Set in England during WWII, this book follows a number of entwined characters. Beryl is a hospital nurse in London. Out of safety concerns, she sends her son Colin to live in the countryside with Ivy. Ivy’s husband, Wills, is missing in action. In order to fill the void and to provide her son Hugo with company, she takes in Colin and twin girls. Beryl’s husband Gordon is captured by the Nazi’s in France and is sent to a concentration camp. There, he is conscripted to work on an arbor for the Camp Commandant's wife. In the countryside, Colin and Hugo meet Jack, an American flier stationed nearby.

This book had a lot of moving pieces, which tended to slow the storylines down. The various points of view became a bit tedious after time. I thought the plot was a bit predictable. The characters were fully developed, well rounded and showed real growth throughout the novel. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Two young boys are thrust together when Colin is evacuated from London at the beginning of WWII. Both their fathers are “lost” after the fall of Calais. One is in a POW camp. The other’s fate is unknown. Together, with their mothers, the citizens of the village where the other boy, Hugo, lives and Yank pilots whose airfield is close by, they form a strong unit that helps them weather the uncertainty and the struggles of war torn England..

Without giving away too much plot, the book follows how the individual stories intertwine and intersect. Gordon’s story in Poland and Wills’ story in France are both tales of courage and derring. So are the stories of the wives and mothers who must bear the burdens whilst trying to help others. The characters are well drawn of good decent people who are swept up in the war and must survive any way they can. But in the midst of it all, there is a beautiful oasis of compassion that helps the boys blossom and will help them all heal once the conflict is over.

It is a compelling story I could not put down until I know the fates of all the characters. Five purrs and two paws up.

This is author Pamela Norsworthy’s (https://www.pamelanorsworthywrites.com) first novel. War Bonds was released a few days ago. It is the 16th book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to minor scenes of violence and mature situations, I categorize this novel as PG. The description below does have spoilers.

The network of characters is a bit complicated for this novel. I’ll address the characters first, then look at the plot. The characters include two British families, a German family, and an American airman.

Beryl Clarke and her son, 10-year-old Collin, live in London in 1939. Her husband is Lieutenant Gordon Clarke. He was a successful architect before the war and now is in the British Army. She is working as a nurse in a local hospital. Ivy Hughes and her 9-year-old son Hugo live in rural Elsworth. Her husband, Wills, has been conscripted into the British Army. German Oberst Reinhard Schröder and his pretty young wife Annalise, live in Poland. He is the commandant of a POW camp there. Lieutenant Jack Phillips is with the US Army Air Corps. He flies B-17 bombers out of an airfield near Elsworth.

The novel covers a wide span of years, beginning in 1939 and concluding in 1954. As the threat of bombing gross for London, Collin, as are many other children, is evacuated into the countryside. He is taken in by Ivy Hughes. Collin and Hugo Hughes become best friends and often spend time at the American airfield. They become close friends with Jack Phillips.

Gordon Clarke and Wills Hughes are with the BEF in France when the Wehrmacht sweeps through the country. Both are taken as POWs, though on the march to the prison camp Wills manages to escape. He is helped by many French who risk their lives to see the Brit home. Instead of completing his journey back to England, he stays in France until it is liberated, becoming part of the resistance and helping others to escape.

Gordon Clarke is taken to the POW camp commanded by Oberst Reinhard Schröder. Annalise Schröder convinces her husband to have a POW come to their home and help with the improvements she wants. Clarke uses his architectural and building skills to enhance the Schröder home. Clarke takes advantage of this to bring as much food and information as he can back to the camp. Annalise becomes attracted to Clarke, and an affair ensues. Eventually, Clarke and a handful of other POWs escape the camp, take Annalise hostage, and flee towards the approaching Allies. Annalise is left behind along their journey.

Hugo and Collin introduce their friend Jack Phillips to both Beryl Clarke and Ivy Hughes. Beryl, having been mistakenly informed that her husband is dead, develops deep feelings for Jack, and they sleep together a few times.

As the war nears its end, Wills Hughes returns home after choosing to spend years in France. Gordon Clarke succeeds in escaping, though he is wounded. Both men rejoin their families. Jack has completed the necessary missions to be rotated home. Everyone goes on to live happy lives, though with some regrets.

There is more drama between them all, but for that, you will have to read the novel yourself.

I enjoyed the 9.5+ hours I spent reading this 364-page WWI historical fiction. The novel is well-written, and the characters are well developed. Personally, I found this war period emotional drama slow and dull. I considered more than once calling a Rule of 50 and putting itthe novel aside. Had I known what this novel was about, I would never have started it. The cover art is OK, but it does not give much insight into the book. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 5.

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This is my third attempt at writing a review for this brilliant debut novel set during World War II. I simply cannot find the words to convey how much it affected me. The storyline and the characters were written with such depth that I profoundly felt their joys and sorrows, their successes and failures. This book begins in 1939, with the first British losses in France, and continues through 1945. Through the voices of the different characters, we have an inside look at the struggles in England, a POW stalag in Poland, and the French resistance. There is a complicated wartime romance, too, that left me conflicted. There are heroes and villains but even they are complicated, as they surely are in reality. I appreciated that all of the storylines were brought to a realistic conclusion with an unexpected twist in the epilogue.

"She closed her eyes and considered how war left no one untouched: even the lives of those lucky enough to survive were utterly reshaped." I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could.

My thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.