Tag Archive | Sarah Hardy

The Last Agent In Paris by Sharon Maas

Nov8

So Brave

The Last Agent In Paris by Sharon Maas is a powerful, historical novel that I read in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep.

This is the story of Noor Inayat Khan. As a historian I knew the bare bones of her story but this book puts flesh on those bones.

Noor Inayat Khan was the first female wireless operator in France in World War II. The average life expectancy for wireless operators in France was just six weeks. She was small in stature but hugely brave and courageous. Her lips were forever sealed as her fate was marked.

We hear of Noor Inayat Khan’s life story from her birth in Russia in 1914 right up to her ending.

Her character was largely shaped by her father, with whom she had a close relationship. “Some people are just mean, you can’t change them… You’re the only person you can really change.” Wise words from her father. Noor Inayat Khan lived by these words as she worked on her own character. She was by nature a pacifist so war did not come easily. As the Nazis spread their lies, she believed “the pen is mightier than the sword… Peace starts in the home with children. We must nourish the minds of children.”

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The Twins On The Train by Suzanne Goldring

Oct31

The Mark Of True Love

The Twins On The Train by Suzanne Goldring is a powerful historical novel that totally consumed me. I could not put it down.

The novel begins in 2023 before moving backwards to Berlin in 1933 and into World War II. The action alternates between a mother in Berlin and a British lady whose mission was to rescue as many Jewish children from Berlin, on the Kindertransport, as she could.

The reader witnesses the gradual erosion of the freedom of the Jewish people and the sheer terror of Kristallnacht in November 1938. We see the bravery of the parents who loved their children enough to let them go. “They have the courage to send away the things most precious of all to them, more than gems and gold can ever be.” As a mother, I do not think I would have had their courage.

Life is shown through the eyes of the children through their speech. “You’re the first Aryan who’s been nice to me in a long time. Will there be more people like you in England?” Heartbreaking. How awful that Jewish children, a precious gift, have been treated so abominably.

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All My Fault by Emma Robinson

Sep12

The Hardest Goodbye

All My Fault by Emma Robinson is a heart-wrenching contemporary novel that I read in just two sittings.

This is an emotional read that will completely tug at your heartstrings. It is a book about a truly terrible situation and every parent’s nightmare. It is a book about the hardest goodbye.

Emma Robinson writes with sensitivity and feeling. The reader becomes caught up in the action as we ‘walk’ through the book, totally immersed in the situation and able to empathise with the lead character.

A terrible accident sees a young woman fighting for her life and for that of her unborn baby. As events unfold, we see that all is not as it seems and a guilty party walks among us. A mother has a bedside vigil as she refuses to acknowledge the worst. A partner is arrested. His character belies what a mother believes. Emotions run high. Accusations fly. Somewhere under it all lies the truth. Will the truth ever come to light? Or will it stay buried forever?

There are many emotions associated with loss. Feelings of guilt threaten to overwhelm a character who is told, “you need to be kind to yourself.”

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A Promise To My Sister by S E Rutledge

Sep1

Looking Towards Tomorrow

A Promise To My Sister by S E Rutledge is a powerful, heart breaking historical novel that was all consuming.

The novel begins in Poland in 1961 before going backwards to 1939. Along with the leading characters we ‘experience’ Nazi occupied Poland from the ghetto to Auschwitz. We ‘hear’ of the horrendous evil and wonder how anyone could survive hell on earth.

The leading characters are two sisters who mascaraed as mother and daughter. They need luck to survive, as well as finding little pockets of kindness amongst the depravity as we see that not all Germans were evil Nazis.

Hope is needed – a hope for a brighter tomorrow. “If we survive today, we will be free tomorrow” was uttered on a daily basis. Without hope, the people will perish.

Strength of character is seen. Remaining alive to tell the world of the great evil is a goal of some.

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