Tag Archive | Siobhan Curham

The Lost Story Of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham

Apr25

Capturing Your Heart

The Lost Story Of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham is a totally gripping dual timeline novel that I adored. It is set in 2000 and during the war years, mainly in Portugal.

We see that secrets that have been kept for over fifty years now need to come to light. Fact is stranger than fiction, and I confess to reading with dropped jaw as the book sped towards its conclusion.

The war years were a time of fear and suspicion. There were agents and double agents, and the Gestapo, all lunching in plain sight. As Siobhan Curham sets the scene, my heart rate and pulse rate rose.

We see that friends are born in adversity as a young singer puts aside all thoughts of personal safety in order to rescue a young Jewish girl from the clutches of the Gestapo.

There are all the wasted years as we ponder on what might have been.

Portugal is a vibrant place, even in times of war. The golden sands and the heat contrast sharply with the grey London skies.

Characters maintain their joi d’vivre even into their eighties, persuading others to abandon their straight way of thinking, throw caution to the wind, and dive into life.

Continue reading →

The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curan

Sep26

Smoke & Mirrors

The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curan is a powerful dual timeline historical novel that totally consumed me.

The action is set in Paris during the Nazi occupation from 1940 and also in America in 1984. Chapters alternate between the two time periods which are linked by a granddaughter hearing of her grandmother’s wartime exploits.

We see that not all Germans are Nazis who agree with Hitler. “I was … taken aback by how normal they [Nazis] looked.” Evil does not look so different from anyone else.

As young French and German people mixed in a hotel kitchen, hatred did not come easily. They were all united in their love of cooking. “The whole point of war is to get us to hate each other, but for what?” War seemed even more futile when the enemy was just like us.

A young French pastry chef is conflicted in her mind between the dreadful treatment of her Jewish friend and also the kindness of a German cook. Her emotions are tossed by the wind.

The non-Jewish pastry chef shows her loyalty to her Jewish friend by wearing the star of David on her clothes too. “I’m choosing not to see it as a target … I’m choosing to see it as a sign of how much I love you.” Resistance comes in many forms as seen when the two women dress up in their posh frocks, wear a smile and sing.

Continue reading →

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 →