A British nurse in WWI German-occupied Brussels, Evelyn Marche spends her days at the hospital and her nights working at a café . . . or so it seems. Eve’s most carefully guarded secret is that she also spends her nights carrying out dangerous missions as a spy for a Belgian resistance group.
When a plane crashes as she’s en route to a rendezvous, Eve is the first to reach the downed plane and she risks her life to conceal the pilot from the Germans, but as the secrets between them grow and the danger mounts, can they still hope to make it out of Belgium alive?
(excerpt from back of book)
With so many historical fictions based during WWII I had to go back and read the description again when I realized Kate Breslin's newest novel is actually based in WWI. Once I cleared up my generational confusion I found myself plunged into a world with intrigue, romance, and wartime redemption.
I confess, WWI is not in my wheelhouse of studies so for those readers looking for historically accurate details I cannot confirm or deny anything. For readers looking for an engaging page turning I can heartily confirm this book is worth looking into.
I loved the complexity of Evelyn in this novel. While she bares many of the normal traits I'd expect in a heroine she had layers of complexity as she works through her regrets stemming from wartime decisions and her connection to the downed pilot. I enjoyed the realism Breslin works into her characters dreams and fears as well as the timeline (though most of it is pre-story).
Speaking of story, I loved the story and found Breslin's decision to include a back and forth between the main story and three years earlier was one that both heightens character development and interest as well as the intrigue of the stories. Thanks to the slow unfolding of Marche's reasons for guilt just feels natural and shows Breslin's skill as an author.
One thing I did notice about Breslin's work is that, while her main characters are delightful and complex, I found the secondary characters to be less dynamic in their own stories. I had no problem viewing this book as a one-shot as there wasn't enough interest in the other characters to draw the story further.
Overall, High as the Heavens was an exciting page turner that soared above my expectations.
4 out of 5 stars
I confess, WWI is not in my wheelhouse of studies so for those readers looking for historically accurate details I cannot confirm or deny anything. For readers looking for an engaging page turning I can heartily confirm this book is worth looking into.
I loved the complexity of Evelyn in this novel. While she bares many of the normal traits I'd expect in a heroine she had layers of complexity as she works through her regrets stemming from wartime decisions and her connection to the downed pilot. I enjoyed the realism Breslin works into her characters dreams and fears as well as the timeline (though most of it is pre-story).
Speaking of story, I loved the story and found Breslin's decision to include a back and forth between the main story and three years earlier was one that both heightens character development and interest as well as the intrigue of the stories. Thanks to the slow unfolding of Marche's reasons for guilt just feels natural and shows Breslin's skill as an author.
One thing I did notice about Breslin's work is that, while her main characters are delightful and complex, I found the secondary characters to be less dynamic in their own stories. I had no problem viewing this book as a one-shot as there wasn't enough interest in the other characters to draw the story further.
Overall, High as the Heavens was an exciting page turner that soared above my expectations.
4 out of 5 stars
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."
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