Judithe Little

I loved this book! World War 2 fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I am always drawn to books that take place during this time period. Wickwythe Hall is a clear stand-out. The book is beautifully written and a joy to read from beginning to end. Judithe Little has such a way with words, and I quickly was invested in the lives of the three main characters: Mabry, Annelle and Reid. Little covers a wide range of aspects of the war deftly, and her writing is so descriptive I felt that I was show more waiting on the dock in Dunkirk as the soldiers arrived, walking with the French people as they fled German-occupied France, and in Mers el-Kebir, Algeria as the British bombed the French ships during Operation Catapult.

My two favorite things about this book were the characters and learning about Operation Catapult. Little’s characters are well-drawn and authentic, and I felt immediately drawn into their lives. With respect to Operation Catapult, I love reading historical fiction because I learn about events and things of which I was unaware. The bombing of French ships by the British during World War 2 was something I had never heard about and was intrigued to learn about the event and understand what had happened and why. What a sad story.

I highly, highly recommend Wickwythe Hall. Go get a copy as soon as possible and start reading! And make sure you have tissues handy. I cannot wait for Little’s next book- I hope she is madly working on it. show less

I've encountered the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel in fiction before, but typically the focus is on the 1930s-40s period. This novel is set earlier and is largely narrated by Antoinette, Coco's younger sister, a figure I'd never known of previously. A more human Coco Chanel emerges in this novel as she is seen maturing from a girl abandoned at a convent to a woman determined to make her own way in the world, although one can glimpse at times the character she would later harden into. show more Overall, this book made for fascinating reading and I appreciated the author's work in taking the few known facts about Antoinette Chanel and crafting a believable story of her life. show less

I never turn away from a book written about either of the World Wars. Some are more than interesting and insightful – the best of them take you to the time and place and make you a party to the action, the emotions, the fear, the despair, the ultimate hope that things just might turn out well. Unfortunately Wickwythe Hall fell short of the mark for me. This is an especially difficult review to write because despite the quality of writing, the depth of character development, and the show more historical research I just was not engaged.

The action while slow paced served the story; the main characters each had their share of secrets and unhappiness, the political climate was calculated and complex. The synergy was there. So what was it about this book that failed to draw me in? Sometime you just can’t articulate how you failed to see the meaning and the importance of the work and this is the quandary I find myself in.

Thank you NetGalley and Black Opal Books for a copy show less

The Chanel sisters were abandoned at a very young age. They were raised in an orphanage by nuns. But, as hard as the nuns tried, they could not contain these sisters. These ladies were determined to achieve whatever they wanted at whatever it cost!

These young ladies were strong willed and very intelligent. They all have different personalities which create a unique understanding between the sisters. I loved how they had each other’s back…but could also put each other in their place!

This show more has a lot of mundane details. I was a little bored through some of it. It was better toward the end. But, the history of this time period and of these fascinating women is very enjoyable. I love strong women and Coco is one of the best! Nothing stopped her!

I received this from the publisher for a honest review. show less