US Air Force Colonel Benjamin “Benny” Alexander has been raising his daughter alone while continuing to search for the woman they both love, US Navy Lieutenant Stacy Greene. She has been deployed and the fact that no one in the Pentagon will reveal her mission to him gives him reason to suspect that where ever she has been is dangerous to her life. His search will lead him from Tokyo, Japan, to the Blue Ridge Mountains around Asheville, North Carolina. He’s on a mission of his own: to find the mother of their child and the woman he loves more than his next breath.
Vivian Alexander, one of Benny’s younger sisters, and her law school cohorts and housemates are on a parallel mission without realizing that they are putting their lives at risk. Vivian has other issues to resolve that for her may also be life altering. While on a romantic rendezvous on one of the secluded islands of Bimini, she is uncharacteristically caught in a prism of emotions, commitments, and obligations. Only her family’s support can see her through her crises of conscious.
The Alexander family of Summer County, South Carolina, is richly steeped in their ancestral traditions and embrace life living it to the fullest. The strength and selflessness of the family links them together as tightly as the gold chain that each family member wears. Their relationships with others in their extended family promise that what threatens one will be faced by all. The bonds that hold them together are strong, but the challenges that they face may be stronger.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was probably the longest audiobook I’ve ever listened to: 19 hours 24 min. A really epic saga of the Alexander family, this was like having a family tree come to life with all its branches having their own story. The downside was having so many characters to keep track of, and just as I was invested in one, the story switched to another. That said, the reunions were magnificent, their traditions so beautifully upheld and the relationships between siblings truly impressive. Despite the length of the story, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye and will now happily check out the other stories in this series.
Three sisters separated by distance but bound by love
The Fry sisters enter the Roaring Twenties forever changed by their experiences during the Great War. Now, as each of their lives unfold in different corners of the globe, they come to realise that the most important bond is that of family.
Desperate to save the man she loves, Etta leaves behind the life she has made for herself in Capri and enters the decadent world of Parisian society with all its secrets and scandals.
Celie’s new life on the Canadian prairies brings mixed blessings – a daughter to adore, but a husband who isn’t the man who holds her heart.
In Egypt, Jessie’s world is forever changed by a devastating loss.
And back in London – where each of their adventures began – their mother Christina watches as the pieces of her carefully orchestrated existence begin to shatter…with implications for them all…
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Author Bio
Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, a timeslip love story set in Morocco, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Her second novel, The English Wife — a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland — was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her third novel, Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second book in the series, The Paris Sister, will be published in February 2023.
The Paris Sister picks up directly after book 1 – Love in a Time of War – with the three Fry sisters married and scattered around the globe, leaving their mother, Christina, back in London with the family housekeeper.
The story covers almost a decade, from the end of The Great War to The Depression of 1929. It’s told through alternating chapters of the sisters and their mother, as well as through correspondence between them.
Love in a Time of War ended with Christina’s secret – one that could devastate her daughters, Celie, in particular – at risk of being exposed. She must surely hope that since the three sisters are so far away, that secret will remain buried. But that hope is about to be dashed, and whether she can maintain the lie – for that is what it is – is a dominant thread that moves the plot forward, challenges relationships, and creates even more turmoil.
Of the three sisters, I really liked, and felt for Celie. She has married Frank and emigrated to Canada, learning all too late that the love of her life, Max, is not dead after all. Celie, however, is a strong woman, determined to stay in her marriage, come what may. (And with Frank’s mood swings and not a little misogyny in his attitude to women working, she has more than enough to contend with.) Thankfully, she is blessed with a best friend, Mavis, who ensures that Celie does not succumb to a life of cooking, cleaning and motherhood, as Frank would have her do. Instead, Mavis encourages and helps Celie to be her own woman in so many ways. Without Mavis, Celie would have struggled more to stand by Frank. You might wonder whether that friendship – as wonderful and supportive as it seems – has actually held her back, more a curse than a blessing!
Jessie is another of my favourites, now in Egypt with her wonderful husband, Aziz, she has to tread an altogether different path, primarily because of his mother, Layla. Jessie understands, and witnesses first-hand, the limitations for women in Muslim society, and she doesn’t want that for their daughter. This raises tensions with Layla who tries to impose her will on Jessie and Aziz. Fortunately, Aziz backs his wife, although he does seem to be putting off some key decisions, mainly which religion they will raise her under. This topic is a hot potato, made even more difficult when Layla meets Jessie’s mother, Christina. The two grandmothers want different things, and are not above using sneaky tactics to get their way. It’s deliciously entertaining to see them spar with each other. Prepare to race through those scenes; you won’t want to put the book down. Their rivalry and one-upmanship puts the political debate of the time (over Suez, and British rule in Egypt) firmly in the shade.
Etta, the third sister, and Jessie’s fraternal twin, is, however, the black sheep of the family. She eloped with Carlo, intending to wed, only to find he was already married. When he is subsequently charged with his wife’s murder, they are separated, he in jail and Etta living with her rebellious daughter and Stephania on the beautiful island of Capri. It’s not a life Etta enjoys, and she spends a lot of her time in Paris, selling her husband’s art work to fund legal costs to get him released. However, the Roaring 20s are here, and Etta is mixing in circles where partying is the main activity. Etta comes across as thoughtless (especially in relation to her family) frivolous and unlikeable, putting herself before everyone and everything. When family members try to help, she digs in further, making matters worse.
Christina, their mother, interacts with them via correspondence, though she does visit Jessie, but has her own problems in the form of a blackmailing relative, and a long-lost love that she cannot resist. Together, the lives of the four women makes for fascinating reading, the pace picking up greatly towards the end in preparation for the third in the series. The story is open-ended as a result, with a cliffhanger that has me eagerly awaiting book three.
My thanks to the author for gifting me book one to read also, and to Netgalley and the publisher, One More Chapter, for my copy of this book which I have reviewed freely.
Italy, 1937. In a tiny village in rural Lombardy, Graziella Ponti is born into a loving family.
Though they are not rich and life is full of challenges, they are content and safe, surrounded by the tightly-knit community of Pieve Santa Clara.
But when the shadow of World War Two falls across the village with the arrival of Nazi soldiers, nothing in young Graziella’s life will ever be the same again.
Paradiso is Graziella’s story. It charts her loves, losses and triumphs as she grows up in post-war Italy, a country in transformation, freed from the shackles of dictatorship yet still gripped by the restraints of the Catholic church.
Paradiso is inspired by true stories told to Francesca Scanacapra by her Italian family and set in locations where she spent much of her childhood. It is a deeply affecting novel which sheds light on the complexity and trauma of Italy’s past and weaves it into the epic tale of an ordinary woman compelled to live in extraordinary times.
This stunning historical read is perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries, Rhys Bowen, Victoria Hislop, Angela Petch and Heather Morris.
Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic and she has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths, including working as a technical translator between Italian, English, Spanish and French, a gym owner in Spain, an estate agent in France, a property developer in France and Senegal, and a teacher. Francesca lives in Dorset and currently works as a builder with her husband. She has two children.
My Review
An enthralling story representing a side not often seen in WWII historical fiction novels: that of a child in Italy, evacuated to a convent and later returned to her family in a village much changed from the place she left.
Sworn to keep a secret about the death of a couple of German officers, Graziella protects her family … but at what cost? Life in post-war Lombardy has its ups and downs, and we see both sides through the young girl’s eyes as she grows up and into adulthood. For me, the story had a similar vibe to “Anne of Avonlea” (Green Gables) as the reader is drawn into life there, with all the family members and neighbours having their part to play.
I found it interesting how the mothers in the story changed after losing their husbands, how they stood up to be counted in their own very subtle way. Zia Mina’s story would make a great spin-off with the Marcesini family. I would gladly read more about Graziella and her family. Had she found her true love in Gianfrancesco? Would she go on to be a teacher?
A true family drama, both emotionally engaging and historically compelling. If there is to be a sequel, then count me in. More, please 🙂
Update: as I post my review on Amazon, I spy book 2 – Return to Paradiso!
Hull, 1930. A terrified woman runs through the dark, rain-lashed streets pursued by a man, desperate to reach the sanctuary of the local police station. Alice Goddard runs with one thing in her mind: her daughter. In her panic she is hit by a car at speed and rushed to hospital. When she awakes, she has no memory of who she is, but at night she dreams of being hunted by a man, and of a little girl.
As the weeks pass and her memories gradually resurface, Alice anxiously searches for her daughter, but no one is forthcoming about the girl’s whereabouts – even her own mother is evasive. Penniless and homeless, Alice must begin again and rebuild her life, never giving up hope that one day she will be reunited with her lost daughter.
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From 22nd – 29th August, The Lost Daughter will be at the bargain price of 99p.
Author Bio – Sylvia Broady was born in Kingston upon Hull and has lived in the area all her life, though she loves to travel the world. It wasn’t until she started to frequent her local library , after World War 2, that her relationship with literature truly began and her memories of war influence her writing, as does her home town. A member of the: RNA, HNS, S of A and Beverley Writers. She has had a varied career in childcare, the NHS and East Yorkshire Council Library Services, but is now a full-time writer. Plus volunteering as a Welcomer at Beverley Minster to visitors from around the world, and raising money for local charities by singing in the choir of the Beverley Singers, both bringing colour and enrichment to her imagination and to her passion for writing.
Giveaway – Win 2 x paperback signed books of The Lost Daughter and The Yearning Heart (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
There’s a huge amount of story going on in this book. Despite a large cast, the focus remains on Alice and her daughter, Daisy, who was taken from her in such an uncaring manner.
The story spans several decades, beginning in the 1930s, covering World War II, and then the post-war years. Throughout, Alice becomes ever more determined to find her Daisy but, as needs must, carries on with her life assuming Daisy is in a loving home and well cared for.
The multiple viewpoints in the story bring an ever-increasing poignancy to the desperation they both share: Alice to find Daisy, and Daisy to be found.
An enjoyable read, though a little repetitive at times, but nonetheless giving great insight to the issues faced by mothers and children during those years. The inability of the authorities to right the wrong done to Alice is unfortunately a sign of the times, but fortunately as the years pass we see things – including the law – change in Alice’s favour.
The large cast – Alice’s family, Johnny, Evelyn and Talli among others – brings hope for better times, though good fortune is not always forthcoming for all of them.
Entertaining, interesting sub-plots are beautifully interlinked, resulting in a well-told tale with a great emotional pull.
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1862 Young widow Eugénie faces an uncertain future in Guernsey when her husband dies at sea. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, exiled on the island and living in his voluptuous house only yards away from Eugénie. Their meeting changes her life and she begins working for him as a copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.
2012 Doctor Tess Le Prevost, born in Guernsey, now living in Exeter, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child she listened to Aunt Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and who, according to family myth, was particularly close to Hugo. Was he the father of her child? Tess doubts it, but inheriting the house allows her to make a fresh start in her beloved island.
Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise find may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.
Anne Allen lives in Devon, by her beloved sea. She has three children, and her daughter and two grandchildren live nearby. Her restless spirit has meant a number of moves which included Spain for a couple of years. The longest stay was in Guernsey for nearly fourteen years after falling in love with the island and the people. She contrived to leave one son behind to ensure a valid reason for frequent returns.
By profession, Anne was a psychotherapist, but long had the itch to write. Now a full-time writer, she has written The Guernsey Novels, six having been published and the seventh, The Inheritance, is due out in 2018.
All the other 6 titles in The Guernsey Novels are only 99p/c across all ebook retailers until 15th April while The Inheritance is only £1.99/$2.99 until that date.
and now this too!Giveaway to Win a copy of The Inheritance and a notebook (Open Internationally)
1st Prize – Signed copy of The Inheritance and notebook
2nd Prize – E-copy of The Inheritance and notebook
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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