I'm so torn as to how I feel about this book.
Two estranged sisters are brought back together through reading the wartime diaries of their Bubba, the grandmother who brought them up. As a young Jewish teenager, Pandora joined the resistance on Rhodes, hearing only rumours of what may have happened to the rest of her family. I liked spending time with these women, the sense of place was wonderful, the research was thorough, and the story kept me reading.
And yet. Although the descriptions were vivid, the dialogue could feel a little 'clunky'. Some of the coincidences and plot points felt contrived, along the lines of a made-for-TV movie. And there are certain elements of the ending that I'm not sure I can forgive the author for, even if she did have me in floods of tears.
I think, perhaps, some parts of the plot took from the reality of the whole story. Overall though, I am glad I read 'Villa of Secrets'. It opened my eyes to an aspect of history I knew nothing about, and I may well read more by Patricia Wilson.
Two estranged sisters are brought back together through reading the wartime diaries of their Bubba, the grandmother who brought them up. As a young Jewish teenager, Pandora joined the resistance on Rhodes, hearing only rumours of what may have happened to the rest of her family. I liked spending time with these women, the sense of place was wonderful, the research was thorough, and the story kept me reading.
And yet. Although the descriptions were vivid, the dialogue could feel a little 'clunky'. Some of the coincidences and plot points felt contrived, along the lines of a made-for-TV movie. And there are certain elements of the ending that I'm not sure I can forgive the author for, even if she did have me in floods of tears.
I think, perhaps, some parts of the plot took from the reality of the whole story. Overall though, I am glad I read 'Villa of Secrets'. It opened my eyes to an aspect of history I knew nothing about, and I may well read more by Patricia Wilson.