#BookReview ACTS OF LOVE AND WAR by MAGGIE BROOKES

ABOUT THE BOOK

1936. Civil war in Spain. A world on the brink of chaos . . .

21-year-old Lucy feels content with her life in Hertfordshire – not least because she lives next door to Tom and Jamie, two very different brothers for whom she has equally great affection.

But her comfortable life is turned upside down when Tom decides he must travel to Spain to fight for the Democratic party in the bloody Spanish Civil War. He is quickly followed by Jamie who, much to Lucy’s despair, is supporting General Franco and his Fascist party.

To the dismay of her irascible father, Lucy decides that the only way to bring her boys back safely is to travel to Spain herself to persuade them to come home.

Yet when she sees the horrific effects of the war, she quickly becomes immersed in the lifesaving work the Quakers are doing to help the civilian population, many of whom are refugees.

As the war progresses and the situation becomes increasingly perilous, Lucy realises that the challenge going forward is not so much which brother she will end up with, but whether any of them will survive the carnage long enough to decide . . .

PUBLISHED BY CENTURY

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

MY REVIEW

Wow! This was a book that put me through a whole range of emotions!! A brilliant piece of historical writing that gives you a real feel for the turmoil of the times, and how that impacted on people.

Set around the Spanish Civil War, we are introduced to 21 year old Lucy who lives a very restricted life in Hertfordshire. And next door live 2 brothers, both in love with her, and all good friends but dealing with the emotions of growing up. When they read newspaper reports of unrest in Spain, first Tom goes to Spain to fight, followed soon after by Jamie – but for different sides. And that shows just how much this war split family and friends, something I’d not considered with my limited knowledge of the Civil War in Spain.

Lucy then finds herself wanting to do something to help, so she travels to join the Quakers as her caring attitude, and experience as a teacher, puts her in a great position to do something positive. But her main aim is to get the brothers home and safely. Throughout the war she receives letters from both brothers and I found this to be a really clever way of conveying their personal feelings, alongside that of frontline reports of what was happening and the things they were having to face and deal with.

What follows is a real rollercoaster of life during wartime – you cannot help but become so involved with these characters and willing there to be a happy ending, but knowing there will most likely be sadness and the dangerous situations people will put themselves in to help others is inspiring.

A story and characters that will stay with me for some time to come! Wonderful written and a story that really shows the human impact of war.

★★★★★

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#BlogTour ACTS OF LOVE AND WAR by MAGGIE BROOKES #publicationdaypost @marielouisespp @centurybooksuk @Maggie__Brookes

Delighted to be with you today to tell you about a wonderful book out today!! I’m currently reading this, and loving every single page, so hope to share my thoughts in a review in the days to come!!

ABOUT THE BOOK

1936. Civil war in Spain. A world on the brink of chaos . . .

21-year-old Lucy feels content with her life in Hertfordshire – not least because she lives next door to Tom and Jamie, two very different brothers for whom she has equally great affection.

But her comfortable life is turned upside down when Tom decides he must travel to Spain to fight for the Democratic party in the bloody Spanish Civil War. He is quickly followed by Jamie who, much to Lucy’s despair, is supporting General Franco and his Fascist party.

To the dismay of her irascible father, Lucy decides that the only way to bring her boys back safely is to travel to Spain herself to persuade them to come home.

Yet when she sees the horrific effects of the war, she quickly becomes immersed in the lifesaving work the Quakers are doing to help the civilian population, many of whom are refugees.

As the war progresses and the situation becomes increasingly perilous, Lucy realises that the challenge going forward is not so much which brother she will end up with, but whether any of them will survive the carnage long enough to decide . .

.PUBLISHED BY CENTURY

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Blackwell’s

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maggie Brookes is a British ex-journalist and BBC television producer turned poet and novelist.

The Prisoner’s Wife is based on an extraordinary true story of love and courage, told to her by an ex-WW2 prisoner of war. Maggie visited the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany as part of her research for the book, learning largely forgotten aspects of the war.
The Prisoner’s Wife is due to be published by imprints of Penguin Random House in the UK and in the US in May 2020. Publication in other countries, including Holland, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic will follow.

As well as being a writer, Maggie is an advisory fellow for the Royal Literary Fund and also an Associate Professor at Middlesex University, London, England, where she has taught creative writing since 1990. She lives in London and Whitstable, Kent and is married, with two grown-up daughters.

She has published five poetry collections in the UK under her married name of Maggie Butt. Poetry website: www.maggiebutt.co.uk

#BookReview THE PRISONER’S WIFE by MAGGIE BROOKES

ABOUT THE BOOK

Their love is a death sentence. But can it keep them alive?

Czechoslovakia, 1944. In the dead of night, a farm girl and a British soldier creep through abandoned villages. Secretly married and on the run, Bill and Izabela are searching for Izabela’s brother and father, who are fighting for the Czech resistance. They know their luck will not last.

Captured by the German army, it seems they must be separated – but they have prepared for this moment. By cutting her hair and pretending to be mute, Izabela successfully disguises herself as a British soldier. Together, they face the terrible conditions of a POW camp, reliant on the help of their fellow POWs to maintain their fragile deception.Their situation is beyond dangerous. If Izabela is discovered, she and Bill – and all the men who helped them – will face lethal consequences.

_______________________________________

A debut novel set in war-torn Czechoslovakia amid the extreme privations of a prisoner of war camp. Based on a true story, passion, heroism and a love that transcends overwhelming odds.‘A deeply moving and compelling read, The Prisoner’s Wife tells of an epic journey, not only across war-torn countries but deep into the heart of what it is to be human. Beautifully written … a heart-rending story beautifully told.’ JUDITH ALLNAT, author of The Poet’s Wife and The Silk Factory

PUBLISHED BY CORNERSTONE DIGITAL

PUBLICATION DATE – 16TH APRIL 2020

PRE-ORDER LINK

Amazon

MY REVIEW

This is a book based on a true story told to the author, and it really captures the extraordinary times many lived through during the Second World War and goes to show that sometimes fact can be stranger than fiction.

It centres around Izabela, a Czech girl living on a farm with her mother and younger brother, and how her world is changed when the Germans bring some prisoners of war to the farm to help with the workload. She is immediately smitten with Billy, an English POW, and their romance moves at a very fast pace and they soon find themselves married and on the run. A decision that leads them to the horrific consequence of being captured and having to spend time as prisoners of war.

Izzy is disguised as a man throughout and it was fascinating to see how she fared, how she was treated by the other prisoners, and how they all become a surrogate family to one another to get through the daily terror that they all faced. Never knowing who else to trust, how the german guards would treat them and what work they had to do. Life is extremely tough, but the kindness of others around them makes each day a little easier to face.

This book never gets too graphic which makes it much easier to read, but it still does a sterling job of conveying the conditions that they faced, and how the human spirit can cope when faced with such adversity. The devotion showed by Izzy and Bill to each other was so touching, and as the story goes on the days get darker for them with what they’re facing. And with very little knowledge of what is going on in the bigger picture of the War, they just have to keep finding it within themselves to keep going – having to deal with hunger, horrific sights they witness – a real story of triumph over adversity.

This was a story that made an afternoon fly by and was an absorbing story.

★★★