By the international bestselling author of The Piano Tuner, a sweeping and unforgettable love story of a young doctor and nurse at a remote field hospital in the First World War. Yes, I know that further revisions happenes. Another ARC I read had its ending revised before publication. I learned it from the author herself.

For some unknown reason, I don’t normally gravitate towards WW1 books when I’m reading, but that may change after reading this one. It was the perfect blend of thriller and historical fiction that had me on the edge of my seat more than once while reading it. After a single turn the road straightened out, vanishing into the distance like a strap pulled tight across the land. Scars of wire and chalky earth criss-crossed the terrain on either side. If there was anything living, man or beast, it lay hidden below the line of sight.Immersive and eerily atmospheric, Gray's novel delivers vivid historic detail and gripping suspense." Booklist (starred review) - Christine Tran The author writes beautifully. The narrative flows smoothly. His descriptions of ruined villages, of the shell- ravaged and highly dangerous former trench lines is stark and scary. But most importantly it is his protagonist, Amy, a young. , bereaved woman determined in her quest to find out more about Edward’s fate. Determined , but not fearless- the grounds are full of dead, the fogs swirl with deadly menace. Three months after the end of the Great War, a young woman sets out across the wastelands of the Western Front to learn the fate of the man she loved. This is how you do historical fiction. Take notes, I know I am. Such a well written book, Two Storm Wood immerses us into the world of Amy as she tries to find her fiancé Edward, who is missing from the destruction of WW1 and its wake, and uncovers a whole host of secrets.

Do you get used to this?’ she said at last. ‘All this death – all this…? Does it become normal for you?’ A war story, a thriller, a love story and a critical look at the British class system and the pain and havoc it wrought at the time - all expertly woven into a terrific novel. The incredible journey of Marian Keyes, from hard-partying waitress to best-selling author Marian Keyes: My (not so) Perfect Life A must-read bonus story for fans of the thrilling Women’s Murder Club series. Can Sergeant Lindsay Boxer solve one of her toughest cases yet – the murder of her estranged father? Chapter Four I think of Rich Conklin as the brother I never had. I love him because he’s smart, honest, reliable, a great investigator, […]

There have been many , many novels of love and loss in the trenches of the war, usually of the Downtown Abbey gloss. But never have I read , or seen depicted the ghastly story of the efforts to find and identify those hundred of thousands who lay in unmarked graves in France. This is where Amy goes to face the reality of what the war of the trenches meant to men like Edward. Along with the mystery of what happened to Edward, is another mystery, that of someone who is murdering soldiers. This is not a horror story or a mystery novel . It is a love story of Amy and Edward, of love and loss and courage. This is a brutally unflinching account of war, from a perspective that I hadn’t considered before. I admire the actions of wanting relatives to have a body to mourn, even if they couldn’t be returned home. Looking at all the hard work and effort that goes into the maintenance of war graves today, makes you feel that they were honoured in death, whilst being treated so harshly in war. A fast paced thriller set in the immediate post war period of World War One where a young aristocratic women against her families advice goes to the battlefields of France to look for the body of her fiancé who has been reported missing in action. Literature and library chat with Irenosen Okojie, Simon Savidge and Dan Smith Turn Up for the Books

The remarkable life and work of the trailblazing Anglo-Nigerian writer Bernardine Evaristo Bernardine Evaristo: Never Give Up Yes, I will admit that it gave a bit at the end, but the story is very strong. And then, I’ve read an ARC. There’s a chance the end will be revised again before publication.Westbrook sighed. ‘In the face of extreme violence, men either become resolute or they submit. They muster their dread – feed on it – or it breaks them. Moral outrage is quite useless, I’m afraid.’ My father had two uncles who fought at Ypres, one was discharged with trench foot , one of which had to be amputated and the other returned home very briefly after the war and emigrated to Australia and no one heard from him again.

Her stalwart approach annoys the army officials who are tasked with the horrendous job of recovering the bodies of these soldiers and trying to identify them and then burying in the cemetery’s that have been commissioned by the War Graves Commission.. An angry, powerful book seething with love and outrage for a community too often stereotyped or ignored. Yet it is also a social commentary of that time. Class and gender are measured against the conflict, and the impetus to change a divided, unequal society. Creative Writing My writer’s journey and lots of resources to share. My idea bout how to build a story, how to read it, how to savour it, and what to ask off of it

Book Summary

It took me a while to realise. Then I saw the shape of one and it hit me: what was under the canvas.' The world has been waiting for a worthy successor to Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong—now Philip Gray has delivered it." David Young The extraordinary life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, in her own words Frida: Fiery, fierce and passionate It’s also not just a straight war book. How do I put this without spoiling it….there are some mysteries, some red herrings, some tantalising secrets that will keep you hooked and wanting more. For me, it was a very claustrophobic story, you don’t feel relaxed until you reach the end, you get this constant idea that someone’s watching you, that you’re being suffocated.