A Promise to Arlette

by Serena Burdick

With the scope of a saga and the heart of a thriller, this is an evocative historical novel following a married couple whose idyllic 1950s suburban life is threatened by the promises they made during World War II.

Sidney and Ida Whipple are living the suburban 1950s American dream, complete with two children and a white picket fence, which didn’t seem possible when they first met at the height of WWII in France. Reveling in the present, they can almost convince themselves that their past is behind them. But when their neighbors show off a newly purchased Man Ray photograph, Ida comes face-to-face with the person she loved and lost in the Arlette.

Only Ida knows the truth about the photograph, and why it can’t possibly be authentic. In an attempt to right past wrongs, she travels to California vowing to confront Man Ray. Sidney wakes to find his wife is missing, the photograph in question stolen, and all the secrets they’ve tried to bury come rushing back. With his daughters in tow, he travels after Ida, hoping to forge a new path together. Instead, their sojourn leads to a shocking discovery that could pull their family apart in this sweeping, unforgettable story about love and friendship, trust and betrayal, and how promises made, broken, and ultimately renewed, can determine our fate.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Romance, World War II

320 pages, Hardcover

Published June 17, 2025

About the author

Serena Burdick is the USA Today, Toronto Star and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES. She is the author of the novel THE STOLEN BOOK OF EVELYN AUBREY, FIND ME IN HAVANA, GIRL IN THE AFTERNOON, and her forthcoming novel A PROMISE TO ARLETTE. Her books have been translated into multiple languages and published in twelve territories to date. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College, holds a Bachelors of Arts from Brooklyn College in English literature and an Associates of Arts from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in theater.

Reviews

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars! A Promise to Arlette is a new historical fiction release. Starts off following Sidney and Ida Whipple, a couple living the idyllic suburban American life, complete with two young kids and a picket-fenced yard, in the early 1950s. A photograph pops up and quickly disrupts their “perfect” life. From there the story flashes back to their pasts, WWII, and Ida’s past (and relationship) with Arlette.

I didn’t really know what to expect with this one going in, but I was kind of bored. I don’t know…parts I liked, others were meh. We do get some complex characters (mainly Arlette) and the art scene. I’ve read a lot of amazing historical fiction books recently and this one was just fine overall for me. I didn’t feel like there was much to take away from this one, the characters never pulled me in, I need more from them or the plot or something, I don’t know.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captured my heart with passionate characters that are both believable and beautiful.
This is so much more than an historical World War II novel.
It is also an incredible and complicated love story that takes us from a group of free loving artist, to becoming a secret organization trying to rescue Jewish people from brutality of Hitler’s Natzi’s.
The author writes the love scenes with authentic sweetness and passion.

This may be my most favorite book I’ve read about this time period since I read The Nightingale.

This book is not going to be reviewed well by anyone who is against homosexuality, which is sad. The relationships in this book are so lovely.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really good!! Set in England, France and the US before, during and after makes it a sweeping story of trauma and redemption. Both a love story and a tragedy, it kept me hooked the whole time.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved! A WWII historical fiction that just felt different from any I’ve read. We open after the war and our main girl Ida is in American suburbs when her neighbor reveals a Man Ray piece she just bought and Ida takes off. We then flashback to her life in England before the way, and see her make her way into the art crowd, her life during the war and then her husbands quest to find her post war. Loved all the art.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely complex historical fiction book about what humans do to survive.

I must say, reading this while *gestures to what’s happening in the world and our country* might not have been the best timing but it’s a good reminder why this war was fought. This book takes place before, during and after World War II. We meet 3 complex characters: Ida, Sidney and Arlette. They all have their stories of what happened during the war but not all secrets have been revealed.

Personally, none of the characters were relatable because I don’t think they’re meant to be. Unless you’ve been placed in the situation they have been, we don’t know what our response would be to that particular scenario.

This book was absolutely intriguing and please do look up TW as it deals with war violence and abuse from a parent. There are some intimacy scenes but it’s not as descriptive as spicy romances. I give those scenes a 1 🌶️ out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Serena Burdick for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ida is being raised by abusive parents. Her father regularly hits her and her brothers and their mother is verbally abusive. The only thing that makes her happy is playing the violin. On a walk she befriends Arlette who introduces her to an artist community and Ida starts to feel like there is more to life. After the war starts she moves to France with Arlette and endures the German occupation. The next time line was 1952. She marries the soldier she met in France and moves with him to New England in a stepford-like community. When a neighbor shows everyone a portrait done by Man Ray Ida knows it is a fake and she decides to go to California and find out the truth. Honestly I can't summarize this very well because it's a lot. Arlette and Ida are complex characters. I don't think I ever got a grip on Arlette but I admired Ida's husband, Sidney, and the growth Ida experienced going from being an abused child to a wife and mother. There were times the story lagged but it was always in touch with my emotions.


Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for providing me with a digital copy.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Promise to Arlette by Serena Burdick is a slow burn narrative that weaves an intricate story spanning 1930s Paris, 1940s French chateaus, and 1950s American suburbs, centered on the engaging characters of Arlette and Ida. Readers encounter Ida, a talented violinist raised by horrifically abusive parents, whose life begins to transform after a chance encounter with the kindred spirit, Arlette. Arlette introduces Ida to a vibrant artist community, allowing Ida to awaken and embrace life again. War, however, dramatically alters their paths. Their lives diverge as Ida becomes Ida Whipple, a British war wife living in the seemingly idyllic Eisenhower-era suburbs with her husband, Sydney, and their two daughters. Here, she finds herself suffocated by the very domesticity she sought. Her world is shattered when she views her neighbor's latest art acquisition: an original photograph by Man Ray. This image from her past causes something deep inside Ida to crack. While Sydney sleeps, she steals the long-forgotten photograph, a potent memory, and embarks on a solo mission to find its owner, convinced that this quest will finally bring her closure regarding her beloved, late best friend, Arlette. The secrets and bond between Ida and Arlette are a powerful force throughout the novel, and readers should be prepared for their emotional, same-sex relationship, which culminates tragically in a French farmhouse during an encounter in WWII. Ida remains profoundly haunted by the unfinished memories and love the two women shared. This story sadly did not resonate with me, even though I am a huge historical fiction fan, as I did not connect with these characters. Hopefully, other readers will enjoy this story more than I did. 2/5

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christians beware: This book is not marked as having homosexual contents/ story.

Although the description clearly describes a relationship between Ida and Arlette I was assuming that this was just a normal friendship between two women. I would have never entered contest to win this book had it clearly stated this. And I checked multiple times after I started to read and read all reviews to see if anyone mentioned this in the reviews.
Unfortunately, mid-way through this well written book I had to stop reading. I really enjoy the writing, story line and wanted to know how book ends but I will not finish novel ( marked as abandoned).

[Sandi Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you
#GoodreadsGiveaway
#Atria Books and
#NetGalley for this ARC.

Being brought up in Lexington, Massachusetts, Sidney joined the Air Force in 1941. Ida grew up in Petersfield, England. Sidney and Ida Whipple are now living the suburban 1950s American dream with their two children, which didn’t seem possible when they first met at the height of WWII in Marseille, France. They can almost convince themselves that their past is behind them but when their neighbors show off a newly purchased Man Ray photograph, Ida comes face-to-face with the person she loved and lost in the war, Arlette Lellouche, as only Ida knows the truth behind it.

Sidney wakes to find his wife is missing, the photograph in question stolen, and all the secrets they’ve tried to bury come rushing back. He now has to find Ida, who is traveling to California to confront Man Ray, but instead makes a discovery that could pull their family apart.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

As this novel opens, Sidney and Ida are a young couple raising two young daughters in post-WW2 Lexington, MA. Ida is high-strung and secretly contemptuous of their upper-middle-class social circle. And she and Sidney are keeping a wartime secret that causes Ida to steal a work of art from a friend's home and abscond to California with it.

The middle portion of the novel then slowly reveals the reason behind the theft and the road trip.

The book certainly has a propulsive plot. Ida was a war bride, and she journeys from an abused child on a miserable farm in England, to a member of a French art community in the early years of WW2, to a lone woman living under an assumed name in a French chateau that she doesn't own, fighting off Nazis and hiding an American soldier. Arlette is who made all of that happen. And, towards the end of the war, Ida is faced with the terrible choice of betraying Arlette or someone else she loves.

But the book is plot-driven to a fault. There's no consistent throughline of what Ida wants. So, most of what happens to Ida is driven by Arlette. Very readable, and heart-rending in places. But not especially satisfying.

[Amanda ☆ Nana's Books ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my top fav WWII historical fiction books (and there aren't many from that era that I like).
This one is unique and told through the eyes of the artist community in France.
Complicated love stories, traumatic choices, & flashing back and forth between then and current times (1950s)
I LOVED the ending.
This book was an ARC I won.

[Cindy(groundedinreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Simon.audio for the gifted alc

[Sydney Meagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. The style and writing are nicely done and well paced, and the story and characters drew me in from the beginning. The characters were so real and riveting. One of my new favorites!

[Janereads10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I opened "A Promise to Arlette" expecting another WWII novel but found myself holding something that unfolds ever so delicately—seemingly simple at first glance, then revealing intricate folds of history, friendship, and redemption with each page I turned. The cover's haunting beauty mirrors the story itself—a photograph that jolts Ida's comfortable 1950s New England life, pulling me into a narrative that breathes with both elegant restraint and raw emotion.

I was immediately struck by how Ida stands apart from the other mothers in her community, marked by an invisible history they cannot see. The dual timeline structure brilliantly connected threads between past and present for me—her artistic beginnings in England, her transformative experiences in France, and her current life where she remains perpetually the outsider. What refreshed me most about this historical tale is how Burdick reimagines WWII stories through the lens of female friendship and impossible choices.

I couldn't help but feel that the relationship between Ida and Arlette forms the beating heart of this novel. Their bond, complex and sometimes fraught, transcends mere friendship—I saw it as a testament to how war creates connections that defy conventional understanding. I felt the cold stone of the French manor against my skin as Ida witnessed atrocities that would break lesser spirits, her artistic sensibilities both a comfort and a curse as she absorbed horrors with heightened perception.

When the mysterious photograph appeared, I watched Burdick masterfully unravel a twist that redefined everything I understood about Ida's past. Her promise to Arlette isn't just a pledge—it struck me as a spiritual weight carried across continents and decades, fueled by both guilt and fierce loyalty.

I’m still thinking about this book, about Ida’s experience, long after I’ve put it down.

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for my E-ARC.

[Annette Hester · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical fiction follows the life of life of Ida where we find her in a Stepfordesque New England neighborhood in the 1950's. She's unraveling as the result of her abusive childhood in England prior to World War II where her only solace was her violin as well as the devastating choices made in France during the war. However, coming face to face with an image from her past catapults her into fracturing the life she has with her husband and children to wade into a search for redemption and her own identity.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This book authentically deals with childhood neglect and abuse. It also portrays the monied classes and how they viewed the world quite well. I struggled getting into the book and came back to it after a break. Since characters had different agendas in the book I grasped for one to fully enjoy and connect with so had an uneasy read. The historical narrative rang true through different decades and continents and the characters were complex.

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟 A Promise to Arlette by Serena Burdick: A Literary Review

📖 Description
A Promise to Arlette is a sweeping historical saga that traverses continents and decades, weaving together themes of trauma, redemption, and the enduring power of love. Set against the backdrop of mid-20th century England, France, and the United States, Burdick crafts a narrative that is both intimate and epic. The novel follows a married couple whose seemingly idyllic 1950s suburban life is shattered by secrets from the past, propelling them on a journey to confront long-buried truths.

🎨 Comprehensive Analysis

Structure & Flow
Burdick employs a dual-timeline structure, alternating between the couple’s postwar life and flashbacks to wartime Europe. The pacing is deliberate, with tension building as past and present collide. The transatlantic settings (California, France) add a cinematic scope, though some readers may find the shifts in time and place demanding.

Characters
-The Unnamed Wife: A woman haunted by her past, whose journey to California to confront artist Man Ray becomes a quest for closure. Her resilience and vulnerability anchor the story.
-Sidney: Her husband, whose discovery of his wife’s disappearance forces him to grapple with his own complicity in their shared silence.
-Arlette: The enigmatic figure at the heart of the promise, whose absence looms over the narrative like a ghost.

Style
Burdick’s prose is evocative and richly detailed, blending historical realism with emotional intensity. Her dialogue crackles with subtext, and her descriptions of place—from French villages to 1950s American suburbs—immerse the reader in each era.

🎯 Ideal Readers
✔ Fans of historical fiction (e.g., The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah)
✔ Readers who enjoy multi-generational sagas
✔ Those intrigued by postwar art and culture (Man Ray’s cameo adds a meta-literary layer)

❌ Readers Who May Not Enjoy It
✖ Those preferring fast-paced, plot-driven narratives
✖ Readers averse to nonlinear storytelling or heavy themes (trauma, war)

⭐ Star Breakdown (0-5)
Plot Depth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Character Development: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Prose & Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Emotional Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.5/5)
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5)

📢 Reviewer Thoughts
- A masterpiece of historical fiction—Burdick turns personal vows into universal truths.
- Haunting and luminous, A Promise to Arlette is a love story, a thriller, and a meditation on memory.
- For anyone who’s ever wondered what it costs to keep a promise—and what it means to break one.

🙏 Acknowledgments
Thank you to Serena Burdick and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this extraordinary novel in exchange for an honest review.

💡 Final Thought
In an era obsessed with reinvention, A Promise to Arlette reminds us that the past is never truly buried. Burdick’s novel is a clarion call to confront history—both personal and collective—with courage and grace. A surefire book-club pick and a must-read for fans of historical fiction that lingers long after the last page.

Why You Should Read It: Timely themes of accountability, lush historical detail, and a title that resonates like an unshakable oath. 🌍✨

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art scene in 1930s and 1940s Paris took the world by storm. But World War II destroyed it. Surrealism was de rigueur and the murmurs of war caused American and French artists and buyers to snap up what they could while they could. Some fled France, others continued to work. Notable people including Peggy Guggenheim bought whatever possible and left Paris for Southern France. War restrictions in Nazi-occupied France affected ordinary citizens and artists had to get creative. The Resistance started. This is the backdrop of one of the timelines in this novel.

Ida grew up in a loveless home and rebelled as a consequence. Her only passion was playing the violin. In desperation, she fled home and encountered Arlette, a flamboyant and confident woman who invited her to visit. Ida found herself in home where the occupants lived easily in their own skin, yet one really never knew what was true and what was not. Peggy Guggenheim was part of that circle, as was Man Ray. Ida was drawn to this group until war scattered them, though not before she became close to Arlette.

Later, in 1950s America, Ida was married to Sidney and the couple had two children. On paper, they had it all. There was even a neighbourhood Literature, Culture, Cuisine and Art club. But Ida was bored. She yearned for bits of her past, yet stuffed it deep within. When a photograph showed up, she was thrown into a tailspin. She was compelled to face her past and unravel secrets.

The vivid writing is absolutely gorgeous, poetic, emotive and wonderful. I felt as though I were in France and American with the characters. What bothered me was the unnecessary inclusion of graphic scenes which detracted from the otherwise fascinating story. As beautiful as the writing was, I could not finish the novel for this reason.

An ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's start with the good.

The premise of this book drew me right in. Ida Whipple, a British war-wife, lives in the idyllic Eisenhower-era suburbs with her husband, Sydney, and two daughters, or rather, she's being suffocated by life in the idyllic suburbs. The secrets and trauma she carries from the war are refusing to stay buried. They're bubbling beneath the surface just waiting for the right trigger to set them off.

That trigger turns out to be her neighbor's latest art acquisition, an original photograph by surrealist photographer, Man Ray. Upon seeing it, something inside Ida breaks. While her husband is sleeping, she steals the photograph and embarks on a mission to discover the previous owner, convinced that doing so will finally bring her closure regarding her late best friend, Arlette.

The theft is the first in a series of dominos that has both Ida and Sydney examining their relationship, their lives, and the decisions they made both in France and at the war's end.

Woven into this story is a second timeline set in France where we meet a young Ida, who longs to escape her abusive family and dead-end life. A chance meeting with a young woman named Arlette, an assistant to Peggy Guggenheim, gives her that opportunity.

Arlette is enigmatic and self-centered. She does what she wants, how she wants, and doesn't care who is affected. Even her selfless acts fail to take into account the cost to others. Ida is the worshipful puppy, following Arlette around Europe while silently longing for her love. Their adventures culminate tragically in a French farmhouse during WW2. Given everything that happens to her, it's no wonder Ida can't wish the memories away.

Now the bad parts. Oh yeah, I didn't find any.

Burdick does a great job of depicting both Ida's need for a family and the post-war disillusionment so many survivors pretended didn't exist. Her portrayal of the pre-war Surrealist community was wonderful too.

Ultimately, A Promise to Arlette is about the different kinds of love — good love, toxic love, maternal love — and forgiveness. Neither Ida nor Stanley can move on until they forgive themselves for the decisions they made during the war.

WARNING* There is a (tasteful and chaste) same-sex love scene.

I received this book in advance in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Kelly - readinginthe419 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this WWII era historical fiction, my first by author Serena Burdick. It features dual timelines in 1940s England and France during WWII and the 1950s in the US. It's a lush and unforgettable tale of love and friendship, trust and betrayal, and how promises made and broken can determine our fate.

In 1950s America, Sidney and Ida Whipple are living the suburban American dream, complete with two children and a white picket fence. It's a life that never seemed possible when they first met at the height of WWII in France. But when their neighbors show off a newly purchased Man Ray photograph, Ida comes face-to-face with the person she loved most and lost in the war: Arlette - an artistic, enigmatic and self-centered photographer living the bohemian lifestyle in London and then Paris. As Ida and Arlette establish a life in Paris, Hitler and his troops come knocking on France's door. Together, the two women escape Paris and are eventually separated, seemingly forever, in Marseille.

A Promise to Arlette is not as war oriented as some historical fiction. Rather, its focus is the friendship (a bit dysfunctional at times) and love between the two women, bookended by one woman’s story in the present. Nonetheless, there are moments of terror as Ida and Arlette face down Nazi inspectors who come to inspect Arlette's estate and as Arlette continues her work shepherding Jewish people out of Hitler's reach in France to Switzerland.

Burdick's writing is vivid and poetic, and her characters, especially Ida and Arlette, are brought to life in well-developed character arcs. And as always, I loved seeing real life historical figures throughout the story such as Man Ray, Peggy Guggenheim and many surrealist artists of the day.

As a separate note, this story does include mild homosexual/bisexual content. The author handles it with such love and compassion that it flows easily and is relatively closed door. It certainly isn't a large portion of the narrative. Readers unwilling to accept these characters exactly as they are, may want to find a different book.

Many thanks to Atria Books for the complimentary ARC of this book.

[Kimberly B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts with married couple, Sidney and Ida living in suburban Lexington Massachusetts with their two young daughters. Ida struggles to fit into the community of women as she is marked by her invisible past. At a neighbor’s party one evening, Ida sees a photograph by Man Ray and this image from her past disrupts their perfect suburban life. Ida sets off on a journey to confront the photographer and obtain answers and perhaps closure about her best friend, Arlette.
This sweeping historical fiction novel takes the reader from 1930’s England, where Ida escapes from her abusive family to 1940’s France before and during WWII. It ends in 1950’s America with flashbacks to life in England and France prior and during WWII.

Review:
This is a sweeping story of love, trauma and redemption. It was interesting to view the start of WWII from the perspective of the artist community and their attempts to save precious art prior to the start of the war. This is a complicated love story told in dual timelines with flashbacks to wartime in Europe and post war life. This story is about what humans will and can do to survive. A Promise to Arlette is about loyalty and the bond between two women. The author gave this reader another perspective on this important time in world history.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A Promise to Arlette
Author: Serena Burdick
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: June 17, 2025
Rating: 3.75 ⭐️

I wanted to love this more than I did. The premise was incredibly strong - post War suburban life - the pre War Paris art scene - the French Resistance - complicated romantic relationships - all components that usually grab my attention.

The overall flow of the novel was uneven. It had a slow start, a racing middle, and a slow end that was ultimately very predictable. My second struggle was with character development. Ida and Arlette were complex but without revealing enough about their internal motivations, which kept their dynamic flat.

The Positives: The settings were vibrant and easy to visualize. I loved the real historical figures who came into the story - Man Ray, Peggy Guggenheim etc. The line between survival and collaboration was articulated beautifully - the tension was palpable.


Final Verdict: I wouldn’t be disappointed if I checked this out from the library, maybe a little disappointed if I paid for it.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC.

[Sharlene N · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A beautiful historical fiction book covering dual timelines and a sweeping story during WWII and its aftermath.

I was drawn into the story right from the beginning. Ida Whipple, a British war-wife and mother of two, is being suffocated by life in the idyllic suburbs. The secrets she carries from the war are refusing to stay buried. They're bubbling beneath the surface just waiting for the right trigger to set them off. A triggering event occurs, and Ida sets off to confront her past.

Woven into the narrative is a second (and central to the novel) timeline set in France where we meet a young Ida, who longs to escape her abusive family and dead-end life. She meets Arlette, a young artist, and that chance meeting sets her entire life on a different trajectory. As with many stories in this era, both Arlette and Ida have multiple tragic experiences that have haunted Ida and carried over to her current life.

This is such a beautiful story of love, loss, bravery, what it means to survive, and live again. Readers of historical fiction are going to love this incredible story.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This tale of Ida might seem slight at first but it's one of the best WWII novels I've read in a long time. It starts in 1952 when Ida, a British woman married to Sidney and living in Massachusetts, steals her neighbor's newly purchased Man Ray photograph and takes off, leaving Sidney and their daughters Bea and Dora behind. She's got a big secret, as does Sidney, and this turns almost immediately back t0 1930s Europe. Ida is a talented violinist who falls in with Arlette and Peggy Guggenheim by chance and then follows them to Paris. And then the war comes and Ida finds herself in a whole different role. She loves Arlette but does Arlette love her for herself? Ida's life is one of resilience, terrible choices, and then Sidney, a US airman emerges from the woods which leads to the hardest choice of all. This needs to be read, to be experienced and not synopsized because it's full of twists and surprises. It's a tough and graphic read in spots but it's also beautifully written. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is just terrific- highly recommend.

[Tanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a #GoodreadsGiveaway.

I don't read a lot of WW2 fiction because it always makes me incredibly sad, and it takes me a long time to recover from that. When I entered the giveaway, I thought the book would be set mainly in the 1950s, maybe interspersed with short retrospects of WW2. Instead, the majority of the book was set during WW2.

So, here I am, sad, because of course this wasn't a happy story, but also glad that I read it. A sad book doesn't mean a bad book. The characters were well developed, very human, with all their flaws. We all would like to think that we would make heroic and selfless decisions, but in reality, there is so much to consider. It's not always black and white, and if you can't save everyone, how do you decide who you're willing to risk everything for and whom to leave behind? The author did a wonderful job showing her characters' struggle of making these decisions in the first place, and having to live with them after.

[Riley Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Promise to Arlette is a captivating historical fiction that drew me in with its beautifully crafted dual timelines. I loved following the different eras and watching how the pieces came together in the end, it made the payoff feel satisfying and rewarding. Serena Burdick does a wonderful job at weaving characters and settings in a way that feels vivid and transportive.

My only complaint is that, at times, the plot felt overcomplicated…almost as if certain moments were drawn out simply to prolong the story. That said, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment, and I still found myself eager to see where the threads would lead.

If you enjoy richly detailed historical fiction with multiple perspectives that tie together in meaningful ways, this one is worth picking up.

[Ade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A tender WW2 historical fiction about the Holocaust, friendship, secrets, love, duty, found family and forgiveness.

It follows the story of Ida, who ran away from home, her husband, Sidney, her ‘friend’, Arlette and a photograph which should never have been published.

I enjoyed it as I had no idea which way the plot would go. It was emotional, passionate, heart wrenching and beautiful. Told from the past and in the present, the writing style is well done and masterful.

I loved how the author portrayed the art world in the book and the use of real live figures/characters to describe the surrealist movement of that time.

If you love historical fiction then you will enjoy this.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

🪻 A Promise to Arlette - Serena Burdick 🪻
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️

I was really looking forward to this one after being gifted the book, unfortunately it slightly missed the mark for me. That being said, I do think the story itself was good, especially as it captured some beautiful yet devastating moments surrounding World War II. However for me, the first half of this book felt a bit slow and it wasn’t until closer to the end that I felt more drawn into the story. I did enjoy the dual timeline though and appreciated the mystery surrounding the story of Sidney, Ida and Arlette.

I debated sharing my review for this one as this is a lower rating for me. But if anything I always want this account to feel genuine. So while this may not have been a 5⭐️ for me, it may well be for one of you!

[Maggie Gould · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow, what a surprise this was! i'm not sure if many people remember, but last christmas i was perusing my local bookstore in my uni town and they had a donation opportunity where if you paid $2 for a mystery book, all proceeds went to a charity! i said hey, why not -- who doesn't love a mystery!? this book was the product of my donation, and i am completely and pleasantly surprised that i enjoyed this! (there is no greater satisfaction than a $2 book beint enjoyable and good.) there were parts i enjoyed much more than others -- in fact, i don't even really comprehend the necessity of some parts, to be honest. but overall, it was still a good read! or, maybe my judgement is clouded over by the fact that i paid $2 for it....in this economy, i'll take anything!

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author did her research re:World War II in France. Book too long for the story...but enjoyed her take on French conditions. Ida left her home in England for Paris. She got the adventure she wanted and learned sometimes hard to know whether her friends were lying or truthful and if they were really friends. She wanted to belong with the artists, a long way from her home. Sidney and Ida shared the French countryside living and each other. But America in the 50's community was different. Some would say good, but some would see the hypocrisy.

[celeste kramer]

Page turner! Story of many facets with family dynamics in prewar Europe to remarkable friendships that span deception, love and loyalty. Graphically difficult at times during the occupation in France. A coming of age story for a young woman who engages with the art world and new friendships that educate her in many ways. Discovering her strengths and weaknesses in a world at war and her own survival. Stepping in to an after war world in the US that she must try to fit in to.
Loved the writing.