Jennifer Robson

American journalist Ruby Sutton moves to London to report on WWII. There she joins the writers of the Picture Weekly to put her unique slant on war time trials and tribulations. She also develops a friendship with photographer Mary and editor Kaz. As the Blitz takes out her apartment, she finds herself leaning on mysterious Bennett, a soldier.

I really enjoyed the storytelling and character development throughout the novel. It was not a typical wartime romance where the female is left helpless and afraid. Instead Ruby is a dynamic woman who is determined to succeed. I would love to read more from this author. Overall, highly recommended.… (more)

“She and Nico had danced under such a sky. They’d sung of love and stardust and the promise of brightening dreams, and she’d been so stupidly certain their happiness would endure. Yet how could goodness endure, let alone flower, in a world that emboldened and embraced men such as Karl Zwerger? And how was she meant to survive when her Nico was no longer a part of it” (269)?

The heart of Our Darkest Night seeks to answer this hard question: How can goodness thrive in a dark and broken world, a world that at times embraces and empowers hate and evil, like the rancorous power of Nazi ideology? The answer comes in the voices of Nico and Nina and Father Bernardi and so many other characters in this Italian-set WWII historical fiction story. The answer comes through their voices and their stories that carry—sometimes the smallest—seeds of hope. In small mercies that make big impacts, like the bright stars that pierce the deep midnight-darkness, each of these characters shows how goodness thrives. They put one foot in front of the other, they hold a stranger’s hand to offer comfort, they cling to memories of better yesterdays, they boldly believe in promises and miracles and hope—even in the face of despair.

I desperately wanted this book to move the way that it did, but I’ve read too many hopeless historical fiction novels. I was afraid to hope. But I’m so glad it circled around in the end with Nico and Nina sojourning side by side back to their beloved Italian farm just as they did in the beginning when they were merely strangers. He became the hero of her story, and their journey was such a satisfying circle—a true hero’s journey with both Nico and Nina returning with their reward—home and family and the promise of joy.

“‘The soul unto its star returns’” (267).… (more)

This is the 3rd book in the Great War Books by Jennifer Robson. It follows Helena Parr, the woman to whom Edward, Lord of Cumberland was engaged for five years during the great war. Following the cancelled engagement, she was looked down upon by her peers. After a severe illness a few years later, she decides to go to France and live with her Aunt Agnes while she attends art school. There she makes several friends while they labor under a very hard instructor. She also meets Sam, an American correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, and falls in love with him. He is from a wealthy family in New York. The story is about her relationships with her friends, Aunt Agnes, and Sam.… (more)