#WorldWarIIHistoricalFiction – Rosepoint Publishing

Your Forgotten Sons by Anne Montgomery #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares to enter World War II in 1943.

A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine: a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose shadowy past leaves many unanswered questions.

When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

My Thoughts:

When I received the request to read this book, I was interested and thought the CE would be as well. I’ve read many fiction books with all kinds of tales of WWII (and the CE many more), but neither of us ever conjured a unit specifically assigned to retrieve, identify, and bury the thousands who did not survive. And just when you thought no assignment could be worse than the front lines, along comes the story of the 606 Graves Registration Service.

The story of Bud is tragic and evokes strong emotions, a sense of having lost a buddy in arms, a brother you knew and loved, naïve even with his battle-weary experience. He rushed into a marriage after he was drafted at 29 and quickly became a unit leader owing to his civilian experience and age. The responsibility for his men weighed heavily on him. In the meantime, there was little communication from his bride, Lorraine never reciprocated the loving notes he wrote to her.

Bud’s unit landed in Normandy shortly after the first assault, moved onto the Battle of the Bulge, witnessed the carnage of the underground tunnels of Brest. They were allowed a short break in Luxembourg City before traveling to Dachau, even more horrific and deadly to the psyche.

Somewhere in the middle, he meets Ava and while she represents love, respect, and respite from the war experience he never receives from Lorraine, it adds a Catholic note of guilt to their relationship. Still, the reader holds out a glimmer of hope that this will end well for Bud. That life will go on post-war.

The conclusion may not be what the reader expects, however, and the reveal is shocking. Something I didn’t know and couldn’t fathom might not have been an uncommon occurrence. War is hell. 5 stars

His Thoughts:

The battlefield is littered with the dead and dying. Sometimes there is only a part of the former soldier or combatant and identification is impossible. These are represented by the tombs of the Unknown Soldiers. Anne Montgomery has written a very touching story about the people who handle the deceased in the war zones.

This story is thoughtfully written by the author and reviews the struggles that Joseph “Bud” Richardville encountered during WWII. Imagine handling thousands of dead individuals including German and concentration camp victims as well as the thousands killed during such tragic days as D-Day and the invasion at Normandy!

The gathering of the victims from the invasion still trapped inside landing craft or killed at the beaches was horrific. Collecting and identifying the dead at the beach and preparing the military cemeteries was a daunting task. Laying out the grids and making sure that the resting places are well structured and symmetrical took careful attention to detail.

This book follows the life of “Bud” Richardville as he wrestles with the daily task of deceased military personnel being sorted and identified to receive a proper burial. Some of the casualties may include nothing but a shoe with a foot inside. The Quartermaster Graves Registration Company at times assisted in burying the enemy dead with dignity as well.

Ms. Montgomery handles this saga with respectful humanity. The horrors of war are manyfold and should never be forgotten. I congratulate her on her excellent handling of this very emotive subject. 5 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are our honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Biographical Fiction, Historical World War II Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction
Publisher: Next Chapter
ASIN: B0CT3JCZ46
Print Length: 233 pages
Publication Date: May 29, 2024
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Anne Butler Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, author, and amateur sports official. Her first TV job came at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC-TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP-TV in Phoenix, Arizona, and ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award-winning SportsCenter. She finished her on-camera broadcasting career with a two-year stint as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery was a freelance and/or staff reporter for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. Her novels include The Castle, A Light in the Desert, Wild Horses on the Salt, The Scent of Rain, and Wolf Catcher. Montgomery taught sports reporting at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and taught high school journalism for 20 years. She was an amateur sports official for four decades, a time during which she called baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball games and served as a high school football referee and crew chief. Montgomery is a foster mom to three sons and a daughter. When she can, she indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, theater, and playing her guitar.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Quadrant Conspiracy by James H Lewis – #BookReview – #assassinationthrillers

“The Plot to Kill FDR.”

Book Blurb:

As Anglo-American leaders gather to plan the defeat of Nazi Germany, Hitler orders the death of President Franklin Roosevelt to derail the conference. Brandon Armitage, a Canadian veteran of the Great War, has joined Canada’s Volunteer Guard to oversee German prisoners; it’s a role he’s undertaken to seek revenge for the death of his son during a raid on the French Coast. When one of his prisoners escapes. Armitage pursues him to a remote island above Lake Huron, where FDR is on a pre-conference fishing trip. Suspecting the German is trying to assassinate the American leader, Armitage alerts security officials. When they refuse his help, insisting their security is tight, Armitage must act alone, even as he seeks to rescue his failing marriage.

The Quadrant Conspiracy is based on an actual historical incident and is set against the backdrop of the Allied march to defeat the Third Reich. While there are elements of a thriller, the story also centers on the effect of two worldwide conflicts on a marriage.

His Review:

The tide of the second world war is beginning to turn and the allies are not totally in sync regarding the prosecution of the war. Winston Churchill and the British preferred the battles be fought in North Africa and up the Italian peninsula rather than from British soil into France. Stalin is refusing to attend the meetings because of the problems faced on the Eastern Front with the German army. Stalingrad is holding out but the fighting has been vicious and he needed to save his people.

A German pilot is shot down and being held in a Canadian prison. His name is Jorg Schumaker and he desperately wants to get back into a plane and fly for the fatherland. Young, blond, and fair he can masquerade as a local college boy and get away with it. A young girl, smitten by his boyish good looks; decides to assist him in escaping.

Meanwhile, the high command in Germany decides that their best bet to turn the tide of the war is to kill Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR is scheduled to take a fishing holiday in Canada and the plot is actuated to complete the mission. Secret communications are relayed to the P.O.W. camp and Jorg Schumaker is tasked with the assassination assignment.

Brandon Armitage is a WW1 veteran who joins the Veterans Guard to assist in helping guard and control the German prisoners in Canada. When Jorg Schumaker escapes again from prison, Brandon is assigned to find Jorg.

Prisoners have been paid a stipend for working in the fields and orchards and have accumulated enough money to attempt another escape. Brandon’s wife is not happy with her husband rejoining the military and leaving her to grieve alone after the loss of one son and the belief the other is dead.

Roosevelt needs a break from the constant pressure of the war on two fronts and the constant meddling by Winston Churchill. After the failed attempt to land troops at Diepp along the French coast, Churchill wishes to have the war proceed through Italy as a land-based affair rather than an attack across the English Channel. Meanwhile, Roosevelt has gone fishing!

The writer has written a very engaging novel of war and the intrigue of three very large world powers not totally in agreement as to how to proceed. You will find this a very informative and engaging read. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Assassination Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers, World War II Historical Fiction
Publisher: James H Lewis
ISBN-13: ‎ 979-8986379739
ASIN: B0BFV291B5
Print Length: 371 pages
Publication Date: September 23, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Quadrant Conspiracy [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble

The Author: James H (Jim) Lewis is the author of six novels. His latest, “The Quadrant Conspiracy,” imagines an attempt on the life of President Franklin Roosevelt while on a fishing trip prior to an Angle-American conference that will determine the course of the Second World War.

“Novak’s Quest,” is the second in his Chief Novak police procedural series, while a family drama, “Belonging,” is being distributed on Kindle Vella.

James is a member of Mystery Writers of America and PennWriters. A former reporter, public media executive, and consultant to non-profit organizations, he has lived and worked in Washington, DC, Florida, Texas, New England, Oregon, and Sweden.

As a journalist, he helped launch and co-hosted FEEDBACK, an innovative public affairs program produced at WJCT, Jacksonville, and funded by the Ford Foundation. He spent a year in Stockholm under a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, working in the Central News Department of Sveriges Radio, Sweden’s national public broadcasting service, for which he produced English-language news reports for distribution through Eurovision.

During his long career in public media, he served stations throughout the country as Executive Producer, Director of Development, Station Manager, and General Manager and as President of the OPB Foundation in Portland, Oregon. In 1996 he co-founded Lewis Kennedy Associates, a consulting firm to non-profit organizations, known today as LKA Fundraising and Communications. He continues to work for LKA as a copywriter.

He was honored by PBS as Fundraising Professional of the Year in 1994 and by Greater Public with its President’s Award on his retirement in 2011. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts.

He and his wife live in Pittsburgh where they dote on their two grandchildren. His articles on travel, fundraising, and non-profit management have been published in national newspapers and magazines.

Chill--It's Sunday

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris – #BookReview – #historicalfiction – @SourcebooksLandmark

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sold On A Monday—over a million copies sold!—comes a sweeping World War II tale of an illusionist whose recruitment by British intelligence sets her on a perilous, heartrending path.

As a little girl raised amid the hardships of Michigan’s Copper Country, Fenna Vos learned to focus on her own survival. That ability sustains her even now as the Second World War rages in faraway countries. Though she performs onstage as the assistant to an unruly escape artist, behind the curtain she’s the mastermind of their act. Ultimately, controlling her surroundings and eluding traps of every kind helps her keep a lingering trauma at bay.

Yet for all her planning, Fenna doesn’t foresee being called upon by British military intelligence. Tasked with designing escape aids to thwart the Germans, MI9 seeks those with specialized skills for a war nearing its breaking point. Fenna reluctantly joins the unconventional team as an inventor. But when a test of her loyalty draws her deep into the fray, she discovers no mission is more treacherous than escaping one’s past.

Inspired by stunning true accounts, The Ways We Hide is a gripping story of love and loss, the wars we fight—on the battlefields and within ourselves—and the courage found in unexpected places.

His Review:

Fenna Vos bore a striking resemblance to Hedy Lamarr. Both women were in entertainment. Fenna is an associate of a stage magician. She works to develop escape acts and other performance mysteries. Misdirection is the standard fare for these well-trained escape artists, people able to get out of impossible situations. Fenna is one of the best.

World War II finds Fenna working in a clandestine group called MI9. Their objective is to provide ways to help allied prisoners escape Nazi prisoner of war camps. Small hacksaw blades and cutting chains are inserted into such everyday games as Monopoly. The trick is to make the games transparent. The enemy allows such games to come into prison camps to help the detainees pass the time.

Fenna has a second asset to offer. In addition to her escape artist’s abilities; she can speak Dutch, as this was her mother’s native tongue. She is working on a number of top-secret projects to enable prisoners of war to escape captivity. One very vital tool is the maps to help downed airmen find their way back to friendly territory.

She is inserted into Nazi-controlled Holland to assist the underground. She meets an old flame and finds the family of a very good friend. The friend has a child and the underground works to find a way to get mother and daughter back to allied territory. Regretfully the mother is killed in a Gestapo raid and her child is adopted by a childless German family. This situation is untenable to Fenna and the group in Holland. They work to help extract the young girl and spirit her to England.

This book is based upon some facts recently made public after World War II. Ms. McMorris has pulled together information regarding the female operatives during World War II in a most engaging novel. The success of this lady in a male-dominated world is nothing less than spectacular. The resultant book is a great tribute to the millions of women who worked unheralded and unrecognized during the second world war. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Details:

Genre: British & Irish Literary Fiction, Historical World War II Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ASIN: B09NCNP1KG
Print Length: 573 pages
Publication Date: September 6, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Ways We Hide [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and six historical novels, including the million-copy bestseller SOLD ON A MONDAY. The recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program, and owned a wedding-and-event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of “Y.M.C.A.” and chicken dances. Kristina lives near Portland, Oregon, where she somehow manages to be fully deficient of a green thumb and not own a single umbrella. For more, visit KristinaMcMorris.com.