Book Details:Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Read: May 2017
Synopsis:
A novel of love, loss, and honour amidst the horrors of war and its aftermath.
It’s 1916, and the last thing Nova Scotian soldier Danny Baker expects to find in war-torn France is the love of his life. Audrey Poulin is alone in the world, and struggling to survive the war in the French countryside. When Audrey and Danny meet and fall in love, it seems like the best version of fate.
But love is only the beginning, as Danny loses a leg in the Battle of the Somme, and returns home to Halifax with Audrey, only to discover that he’s unable to leave the war behind. Danny and Audrey struggle with their new life together, and must face not only their own internal demons, but a catastrophe that will soon rip apart everything they think they know about themselves and each other.
Genevieve Graham, author of Under the Same Sky and Sound of the Heart, brings her passion for weaving history and fiction together in a seamless tale that will capture and enthrall the reader.
My ThoughtsAlright, seriously … where has Genevieve Graham been all my life? I had mentioned in another review of another Canadian book that I felt like I was searching for Canadian authors in all the wrong places because I feel like this year I’ve been coming across a new one (or multiple ones) every single day and having these wild epiphanies of, “What? They’re from Canada?!” While you can find plenty of history books about Canada, I hadn’t seen a lot of historical fiction, so when I saw Genevieve’s book, I was so excited. Not only was it historical fiction, but it was also based in Canada and about an event that doesn’t get a lot of talk these days. In fact, I had never heard about the specific event that takes place in the story until this book and I really enjoyed Ms. Graham’s note at the end of the book about it. In fact, it made me so curious about Canadian history that I finished the book longing to know more about this country I have home – I mean, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve taken social studies and I do want to be able to share the history of this country to my kids as they grow. So I thank Ms. Graham for piquing my interest!
Anyway, this story was wonderful. I’m always in the mood for contemporary stories so when I jump into a historical, it always seems to take me a minute to adjust and get into the story. This book made it so easy to just get the feel of the past and I loved how romantic it was shortly off the bat. It starts off in the throes of war and it was just so engaging and addicting that I couldn’t wait until I could read this story again after I had to put it down. I loved both Audrey and Danny and I liked that when I thought their story was just beginning, I was completely wrong. While the war might end, this book deals a lot with the aftermath of war, especially with Danny. The war ended and he went back to his old life, but so much had changed, even though things were still the same. He had things, both physically and emotionally, to deal with, and it was nice to see his family there with him. There was so much to both him and Audrey and I just adored them together!
Not only did I love the characters and their story, as well as the growth they both go through in this book, I mostly adored Nova Scotia. I loved Audrey’s farm, but I am so in love with eastern Canada that I could almost feel like I was there in Halifax with them. Honestly, I felt like it was just so vivid in my mind as I was reading, that I made a note to read all of Ms. Graham’s other books soon. This was just such a great story about love, family, and perseverance. I’ve heard that Ms. Graham will be writing a follow-up companion novel to this one and I can’t wait!
But don’t take my word for it … read some other reviews!
Literary Treats
The Lit Bitch
The Good, The Bad, and the Unread
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