous sniper.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Mistress of the Ritz-Book Review
The Story Line
The Book on Amazon
My Thoughts on the Book
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Book Review of The Beekeeper's Promise
First Storyline
Second Storyline
My Recommendation
Thursday, December 10, 2020
The Magnificent Dappled Sea Book Review
Characters from the Book
- Luca- A fascinating young boy who comes down with a dreaded disease. Luca has a wonderful imagination and a "friend" he talks to that only he can see. His parents were killed when he was very young and he lives with his grandparents in a small Italian village.
- Giovanni- Luca's grandfather who loves his grandson dearly, but is haunted by a decision he made years ago during the war when he found his son Paolo (Luca's father) and brought him home to raise him as his own.
- Nina- A young nurse who is very dedicated and helps to lead the search to find a donor for Luca. This search turns into a life changing event for her.
- Rabbi Joseph Neiman- A rabbi in Brooklyn, New York who is struggling with his faith. When he works to help a young girl in his community find a bone marrow donor, he has his own marrow tested and finds he is a match for a young boy in Italy. What secrets will be revealed to show how a young Catholic boy can have Jewish genes?
- Sarah- The wife of the rabbi who has very bad feelings toward anyone from Italy, where her grandparents were captured and sent to a concentration camp during the war.
- Samuel- The son of the rabbi. Samuel makes friends with the young boy from Italy.
The Book on Amazon
Lessons from the Book
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
The Lost Vintage Book Review
I've visited World War II Europe in my readings on numerous occasions in books like Cilka's Journey, The Girl They Left Behind and The Nightingale. This month I revisited the era via Ann Mah's 2018 novel, The Lost Vintage. I enjoyed the trip though of course, the situation was not always a pleasant one.
The Lost Vintage travels between current day California and France and World War II France, where one family did as best they could to survive the German occupation.
Living on a prestigious wine domaine in the Burgundy region of France, they managed for a while to avoid drawing attention to themselves by keeping their heads down but eventually they were drawn into the war in one way or another.
The mystery that drags the current generation down in the modern day part of the book is whether or not members of the family were Nazi collaborators or members of the resistance. The idea that our ancestors were on the right side of history is an interesting one that cannot be true for all of us.
Because this book is well written, I had no problem switching back and forth between the different time periods. I was a bit less enthusiastic about the inclusion of the occasional French phrase, sometimes translated and sometimes not. I expect the French was included to give a French feeling to the book and translation is not necessary but I did find the practice intrusive.
As the back of the book says, this story contains a mystery, a love story and of course, a history lesson. It is packed with French food, culture and of course, wine. It is well written and it is easy to read. If you enjoy historical fiction, wine and/or reading about France, I believe that you will enjoy The Lost Vintage. You may even find yourself needing to read "just one more chapter", wanting to drink a bit of wine and desiring a trip to France.
Without giving away the secrets of this book, I will mention that it deals with a little discussed part of the story of France. That is, what happened to French women when the country was liberated from the Germans. French women were often treated as traitors and found guilty without a trial by what was really mob justice. No allowances were made for varying situations like the difference between women who slept willingly with German soldiers and those who were raped.
This book comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me. You can buy your copy of The Lost Vintage from Amazon by clicking right here.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas movie reviewed.
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Review of Across the Winding River
Link to Book through Amazon
Main Characters
- Max- Max is a dentist, who served as a medic in World War II. He met several German resistance members whom he helped whenever he could.
- Beth- Max's daughter. We meet her in the present day after her mother has died and she is taking care of her invalid father. She wants to spend as much time as she can with him and engages him in talking about his time in the war.
- Johanna- We first meet Johanna just before the war when Hitler is just starting to rise to power. Johanna and her family have been able to hide the fact that she is one quarter Jewish through a grandfather who has since passed away.
- Harald- Harald is a professor who marries Johanna. During the war he is pressed into service for a cause he does not believe in.
- Margarethe (Metta) - Metta is a younger sister who marries a strict Nazi, before she realizes his true character. She sneaks away whenever she can to work for the resistance.
- Ansel- Ansel is Metta's husband and a very cruel person who is loyal to the Nazi cause.
- Jonas and Heide- They belong to the German resistance. When Jonas is wounded, Metta meets an American medic in the forest and brings him to help Jonas.
My Thought on the Book
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Kate Quinn's The Huntress Book Review
![The Huntress Book Review The Huntress Book Review](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNi4EdrhOxKpzYWaa8tgA8xuiUAY-vlc8IVqQQ1N0WdGxQRZH80uc8-BU-fYowIv3EYk8QCjZxNmyyW5ngFgyvR2sGMHKvtv-drLT13mlYtPAwP6i5iSlGKbxQGeUx0M215Zmgg-undbk/s640/The+Huntress.jpg)
The main characters include Ian, a proper British journalist who was on the ground in Europe during the war and who turns postwar away from journalism to the task of finding war criminals. His purpose becomes a bit clouded by vengeance when he searches for the elusive target for whom this book is titled. That is, the Huntress who ruthlessly lured and killed men, women and children.
The second character is Nina, a woman who grew up dirt-poor and savage in Siberia. As an adult she becomes a pilot for the Soviet Union and a member of the all-female Night Witch bomber regiment who, during her time on the ground during the war, has an encounter with the Huntress.
Finally, we have Jordan, an ambitious teenager who lives with her father and sister in Boston. She wants to become a photographer and to break out of the societal requirement for a woman of the times that says she must get married, settle down and have children.
In the end, all are brought together by the Huntress.
THE HUNTRESS OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER
Here’s a peek via the official book trailer from publisher Williams Morrow:
REVIEWS
Readers on Goodreads gave The Huntress a 4.27 out of 5 stars and 91 percent of Amazon readers gave it a 4- or 5-star rating. That’s pretty good.
On the back cover, Booklist says that this book is “An impressive historical novel sure to harness WWIIi-fiction fans’ attention.” I agree.
The Washington Post calls this book a “compulsively readable historical novel” and says that it is a “powerful novel about unusual women facing sometimes insurmountable odds with grace, grit, love and tenacity.” I agree.
WHO SHOULD READ THE HUNTRESS?
Fans of World War II fiction, which by the way comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me, will enjoy this book. In particular, if you would like a look into the hunt for war criminals, Russian folklore and the lesser-known world of the Night Witches, you will want to pick this book up. If you enjoyed Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network or Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz you will want to read this book. It quickly becomes a thriller and a page turner demonstrating how war changes people and the costs of seeking justice.
You should know that this book has numerous adult themes, which is what you naturally comes with a book about war crimes. Those themes include abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use, war and sex.
Do be aware that there are numerous books called the Huntress. Don't make the mistake that a friend of mine made and read the wrong one. You can find your copy of Kate Quinn’s The Huntress on Amazon by clicking right here.
See you
At the bookstore!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
QUICK LINKS:
Buy your copy of The Huntress on Amazon.
The Ragged Edge of Night Book Review.
Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale Book Review.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Movie Review.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
The Daughter's Tale Book Review
![The Daughter's Tale Book Review The Daughter's Tale Book Review](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eT7DFU3kfRohh3B4zztQDlWDpjib6Jg_dNrvpkWoKsMzr4cqGAIMje0jK2Iru2iFSAou6E4GorxUbBXRcQPo567Ly1GD5wiO3vYtBPVz5abIECnAMBnyjXTjbl00c0Yuj3Cz3qVsrs8/s640/The+Daughter%2527s+Tale.jpg)
STORYLINE
It is a heartbreaking story told mostly without overly graphic descriptions though it cannot help but mention the atrocities of the war. It includes the horrific 1944 Nazi massacre of all the inhabitants of Oradour-Sur-Glane, a small village in southern France. It references the sailing of the MS St. Louis full of German-Jewish refugees that was refused docking in Cuba and elsewhere. However, those are pieces of the story, which is really about a series of impossible choices that a family had to make in an attempt to save their children. It is a story of love, of survival and of hope.
MY COMMENTS
I definitely had quibbles with the book. I questioned why the mother could not leave on the ship with her children. I wondered if a young child would have been so very knowledgeable about the war and the resistance. I found it a bit odd that the children spoke and thought like adults. In the latter part of the book, I was disappointed when the same child suddenly had the ability to foresee events almost in a psychic manner. Finally, I found it hard to believe that an 80-year-old woman, who spent her whole life feeling guilty about things she had no control over as a child, did not seek out the story of her family and childhood. Despite these issues, I enjoyed the book and here is what a few others thought.
REVIEWS
Readers on Goodreads gave it a 3.9 out of 5 stars and 72 percent of Amazon readers gave it a 4- or 5-star rating. That’s not bad.
Booklist says that author Correa presents, “a gripping and richly detailed account of lives torn apart by war.” I agree with that.
The New York Times, on their Summer Historical Fiction Reading list for 2009, said that The Daughter’s Tale is “better written and more tightly edited than most books in this genre, and the story line is breathtakingly threaded together from start to finish with the sound of a beating heart.” Is that overly generous? In my view, it may be.
I believe that people who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this book even if it is not my favorite nor the best of the many World War II themed novels available. If you want to check it out for yourself, you can buy your own copy of The Daughter’s Tale on Amazon by clicking right here.
If you do read it, be sure to come back and share your thoughts with us. If you enjoy it, you might also like Armando Lucas Correa’s previous novel, The German Girl.
See you
At the bookstore!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
Quick Links:
Buy The Daughter’s Tale from Amazon.
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler Movie Review: One Women's Efforts to Save Polish Jewish Children.
Thin Red Line Movie Review: The Story of the WWII battle for Guadalcanal
My Real Name is Hannah Book Review: World War II Fiction for Teen and Young Adults.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale Book Review
I know things that happen in this book happened to real people in France. I have always read books set in this time period. However, what happened in that war is still hard to believe. Truly unbelievable. Despite knowing that people were treated in this manner, I still managed to come away in disbelief saying to my husband things like, "How could anyone treat people the way they did?" and "How did the French people manage to survive in those conditions?" We are not talking about one or two crazy people here, right? We are talking about an 'army' of people mistreating people.
Anyway, in my opinion, Kristin Hannah has crafted a wrenching story with a family and with characters that you will come to love. Yes, you are likely going to shed some tears. Yes, you will be upset by the violence and the cruelty and the sexual situations in this book though I must say that it is far from the worst book that I have read in those matters though perhaps more disturbing because it feels so real.
The Nightingale deals with the contributions made to World War II by women. Unfortunately, those important contributions like the women depicted in this book who joined the French Resistance or who managed despite incredible odds to feed their families, have not been as widely acknowledged or recognised as those of men.
In particular, this book deals with two quite different sisters: One who wants to keep her family safe; the other who is not willing to accept the things that are happening to them. It is a story of courage and survival parts of which were inspired by real women like 19-year old Belgian, Andrée De Jongh, who took considerable risks helping people escape from France.
Here is the book trailer. I do not know if it is official or not but it does give a good idea of the things that happen in this story:
This book is well done and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me and by many others. If you love a book that shares a great story about women’s lives and that is historically based you will enjoy The Nightingale. It is riveting. You will not even notice that it the hardcover book is 440 pages or that the paperback is 600, particularly if you read it as an ebook.
By way of further recommendation, you might take the fact that, according to The New York Times in 2016, this book had sold more than two million copies. This book has drawn both men and women as well as young and old readers. As one who has always been captivated by World War II novels it comes as no surprise to me when the Times stated that people are drawn to them. However, I was interested to learn that this book has drawn a younger generation of readers who perhaps relate to this novel because of how young people were drawn to the French Resistance.
If you are interested in reading The Nightingale, you can find it in all formats including eBook, audiobook and traditional paper book, on Amazon by clicking right here. I’ve just noticed on the cover that this movie is to become a major motion picture. There is not much information available as I write this other than a rumoured movie release date of 2017, which means that once you have read the book you have a movie to look forward to.
If you like historical fiction, you might also enjoy these reviews on Review This:
Secret Healer by Ellin Carsta, which is set in 14th Century Germany.
The movie The Bridge of Spies, which is set in the cold war.
The One Man by Andrew Gross, which is set in Poland in 1944.
See you
At the book store!
Brenda
Quick Link:
Thursday, March 30, 2017
The One Man Book Review
You have likely guessed that Mendl is not just another prisoner. It turns out that his knowledge in the realm of physics is information that only two people in the world know. The other man with this knowledge currently works for the Nazis and the Americans are desperate to gain Mendl’s knowledge so that they can win this war.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Nathan Blum works steadily away at decoding messages from occupied Poland. Previously, he had escaped the Krakow ghetto. Because his entire family was executed after his departure from home, Blum wants to reap revenge for his family and eventually agrees to go back to Poland to break INTO the concentration camp with the end goal of helping Mendl escape and bring back his physics research. Of course, breaking into a concentration camp is unheard of but getting out is really the difficult part.
This book is part historical fiction and part thriller and it is definitely a page turner. It is emotional and it will take you on a horrifying journey. I don’t think it is a spoiler if I say that I finished reading this book with tears running down my face, which is pretty unusual for me. Yes, The One Man comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me for anyone who enjoys World War II fiction and a gripping story.
Author Steve Berry says, “Haunting and thrilling…A masterful blend of family and duty laced with heroism and characters that are intriguing and richly drawn...You must read it!" You can read more about The One Man on Amazon here.
Do you enjoy historical fiction? Will you be checking out The One Man?
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
More Book Reviews:
Steve Berry's Amber Room
John Sandford's Extreme Prey
Tarashea Nesbit's The Wives of Los Alamos
Thursday, October 20, 2016
The Wives of Los Alamos by Tarashea Nesbit
TaraShea Nesbit's The Wives of Los Alamos is the story of the women who supported the men who worked on one of the biggest research projects in World War II. Unknowingly, these families would be tied to a huge development that changed the course of history.
Their lives during the time they spent in Los Alamos were tough but they had even bigger challenges ahead when their experience was over and they had to weigh their contribution to the creation of a hugely destructive development of the 1940s known as the Manhattan Project.
Is The Wives of Los Alamos a True Story?
Would I Recommend This Book?
The story is told by all of the women together in one voice. That is, the book is written in the first person plural a method that I personally did not care for. Here's an example from the beginning:
"We were European women born in Southampton and Hamburg, Western women born in California and Montana, East Coast women born in Connecticut and New York, Midwestern women born in Nebraska and Ohio, or Southern women from Mississippi or Texas, and no matter who we were we wanted nothing to do with starting all over again, and so we paused, we exhaled, and we asked, What part of the Southwest?"
That voice was okay for the first while but eventually I would rather have had the story told by a single individual. I can, however, see how this voice allowed many viewpoints to be expressed in each situation but there are many who could not get past the author's style. Others, however, really enjoyed this book and the style it was written in.
At the end of the book, I was left with a lot of thinking to do. How did those individuals cope with knowing they had made such a horrific contribution to the war effort? How would you cope? How would I?
Yes, I would recommend this book because it is a novel about a very significant scientific development in world history that takes place in the United States. You might want to read it for that fact alone and you never know, you might enjoy the style, too.
You can buy your copy from Amazon by clicking right here. If you do read it, be sure to come back and let us know what you think about the style and the story.
Happy Reading!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
Quick Link:
Buy your copy of The Wives of Los Alamos on Amazon.
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