Christopher de Vinck draws on the experiences of his family to write this thought-provoking story about the friendship of two young women in their late teens, Simone and Hava, who is Jewish, during the Second World War. Ashes starts with the panic and mayhem in Brussels during the German invasion with bullets flying and everybody running for safety although, sadly, not all reach a safe place. Simone's father is a major-general in the Belgian Army having fought in the First World War and been badly wounded. Her mother died giving birth to Simone, demonstrating the arbitrary nature of life and death, one survives being injured in wartime while the other loses her life in childbirth. Simone met Hava when the two girls volunteered to help with the Red Cross by sorting through donations of clothes to be sent to Poland. They quickly formed a firm friendship and Simone visited Hava's home where the family are taking part in a Jewish celebration, Tisha B'Av, to mark the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, before going to the opera. There have been many books written about many wars including the Second World War but this is a very worthwhile addition telling the story from a different perspective, that of two teenage girls, one Jewish, one not. This must have happened to so many people of all ages but not often written about. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book and learning the fate of these two young woman and if they, and their friendship, can survive this dreadful war.