Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


May 11

30

The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord Brown

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 30, 2011
Posted in Books Read in 2011 • WWII  | 8 Comments

It is New Years Eve, 1940 and Evie Chase is determined to make a difference in the war effort.  On January 5th, 1941 she enlists  in the ATA to ferry  across WWII Britain.   Her father is a wealthy RAF commander and is not happy with her decision and takes away her allowance, but Evie sticks to her principals and moves into a mice infested cottage with two other new members of the ATA, Stella and Megan.

Stella is the mother of a baby boy but has left him with her parents in law.  She is trying to sort out her feelings regarding her “dead” husband.  Megan is a teenagers from a Welsh village, who has left for the first time.

Together the three woman train together and live together and become fast friends and allies.  Once they start ferrying planes, Evie meets a pilot from the U.S.A. and falls in love.  They are engaged to be married when tragedy strikes and her fiancé is killed in combat.  Stella and Megan also find love.  

Beau is the trainer of the three woman and one of their commanders.  He and Evie mix together like cats and dogs most of the time.  He is also engages to a rich girl that he grew up with but the relationship is quite rocky.  He was burned badly in combat and she called off the engagement.  She abandoned him when he needed her most and then when he was better, came back  and begged forgiveness.  Can he forgive and does he want to?

Despite the fact that just about everything that happened in this book was totally predictable, I did enjoy it.  I knew nothing about the ATA and learned about its history.  The characters were well thought out and three dimensional.  You could call this book a character study.  That is it’s true strength.  I would have liked a bit more plot and surprise.  I knew what was going to happen with each character well before it happened with only a couple of exceptions.  

This is Kate Lord Browns first book and a good attempt.  I am looking forward to seeing how she grows with her writing.  If you like character studies and want to learn more about the ATA in WWII, this is a book for you.

3/5

Thanks to Devon Pool of McArthur and Company and to Net Galley for this book.  Please watch for a guest post from Kate Lord Brown tomorrow.

Did you review this book?  Please post the link in the comments.


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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Dec 10

10

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on December 10, 2010
Posted in Books Read in 2010 • WWII  | 9 Comments

Most everybody knows about Anne Frank and her family but, mostly from Anne’s point of view. Have you ever wondered what Peter van Pels point of view was? No, he did not keep a diary like Anne, so we will never know for sure however , thanks to Sharon Dogar we can imagine what he thought.

The dreadful day in 1942 when the Franks and van Pels were to meet up in the annex to hide from the Nazis, Peter van Pels decided to run away with his girlfriend, Liesl. He went to meet her but instead, to his horror he witnessed Lisel and her family being taken away from their home by the nazis. Now, with nowhere else to turn, he knew he had to go to the annex as planned.
He spends quite a bit of time there, in bed and thinking of Liesl. Pretty much everyone gets on his nerves, especially Anne with her overly cheery and talkative disposition. He thinks to himself,
“I wonder how this can be called living? How can we be in a space this small?
We’re trapped in this building like rats in a sinking ship,
waiting to be caught. The pain flashes through my head
again, lightning striking a steeple.”
Finally Peter’s father tells Peter that he must chip in with the work that needs to be done. His father said to him,
“Fight!” he says, and he sits back and shakes his head at
me. “You think you can fight this? Get up and make yourself
useful, that’s how we fight.”
He still dreams of Liesl and wonders if she is still alive. However, he starts to enjoy the company of Anne and her older sister, Margot. More and more the three of them spend time together making jokes and telling each other their fears.
After about a year together, Anne and Peter start to have romantic feelings for each other. The adults notice it and Otto Frank, Anne’s father has a chat with Peter telling him that he thinks that Anne and Peter should just remain good friends so that Margot doesn’t feel left out. However, love can’t be controlled very well and Anne and Peter’s relationship deepens.
Despite her strong feelings for Peter, Anne has another love, writing. She spends hours every day writing in her diary. Her father tells everyone how important it is to tell everyone they can their story when they get out. If for some reason they don’t make it, Otto keeps Anne’s diary for her in a hiding place so people can read it and learn about their circumstances.
Soon before the war ends the Nazis discover the annex and the people in it. They are all shipped off to death camps. The only survivor was Otto Frank. His friend and employee Miep keep Anne’s diary and Otto edits it and has it published. It has been read by millions of people all over the world.
I’m ashamed to say, I have never read ‘The Diary of Anne Frank.’ I don’t even know how that’s possible, I am of Jewish heritage, why didn’t my Sunday school assign it for the holocaust lessons? I don’t practice Judaism but I know I must read Anne Frank’s Diary. Actually, everyone should read it. IMO.
Sharon Dogar made the life in the Annex real. She gave Peter van Pels a voice, though fiction, it was a wonderful voice. I like to think that she got the essence of his voice right. Her poetic prose was strong and vibrant and never overly sentimental. She tells the fictionalized story of Peter, Anne, and the Annex in perfect pitch. This book is marketed as for young adults but I think it’s an excellent book for adults as well.
5/5
Thanks to Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Books for the ebook galley version of this book.
Did you review this book?  Please leave a link in the comments so I can post it here. 
 
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Jul 10

27

Restitution by Kathy Kacer

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on July 27, 2010
Posted in Books Read in 2010 • WWII  | 12 Comments

Restitution is the true story of one families’ struggle to escape Czechoslovakia right after Hitler’s invasion. Marie Reeser, the matriarch of the family enlists the aid of her husband, Victor’s non-Jewish business associate, Alois Jirak to help her hideaway the families’ valuables to claim back later. He is also given power of attorney. A big part of the belongings were four paintings which, she adored. She then arranges for her two children, Karl and Hana and herself to meet up with her husband, Victor in France. From there, they escaped to Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Soon after the war ends, Marie and Victor return to Czechoslovakia, in part to reclaim the family’s belongings, including paintings that Marie loves so much. The Communist party has taken over the family home and there is no way to re-claim it. However, Alois Jirak is still there but does not want to give up the paintings and with the Communist party taking over the country, Marie and Victor are forced to flee again, without the beloved paintings.
50 years later, well after Victor and Marie’s death, their son Karl receives a letter from Alois Jirak’s grandson. He says that he inherited four painting but found out that they are rightfully owned by the Reeser family and would like to return them if possible.
What follows is the story of how Karl finally gets the paintings back. It is a story of friendship, betrayal, an “honest” smuggler, and restitution. Told seamlessly in part memoir and part fiction by ghost writer, Kathy Kacer Ms. Kacer writes a suspenseful story that reads like a novel.
I highly recommend it!
4.5/5
Thanks to Annie Paikeday, Marketing/Editorial Intern for Second Story Press for this book.
Have you reviewed this book? Please leave a link in the comments for me to post here.

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

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