Family is thicker than blood...
I chose that title for this post because it fits the book we're about to explore PERFECTLY. It's a new Historical Fiction title coming to you from Harper 360, and it takes you back to the treacherous times of WWII. It was a time without certainty, where the unknown was a constant, but for those that could and would fight back, their truth, their certainty was that they wouldn't take things lying down. Ladies and gents, allow me to present today's book of choice...
by
M.J. Hollows
9780008530419
HQ Digital
About the book...
Liverpool, 1940. “Where’s George?” Ruth didn’t realise that she had grabbed hold of the other woman’s arms. “Where’s my son?”
Journalist Ruth Holt is struggling in the terror of the Blitz when her young son is suddenly snatched away in broad daylight. Soon after, the kidnappers’ demands arrive. They are working with the Nazis, and she has no choice but to co-operate, or the authorities will learn that she is harbouring secrets of her own.
Ruth’s job gives her access to critical information, and if she does not share it with Britain’s enemies, her child will face the consequences. Desperate, she falsifies information, lying to everyone: her employers, her family and her lover. But as the demands increase, the knife edge she walks on grows increasingly thin. If she falls, she will never save her son.
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Ruth was a formidable woman. She had a lot on her plate...a husband off at war, a son shipped off to safety, an unfulfilling job at the local press, and late nights as a volunteer with the air raid wardens. You might say keeping busy was just as much her doing her part, as it was to fill the empty hours. While she has her time down to a fine art, her world gets turned upside down and inside out as all those carefully crafted walls come tumbling down in the most spectacular, and heartbreaking ways. We have renewed worries over her son, the loss of family connections, and the struggle to keep her secrets intact...but we also have HOPE. We also have love in unexpected places. We also have the discovery of hidden depths of strength, and determination...things we take for granted in everyday life, but can mean the difference between living that life, and allowing it to be taken from us. Ruth wasn't that woman. She wouldn't take things lying down, no matter how dreary the outcome might look. She fought, and she strived for more. She took the weight of the world on her shoulders, and refused to let it go, even when it looked like she should. She also found a kindred spirit in Anthony.
Anthony was a formidable man. He had a lot on his plate...a son a distance away, a wife lost many years ago, a heart that wasn't healed emotionally or physically, days as a school teacher to the dwindling youth, and late nights as a volunteer air warden. He was doing his part because the airmen wouldn't take him for health reasons, but he never felt it was quite enough. The thing is...he ends up on the front line at home, fighting side by side to save others from the air raids, and while the walls are quite literally tumbling down around him, he still forges friendships, and unexpected connections, including one with our lady, Ruth. The feelings that go with it are unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome, especially in times like these, however there's a time and place for everything, and these two will get their time, even if it's in the shadow of heartbreak.
This was a fascinating story that took you behind friendly lines to show you just how far the enemy would go to get what they wanted. They'd exploit anyone. They'd rob, or steal to call it their own. They'd mow down entire cities, and end everyone in them, just to plant their flag and proclaim themselves superior. The thing they didn't count on was the resilience of the people they were trying to expunge. They too had feelings, family, and lives to protect...and they too would do anything to see them safe once again. The lengths Ruth will go to in order to protect her son, and protect her secrets were without measure. The extent of Anthony's love for them both shines through like a candle in the night. Things are tedious right up to the bitter end, but vindication comes, and while it may not be peaceful, it is most certainly just.
A great read for Historical and Women's Fiction fans, from older teens through adulthood, with a touching reminder that family is truly thicker than blood.
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Special thanks to Sophia at Harper 360 for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title celebrates its US Paperback release this Tuesday, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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