Book Review: A Traitor in Whitehall, by Julia Kelly

I was reading a new thriller, and taking forever. After about 55%, I asked myself, "Do I really care about these characters? Can I live without knowing what the 'big twists' are?" The answers were "no" and "yes." So I gave up.  Sometimes I easily blame myself for not enjoying a book--not in the right mood, not enough time to read...you get the idea. But sometimes I just don't like the book! And I need to admit that. After reading over half the book I still couldn't keep the two main characters apart.

All of that is to say, I decided to try A Traitor in Whitehall, and I really enjoyed it. I read it in three sittings! It grabbed me from the beginning. It was an easy read. So I realized, I CAN read and enjoy a book! There's nothing wrong with me!!

It's 1940 in England and Evelyn is doing everything she can for the war effort by working in a munitions factory. When she runs into a friend of her father's, he gets her working as a typist in Winston Churchill's war rooms. Top secret stuff. She works three days and must stay at the underground facility. Then she gets two days off to go home.

She is trying to get to know the women she works with when one of them is murdered. And Evelyn is the one who finds the body. She can't help but begin investigating, but this causes her to butt heads with David, who is investigating for the government. She also finds out he's investigating a mole who is selling secrets to the enemy. Are the two crimes related? David allows Evelyn to help him in his investigation, and it turns out she's pretty good at it. 

The clues are interesting, and there are plenty of suspects. This is the first of the Parisian Orphan series, so as everything is solved, we find out more about David and his work. It seems Evelyn and David will be working together in the future. I'll be interested to read more of their adventures.

This one is a pleasant and easy read. The characters are likable and easy to root for. The historic setting is always a plus for me. Read A Traitor in Whitehall if you are interested in these types of stories.

Published by Minotaur, October 3, 2023
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Stateless, by Elizabeth Wein

As in some previous Wein books I have read, I found Stateless to be good, not great. As a matter of fact, I finished it weeks ago and just now realized I didn't review it. What better time than the day of the book's official release. 

As the Nazis are gaining power, an air race for European young people has been arranged in the hope that it will bring everyone together. Stella North is the only female participant, representing Great Britain. She feels a lot of pressure to represent well since no one believes in her abilities as a pilot.

She loves nothing more than flying, but it loses some of the fun when she witnesses what appears to be one plane driving another plane into a crash. Who can she trust? Tension mounts as other things start happening, and all the pilots are in danger even if they don't know it. 

The relationships among the pilots are interesting and the story is well told. I just thought it all a bit far-fetched. But true to young adult fiction, it is exciting and kept my interest.

If you enjoyed Wein's other stories, Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire, etc., you will most likely like Stateless.

Published by Little, Brown BFYR (March 14, 2023)
eArc obtained from Edelweiss+
400 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Good Left Undon by Adriana Trigiani

The Good Left Undone is a beautifully written, heartwarming story. Just what you would expect from Trigiani. I have difficulty writing reviews for literary books such as this, so here is the blurb:

Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother’s great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew. . . .

 In the halcyon past, Domenica Cabrelli thrives in the coastal town of Viareggio until her beloved home becomes unsafe when Italy teeters on the brink of World War II. Her journey takes her from the rocky shores of Marseille to the mystical beauty of Scotland to the dangers of wartime Liverpool—where Italian Scots are imprisoned without cause—as Domenica experiences love, loss, and grief while she longs for home. A hundred years later, her daughter, Matelda, and her granddaughter, Anina, face the same big questions about life and their family’s legacy, while Matelda contemplates what is worth fighting for. But Matelda is running out of time, and the two timelines intersect and weave together in unexpected and heartbreaking ways that lead the family to shocking revelations and, ultimately, redemption.

I pretty much agree with that assessment, although I'm not sure the revelations were "shocking." It took me a while to get into the book. There is a rhythm between Anina's perspective in the present and Domenica's in the past. It's not just one generation, but three. Dominica is Anina's great-grandmother. Once I figured out the characters and their relationships, I really enjoyed the story.

The Good Left Undone is a love story, a survival story, a war story, and a great story of family. If you are a fan of Trigiani, I would recommend this one. It isn't my favorite of hers (that still remains The Shoemaker's Wife), but I really enjoyed it.

Published by Dutton, April 26, 2022
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
448 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins

Although meandering and detailed, the writing in Properties of Thirst was so enjoyable that this became a memorable reading experience.

Because of the detailed and nuanced story, I thought I would first provide a list of characters, but I decided it was even easier to just give you the description in the Amazon blurb.

Rockwell “Rocky” Rhodes has spent years fiercely protecting his California ranch from the LA Water Corporation. It is here where he and his beloved wife Lou raised their twins, Sunny and Stryker, and it is here where Rocky has mourned Lou in the years since her death.

As Sunny and Stryker reach the cusp of adulthood, the country teeters on the brink of war. Stryker decides to join the fight, deploying to Pearl Harbor not long before the bombs strike. Soon, Rocky and his family find themselves facing yet another incomprehensible tragedy.

Rocky is determined to protect his remaining family and the land where they’ve loved and lost so much. But when the government decides to build a Japanese-American internment camp next to the ranch, Rocky realizes that the land faces even bigger threats than the LA watermen he’s battled for years. Complicating matters is the fact that the idealistic Department of the Interior man assigned to build the camp, who only begins to understand the horror of his task after it may be too late, becomes infatuated with Sunny and entangled with the Rhodes family.

As I said before, the writing makes the setting and characters come alive. While it is set during WWII, and the story is affected by the war, there is much more to it. It is really a story of family, romance, and the connection we have to our land.

It took me a while to get through the 550 pages. While it didn't really call to me to be read, whenever I did pick it up, it was immersive. So yes, I would recommend Properties of Thirst to those who enjoy a meandering, beautifully written historical story of love and family. You book club folks should consider Properties of Thirst.

Published by Simon & Schuster, August 2, 2022
eBook obtained from Edelweiss+
544 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Audio Book Review: The Diamond Eye, by Kate Quinn

 After thoroughly enjoying The Rose Code, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to listen to The Diamond Eye. I was not disappointed.

Quinn has the ability to take a little-known aspect of WWII and make it so compelling. In The Diamond Eye, she tells the story of a Russian woman sniper, Mila Pavlichenko, who is a real-life historical figure. 

I enjoyed the first part of The Diamond Eye the most. The part where Mila is learning to shoot, joining the Russian army, and killing over 300 German Nazis. Later, Mila becomes a propaganda tool for Russia, traveling to the United States and meeting President Roosavelt and becoming friends with Eleanor. The story involves a plot to kill the president, which Mila becomes involved in. While this adds much tension to the story, I found it a bit far-fetched (although very entertaining.)

So I really enjoyed the entire book, but I guess I thought there was more truth to the first part. However, when I read the end piece where Quinn describes where she got her information (a lot from Mila's memoir, Lady Death,) I realized that there is a lot of truth, even in the last part of the novel.

The audio version of The Diamond Eye is excellent. The reader, Saskia Maarleveld, has an accent, but it is very easy to understand and adds to the story. The voices are distinct, but not overly done. 

If you enjoyed The Rose Code, you shouldn't miss The Diamond Eye. If you are at all interested in WWII fiction, both of these books are must reads. Quinn is a master storyteller, and I intend to keep her on my list of favorite authors.

Published by William Morrow, March 29, 2022, HarperAudio
Audiobook obtained from the library
448 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Audiobook Review: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

I haven't been much up for World War II books, and The Librarian of Auschwitz about did me in, but I loved The Rose Code.

The Rose Code tells the story of three women who worked to help decode Enigma Machine messages at Bletchley Park in England. Osla, the debutante who is dating Prince Philip, can speak German. Mab came from a life of poverty and put herself through secretarial school. These two are recruited in 1940  because of their skills. They are billeted at a local home where Beth, who is the daughter of a domineering mother, is great at solving puzzles. So the girls recruit her, and she becomes one of the best cryptographers at Bletchley Park. These three become unlikely friends.

The other perspective is from 1947, and we are days from the Royal Wedding where Princess Elizabeth is to marry Prince Philip. And it soon becomes apparent that our three main characters are no longer friends, and actually hate each other. One of them is in an asylum, wrongfully, and sends a message to the other two for help.

As the two time periods converge, we realize the huge betrayals that caused their rift. And will the two come and help the third one get out of the asylum? As the story is told we also learn a lot about the operation at Bletchley Park and what was involved in the code-breaking -- some of it was quite complex and I didn't get it all, but it didn't matter. There is drama, romance, heartbreak, and of course a lot of secrets.

The epilogue and author's notes really brought it all together. The characters are all based on real people. Bletchley Park is now on my bucket list of places I want to visit. I found it all very fascinating, but also entertaining. I loved the characters and rooted for them. The tension builds nicely to the satisfying ending.

The audio version, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, was excellent. I highly recommend The Rose Code, even if you aren't really into war books right now.

Published by William Morrow, 2021, HarperAudio
Audiobook obtained from the library
656 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: The Librarian of Auschwitz, by Antonio Iturbe

The Librarian of Auschwitz is a very popular book, so I probably don't need to tell you much about it. It was a very difficult book to read.

I've only recently returned to war books after suffering some burnout, and The Librarian of Auschwitz is the first concentration camp experience book I have read in a long time.

Dita is definitely a hero. Her resilience is what impressed me most. I don't think we can really know how we would react after being treated so brutally- being worked to the bone and starved. Witnessing horrible atrocities and constantly worrying that you are the next victim. I tend to think I would have given up. I hope I never have to find out.

I found myself reading faster and faster, just wanting to get through it. I know these books are "good for me," but they really tear me up and affect me long after I've finished reading. I know that is supposed to happen. But I'll definitely wait a while before I read another tale of such inhumane experiences. 

Yes, The Librarian of Auschwitz is fiction, but Dita is a real person and is still alive! These experiences are true, even if some of the people are fictional. The endnotes were probably my favorite parts of the book because Iturbe talks about writing the book, meeting Dita, and life since the publication of the book.

The book was translated by Lilit Thwaites. The Librarian of Auschwitz is a book that everyone should read, but prepare yourself before you do.

Published by Henry Holt & Co. BYR, 2017
eBook purchased
432 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: The Green Glass Sea, by Ellen Klages

The Green Glass Sea is about the Manhattan Project during WWII, written from the perspective of children which makes it easily accessible to middle schoolers. I found it very interesting too!

Dewey has been staying with her Grandma while her father works as a scientist for the war. But her Grandma is in a home now, and she's very glad her father will be picking her up and taking her away from the neighbor's house. She has missed her father so much and has a lot of questions for him about her inventions.

She's surprised when it isn't her father that picks her up but a military escort who puts her on a train to a secret location to meet up with her father. Dewey loves Los Alamos, even though she and her father almost never leave there. She has a lot of independence and can find treasures at the dump that she can use to build things. Her father and all of the other grownups work long hours.

Suze hates Los Alamos. Both her parents work long hours, and she's trying so hard to fit in with the "in" crowd at school -- but not being really successful. When her mother tells her that the weird Dewey girl is going to stay with them while Dewey's father is out of town, she wants nothing to do with her.

An unlikely and heartwarming friendship slowly develops. I didn't really like that tragedy strikes--I even shed a few tears--but that was Klages' choice. The Green Glass Sea is a story of friendship mostly, but an interesting historical element adds much. It was a unique situation that these families were a part of, even though most of them hoped but really had no idea how their efforts would affect the war.

 The Green Glass Sea is an easy, quick read that a wide range of kids would like. This is the first book of a three-book series. I actually picked this book up at a Little Free Library at a campground while we were on vacation in Tennessee. I'm hoping to find one in my area to return it.

Published by  Viking BFYR, 2006

Copy obtained from Little Free Library
321 pages

Rating: 4/5

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