Tag Archive | Siobhan Curham

The Stars Are Our Witness by Siobhan Curham

Apr28

Of Magic & Miracles

The Stars Are Our Witness by Siobhan Curham is an inspiring, heartbreaking historical read that consumed me for a few hours.

The novel opens in Warsaw in 1940. It is an occupied city where the Nazis are gradually exterminating the Jewish population. Those who were previously counted as friends are shunning their Jewish neighbours – except for one brave sibling pairing. Kindred spirits cannot be torn apart.

We witness the bravery and daring of even the very young in the fight back against the Nazi occupation. As the grip tightens and the violence escalates, so does the bravery.

The fight back and the resistance looks very different for different characters. They all have very different skill sets – some are called to fight, some to smuggle, and yet some use their feminine wiles to extract information and weapons. Codes of morality blur in times of war.

Continue reading →

The Secret Photograph by Siobhan Curham

Oct4

The Peacock & The Fire

The Secret Photograph by Siobhan Curham is the most powerful historical novel that consumed my every waking moment.

The novel is mainly set in Paris during World War II. There are also chapters set in 1985. Paris’ lights dim under Nazi occupation. It was a time of great cruelty with round-ups happening daily.

Against this backdrop we meet a brave, young female photographer who one day captures an image that spoke to her heart. It inspired her to become part of the resistance. The Secret Photograph tells her story.

We witness the abominable cruelty. Life was not sacred but cruelly snuffed out in an instant by the Nazis. Children were not treasured but slaughtered. The resistance grew as people held on to the hope that one day the Nazis would be defeated and the lights of Paris would shine once more.

There were still those characters who were larger than life, incredibly brave and retained an air of joie de vivre as they flamboyantly protested against the Nazis, offering a solidarity with the Jews. The vitality of Peacock has been perfectly captured by the author. He springs to life from the pages of the book.

Lives were snuffed out in an instant – lives not only blighted today, but future hopes and dreams gone. “They are stealing people’s lives and dreams.”

Continue reading →