The Long Shadow - J Furze

Jill Scott-Taylor grew up in the London suburbs at a time when the scars of WWII were still vivid on the buildings around her home. But the war didn’t merely leave scars on the buildings and countryside of the England of Jill’s childhood. It left scars on her Lancaster pilot father, too. Despite the fading photograph which was always on his desk – a Lancaster called ‘Whiskers’ with its crew alongside - Robert Scott-Taylor was reluctant to talk about his wartime experiences. When he did speak of the war, it was often in angry outbursts and Jill and her brother Will never knew from one day, or even one moment, what their dad’s mood would be.

As soon as he can Will leaves home, building a new life for himself away from his volatile father, but Jill becomes more and more determined to find out what happened to her dad and why he changed from the cheerful chap in the photo, the father her mother consistently defends and loyally supports, to the hard and bitter man she knows. The man who nonetheless, just now and then, shows a glimpse of the person her gentle mother fell in love with and married. But searching for answers can lead to unexpected revelations and there are more than broken, rusted fragments of ‘Whiskers’ to be found in the Dutch countryside.

 

I read this book into the small hours of the morning because like Jill, I was particularly eager to know more about Rob’s ops on Lancasters. A significant chunk of the second half is told in his own words, which makes it feel more immediate and personal, and the descriptive writing of the flying, and in particular of the shooting down of Whiskers and her crew and the immediate aftermath is fantastic. I was completely absorbed in the storytelling. 

 

There are more than a few twists in the tale, too, so even if – like me – you’ve read lots of wartime stories, this one is still likely to keep you interested right to the end!

 

This is more than a ‘war story’ though. It’s a story of family, both near and extended. A story of finding your own path in life, and ultimately a story of renewal and reconciliation. Although I did feel sad for both Robert and his loving and supportive wife Madge. What a shame his personality wasn’t that of his Flight Engineer Johnny, who coped with life in a very different way after the war. That’s how people differ, though.

I recognised a lot in this book. The touching language used in 1940s letters to those you love reminds me of letters written by my grandfather to my grandmother during the war years. Several (but definitely not all!) of Jill’s life choices reflect those of my mother. As does Jill’s love of Cornwall and her finding peace in the countryside, coast and friendships made there. And so here I confess that I am somewhat biased because this book was written by my Mum. I am incredibly proud of her for producing such an incredible novel. I read and review a lot of novels both for pleasure and as part of my job. I tend not to say much if I’ve not liked a book, even if it’s written by someone I know. I can genuinely say of this one that if you enjoy wartime set novels, this one is well worth reading. And no, I’m not just saying that because it was written by my mother!

What Happens Next - Christina Suzann Nelson

Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast.

Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her older daughter intervenes, she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter's belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.

As the long-abandoned investigation moves forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?

* * * * *

I found this was slightly slow starting, but once things got going the story rolled along steadily. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and from across time periods, but each perspective section is managed very well and I never found them confusing which is quite an achievement in itself.

The mystery element of what happened to Heather is very well developed, with some twists along the way. The subject of grief is woven throughout the book and is not just the grief of losing a child. Faith is grieving the loss of her family unit, even though I felt that she was a lot better off without her ex-husband! She also seems to be grieving the transition in life stage of her grandmother. These elements are something which makes the book stand out. People grieve so differently, and grief itself is not linear, and both of those elements shine in this story, and are points which are well worth making, even when in a story.

The author has lots of experience with children, both her own, and others she teaches or fosters. This personal knowledge enables her to write the children in the story totally believably.

I've rated this four stars because I personally found the start a bit hard going, but this is a book well worth reading and is definitely something a bit different in the ocean of Christian novels.

9780764240409, Bethany House

For transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.

Christmas at Hope Hall - Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes’ ‘Hope Hall’ trilogy has been a joy to read from the start, and Christmas at Hope Hall doesn’t disappoint.  (OK, just to reassure you, it’s not strictly a Christmas story, despite the title, but as well as a good read at any time, it’ll make a nice Christmas present.) 

It’s been lovely to follow the characters who visit Hope Hall and to pick up their stories.  Ray begins to come to terms with his grief with a little help from a small dog which unexpectedly bounces into his home, and there are life-changing moments for several of the characters we’ve come to know through the series, including wedding bells!  We also find out that the slightly scary Ida may not be as formidable as she has appeared previously. 

Harvest Festival sees tensions between traditional and new ways, and the forthcoming panto introduces even more stresses. In between there’s a quiz at which Percy, the man everyone thinks Ida loathes, has an accident and Ida’s reaction leaves her friends with more questions than answers!

In my view Hope Hall is one of Pam’s best series yet.  I was so desperate to keep reading that I even read this book while walking on the treadmill! My only complaint is that this is the last. I would really love to read more about the people of Hope Hall – I’m especially curious about Brenda. Pam and Lion – any chance this could become a four book series?

9781782642893, Lion Fiction, out now, £8.99

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own. 

When the Day Comes - Gabrielle Meyer

While fiction genres are pretty well established, from time to time there do seem to be trends, and for a while now one of them has been ‘dual time’ stories.  When the Day Comes is a dual time story with a difference.  Libby is a ‘time-crosser’, someone who lives the first twenty one years of her life in two time periods.  She loves her life and close family relationship with her time-crosser mother in 1774 colonial Williamsburg, but when she sleeps there she wakes in 1914 ‘s ‘Gilded Age’ New York where though more prosperous her life is harder.  

 

In 1774 she falls in love with Henry Montgomery, a man with dangerous secrets as revolution approaches, but in 1914 her status-chasing and self-obsessed mother is determined to marry her off to a titled man she doesn’t love.  She tries to follow her heart, but circumstances and time are conspiring against her.

 

This book has been instantly catapulted into my top five of the year so far. Everything about it is superb. The characterisation of both of Libby’s families (especially her 1774 mother, whose ‘other time’ was two hundred years later than the 1770s where she settled), the sense of place and time, the feeling of impending ‘big events’ approaching and the complexity of the plot. What’s more, it’s absolutely believable and credible.

 

It's really exciting to find an author who writes as beautifully and compellingly as Gabrielle Meyer, and I’m thrilled  that there are another two books to come in this series.  When they do I’ll be shutting out the world so that I can do some uninterrupted reading.

9780764239748, Bethany House, June 2022, £9.99

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.