The Brave Daughters (The Girls Who Went to War #4) by Mary Wood
Genre: Historical fiction, WW2
Read: 14th April 2021
Published: 30th June 2020
★ 1 star
DESCRIPTION:
A moving and emotional family drama set between France and Britain from bestselling author, Mary Wood.
They would fight for their country, at all costs . . .
When Sibbie and Marjie arrive at RAF Digby, they are about to take on roles of national importance. It’s a cause of great excitement for everyone around them. Perhaps they will become code-breakers, spies even? Soon the pair embark on a rigorous training regime, but nothing can prepare them for what they’re about to face . . .
Amid the vineyards of rural France, Flora and Ella can’t bear the thought of another war. But as the thunderclouds grow darker, hanging over Europe, a sense of deep foreboding sets in, not just for their safety but for the fate of their families . . . With danger looming, as the threat of war becomes real, Flora and Ella are forced to leave their idyllic home and flee. Can they make it to safety, or will the war have further horrors in store for them?
The Brave Daughters is the fourth book in the Girls Who Went to War series by Mary Wood.
MY REVIEW:
I must be one of the only people who didn't like this book which is a shame because I was really looking forward to it. And honestly, there aren't many WW2 stories that I don't like. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance but honestly I had trouble getting my head around who was who and related to who and how. What with cousins, brothers, sisters, half brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and the various love children everyone seemed to have.
The book did provide a family tree at the beginning but as the copy I had was an unformatted ARC from Netgalley it wasn't outlaid in the correct form and was really just a bunch of meaningless people and words which really did nothing to help. As the book is now published I was able to download a sample so I could view the family tree in its correct form...but found I had to keep referring to it and still I was confused.
I read Part One and into Part Two, which had by then catapulted forward two years to 1941. Unlike other books set before and during the war, this one was too caught up in ensuring every single person on the family tree was mentioned to some extent in the lead up to war that it didn't even include the beginning of the war. Most books that are set prior to war breaking out include the event and the reactions to those it will then affect. But this was just a small niggle that really was just magnified by the fact I still couldn't get my head around how everyone was actually related to each other.
I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book. But it really was too confusing. Maybe I will revisit it at another time and see how I fare then but for now? I was thoroughly confused.
I would like to thank #MaryWood, #NetGalley and #PanMacmillan for an ARC of #TheBraveDaughters in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Mary married young and now, after 54 years of happy marriage, four children, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, Mary and her husband live in Blackpool during the summer and Spain during the winter – a place that Mary calls, ‘her writing retreat’.
After many jobs from cleaning to catering, all chosen to fit in with bringing up her family, and boost the family money-pot, Mary ended her 9 – 5 working days as a Probation Service Officer, a job that showed her another side to life, and which influences her writing, bringing a realism and grittiness to her novels.
Mary first put pen to paper, in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally found some success by self-publishing on kindle.
Being spotted by an editor at Pan Macmillan in 2013, finally saw Mary reach her publishing dream. Mary also writes as Maggie Mason and Molly Kent.
When not writing, Mary enjoys family time, reading, eating out, and gardening. One of her favourite pastimes is interacting with her readers on her Facebook page.
Social Media links:
No comments:
Post a Comment