Book Review: A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White (Shadows Over England, Book #2)
This book was gripping from the start.
In terms of historical fiction it did not disappoint. In terms of comedy it did not disappoint… not to mention mystery, drama, and of course a love story.
Alright, you caught me. I loved this book. Amongst my favourites.
Willa’s parents abandoned her by age six, and soon after she became a part of a “family” of sorts. A group that chose to be family, a group of orphaned children, that stole as a means of survival. Except they were really good. “London’s best pickpockets”.
Willa was hired to steal a coding machine from Lukas de Wilde, a famous violinist, but unbeknownst to anybody, this machine was not a thing but a someone.
She was chosen as the one out of their group to find and steal this “machine” since she also was a violinist, however self taught on a beaten up old violin she had found in the garbage. But when she picked up Lukas’ violin, she made music as she had never played before. And as much as she loved her own violin, playing Lukas’ instrument quite ruined her.
Willa had many inner battles through this book; feeling abandoned by her parents, her growing attraction for her “mark” (Lukas), her growing guilt over her life as a thief even though she never stole from someone worse off than she (I guess that was not working out for her anymore), and the inner spiritual battle. As having been abandoned by her own father it was unthinkable that God not only was wanting to be her Heavenly Father, but more so, that He was good. That He cared. That He would never abandon her, even when she was captured by the German army behind enemy lines, in Belgium.
By the end of the book Willa and her group end up with a legitimate job… still stealing but now for the government, and only jobs from Mr. V. I guess they will need a new slogan…
I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5. I believe I have found a new author that I am going to have to read more from. This is the first book that I have reviewed that I truly can say that I’m going to be on the hunt to find more this author’s books. I was quite impressed with her research, as this book was set around the First World War mostly in Wales, London and Belgium, and her ability to produce a book that could be part of a series and yet leave nothing lacking as a stand alone novel.
I did receive a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, however the thoughts and opinions in this review are entirely my own.
