I always said I wasn't into historical fiction, maybe it is an age thing but I have read a few in the last few years and really liked this. This one I struggled to put down. Simone Lyon and Hava are best friends, the year is 1939, we are just at the run up to the war before it all kicks off. Simone's dad is a legend for his services in world war one. Hava is of Jewish faith, Simone of Catholic faith - both living with their families in Belgium, their friendship is strong, they are young, innocent and carefree. The strong covers the time period immediately before the war, during and after.
Guys it is an emotive read, some of the scenes are very distressing, the brutality of war, the way people are murdered, mistreated and the actual bile and hate that was allowed to flourish, mass murder! At the start of the chapters, mostly, we have quotes taken from Hitler's speeches, the Nuremberg trials that have the hairs on your arms standing. I haven't read much on the wars but everyone of course knows of them and the Holocaust, reading some of the words preached by these "humans" it just beggars belief.
The beauty of this story is it focuses on two innocents, bonded by friendship and despite the many horrors/dangers facing them their friendship is whole, beautiful, strong and loyal. We follow the destruction of their lives as they know it, the constant danger as the war progresses. Laughs, friendship, horrors of war, love, family, loyalty - the book delves into it all and brings humanity to life, bouncing off the pages, in both heart warming moments and horror. The writing draws you into the girls lives, living the smiles and tears along with the girls, it is emotive! 4.5/5 for me this time, this is my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read his other works and plan to look him up.
Guys it is an emotive read, some of the scenes are very distressing, the brutality of war, the way people are murdered, mistreated and the actual bile and hate that was allowed to flourish, mass murder! At the start of the chapters, mostly, we have quotes taken from Hitler's speeches, the Nuremberg trials that have the hairs on your arms standing. I haven't read much on the wars but everyone of course knows of them and the Holocaust, reading some of the words preached by these "humans" it just beggars belief.
The beauty of this story is it focuses on two innocents, bonded by friendship and despite the many horrors/dangers facing them their friendship is whole, beautiful, strong and loyal. We follow the destruction of their lives as they know it, the constant danger as the war progresses. Laughs, friendship, horrors of war, love, family, loyalty - the book delves into it all and brings humanity to life, bouncing off the pages, in both heart warming moments and horror. The writing draws you into the girls lives, living the smiles and tears along with the girls, it is emotive! 4.5/5 for me this time, this is my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read his other works and plan to look him up.