The Designer, by Marius Gabriel: a review by Diana Milne.

About the book:

In 1944, newly married Copper Reilly arrives in Paris soon after the liberation. While the city celebrates its freedom, she’s stuck in the prison of an unhappy marriage. When her husband commits one betrayal too many, Copper demands a separation.

Alone in Paris, she finds an unlikely new friend: an obscure, middle-aged designer from the back rooms of a decaying fashion house whose timid nature and reluctance for fame clash with the bold brilliance of his designs. His name is Christian Dior.

Realising his genius, Copper urges Dior to strike out on his own, helping to pull him away from his insecurities and towards stardom. With just a camera and a typewriter, she takes her own advice and ventures into the wild and colourful world of fashion journalism ... can Copper make a new, love-filled life for herself?

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The Designer, by Marius Gabriel, is a triumph of story telling. I have read many books by this accomplished author and always been amazed at the depth of research that is put in to everything he undertakes and the enormous intelligence of the man, but this latest book takes Gabriel to new heights of professionalism and spell binding narrative.

In his customary way, Gabriel takes a simple idea and through his expert hand and with the benefit of hours of meticulous research, turns the ordinary into the extra-ordinary, leaving no stone unturned in his quest for the perfect novel.

This latest addition to his catalogue of titles, takes this technique to a whole new level, artfully blending fact and fiction in an exciting, at times challenging and deeply moving story, set at a time in our recent history which the author is particularly skilled at representing with the written word.

The impact of the story starts at the first page, just after the liberation of Paris, where we meet Copper and her seemingly cold hearted war correspondent husband, Amory, who is a about to witness the 'frontier justice' punishment of a collaborator by the Resistance.

Without bogging the reader and the narrative down in lengthy descriptions, Gabriel paints a vivid picture of post-occupation France, effortlessly transporting the reader to that place. It flows really well and is deceptively easy to read for such an intense and complex story, multilayered and searching on every level.

Copper's meeting with Christian Dior (1905-57) a shy, unprepossessing man who died far too young, and a later further encounter with him in La Vie Parisienne, a club which is so vividly portrayed that I am sure that I could smell the Gauloise and hear the jazz thumping, provides the basis for a tale of unimaginable decadence, luxury, poverty and fascination, woven artfully around the lives of the surrealists and the Parisian fashion industry. The guest list around that table reads like a 'who's who' of the leading names of the French demi-monde and the design and art industries and it was with a vivid sense of shock, perhaps tinged with grudging respect, to learn how many of them would have been considered collaborators during those dreadful war year, when they, like many, did what they needed to do just to survive.

The female protagonist, whose nickname 'Copper' is on account of her cinnamon hair, is a naive and yet surprisingly complex character and the perfect foil for the licentiousness of the surrealists. Throughout the story we see her emerge and spread her wings and as a butterfly emerges and flies, we see Copper emerge and take on difficult life choices and mature in her own glory.

Although not a comedy book, The Designer includes the most hilariously funny account of a funeral imaginable! How I would love to see this portrayed on the big screen! Gabriel's account of the coffin not fitting actually had me laughing out loud.

The dialogue throughout is realistic and fast paced, moving the story on and adding greatly to its rich tapestry: 

He glanced at Bérard who had started to snore loudly. " They're distinctly bohemian for the most part, aren't they? And I, by contrast am distinctly bourgeois. That has become something of an insult lately. In the mouth of Monsieur Giroux, for example, "bourgeois" is the vilest of epithets. But I know what I am and I am proud of it. I come from solid Norman stock. What else can I be, but solid and Norman?" 
"Your friends say you are a genius," she replied.
He hesitated. " Clothing comes between our own nakedness and the world. It can be a disgise, a fancy dress costume, a fantasy. Or it can express one's true self more acurately than any words. For men like me . . . " He didn't finish the sentence. " Are you really going to divorce your husband?"

A totally brilliant book that is hard to put down. I cried. I laughed. I despaired. I cheered the characters on and urged them to make the best decisions. They - and the book - became a part of me that will live on in my memory. Forever.

What other people say:

By b a on 4 September 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Most women have a fascination of the world of haute couture. Most of us will never experience that glamorous world first hand, but we gaze at the impossibly sumptuous creations with the thought 'one day - perhaps!'
This novel covers the 're-emergence of Paris fashion in the dying days of World War 2. The need for something new after the deprivation of the war, the political struggles for supremacy and the rising star of Christian Dior in all his ambiguous glory, form the backdrop to the emergence of Copper as a journalist and as a fulfilled happy woman.
Read it!

ByFerbson 10 September 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

...found this book to be an interesting perspective of what went on in the final stages of war as it's from an American woman and focuses on fashion. I know it's fiction based on fact - but I enjoyed learning more about haute couture and it sparked further reading about Catherine Dior and the resistance. Worth a read!

About the author:

Marius Gabriel (born 13 November 1954 in Mafikeng, South Africa) is an international romance and mystery writer, and artist. Under the pseudonym Madeleine Ker, he is a popular writer of over 30 romance novels since 1983. As Marius Gabriel he has written four mystery best-sellers and two historical novels. He has also written and illustrated children's books, including Smartypig, the tale of a genetically modified piglet.

He has lived in Cairo and in London.

You can read more about Marius Gabriel in this wonderful 'Diana Talks ...' interview by clicking this link Diana Talks to Marius Gabriel 

A scribbler for bread :-)

© Diana Milne September 2017

Diana talks to Marius Gabriel

Hi Marius, it is lovely to have a chance to chat with you like this!!
First things first I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it!

Q: Is it awfully hard being a dazzling genius?
A: Oh no, I take it in my stride. (Lolololol!!!)

If your latest book TAKE ME TO YOUR HEART AGAIN was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role?
A: Well, there are three lead parts, and I’d have Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling and Sophie Rundle!  (Nice one effendi! I can picture them all in the roles)

(Click here to access Diana's review of this splendid book!)



What made you choose this genre?
A: I am very interested in the period (1930s to 1950s)

How do you get ideas for plots and characters?
A: All three characters are modelled on my mum. (That is really interesting! What a wonderfully complex character she must have been!)If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!) you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind?
A: Oh, without a doubt I’d write a mind-bending Science Fiction novel. I love SciFi. And no, I don’t have a plot cos I’m rubbish at writing SciFi.
Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously.
A: I was about twelve. I never really wanted to do anything else, though I valiantly had a go at lecturing and Law. (Gosh!!)

Marmite? Love it or hate it?
A: Love Bovril, does that help? (Mmmmmm. Me too!)

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters?
A: I don’t trust you not to betray me. (Wise man!!)


Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job?
A: Pope. (What I said before. That!)

Coffee or tea? Red or white?
A: Coffee. Red.

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way?
A: I have not so much a full draft as a skeleton outline. I know what major story points I want to reach, but the episodes in between unfold day by day.

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose?
A: Times New Roman. Funnily enough. (Ditto. But I won't tell my alter ego that!)

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be?
A: One of Shakespeare’s original playbooks for a major character like Lear or Othello. (GOSH! Me too!)

Have any of your characters ever shocked you and gone off on their own adventure leaving you scratching your head??? If so how did you cope with that!?
A: Oh, all the time. Writing wouldn’t be much fun if that didn’t happen!

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips?
A: I do a lot of research, in books, on the internet, and on trips. Usually many months.

Fiction authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot?
A: Not sure I understand the question. You mean, like Tony Blair? (Good example!!)
Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?
A: I try hard to stick to the facts, but of course I have my own interpretation of the emotions and motivations that lie behind them. I distrust most “official versions.”

Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred?
A: No. Yes. (Pardon??)

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?
A: I love them all. (So do your readers)

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?
A: I love almost anything that is well-written and interesting. Exceptions are fantasy novels set in worlds where “anything goes” and self-published poetry. (...and I thought you were going to say Diana's Facebook Statuses. Disappointed face!)
What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?
A: A nice pot of tea (with some custard creams). (OK OK! I know I forgot to send you any custard creams last year. My bad. Sorry!!)

I hope this makes up for my oversight!

Last but not least... favourite author?
A: Too many to pick out one, Diana. Ya oughta know better than that! (It is easier for us. We just say Marius Gabriel!!)

A little about Marius
Author's page and books  - click on the link to follow him!!

Marius Gabriel
 

Whilst looking through Marius's biography I found one of his books I had never read before!! The Original Sin. How have I missed that???

© Diana Milne January 2017 © Marius Gabriel January 2017

Diana talks to - Julia Faye Smith

Hi Julia, I am sure that you are tired of being asked the usual questions that would be interviewers ask authors, so hopefully this interview is an interview with a difference and I have come up with some unusual questions!

If your latest book Twilight of Memory was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role? No question about it, Matt Damon. Both as young Henry and as an older Henry, he would be perfect.

 

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If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!)  you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind? No, not in another genre.  I would just like to write the world’s best historical fiction! Ah, well. (You have made an excellent start there!!)

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Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...?? Not really, but I am not very productive in the morning hours, so that’s when I take care of errands, housework, etc. As empty nesters my husband and I are free to set our own schedules (most of the time), so for me, it’s A.M. ‘whatever’, and afternoon is devoted to research and writing, etc.

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What is the worse book you have ever read? What made it unreadable for you? Not just one book, but almost every book written by the wildly successful Danielle Steel. My husband and I once owned a book store, the Book Nook, which was the home of the best easy chairs and ugliest lamp in the world. The lamp should have been in a bordello! Think “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” style. I felt I needed to read as many of the best sellers as possible. I could not read Danielle’s work without rolling my eyes, groaning, and constantly asking, “Why is she repeating that. We got it the first time!” She repeats, repeats, and repeats backstory as if we readers cannot retain the info for more than a few pages. That being said, I absolutely loved her Granny Dan and The Ring! Whenever her name comes up I jump to recommend those two.

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Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job? At this point in my life I would love to be the female Rick Steves! Short of that, a travel writer for us ‘older’ folks.  I did have another profession; I was an educator, (history, reading, English) for 35 years.

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If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose? I love script, but I know it is hard to read, so I would be reasonable and go with one of the common, more readable fonts…Georgia, Calibri, etc. (Wonderful choices. I love Georgia and Plantagenet Cherokee and almost always use one or the other!)

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Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be? A love letter from Thomas Jefferson to Sally Hemmings or visa versa. But of more interest to me on a personal level would be a journal written by my 3^rd great-grandmother as she packed up her Tennessee Walking Horses and headed south after the death of her husband in the war of 1812. She was the founder of our family in a new state. We’ve been quite prolific! Equally as desirable would be a journal written by my husband’s great-grandmother as she left Italy in 1906 and came to America with her husband and three children. Theirs’ became the ‘great American success story’, much more than my family’s story, but both would be wonderful.

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Historical fiction authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot? No, not a one, but once I am finished with my fictional characters I have no problem polishing them off, often rather quickly, if needed.

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Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?  I will not go away from the facts when they are fundamental to the story. For instance, In ”Twilight of Memory,” I would not change any fact as relating to the battles the 10^th Mountain Division fought in Italy. With painstaking research guiding me, I wanted to stay as true to the facts as possible. Only my fictional characters, when not part of an actual historical moment, can wander around.

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Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred? In the past the lines have been easily delineated, but in my ongoing effort, I find that fact and fiction sometime fight each other and I have to make some concession to move the story forward.  But going back to your previous question, I suppose I am contradicting myself. I find in this new work that I am bending the facts somewhat, but that’s okay because this work is based on family history…I can change, bend, eliminate, etc my family history to fit the big picture, but again, never actual history.

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Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters? I fell in love with the subject of my recently published “Something to Prove, A Biography of Ann Lowe, America’s Forgotten Designer.” Ann, the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of former slaves, was born in a small Southern town during the days of Jim Crow…laws that severely restricted African American citizens’ rights. One would NOT expect Ann to become the design darling of America’s highest realm of society, but she achieved it. She even designed the gown Jacqueline Bouvier wore when she married John F. Kennedy. Ann defied all odds, but died banckrupt and today is known only by a few.

In “Twilight of Memory,” I loved Henry for his gentleness and Daisy for her unflappable belief in her love for Henry, even when it seemed improbable.  In a children’s book that I have written, “The Lovely Alligator”, I love the old man trying to find a lovely alligator for his granddaughters.  He should be every child’s grandfather.

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What do you enjoy reading for pleasure? Oh my, dare I say it? Historical fiction! Almost any time period, but I do generally read by time periods for several weeks or months at a time. At the moment WWI and WWII, both on the home fronts and in the battles, are at the top of my reading list. For several years I devoured everything Plantagenet and Tudor. Before that, early American history.

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What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book? For Twilight, drink a robust Italian wine or one of the newer Colorado wines. For my work in progress, it might take something stronger!

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Last but not least... favourite historical author? Oh gosh, I think it depends on the time period I’m reading at the moment. I’ve been reading Allison Weir and Susan Higginbotham for as long as I can remember. I’ve actually given my granddaughter the same Allison Weir novel three times, forgetting that it is the same one I’d previously given her.  Then, of course, the early works of James Michener. I read John Jakes’ novels the moment each one was published. What a great early American history without a text book. I must admit that after one, either number 4 or 5, there was a great long wait. I was most impatient and upset. Then I learned that he had serious health problems during that period!

Back to the question, for today, I’m enjoying M.K. Tod because she paints great pictures and is easy to read and I love WWI and WWII. And I love everything by Susan Vreeland. For young adult/middle grades historical fiction, no one surpasses Ann Rinaldi.

Still, with all that said, the best historical fiction I’ve read in the past two-three years has to be Alyson Richman’s The Lost Wife.  Oh, my. Her descriptions and story drew me in and held me. I spoke so highly of the book that a neighbour asked to borrow it. Two weeks later she sheepishly brought me a new copy. Why? (I wanted my original copy because it was underlined in so many beautiful places.) She explained that she was reading and cooking at the same time and spilled shrimp juice on my copy. Ack! Do you know how awful old shrimp juice can smell!

(Sorry, Julia, I laughed out loud. Does that make me a very bad person??)

Thank you for a wonderful talk, Julia. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.

 

Biography:

Julia Faye Dockery Smith, a native of Alabama, attended local public schools in Tuscaloosa. She began her writing career in the 7th grade at Tuscaloosa Jr. High when she won a writing contest. On stage to accept her reward, $25.00, she was asked if she wanted to say anything. She replied, "Someday I will write a book."

She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Montevallo, receiving a degree in education with an English major. She received her master's degree in education with an emphasis on reading from Colorado State University.

After beginning her teaching career in Florida, she married a journalist and took several years' hiatus to raise three children. She returned to the classroom in Colorado and completed her 34 years of teaching in Georgia classrooms.

She and her husband, Jim, currently live in Florida with two of their three children and all five of their grandchildren. Their third child lives in Texas. Faye and Jim enjoy travelling, writing, research, and most of all family.
Julia's books are all available here

© Diana Milne July 2016 © Julia Faye Smith September 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diana Milne reviews Twilight of Memory by Julia Faye Smith. The author has offered a reader's choice of ebook or paper copy as a giveaway to one lucky winner. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous novel, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page. The winner will be drawn on 2nd August 2016. Good luck!

At twenty-two Henry Townsend had the world in his hands; his cherished Lilly by his side; a bright future planned in his beloved valley home. Life promised him happiness. America’s entrance into WWII turned that promise to dust. Desperately, Henry sought to find a way to serve his country while remaining by Lilly’s side. On the night he found his solution, Lilly disappeared. Months later only one thing promised a shattered Henry survival… a band of brothers: skiers and outdoor enthusiasts like himself. Together they formed the 10th Mountain Division. America's Ski Troops of the U.S. Army. Together they trained for war, made their way to Italy, and fought desperately against the Germans. The same war that shattered Henry’s dreams, now threatened to shatter Henry’s life. Could this same war, somehow save him? Could the peace he had known in his Colorado valley be found in a war-torn valley in Italy? Could salvation be found in the arms of a war-scarred nurse? Twilight of Memory explores the power of memory and love: to hurt, to haunt, and possibly to heal. Get to know Henry, Lilly, Daisy, and the 10th Mountain Ski Troops in this gentle historical fiction love story.

Henry and fellow members of the 10th Alpine division trained here. Henry helped build the camp. Soldiers training at Camp Hale Photo: Aspen Historical Society

It was a genuine pleasure to read this exceptionally well researched book.  It is told from the points of view of both American Henry and Japanese American Lilly and encompasses their lives during World War Two, the lives of their extended families and the Italian and English families that Henry gets to know and love. The book could comfortably fit into several genres; historical fiction, war, romance, maybe others and would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good story well told.
The book encompasses many fascinating and little known aspects of WW2 and I learnt a lot without feeling I was being taught. Contemporary news items add immensely to the scene, as do the vivid, but not tedious, descriptions of places. I could actually see the vibrant pots of geraniums so well were they described.
I found the way that the training of the men for the Alpine Division was exceptionally well written coming in the form of a series of letters, which made a subject that could have been quite tedious to some, flow and become fascinating with ‘Henry’s’ chatty missives. The letter he writes to his best mate and new brother-in-law Walt is fascinating and full of detail about the appallingly horrific conditions endured on the first manoeuvre.

General George Hayes, Commander of the Alpine Division.

Dialogue flows easily and naturally...
Henry jumped in, trying to think and answer at the same time. “Well, no, not construction exactly. Just helping to keep the buildings in good repair on our farm. I can swing a hammer and hit the nail as well as most, I guess.”
“Drafting? Engineering?” Donny asked.
“No.”
“Okay, kid, what do you do in your spare time? We need hands here but you gotta help me out.”
“Well, I work the orchards, ride the trails on the western slope, ski, hike, backpack, camp out, fish, white water rafting,” he paused to think and Donny jumped in.
“Okay, I got it.” He turned to a man at a table in the back. “ Say, Sam, don’t you still need help laying some trails?”
I don’t think I am giving too much of a spoiler here when I mention that at some point during the story Henry’s father dies.  The letter written by his sister is so very moving that I felt tears prickling the back of my eyes.
The author has thoughtfully put a section at the end covering the factual aspects of the story. More information about General George Hays, commander of the Mountain Division, can be found here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Price_Hays

Ms Smith is a born story teller with an amazing grasp of history and human emotion. I look forward to reading more of her work.

About the Author
Julia Faye Dockery Smith, a native of Alabama, now resides in Tallahassee, FL with her husband of 50 years. She is the proud mother of three and grandmother of five. In her retirement she enjoys reading, reviewing, supporting other authors, and of course, writing. She also enjoys research and spent many months enthusiastically researching and ‘getting to know’ the 10th Division. When doing none of the above, she loves travel. She is the author of children's books and a childhood biography of President Thomas Woodrow Wilson. She is now revising her latest project, a biography of Ann Cole Lowe, the granddaughter of a slave who became society's darling designer.
Twilight of memory is available from Amazon.com in the US and Amazon.co.uk the UK.



About the reviewer:
 Diana Milne is an avid amateur historian, future best-selling author and is better known as ‘d.arcadian, letterpress seller extraordinaire.’

Anna Reviews: Back Behind Enemy Lines

Back Behind Enemy Lines by Chris Bridge
Review by Anna Belfrage

Please see below for information about the FREE COPY we are gifting!

A book about a female English spy during the last months of World War II promises nail-biting tension, of gritty action and moments of despair. Back Behind Enemy Lines delivers all that – but much, much more, being an excellent description of the consequences of all that action and the price of setting duty over your heart.

In 1944, a young woman named Anna is parachuted into Normandy, where she is to present herself as Marie-Claire, a French dairy maid. With Anna comes a radio, money for the Resistance, a large silk map which she is to complete with detailed information about the Germans, and a crate of weapons.

It is a lonely life. Marie-Claire is always on her guard, her French hosts keep their distance, and her human interaction is restricted to her network of informers and the people she delivers cheese and milk to.

The story is told both in the point of view of Marie-Claire in 1944, and the reminiscent point of view of Anna, looking back at the events of those months from a distance of 60 years. It is skilfully done, allowing the present-day Anna to add depth and introspection to the sequence of the events that eventually lead to Marie-Claire’s own chrysalis – a turning point in her life from which she emerges not like a shimmering butterfly, but like a badly singed moth.

There is a moment of absolute fear when Marie-Claire is hauled off to be interrogated by the local Gestapo. The grey-haired, distinguished German knows exactly who she is – but lets her go. This, if anything, increases Marie-Claire’s paranoia, convinced as she is that the Gestapo officer is merely biding his time, waiting to pluck her like a ripe plum when he so desires.

Well-known WW2 spy Odette Sansom

And then there is Pierre, her co-agent, the first man Marie-Claire has ever fallen in love with, the first man to touch her and hold her. There is an absolutely beautiful scene just after they’ve met – but before they’ve become lovers – where Marie-Claire returns home to her little hideout, and Pierre has already left, but her unmade bed holds the indent of his body, a promise of future embraces and intimacies.

Not everything in life is black and white, and as D-Day approaches Marie-Claire finds herself in a situation where she no longer knows who to trust. Her contacts in England bombard her with instructions, Pierre has gone missing, one of her informers has been arrested by the Germans, and it’s as if Marie-Claire is walking about with a noose round her neck, expecting the Gestapo to appear at any moment and drag her off to die.

The building stress and tension is excellently described, and together with Marie-Claire, the reader is forced to leap to a number of conclusions, hoping – just like Marie-Claire – that they are wrong. Meanwhile, there are attacks to plan, railways to blow up, information to be sent back to England, and Marie-Claire submerges herself in her tasks, anything to escape facing the truth as presented by her rational mind, no matter her protesting heart. The mission cannot be put at risk, so ultimately, she has no choice – and for the rest of her life she will wonder if she made the right one.

The climactic events of the summer of 1944 leave Marie-Claire permanently scarred. She is returned to England, debriefed, offered a medal which she refuses, and then, once again Anna, she is left to her own devices – alone with the ghosts of her recent past.

Gestapo in France

Unsentimentally, Chris Bridge describes a person falling apart. Anna sees dead people everywhere, she can’t talk, she can’t sleep – but she can scream. To the modern reader, the diagnosis is self-evident: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To the people of Anna’s generation, no such diagnosis existed. People were told they should be happy they were still alive and encouraged to “get on with it.” Anna sees others like her everywhere. And just like them, she builds a wall around her fragile self, facing the world with a façade that ensures she will never again expose herself to the pain of true emotions. Anna goes through the motion of living – but the woman she was died in 1944, a sprig of white flowers over her bleeding heart, and there is nothing to fill the void left behind.

She marries, has children she quickly discards as being her husband’s rather than hers, and lives on the edges of the family, a silent presence that cooks and cleans and gardens but never interacts at any depth with any of them. Does Anna fail her children? Monumentally. Can she help it? Not really. Now and then, things happen that for an instant penetrate her armour – like when the family goes for a jaunt into the countryside, and the children dare Anna to milk a cow, expecting her to fail. Anna, however, has milked numerous times as Marie-Claire, and as she settles herself on the stool, it all comes back to her.

In the second half of the book, we are with Anna in the present. She is old, she is tired – and she is fighting a battle of wits against her children, who want her out of the house so that they can sell it and take the money. Anna has no intention of dying anywhere else than in her beloved house, the only thing in her life that has inspired any emotions whatsoever since the traumatic events in 1944. And so, Anna is back behind the enemy lines – but this time the enemies are her own flesh and blood, and her allies are two young people whom she discovers by chance and ropes in to help her.

Nathan and Gemma are young, in need of cash and genuinely curious about this old woman who does not hesitate to shoot a man in his shoulder when he threatens them. And when she starts talking about wanting to visit Normandy, they agree to come along to help her, both of them astounded at her fluent French, at her familiarity with the region. Anna is in search of closure. Nathan and Gemma are in search of the future, and yet, despite the sixty-year age gap they connect, and Anna tells them the story she has never told anyone before – not even her children.

The author must have expended endless hours on his research, recreating the Normandy of 1944 in full technicolour, all the way from Marie-Claire’s scratchy French knickers, to the relaxed jargon of the village whores. The casual reference to the rennet added to set the cheese, the odd detail about Marie-Claire’s clothes, of the pinholes in the French money  – it all comes together to create a whole, complete with young German soldiers, stubborn resistance fighters and one very lonely young woman, determined to do her duty no matter the cost. 

Back Behind Enemy Lines is not an easy book to read. It addresses issues that are complex and sensitive, such as Anna’s lack of affection for her children – after all, shouldn’t mothers always love their children? It describes a stunted life, the result of being emotionally crippled by events in the past. It addresses guilt and absolution, the need we all have, deep within, to somehow forgive ourselves. It is also a beautifully written book, with a prose that heaves with carefully contained emotion. This is an author who excels at subtexts, at hinting at the unsaid and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks. What could have been an orgy in heart-wrenching imagery is instead a contained and precise description, all the more powerful for being so sparse. Chris Bridge paints with carefully selected words. A measured prose marches across the pages, now and then flowering into exquisite metaphors, at times bursting apart to reveal the oceans of unhealed pain that lies deep within Anna.

Ultimately, Anna comes face to face with her past and makes the choices she has to make to retain her dignity in the face of her children’s pestering. A flawed and complex character, Anna is first of all a damaged human being, a woman for whom a few brief weeks in 1944 would define the rest of her life. I close the book and can’t but hope that somewhere, somehow, a man stands waiting for her, holding that sprig of white flowers that has haunted her throughout her life.

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Chris Bridge has so generously offered a FREE COPY of Back Behind Enemy Lines to one lucky winner. We will be randomly selecting a name, so to get yours in the hat simply comment below OR at our Facebook link, located here.

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About the author: 

Chris Bridge was born in Hull in 1947 and sent to boarding school aged nine. He studied English and philosophy at Nottingham University, choosing to go there because it had a superb mountaineering club. On graduating in 1969 he became an English teacher, thinking teaching would give him time to write novels. He was wrong about that but his love of the classroom quickly took over. 

In his professional life he never entirely abandoned writing. Until he became a head teacher he used to write the school shows, occasionally starting the process with asking who wanted to be in the cast and tailor-making a script to suit all those students. 

His poetry has been published in Tribune, Scrip, Poetry Nottingham, New Poetry, Pennine Platform and Other Poetry. He has also published articles about education in The Guardian, English in Education and The Independent. 

Back Behind Enemy Lines is his first novel. He is married and lives in North Yorkshire.

Chris Bridge can be found at Twitter and on his Amazon author page. Back Behind Enemy Lines may also be purchased at Amazon and Amazon UK.

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Anna Belfrage is the author of eight published books, all part of The Graham Saga. Set in the 17th century, the books tell the story of Matthew Graham and his time-travelling wife, Alex Lind. Anna can be found on Amazon, Twitter, Facebook and on her website. 

Gracie by Ellie Keaton

Gracie by Ellie Keaton
Review by Samantha Wilkinson

This book is free to download on Amazon

“The world was changing, and Gracie wasn’t sure she liked it.”
        

Seventeen year old Gracie Thompson is the eponymous heroine in this novel which follows Gracie, who lives in London with her loving family, through the run up to and outbreak of World War II. The story begins in 1937; her twin brother Stan is excited to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) Volunteer Reserves, and to train as a volunteer pilot for the war which now seems inevitable.

Gracie is in service as a lady’s maid and falls in love with her brother’s friend, Charlie, also an RAF pilot. Refused permission to marry by her father, who is still haunted by his experiences in WWI, which was still known as the ‘war to end all wars’, Gracie defies both her parents and the love of her life to join the Women’s Air Auxiliary Force (WAAF), and do her bit for the war effort.

Can her relationship with her parents and with Charlie survive? And will the pilots in her life survive the frequent dog fights?

The novel is written in third person, but from three different perspectives: those of Gracie, Charlie (the love of her life) and Miss Penelope (or Penny as she would rather be called). At the beginning of the book, the short snappy sections made it a little harder to get ‘stuck in’ than I would have liked. However the characters and the plot draw you in, and before the half way mark, I had discovered that the book was hard to put down. I do understand that the time frame covered in the novel would mean that there would be large sections of unutterable dullness if the chapters covered every last minute of the main characters' lives, so the short chapters with time between them work well to cover only the exciting parts of the plot.

Now that I have mentioned the plot… let’s be honest here. It’s a novel; it can’t possibly allow the protagonists' lives to run smoothly, or there would be no plot, there would be no novel. As a result, the chapters cover the most exciting (but not always in a good way) parts of Gracie’s life over the years running up to WWII and in the early years of the same. There are a few tense moments within the plot, and although the plot is clearly the driver for the novel, I found the characters and their reactions to the situations they found themselves in to be realistic but also in parts frustrating. To me this means that the characters are well drawn, and more importantly, believable.

A few of the chapters were written in the form of correspondence, mainly from Gracie to her good friend, Penny. I really enjoyed these; it was a good way to fill the reader in on some basic details of life in the WAAF without resorting to a lengthy and unbelievable monologue, by explaining her new life to her friend who wasn’t there and didn’t know what it was like. The author was also able to give us the background story of the new characters, friends Gracie had met on joining the WAAF, in a gossipy and light tone, which made it the type of letter that any penfriend would be glad to receive!

I particularly liked the references to real events, most notably Neville Chamberlain’s radio address to the nation at 11:15 a.m. on 3^rd September 1939, in which the author has actually used the real wording for:

“...final note stating that, unless we heard from them – by 11 o’clock – that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us.”

Personally, I found that this added to the realism of the events, and made it more emotional, as I can imagine my grandparents listening to it at the time. 

During the course of the novel we see fictional depictions of what would have been common events during WWII, but seem very strange to us now. This includes the orphans who escaped Europe to the UK before the war started, the air raids of the London blitz, their aftermath and the all too common human costs, the evacuation of small children from the cities to the countryside, as well as looking at how the ladies of the WAAF were treated. I can’t imagine sending my child away from me to keep her safe, but so many people had no alternative. It is the small things like these that the author has depicted, that really make you sit and think about what it must have really been like. Not something you get from every novel.

At the end of the novel, Gracie’s story is tied up, although I won’t tell you if it was a happy ending or not, but the end is left open as an introduction into the second novel of the series, Penny.

Overall, I found it easy to read, and well paced. Overall, I found it easy to read, and well paced. If I’m honest, I definitely would read other books in this series, or indeed, just by the same author. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It’s a good story and it’s accessible. There’s an element of romance, but it is not gratuitous (something I find rather off putting in books) and there is enough going on (well there was a war on) without it being only about romance.

Gracie can be found on Amazon and Amazon UK as a free download so get yours now!

About the author

Ellie Keaton is Irish and used to live in London but returned to Ireland in 2012 with her children. She loves to write but it took her a long time to start publishing. She has written various non-fiction articles over the years and published in trade magazines and newspapers, but it was only in 2012 that she published her first short story. "The Wedding Dress" is about a couple who lost everything on 9/11. Ellie says that she was inspired to write it following the July 7th bombings in London. People she had known had lost their lives in both events. She then wrote two more books in the Survivor Club series: Red followed by The Fireman's Daughter. She is currently working on her fourth, Tears, Love and Laughter.

You can learn more about Ellie on her Author page, Facebook and her webpage. 

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Gracie was reviewed by Samantha Wilkinson. Samantha currently lives in Cheshire with her husband, daughter and two cats. Her other hobbies include cooking, sewing, and walking.

Samantha sometimes blogs in a slightly haphazard fashion, and you can read her ramblings here.

If you would like Samantha to review your book please check our Submissions page.

Sunday Wrap Up: Week ending June 8, 2014

From the week that was, which special remembrance for those without whom we would not be here today. We shall never forget. D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The Emperor's American

by Art McGrath

The adventures of Baltimorean Pierre Burns, in his telling of them in The Emperor’s American, start out with a bang—literally. The first words of the opening chapter are, “The ship was ablaze” and author Art McGrath keeps us on the edge of our seats until the very end. The book is divided into chapters, not all necessarily ending with cliffhangers, but infused nonetheless with a tincture of sorts, leaving readers reluctant to let go at natural stopping points. Perhaps Burns’s circumstances—unusual to say the least—play into that, or it could be where they lead him. 

Written as a letter from Burns to Napoleon’s surviving brother, Joseph Bonaparte, who has beseeched Burns to set to paper his experiences as an American in the emperor’s army, the novel takes readers through a bit over one year of life as a French soldier.

Pierre Burns, whose French mother raised him modeling a hatred for the English, never knew his French-born Scottish father, whose brutal murder during the American Revolution also informs Pierre’s perceptions. So it is that when his merchant ship is attacked by the British and sinks off the coast of northwestern France, he is recruited into what history later knows as the Grande Armée, a force preparing to invade England.

At the start, I didn’t know what to expect of Burns, whose strong personality in the hands of a lesser author might have endangered his likeability. However, he is equipped with a balanced self awareness that enables him often to recognize the effect his words may have on others, and an ability to evaluate himself with a fair amount of honesty.

In retrospect, I can’t really blame Monge for his attitude. The open officer’s slot should have allowed him to move up to the number two slot in the company. Instead, a foreigner who became an officer that very morning was to usurp his place, at least until I permanently assumed my duties as Ney’s aide-de-camp, which might not be for some time, unless the invasion commenced sooner than everyone thought.

Please go to Lisl's full review of The Emperor's American to enter the giveaway for a free copy. (Drawing will be Monday.)

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Lisl's Bits and Bobs: Lisl interviews Art McGrath, author of The Emperor's American

Good day, Art McGrath, and thanks for joining us for a little chat.

Thank you for having me, Lisl. I appreciate the chance to speak to you and your readers about my book and the Napoleonic era.

You “grew up fascinated with all things Napoleonic.” What first drew you to Napoleon?

I think in large part it was my French heritage. While my surname is Irish, I am French in all but name, with French-Canadian ancestry on both sides of the family. Though I realize now that French-Canadians were somewhat removed from the Revolutionary and Napoleonic conflicts, it still played a role in my interest. Besides, there was a fair amount of sympathy in Quebec for the Emperor of the French who was such a bitter enemy of the English. I even have a relative, a great-great-uncle, who was named Napoleon.

Were there a lot of others who shared your passion?

No, as I recall I was the only person I knew with that passion for Napoleon. It was a rather lonely interest and waxed and waned over the years.

In your reading you ran across references to Americans having served in the Grande Armée, paving the way for The Emperor’s American. What about Pierre Burns? Did you have to flesh him out over time or did you already seem to know him when his character made himself known to you?

For a time I saw the world through Pierre’s eyes, no matter what I did. I definitely already seemed to know him, or he knew me but I also had to flesh him out as I went. At first he was a little too perfect, but I hope I made him a little more vulnerable and gave him room to grow. He has quite the career ahead of him.

With Pierre wanting to tell his story, over your shoulder, so to speak, what would be the most important thing he wants our readers to know about himself? About Napoleon?

I think Pierre would want people to know he fought not for the sake of fighting but because he was doing what he thought was right. There is more than a streak of the adventurer in him, it is true, but he wouldn’t fight on what he thought was the wrong side.

As for Napoleon, Pierre would want readers to know that Napoleon would have been content with rebuilding France after the Revolution but the courts of Europe, especially England, would not allow it. Yes, Napoleon conquered most of Europe and perhaps after 1808 or 1809 became caught in his own aura of invincibility but he did not start out intending to crush Europe under his heel. He was pushed into it, largely by England. The victories of 1805-1807 were a defensive reaction by Napoleon.

What were some of the challenges of bringing Pierre’s story to life for him? Do you sometimes feel you must be cautious because you are also speaking for a number of others? That is, other Americans who served in Napoleon’s army?

I started writing the book as a way to discover how an American might end up in Napoleon’s army. I don’t feel too constrained or cautious  about those men because so little is known about them that they were a blank slate for me.

Catch the rest of Lisl chatting with Art McGrath right here.

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Paula's People: Guest spot, book blogger Sruti tells us her story

Books, Blogs, and Myself
Sruti Nayani

Wow! I get to write about Books, Blogs, and Myself in this guest blog. This guest blog was commissioned by a friend and fellow reviewer for her blog. Well, this was how it began.
It started with me being introduced to books by my father, at age six. I mention the date now, though it is not because I have an excellent memory but because I have written it down on the book. It was the 23rd of May 1988. I remember exactly where it was, and how it was built and the wonderful stuff it contained.

So, there I was, browsing at the store picking up a book or two. And what did I find? My first Enid Blyton! The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat, it was called. I bought it because I loved the cover. It had two girls and three boys, plus a dog and a cat, all in a garden and a wooden room and green hills in the distance. I loved the first girl’s haircut, (noticed it was a little like mine) short hair and playing with boys. Since I was a tomboy at that age, it fitted right into my bookshelf.

By the time I was nine I had read my first Shakespeare, As You Like It. And my love for books continued. I kept reading on and off through my career in journalism, but then it was time to start off on my blog. What you can see today at Sruti's BookBlog actually started with a publisher who mailed me about how he could send me a few books and if I reviewed them, I could not only keep them, but that they would be free too.

My first books 

You cannot imagine my delight! You can call me a silly girl, but there I was, never realising the power of the internet until then. And today, almost six months later, I am getting books from publishers and authors to review. I had reviewed a few books earlier, but I had no idea of how much bigger a book blog could be.

I also like to interview the authors and the editors of these books, because not only is it a fun thing to do, but because it lets me grow intellectually. And plus, I get a chance to put in a few of my own views, on writing, reading and editing and hopefully more.


I have written about four short stories, which are up online. But it took me a few years to discover blogging. The best thing about my blog is that it gives me a lot of space to write about books. I am now trying to expand my blog further and am reading up a lot of articles, with regard to writing, blogs and more. A fairly big boost is that my book is being read by Jacaranda Literary Agency. It is a book of short stories for children and tentatively called The Nap Time Adventures.

More from Sruti at this click.

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The Wolf and The Raven 

by Steven A. McKay

Scottish author Steven A. McKay first came to my attention with his version of the Robin Hood legend in his excellent and hugely entertaining book Wolf's Head: The Forest Lord, which put a wonderfully refreshing spin on the classic tale by relocating the outlaw from Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire to Barnsdale Forest in Yorkshire and has breathed new life into an old story.

The first book ended with Robin and his band of outlaws being offered the chance to earn a pardon for their crimes which would allow them to reclaim their former lives, a prospect they are all keen to grasp with both hands. The attractions of sleeping rough week after week far from home and loved ones had paled, and with Robin's young wife Matilda (not Maid Marion) heavily pregnant with their first child he is desperate to cast off his mantle of outlaw and return home to create the family life he craves. This book, The Wolf and The Raven, continues that story.

From the very first line the reader is plunged headlong into the carnage and chaos of medieval warfare as Robert and his men (lovers of the legend can rest assured that they will find all the regular characters here: Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Much the Millar's son et al.) find themselves fighting for their lives in the service of Thomas Plantagenet, Earl of Lancaster at the battle of Boroughbridge on the 16th of March 1322. The battle, part of a rebellion of various Marcher Lords led by Lancaster against King Edward II, ends in disaster for the rebels and Robin and his band are forced to flee for their lives once more. Back in the forests they are forced to face the realisation that their hoped for pardons are gone like chaff on the wind while Edward II takes his bloody revenge on those who dared challenge him.

That revenge is not only focused on those who were in command but extends to take in the poor serfs and tenants who were forced to take part in war through circumstance and fealty to various landowners. To find and crush these broken men Edward calls on the services of a man who will become Robin's nemesis. His name: Sir Guy of Gisbourne.

The Gisbourne of this book quickly becomes one of the great villains of fiction: a man of twisted desires and dreams who has suffered heartbreak and betrayal himself through the actions of his adulterous wife. Her betrayal coupled with his childhood fascination with the tales of King Arthur have convinced him he is almost the reincarnation of Lancelot and while he is a brutal, ruthless killer you can't help but feel that there is a weird sort of chivalry at the dark heart of everything Gisbourne does. Women are to be protected (despite his wife's adultery) while the enemies of the king can be killed without thought or mercy!

For the rest of Stuart's review, click here.

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Hayling Island plays big role in the D-day landings

Hayling Island

I live on a small island in the Solent just a few hundred yards off the mainland called Hayling Island. It is approximately 12 square miles in area, shaped like an inverted 'T' and measures 4.04 miles by 4.04 miles, and is a most beautiful place to live. Hayling Island also gets a mention in the Domesday Book, regarding Hayling's production of salt from the 11th century.

Hayling Island is a peaceful place to live, and famous for the First Windsurfing Board, A Roman Palace, Real Tennis Courts, and the graves of Princess Catherine Yurievskaya, the youngest daughter of Alexander II of Russia, who lived on Hayling Island for quite some years, and George Glas Sandeman, nephew of the founder of Sandeman Port.

A Phoenix Section of Mulberry Harbour

Hayling Island also played a large role in the war efforts of World War II. For those of us who live here it is very evident that Hayling played a large part in the construction of the components for the Mulberry Harbours, as we have one still in Langstone Harbour, now broken in two. Langstone Harbour, to the west side of Hayling, was also used as the base for landing craft before D-Day. This part of the island also has a the odd concrete pill-box along the roadside.

Hayling Island was the location for a mock invasion during the military exercise called Fabius during May 1944. these were the rehearsals and preparations for the D-Day landings.

Please click here to see the rest of Louise's tribute to hailing Island and its very special place in the D-Day invasions. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.