Soraya Lane

Soraya Lane Goes *There*. Particularly in the current era of American politics, with "both" sides (rightfully, in certain aspects) comparing each other to the Third Reich, I don't think you're going to find an American author with the balls to take a high ranking Nazi official's family - in Joseph Goebbel's inner circle, no less! - and make them a sympathetic and even heroic unit.

Enter New Zealander Soraya M. Lane.

Lane, whose last WWII historical novel - The Secret Midwife - tackled the show more horrors of Auschwitz directly, now takes an entirely different tack and places us in the political intrigue of 1944 Berlin, when the only Jews left in the city were in hiding and SS officials - along with their Fuhrer - were becoming ever more suspicious of everyone. When the White Rose was openly defying the Reich and Sophie Scholl and others paid the ultimate price for this defiance - an event that is discussed among our characters here. When other resisters inside Germany were actively looking for - and ultimately attempting an ill-fated attempt at - a way to assassinate the very Fuhrer in question and attempt to restore some degree of sanity to their government. An event that plays directly into the story here.

The story here, with the real world knowledge of what was going on and what was to come, is so tense you would need a space laser to cut through it - and Lane manages to ratchet the tension up so high that you're going to be afraid of giving yourself a heart attack reading this tale.

Yet ultimately this *is* a tale of hope and survival. That even in the darkest, most desperate times, when survival for anyone is in doubt and the smallest misstep could get you and everyone you know or who knows of you at all killed, there are still those willing to take those risks to do what is right. That no matter how evil a group may be, this does not mean that every single member of that group is equally evil. That no matter how vile you think someone is because of some aspect you've been taught to believe about what you think they believe, there are still those within that out group that are truly *noble* and truly trying to do the right thing, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Indeed, with all of the fighting in America today noted at the top of this review, this may be one of the more interesting and essential fictional tales for Americans to read leading into the 2024 Presidential election that will be in a period of less activity when this book releases in mid May.

Truly one of Lane's strongest works to date, and very much recommended. show less

This is a fantastic book that hooked me from the first pages and kept me enthralled to the very end. Based on historical events and people, this is the story of a group of women and their critical contribution to the war effort. With every male pilot needed to fly combat missions, the Air Transport Auxiliary desperately needed pilots to ferry new planes to the front and damaged ones back to be repaired. A group of very determined young women fought the odds and made a place for themselves as show more those pilots. This story is told from the point of view of three of those pilots.

May is the pilot who has been with the ATA the longest and is the commander of the women's unit. Flying was something that she and her brother Johnny did together. She was furious when he went off to war, leaving her behind. His death left her reeling with grief and guilt and an increased need to do something for the war effort. She is practical and clear-headed and excels at bringing out the best in the women she works with. There were some terrific scenes that demonstrated those abilities and highlighted the diversity of the personalities she had to deal with. She keeps her emotions in check and focuses on her work. I loved her care for her "girls" as she called them and her determination that they get the respect they deserve.

Ruby is a pretty and petite young woman whose love of flying is right up there with her love for her pilot fiancé. They flew together until he left to fly for the RAF. She was stuck at home, growing more frustrated by her desire to do something more important than keeping the home fires burning. The ATA was just what she needed, but she had an uphill battle to achieve that goal. Her future mother-in-law was vociferous in her disapproval, and even her fiancé was not supportive. I wanted to shake Tom because of the letters he wrote to Ruby, letters that did terrible things to her self-confidence. I loved May's confidence in Ruby and her efforts to show Ruby what she was capable of. Ruby's journey was an inspiration to read.

Lizzie was the American sent to Britain to learn about the ATA and bring that information home to America. She was a no-holds-barred woman when it came to going after what she wanted. She was raised on her father's tales of his efforts during World War One and a belief that she could do anything she put her mind to. I liked her determination at the beginning as she worked to make her dream of the American equivalent of the ATA come true. But she lost some of my admiration after she arrived in Britain and became the model for the Ugly American. Her extreme competitiveness, disregard for the rules, and general rudeness made it very difficult to like her. It took the efforts of multiple people before Lizzie was able to see that the ATA's strength was in their teamwork, not in the hands of individuals. Once she saw the light, the change in her was amazing, and there were few limits to what she could do. She had quite the challenge when she took what she learned back to America.

The book takes place between 1940 and 1946 and chronicles the joys and challenges of the work the "Spitfire Girls" accomplished. I felt their frustration at the lack of respect they received from their male counterparts, and how they had to work so much harder to prove themselves. I loved learning about the training they received, and how they excelled under incredible handicaps, such as being forced to fly without the use of instruments and radios, putting them in unthinkable danger. I loved seeing them shock the male pilots and ground crews regularly. I especially loved the scene where Ruby delivered the four-engine bomber, the men's disbelief that one tiny woman flew a plane (perfectly) that took a flight crew of four men to fly. I really liked how the women developed into a sisterhood that always had each other's backs. I ached for their losses and cheered their victories.

There was also a touch of romance in the book. Ruby had her relationship with her fiancé challenged by her work with the ATA. I loved her determination to follow her dream and ached for the pain he caused her. I cheered at the surprise waiting for her at the end of one flight. It was so much fun seeing the change in Tom's attitude when he realized the truth. Their challenges continued thanks to the war, but their faith in each other and their love pulled them through. Neither May nor Lizzie had been looking for love, but it found them anyway. May had closed herself off to the thought of love, wanting to protect herself from more loss. I loved how friendship and support from an unexpected source slowly grew into deeper feelings. Then there was Lizzie. The sparks flew between her and a certain Captain, but it took her a long time to realize there was more than antagonism there. I enjoyed seeing that relationship develop, especially with Lizzie's frequently volatile reactions to him on the job.

I loved the ending of the book. There was a wonderful surprise that Ben and Tom had cooked up for May and Ruby about a year after the war ended. I loved their teasing and how pleased they were with themselves. This was followed by a grand epilogue that took place at the sixty-fourth anniversary of V-J day. I loved seeing May, Lizzie, and Ruby together at the place that had been such a big part of their lives. I loved the part with Ruby, her grandson, and the Spitfire. I enjoyed her surprise, and loved the twist she added to it. show less

The history books would have you believe that wars are won only because of the men on the front lines while the women are at home knitting socks and growing gardens. This wonderful book puts an end to that myth because its about three strong women working in the French resistance during WWII. They all have different backgrounds and different reasons for fighting against the Nazi regime but their goal is the same.

Rose lives in luxury in France. Her beloved husband died and she found out show more afterwards that he had been helping the Resistance. She decides to carry on his role and is soon hiding British pilots in her home and helping them return to England. Hazel is engaged to a man in the British Army and wants to do more to help Britain win the war. She gets trained as an agent and dropped into France to help the resistance. Sophia has been hiding her Jewish boyfriend in her apartment in Germany. Her father was a high ranking Nazi and she was aware of what the results would be if she was discovered so she and Alex escape Germany - he goes into hiding and she vows to work with the French. All three of these women were tough and brave on their own but when they joined forces, they were a force to be reckoned with.

This is a wonderful, well researched book about WWII in France and the French resistance. I loved the three main characters and their firm belief that they were willing to give up their lives to get the Germans defeated. This is a wonderful book about war and bravery and friendship between strong women.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. show less

Fantastic book that had me laughing and crying all through it. The story opens as Bella's sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car accident, leaving Bella as guardian to her two nephews. A second shock follows as she learns that Gray's best friend Noah has been named as co-guardian. He is the last person that she wants to share a house and a life with.

Bella and Noah have rubbed each other the wrong way since the moment they met. Bella sees the handsome Navy SEAL as an arrogant, too show more charming for his own good playboy, and Noah thinks that Bella is rigid and uptight. Though I ended up loving both characters, at the beginning I didn't like either of them very much. Bella is downright bitchy to Noah, and he seems to delight in doing whatever he can to set her off. But as I got to know them my opinion changed.

Noah has a very tough exterior that he has built up over a long time and it only seems to soften around Will and Cooper. I loved the way that he stood up to Bella and insisted on being part of the boys' lives. He knows that his job will make it difficult, but he's determined to do the best he can. His past has caused him to lock his emotions up tight, and avoid commitments of any kind. The only exception is the depth of his friendship with Gray and Lila and his commitment to his brothers in arms.

Bella is independent, and a bit on the controlling side. She has dealt with her sister's death by devoting herself to her nephews - selling her own home, putting her business on hold, and trying to create a routine for the boys. A bad past relationship has caused Bella to have some issues that she will need to overcome.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Noah and Bella. The sparks fly from the start as Bella's insistence on routine runs up against Noah's more laid back methods. But beneath the surface arguments on parenting styles is an attraction that neither can deny and neither is happy about. They maintain their animosity until they start receiving letters written to both by Bella's sister Lila before her death. Because she and Gray were both military, she always knew there was a chance that something could happen. Well aware of Noah and Bella's attitudes toward each other, Lila used these letters to encourage them to get to know each other and gave them guidance on how to do it. I loved her creativity and how well she obviously knew them both.

Over the next few weeks, with Lila's beyond-the-grave guidance, Noah and Bella learned to look past the surface and see the people behind the masks. I loved how Bella began to see that Noah had a big heart and so much love to share, but that he didn't know how to show it. She saw the man whose commitment to his teammates and his country were a huge part of who he was. I loved how Noah saw that Bella's need to plan and keep to routine stemmed from times when she couldn't control her life. Their attraction continued to grow and became something that pulled them together but also pushed them apart. Bella could feel herself beginning to care for Noah, to depend on him and to need him, which scares her to death. She doesn't want to love a man who could be taken from her at any time. Noah is torn by his passion for his work and his desire to be the man that Bella and the boys need. He also has a bone-deep belief that he isn't good enough for a woman like Bella.

Things come to a head when Noah has to go back to work and Bella's fears come boiling back to the surface. I ached for her as she pushed Noah away, afraid to believe in what could be. I hurt for Noah, who was grappling with some hard decisions and wasn't able to share the load with anyone. I loved seeing each of them finally confront their fears and realize what was holding them back. I loved the ending and that it was realistic enough to show that there will still be challenges to overcome.

There were some terrific moments scattered throughout the book. I loved Noah's reaction to having the boys to himself all day, and the respect for Bella that came with it. I adored the realism of Bella's exhaustion from being a working mother, and that sometimes she just wanted to chuck it. There were outpourings of grief from the boys, Bella, and Noah as they all came to terms with their loss that had me in tears also. There were also good times when the grief faded and life was good. There was also an unexpected twist that explained so many actions and reactions. The epilogue was sweet and a wonderful wrapup to their story.

I also loved how important family was in this story. The closeness of Bella and Lila was heartwarming and heartwrenching at the same time. I loved the letters that Lila wrote and the obvious love and respect she had for both Bella and Noah. I also loved how close Bella's family was and the support that was always there, not just for Bella but for Noah also. Learning more about Noah and how he came to be part of Gray's family was another one of those tearjerker episodes. Best of all was seeing Bella, Noah, Will, and Cooper become a brand new family without forgetting the old. show less