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The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn Green

Sep4

The Power Of The Story

The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn Green is a powerful historical novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The action is set on the American home front in Maine in 1942. It is seen through the eyes of four women, each with different life experiences and united by a book club. We see that there is power in stories. They bring people together, provoking discussion, out of which, friendships are formed.

You are never too old to begin to read. We see that whereas some have enjoyed books from childhood, others have been reluctant readers, well into adulthood. Books will open hearts, minds and imaginations, uniting the old and the young.

There is power in our stories too. We ‘hear’ of a character’s backstory from 1918. It helps us to understand why a character behaves as she does. We also see that her nursing skills never leave her.

Part of the book is set out in the form of minutes from the book club. This helps to involve the reader in the story as we feel included.

At times of war there are prejudices against those of foreign descent. “Spaniards, Portuguese, and especially Italians, all tarred with the same racial slur. Marked as something different, distasteful, un-American.” A family of Italian origin has to work hard in order to earn trust and to fit in.

Characters long to trust God. “Martina prayed as she ran, but it had been months since she’d attended Mass. What if no-one was listening?” God hears all our prayers. There is no tally of attendance or non-attendance in heaven.

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To Save Her Husband by Ellie Midwood

Aug25

Whatever It Takes

To Save Her Husband by Ellie Midwood is a powerful and heart-wrenching historical tale that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep. There are factual details and historical figures included and woven into the narrative.

The story follows Max and Aurelia Laub through the 1930’s and into World War II as we see how the events in Hitler’s Germany shape them. Max Laub is listed as Jewish but his mother converted to Catholicism when he was young, so ‘Jewish’ is just a label imposed on him by the regime.

The Laub’s were film-makers, determined to tell the world what was happening inside Germany. Aurelia spotted the truth from the burning of the Reichstag. “It was as if the fire was consuming not just the building but the very ideals they had fought for – the hope of a democratic Germany, the promises of freedom, and the future they had envisioned.” Max denied what was happening before his eyes until it was too late.

As the Nazis tightened their grip, Berliners felt the change. “The very atmosphere had shifted; what had once been a city of freedom and expression was beginning to feel like a place of surveillance and intimidation.” All the democratic politicians had gone and “there’s no one to fight for us ordinary folk.”

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Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M White

Aug22

Today, Tomorrow & Forever

Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M White is the most charming, Christian, Christmas historical novella. It will warm your heart and leave you smiling.

The novel is set in 1902. Roseanna M White has perfectly captured the essence and nostalgia of an Edwardian Christmas. The is snow, a manor house, a village, and the re-enacting of The Nutcracker. Characters bond over events and food, offering mouth-watering goodies to tempt the reader.

We see that life is too short to hold grudges as a character realises it is better to let go of the past and concentrate on love and family. “The future lies before us, and we needn’t let those past mistakes shackle us.”

The leading character possesses a joy that is infectious. We realise that no matter how old she gets, she will always have a joyful outlook which is beautiful. “Joy came by embracing love.”

There are nudges to literary classics. Any Jane Austen fan will immediately see the resemblance: “Mama was turning into a regular Mrs Bennet of Miss Austen fame, muttering that one of her daughters better win his eye.”

We learn that we are all called to minister to others. “Jesus never said that the rest of us were released from duty just because there is a clergyman nearby. We are all called to minister to those in need.” We need to live out our faith, preaching the Gospel at all times – and if necessary, use words.

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The Girl From The War Room by Catherine Law

Aug22

From Innocence To Experience

The Girl From The War Room by Catherine Law is an epic historical tale that I read in just two sittings.

It is a powerful tale of family; of war; and of love. The novel opens during the 1930’s and finishes in 1948. We ‘experience’ the war through the eyes of the lead character, Cassie. The action is told in the third person.

As the novel opens, Cassie is just fifteen-years-old and in the Devon countryside surrounded by family. As the novel progresses, she moves from innocence to experience.

Families are complicated affairs, often with more going on behind closed doors than we would first imagine. Families love us. Families can be messy but the love shines through.

We see that love comes in many forms – family; friendship; attraction. What is true about real love is that it is sacrificial. This is illustrated in several cases within the novel. People love others enough to let go.

World War II followed quickly on the heels of World War I. Families who had already experienced loss, would soon do so again.

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