Bluebird

From the frightening trenches of WWI’s the Somme and a Belgian field hospital to the exciting and treacherous days of Prohibition Era of Windsor, Ontario, this is one captivating and well-researched historical fiction piece.

This dual timeline story juxtaposes modern day museum curator, Cassie Simmons and contractor, Matthew Flaherty against the lives of WWI Canadian nurse, Adele Savard and her wounded charge, Jerry Bailey. Jerry is carried into the Belgian field hospital by his older brother, John, and Adele is quick to attend to Jerry’s wounds. A friendship is born and then it’s back to the battlefield for Jerry. Will they ever meet again? Only time will tell. Move forward to the current day, when Mathew finds a collection of show more whiskey bottles walled up in a house he’s renovating. Out of curiosity, he seeks the assistance of Cassie at the local museum, trying to piece together the history of the old Bailey home. From such beginnings a wonderful story is born.
The writing is solid, engaging, and enlightening. The mise en scene is so specatularly delivered that one imagines the busy streets of Windsor and can smell the lingering gunpowder of a German raid on a field hospital or the cloying scent of spilled liquor on a speakeasy floor. On top of all that, author Genevieve Graham knows well her Canadian history and deftly writes an engaging and emotionally charged story. She certainly never fails to disappoint this reader. If solid and well crafted historical fiction is your jam, then this may well be the perfect book for you.
I am grateful to author Genevieve Graham and her publisher, Simon & Schuster for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review – the words of which are mine alone. show less

It's all here in this book. The book opens inside a hospital tent in Belgium where we meet Adele. a young nurse who is working long hours patching up young soldiers fresh from the battlefield. Then we skip ahead to present-day where we meet Cassie, a young woman in Windsor, Ontario, who works in a local museum. When a young man brings an old green bottle into the museum, it starts Cassie on her quest to learn all she can about this bottle that was found hidden in the wall of her old childhood home. The best part about this book is it is Canadian, full of Canadian history. I learned about the the brave young Canadian women who served as field nurses in the Great War, and the Canadian soldiers who fought and died in that war. Jeremiah and show more his brother John are two Canadian soldiers who spend their entire war service in a tunnelling brigade. When Jeremiah is injured and brought to the field hospital, he meets Adele, and so begins a love story that spans decades. After the war Jeremiah and Adele meet in their home town of Windsor, Ontario, where life has gotten a lot more exciting since they left with Prohibition and all the wild night life of that era. Windsor's close proximity to the States makes it a a key corridor for running whiskey during Prohibition. I loved the idea of this story, and I loved the historical facts that come out over and over. A lot of research went into this book. I was a little disappointed with the writing. At times, it appeared somewhat juvenile and predictive. It's still worth a read though as it illustrates parts of Canadian history that i was not aware of. I like the characters very much as well. show less

I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange of a honest review. This book was absolutely fantastic! The story follows brothers John and Jerry, who are in Belgium during WWI. They’re both Tunneldiggers until Jerry gets hurt. He meets nurse, Adele and instantly falls for her. Fast forward four years, after the war is ended back in Canada, Jerry and John go into business as rumrunners. Unexpectedly, Jerry, John, and Adele all meet again - but that’s only half the story. In the present day, Cassie is a historian who gets called to a house rebuilding where old bottles filled with whiskey are found in the home’s walls. Cassie goes down a familiar path to find the mystery of the bottles. The story jumps between present day show more and the post-war prohibition era. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the dual time line, especially since the post-war portion takes places in Canada during prohibition. Great book and I couldn’t put it down! show less

To say that the historical fiction genre is saturated with novels from the first and second world wars is a gross understatement, but I have always been fascinated with this era for a myriad of reasons, and continue to give this genre a chance.

When I first started reading Bluebird I had a sense of deja vu. I could’ve sworn I’d read this novel before, even though I knew I hadn’t. Like I said, this has been my historical fiction go-to lately, so it’s not surprising, but it was distracting as I tried to submerge myself into this world, though the ravages of war took care of that real quick, taking over my imagination.

The world building was immense, and reading about the history of prohibition in Canada was fascinating, and show more something I really didn’t consider until this novel. The details behind the speakeasies, altered modes of transportation, and all the tricks to stay under the police radar while smuggling hooch was nothing short of genius.

The overall story is well written and I enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t too graphic, despite part of the story being during a war. Jerry and Adele are wonderful, and I loved being a witness to their love story. There were a few side stories that I could’ve seen having more bearing, and some seemed incomplete but, for me, it didn’t hurt the overall story.

I truly enjoyed Bluebird, and if you’re looking for a great glimpse of The Great War, as well as prohibition in Canada, paired with a very sweet love story, this is the novel for you.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from Simon & Schuster (Canada) through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own. show less

Rated 4 stars. Read 2025. Read on Libby Kindle. Dual-time line historical fiction that takes place partly during WWI in Belgium but mostly takes place in 1910's and 1920's Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The contemporary section is only for a few chapters.

I really enjoyed learning about the "Bluebirds", young Canadian nurses who served in Europe during WWI. They gave up their personal lives in Canada to serve during very horrific war conditions. And many of them lost their lives.

Most of this novel revolves around Bluebird nurse Adele Savard and Corporal Jeremiah "Jerry" Bailey. He's seriously wounded while planting mines while tunneling. It was difficult to read about the soldiers experiences during what I personally have always felt was an show more unnecessary conflict. I have admiration for these brave young men and women who went off to war not knowing if they would survive.

Adele and Jerry meet while she is nursing him in Belgium. They have an immediate connection plus learn they both grew up in Ontario, Canada. When Jerry returns home after the war with his older brother John they become involved in the Whiskey business and run liquor from Canada to Detroit, Michigan, USA during the beginning of Prohibition. This was a very dangerous business to be involved in. Eventually Jerry and Adele's paths cross. Not going to go further into the plot as that would involve spoilers.

A very entertaining novel with engaging characters. This is the 1st book I've read by this author. Unfortunately this is the only title of her's that is available through our library's Libby system.

Here are 2 quotes that are included in the beginning:

“I think if one knew beforehand what all this was going to be like one would hardly want to face it, but somehow you’re glad to be there.” Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front, 1914–1915

“Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits. Fanatics will never learn that, though it be written in letters of gold across the sky. It is the prohibition that makes anything precious.” Mark Twain show less

3.5 stars

Adele is a nurse from Windsor, Ontario in Belgium during WWI. There, she meets injured tunnel digger, Jerry, also from Windsor, Ontario. Jerry is fixed up and heads back to fight. Luckily, both he and his brother make it home, but to find that both their parents died of the flu. Jerry and John take over their father’s alcohol business, getting it over the US border during prohibition. But this can be dangerous. It is a few years before Jerry and Adele run in to each other, but this is something they had both hoped for.

Audio. I liked this. It did move quickly through time between all the events, though. There was a present-day story, as well, but I didn’t find it nearly as good. There is a nice author’s note at the end. show more The audio was well done with three different narrators, one each for Jerry, Adele, and Cassie (present-day character). So, it was easy to tell what time period and which character’s POV I was hearing. show less

Don’t read this book without also reading the author’s note at the end. I promise it will make the story more meaningful and genealogy/history buffs will love it.

The story is set in World War I and follows the lives of two Canadians who served during the war and just happened to be from the same area in Canada. Adele, a nurse employed with the Bluebird’s (as they were called due to the blue uniforms) meets Jerry Bailey, a tunneler who comes into the hospital after having been wounded in an explosion.

Even though Adele tries not to get too close to her patients, she and Jerry have a connection that she can’t ignore. When he recovers and is sent back to the front, she and Jerry lose touch for several years.

When they meet again, show more Jerry has been manufacturing whiskey during the Prohibition years and is in a dangerous, but lucrative profession. Adele has been working for a local doctor and sees all the injured men who come in having been hurt from “rumrunning.”

While this is good historical fiction, it is also a sweet love story with wonderful characters throughout. I loved the era in which it was set. There was also a present day timeline running through the story, but it was not as focused as the timeline from the past.

All in all, this was an enjoyable, clean story and I am happy to recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGally and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review. show less