‘EMBERS IN THE LONDON SKY’: A DARK AND HOPEFUL WWII HISTORICAL NOVEL
STORY: Fleeing the German army isn’t the only escape Aleida Van der Zee Martens plots to make. She also wishes to get out from under the cruelty of the husband she foolishly marries. Along with her three-year-old son, she plans to leave the Netherlands for England where she’ll take refuge with her relatives.
But on that day in 1940, Germany invades and instead she is bundled into a car with her husband. When, during their escape, Aleida loses her husband to death, and Theo to an English couple, she makes her way to London where she determines to find the child she fiercely loves.
REVIEW: It’s been a long time since I read a novel penned by Sarah Sundin. This, her latest, is darker than some of the others on my read shelf. But if you know her writing, you also know it stays in her typical timeframe of a world war setting and is written well too.
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‘EMBERS IN THE LONDON SKY’: A DARK AND HOPEFUL WWII HISTORICAL NOVEL. A review of the #WWII novel by #SarahSundin. #RevellReads #Revell #HistoricalFiction Share on X
Based on the character of Hugh alone, it’s clear much research went into this novel. It’s his profession as a correspondent that would require that time and detail as would the period and surrounding historical events. The novel is a bittersweet one, but also a story we root on allowable through Aleida’s search for her son. She’s also a character a modern woman may relate to given her gumption. embers in the london sky
Inside these pages is actually a whole group of characters who are memorable and gusty. We enjoy them all and even appreciate the breather many of these scenes allow. Like almost anything this author writes, there is always a respect for the historical realities, but she also has a talent for writing some levity into these pages, too, even if only through a scene where Aleida enjoys a night of laughter.
What surprises me most is how bittersweet, in moments, this novel is. It’s not the typical happy ending, and yet there is one. It’s just a journey there we don’t always assume. The first half of the novel is a character study of Hugh’s passion for working in news, and Aledia’s search for her heart, while the latter half morphs into a kind of mystery you don’t assume is coming (at least I didn’t since I didn’t read the back cover!). Embers in the London Sky is another good read from Sundin, and something sure to be a fabulous pick for any historical novel aficionado.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Author: Sarah Sundin
Publisher: Revell
Source: Publisher – thank you, Revell
Publication Date: 2024
Genre: Fiction; Historical, Romance
Rating: ★★★★
Add the Book: Goodreads
Content: this one is dark compared to some historical novels just because of its time frame. We read about the characters going through sad things and the bombing of their city or homes. There is discussion about abuse, but never in detail, and people die, including being a victim of murder.
Sincere thanks to Revell for kindly sending me a review copy of Embers in the London Sky; this review is all my own opinion.
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