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The Secret of Raven Point: A Novel by Vanderbes, Jennifer (April 7, 2015) Paperback
A vivid and powerful novel from an award-winning writer about a young American woman who enlists as an army nurse during World War II and is deployed to Italy, where she tries to find her missing brother.
Juliet Dufresne is a hard-working and smart high-school girl who aspires to make a groundbreaking scientific discovery like her hero Marie Curie. Life in South Carolina with her father, stepmother, and her brother Tuck is safe and happy. But when war breaks out in Europe, Tuck volunteers and serves in Italy—until he goes missing. Juliet, already enrolled in nursing school, is overwhelmed by the loss of her brother, so she lies about her age and enlists to serve as a nurse in the army, hoping she might find him.
Shipped off to Italy at the age of seventeen and thrust into the bloody chaos of a field hospital, Juliet doles out medicine, assists in operations, and is absorbed into the whirlwind of warlife. Slowly she befriends her fellow nurses, her patients, the soldiers, and the doctor who is treating the little-understood condition of battle fatigue. Always seeking news of her brother, her journey is ultimately one of self-discovery.
Both a compelling coming-of-age tale and a moving wartime narrative told with verve and emotion, The Secret of Raven Point is Jennifer Vanderbes at her best.
Juliet Dufresne is a hard-working and smart high-school girl who aspires to make a groundbreaking scientific discovery like her hero Marie Curie. Life in South Carolina with her father, stepmother, and her brother Tuck is safe and happy. But when war breaks out in Europe, Tuck volunteers and serves in Italy—until he goes missing. Juliet, already enrolled in nursing school, is overwhelmed by the loss of her brother, so she lies about her age and enlists to serve as a nurse in the army, hoping she might find him.
Shipped off to Italy at the age of seventeen and thrust into the bloody chaos of a field hospital, Juliet doles out medicine, assists in operations, and is absorbed into the whirlwind of warlife. Slowly she befriends her fellow nurses, her patients, the soldiers, and the doctor who is treating the little-understood condition of battle fatigue. Always seeking news of her brother, her journey is ultimately one of self-discovery.
Both a compelling coming-of-age tale and a moving wartime narrative told with verve and emotion, The Secret of Raven Point is Jennifer Vanderbes at her best.
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First published June 25, 2013
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About the author
Jennifer Vanderbes
6 books184 followersJennifer Vanderbes is an award-winning novelist, journalist and screenwriter whose work has been translated into sixteen languages.
Her first novel, Easter Island was named a "best book of 2003" by the Washington Post and Christian Science Monitor. Her second novel, Strangers At The Feast, was described by O, The Oprah Magazine as "a thriller that also raises large and haunting questions about the meaning of guilt, innocence, and justice." Her third novel, The Secret of Raven Point, was hailed as “unputdownable” (Vogue) and “gripping” (New York Times), and Library Journal wrote: “the only disappointing thing about this book is that it has to end."
Her first non-fiction book, Wonder Drug: The Secret History of Thalidomide in America and Its Hidden Victims, is forthcoming from Random House and HarperCollins UK.
Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and The Atlantic, and her short fiction has appeared in Granta, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Best New American Voices.
Her books have received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the New York Public Library. She was named a 2019-2020 NEH Public Scholar for her work on Wonder Drug.
Vanderbes received her B.A. in English Literature, Magna Cum Laude, from Yale and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She lives in New York City with her two daughters.
Her facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jenn...
Her first novel, Easter Island was named a "best book of 2003" by the Washington Post and Christian Science Monitor. Her second novel, Strangers At The Feast, was described by O, The Oprah Magazine as "a thriller that also raises large and haunting questions about the meaning of guilt, innocence, and justice." Her third novel, The Secret of Raven Point, was hailed as “unputdownable” (Vogue) and “gripping” (New York Times), and Library Journal wrote: “the only disappointing thing about this book is that it has to end."
Her first non-fiction book, Wonder Drug: The Secret History of Thalidomide in America and Its Hidden Victims, is forthcoming from Random House and HarperCollins UK.
Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and The Atlantic, and her short fiction has appeared in Granta, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Best New American Voices.
Her books have received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the New York Public Library. She was named a 2019-2020 NEH Public Scholar for her work on Wonder Drug.
Vanderbes received her B.A. in English Literature, Magna Cum Laude, from Yale and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She lives in New York City with her two daughters.
Her facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jenn...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
January 28, 2014
Once upon a time there was a girl who loved to read. She grew up to become a book reviewer in her spare time. One very sad month in her life, every single book she picked up sucked. The woman seriously contemplated giving up reading forever and ever.
And then she picked up The Secret of Raven Point and she was riveted, and she learned things, and she laughed and cried.
Her faith in literature was restored.
That's my story and it's true.
I loved this book. It has so many incredible things going on: a girl growing up and growing comfortable with herself, developing confidence; a woman helping others at a great loss to herself (nobody is coming out of this war unscathed); a doctor trying desperately to help people understand battle fatigue; and most of all, it was about how war changes people, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
I felt as though I were there. I chuckled a few times in the first half of the tale. The heroine meets some awesome people who in a time of bleakness still manage to have a sense of humor (Glenda). I grew with Juliet and felt as though I was with her as she tended all this patients and shared these heart-wrenching stories with us. I sympathized with her as she grew a numb detachment.
There's a soldier facing court-marital for attempted suicide. That's considered desertion. But the story behind the WHY is shocking and sad. So much bad behavior on all sides in a war. There's a romance, or two, sorta, as much as one can have during a turbulent era such as this, when people are desperate for love, affection, a sign that humanity still exists. Does anything come of it? I won't say, but I will say this book doesn't have that cheesy HEA. It's not a romance. It's a story of life, of life during the second world war in Italy, of a nurse, a doctor, of soldiers.
All this time, through all these wartime struggles and losses, Juliet grows from a girl to a woman. Her priorities change. Her shallowness disappears. She matures and the book does this so subtlety you don't notice it at first. The author did a superb job with characterizations. The descriptions were excellent--not too much, not too little. The suspense def kept me on the edge of my seat. What happened to her brother? Is he dead? Is the patient going to die? Wake up? Escape? Is the doctor going to do something?
As I read, I picked up more little facts about WWII I didn't know before, such as how the gov't apparently wanted to sacrifice men instead of tanks due to the cost of the tanks. Lives were cheaper. Shocking little things kept popping up.
The story also gave me a deep moment of reflection or two, points to ponder...
Was there an obligation that came with living? With each adversity you suffered, with each disappointment, did you have to recognize that someone else hadn't even had the chance?
Full review here: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
And then she picked up The Secret of Raven Point and she was riveted, and she learned things, and she laughed and cried.
Her faith in literature was restored.
That's my story and it's true.
I loved this book. It has so many incredible things going on: a girl growing up and growing comfortable with herself, developing confidence; a woman helping others at a great loss to herself (nobody is coming out of this war unscathed); a doctor trying desperately to help people understand battle fatigue; and most of all, it was about how war changes people, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
I felt as though I were there. I chuckled a few times in the first half of the tale. The heroine meets some awesome people who in a time of bleakness still manage to have a sense of humor (Glenda). I grew with Juliet and felt as though I was with her as she tended all this patients and shared these heart-wrenching stories with us. I sympathized with her as she grew a numb detachment.
There's a soldier facing court-marital for attempted suicide. That's considered desertion. But the story behind the WHY is shocking and sad. So much bad behavior on all sides in a war. There's a romance, or two, sorta, as much as one can have during a turbulent era such as this, when people are desperate for love, affection, a sign that humanity still exists. Does anything come of it? I won't say, but I will say this book doesn't have that cheesy HEA. It's not a romance. It's a story of life, of life during the second world war in Italy, of a nurse, a doctor, of soldiers.
All this time, through all these wartime struggles and losses, Juliet grows from a girl to a woman. Her priorities change. Her shallowness disappears. She matures and the book does this so subtlety you don't notice it at first. The author did a superb job with characterizations. The descriptions were excellent--not too much, not too little. The suspense def kept me on the edge of my seat. What happened to her brother? Is he dead? Is the patient going to die? Wake up? Escape? Is the doctor going to do something?
As I read, I picked up more little facts about WWII I didn't know before, such as how the gov't apparently wanted to sacrifice men instead of tanks due to the cost of the tanks. Lives were cheaper. Shocking little things kept popping up.
The story also gave me a deep moment of reflection or two, points to ponder...
Was there an obligation that came with living? With each adversity you suffered, with each disappointment, did you have to recognize that someone else hadn't even had the chance?
Full review here: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
December 12, 2013
I found this compelling and horrific and slightly dissatisfying. I enjoy historical fiction about world war 2. I enjoyed the POV of Nurse Juliet - the horrors of working/living at a field hospital were vividly portrayed (and graphic and gory) - which didn't bother me. I liked that Juliet was a smart female and the story didn't revolve around her love life. She has a strong devotion to her brother, and when he goes missing she enlists to find him after receiving a cryptic last letter. The part of the story that doesn't work for me is this part - her brother's last letter is never wrapped up - despite many of the other plot points getting wrapped up quite nicely in a very well done epilogue. Also I couldn't reconcile the two portraits of Tuck - but perhaps that's the point that war changes people. all in all I would recommend this title.
February 28, 2018
so lets start off with the good so i've read a lot about WWII, and have never seent Italy until now that was nice, and it was beautifully written and i liked the characters. but there are a lot of loose ends, i hate books that leave key plot questions unanswered and well i really wanted a better ending but the biggest thing was what is the secret of Raven Point? i could never figure out what the secret was i mean i love the horical fiction and this did i good job with the history, but i've seen far better more moving books like the book thief and all the light we cannot see.
August 11, 2016
"That was the arc of life, it seemed; the slow and grateful recognition of those who were, by chance or fate, simply with you."
Jennifer Vanderbes is quite an accomplished novelist. I would most certainly read another story from her.
Jennifer Vanderbes is quite an accomplished novelist. I would most certainly read another story from her.
May 15, 2014
Until I approached the last several pages, I found this book to be mediocre, despite the themes illuminating the heinous brutalities of war. The drama is not particularly new, and the characters are essentially shallow and flat. However, this is one of those rare times that, although I didn't enjoy the mundane journey, I was stirred by the final destination. The closing pages of the book was one of the few times that nuance availed itself, and allowed me to contemplate the first complexity that this book had to offer.
It is WW II, and Juliet is just finishing high school, with a love of chemistry. However, her brother Tuck, who surprised them all and joined up, is now MIA somewhere north of Rome. Subsequently, Juliet lies about her age, and joins the war effort as a nurse in a MASH unit, hoping to find word of her brother.
Too conveniently, who should turn up in her field hospital but a patient, Barnaby, who knew Tuck. The novel teases out Barnaby's knowledge of Tuck gradually, in order to keep up the suspense (by rendering him catatonic at first). However, I felt minimal suspense and zero tension. Actually, a lot happens that is too convenient and calculated, such as Julia running into Tuck's best friend, her first kiss; he, too, had become a soldier. And there she was! In a cave with him! In the north of Rome! But, of course, Beau had heard nothing from Tuck. This was just so Juliet could lose her virginity to someone she knew. And some other pithy and predictable scenes could ensue.
Tuck, for one thing, was a cipher. The few scenes with him and Juliet at the start of the novel were hackneyed. I could never miss him, engage with him, or care about him, except through Julia, whose character was straight out of central casting.
Willard, the psychiatrist, was insubstantial. The attraction between Willard and Juliet was telegraphed throughout the narrative, but was inorganic and manipulative. The characters in this novel were flimsy; the novel, for the most part, uninspired. There was the tough but brave head nurse, the troubled Brother Reardon, and every other stereotype you find in a war novel that aims for the mass market.
Scenes of graphic dismemberment and the violence of war, or depicting the shell-shocked victims, felt trivialized. Vanderbes covered ground that has been covered before, and it felt so superficial and check-boxed, and full of platitudes, that I couldn't believe that this was the same Vanderbes that wrote the sly, subtle STRANGERS AT THE FEAST. The dialogue was cringe-worthy, such as:
"I enjoy your company very much--perhaps too much. Maybe I shouldn't say that; maybe I can only say it now that I'm leaving. Maybe I shouldn't have indulged those feelings. But I'm human."
2.5 rounded up
It is WW II, and Juliet is just finishing high school, with a love of chemistry. However, her brother Tuck, who surprised them all and joined up, is now MIA somewhere north of Rome. Subsequently, Juliet lies about her age, and joins the war effort as a nurse in a MASH unit, hoping to find word of her brother.
Too conveniently, who should turn up in her field hospital but a patient, Barnaby, who knew Tuck. The novel teases out Barnaby's knowledge of Tuck gradually, in order to keep up the suspense (by rendering him catatonic at first). However, I felt minimal suspense and zero tension. Actually, a lot happens that is too convenient and calculated, such as Julia running into Tuck's best friend, her first kiss; he, too, had become a soldier. And there she was! In a cave with him! In the north of Rome! But, of course, Beau had heard nothing from Tuck. This was just so Juliet could lose her virginity to someone she knew. And some other pithy and predictable scenes could ensue.
Tuck, for one thing, was a cipher. The few scenes with him and Juliet at the start of the novel were hackneyed. I could never miss him, engage with him, or care about him, except through Julia, whose character was straight out of central casting.
Willard, the psychiatrist, was insubstantial. The attraction between Willard and Juliet was telegraphed throughout the narrative, but was inorganic and manipulative. The characters in this novel were flimsy; the novel, for the most part, uninspired. There was the tough but brave head nurse, the troubled Brother Reardon, and every other stereotype you find in a war novel that aims for the mass market.
Scenes of graphic dismemberment and the violence of war, or depicting the shell-shocked victims, felt trivialized. Vanderbes covered ground that has been covered before, and it felt so superficial and check-boxed, and full of platitudes, that I couldn't believe that this was the same Vanderbes that wrote the sly, subtle STRANGERS AT THE FEAST. The dialogue was cringe-worthy, such as:
"I enjoy your company very much--perhaps too much. Maybe I shouldn't say that; maybe I can only say it now that I'm leaving. Maybe I shouldn't have indulged those feelings. But I'm human."
2.5 rounded up
February 25, 2014
The Secret of Raven Point starts out as a very graphic account of a WWII nurse in Italy searching for her lost brother. As historical fiction, it's satisfyingly detailed without being bogged down in description. It has some initial promise as a mystery, because the brother sent a cryptic letter before he went missing. I also anticipated a coming of age story due to the teenaged heroine and her extreme naivete at the start of the book.
However, it has the unmistakable signs of a book that started out as one thing, and ended up another. Although the book is titled The Secret of Raven Point, that secret (and the mystery of the brother's letter) is never resolved, even though it is brought up several times in the course of the book. Instead, the book's focus shifts to what felt like a heavy-handed morality tale. Other subplots, such as a romance or the coming of age story, are ended abruptly or just allowed to trail off.
Even so, I read the whole book in a rush and am now sitting up to write a rather passionate review. That's still something special, and a good enough reason to watch this author for future.
However, it has the unmistakable signs of a book that started out as one thing, and ended up another. Although the book is titled The Secret of Raven Point, that secret (and the mystery of the brother's letter) is never resolved, even though it is brought up several times in the course of the book. Instead, the book's focus shifts to what felt like a heavy-handed morality tale. Other subplots, such as a romance or the coming of age story, are ended abruptly or just allowed to trail off.
Even so, I read the whole book in a rush and am now sitting up to write a rather passionate review. That's still something special, and a good enough reason to watch this author for future.
December 4, 2013
I love a good brother-sister tale. This one, set during WWII, is moving, thought-proviking, and timely. As with Strangers at the Feast, with this third novel Vanderbes nails the complexities and mysteries of familial relationships, without sacrificing pace, action, or setting. Strongly recommend.
December 21, 2015
This is WWII historical fiction. I liked the historical aspect of this. This was such a horrific part of our world's history. I liked that it dealt directly with the soldiers and the sacrifices that were made. It certainly covered loss and grief. Because of this, it is worth the read.
I did have a problem with the MC though. She was a tad too shallow or maybe it can be attributed to her immaturity. I didn't really like her, so I didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on it. The last straw was when she was trying to get a doctor to sleep with her, when he had already made it clear that he was happily married and dedicated to his wife. That felt like it didn't belong to this story. I also thought the epilogue was just kind of tacked on. So this wasn't my favorite, but I have a soft spot for WWII historical fiction.
I did have a problem with the MC though. She was a tad too shallow or maybe it can be attributed to her immaturity. I didn't really like her, so I didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on it. The last straw was when she was trying to get a doctor to sleep with her, when he had already made it clear that he was happily married and dedicated to his wife. That felt like it didn't belong to this story. I also thought the epilogue was just kind of tacked on. So this wasn't my favorite, but I have a soft spot for WWII historical fiction.
October 1, 2014
The author has captured, equally well, both the allure and the devastation of war. She has entered the minds of the injured soldier, the frightened in the foxholes who never envisioned what it meant to be shot at, to step on a mine, or to shoot the enemy. She shines a bright light on the bravery of the medical staff, selfless in their efforts to save their own. She has drawn a clear picture of the cruelty shown to soldiers who were “different”, in a time when homophobia was not a dirty word. She has really drawn a reasoned picture of the cruelty and futility of war coupled with its tragic, useless cost of life and limb.
In the hands of a less effective writer, these different journeys might flatten out, be bulldozed into clichéd experiences of stereotypical individuals, but Vanderbes prevents that from happening. While not utterly brutal, her novel doesn't pander by giving us unlikely happy endings. It doesn't degenerate into a romance novel even though romance is there.
However, I never really understood the “secret” of Raven Point. It didn't matter, though – I loved the book.
In the hands of a less effective writer, these different journeys might flatten out, be bulldozed into clichéd experiences of stereotypical individuals, but Vanderbes prevents that from happening. While not utterly brutal, her novel doesn't pander by giving us unlikely happy endings. It doesn't degenerate into a romance novel even though romance is there.
However, I never really understood the “secret” of Raven Point. It didn't matter, though – I loved the book.
December 26, 2014
I received and read this book as part of a First Reads Giveaway.
Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. I was not too keen on Juliet in the beginning of the novel but my love and admiration of the character grew alongside her own maturation throughout the war. The author did not shy away from the grim realities of war but rather embraced it. I loved experiencing the war through the eyes of a young woman who was a coward in her own mind and a hero to everyone else. I delighted in the many ways her relationship with Dr. Willard evolved and what grew out of it.
The romantic in me was a bit frustrated with the way that Tuck's storyline was resolved, or not; the fact that his cryptic letter became forgotten. The realist in me understands that the novel was about so much more than just that.
I am very glad that I have the chance to read this book that contains so many different aspects of love in so many different facets and shows that decent humans trudge forwards, even in the most hideous of times.
Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. I was not too keen on Juliet in the beginning of the novel but my love and admiration of the character grew alongside her own maturation throughout the war. The author did not shy away from the grim realities of war but rather embraced it. I loved experiencing the war through the eyes of a young woman who was a coward in her own mind and a hero to everyone else. I delighted in the many ways her relationship with Dr. Willard evolved and what grew out of it.
The romantic in me was a bit frustrated with the way that Tuck's storyline was resolved, or not; the fact that his cryptic letter became forgotten. The realist in me understands that the novel was about so much more than just that.
I am very glad that I have the chance to read this book that contains so many different aspects of love in so many different facets and shows that decent humans trudge forwards, even in the most hideous of times.
November 14, 2013
I appreciated this book. The characters weren't all that likeable, but they each had their own distinct, consistent personalities. So, while it wasn't always easy to relate to Juliet on a personal level, she was at least believable. This isn't a fairy tale; WWII leaves no man unscathed. I didn't find it easy to read, since there wasn't much respite from all the death and dying and all that delightful wartime stuff, but I felt like it was a strong portrayal of what it would have been like in American hospitals on the front. I would recommend it for fans of twentieth century historical fiction, or to those with an interest in the Second World War.
January 20, 2015
* 4.5 *
This book instantly took me by surprise. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect out of this novel, so I ended up going into it blind. I am a huge fan of WWII Historical Fiction and I am so glad that I picked up this book. It was raw and beautiful. I felt that I grew alongside with the main character and felt all that she felt. Sometimes it was so hard to read the gruesome parts about the front line hospitals and it broke my heart. There were minor inaccuracies that probably would have knocked down the star, but the way this novel moved me changed that. This novel is certainly an unforgettable one.
This book instantly took me by surprise. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect out of this novel, so I ended up going into it blind. I am a huge fan of WWII Historical Fiction and I am so glad that I picked up this book. It was raw and beautiful. I felt that I grew alongside with the main character and felt all that she felt. Sometimes it was so hard to read the gruesome parts about the front line hospitals and it broke my heart. There were minor inaccuracies that probably would have knocked down the star, but the way this novel moved me changed that. This novel is certainly an unforgettable one.
January 16, 2014
This is compulsively readable and yet profoundly mature. As ever, the author's moral compass is exquisitely sensitive and her rendering of relationships here--romantic and otherwise-is hugely compelling. The plot kept me turning the pages as did the strong sense that I was in these rickety field hospitals with Juliet. It's an incredibly un-frivolous, exciting coming-of-age story inside a shockingly realistic picture of war and its impact on the people under fire.
July 12, 2016
A disappointment… but it gets better
I remember Easter Island, Vanderbes' debut novel, as one of the best in its year (2004). I suppose I was a less sophisticated reader then, but I found much to admire in its three interweaving plots set in different periods, and its potent combination of history, science, and romance. The Secret of Raven Point, her latest, also has an historical setting (the Italian campaign of 1944) and something of scientific interest (the early study of PTSD), but it is much simpler in structure, being encased in a rather vapid romance story that seldom manages to ignite any sparks. All the same, it was pleasant reading, and for the last 60 pages or so, I found it impossible to put down.
The beginning is a string of predictable clichés. Juliet Dufresne is a nerdish highschooler in South Carolina, looking up to her brother Tuck who is (what else?) quarterback of the football team. Then comes the news of Pearl Harbor. As soon as he can, Tuck signs up, ships off the North Africa, and maintains a regular correspondence with his sister, until he is reported missing. Alerted by a delayed letter that arrives a few days later, making reference to a secret code between them (this is the entirely peripheral secret of Raven Point), Juliet fakes her age, trains as an army nurse, and is soon working in a field hospital in Italy, hoping to meet soldiers who were fighting alongside Tuck at the time he disappeared. The trope of the battlefield nurse is also a familiar one, though usually in a WW1 setting; I must have read half a dozen in the last decade, starting with Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs and going on from there. The gangrene, bedpans, and exhaustion kick in immediately; the camaraderie with the other girls is soon to follow; and we know that a romance with some courageous young doctor is right there on the horizon.
But into all this, Vanderbes injects something a lot more interesting: Private Christopher Barnaby, a patient who has apparently attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head. But he survives to become a figure of interest to several people: to his officer, Captain Brilling, who is determined to see him courtmartialed and shot; to Dr. Henry Willard, a pioneering psychiatrist who hopes to reduce such incidences of battle stress in others; and to Juliet, who not only develops sympathy for him as a man, but sees him as a possible source of information about her brother. It seems unlikely that the army would pay so much attention to one disturbed private in the middle of the slow slog up the Italian peninsula, in what, after the D-Day landings, was becoming known as the "forgotten front." But all of this is well described, and Barnaby's story develops quite a lot of interest of its own—showing, for instance, that the recent US policy of "don't ask, don't tell" was far too little, far too late. Vanderbes will build towards a nail-biting climax (the part I couldn't put down) that brings both the romance and the war stories to a head. But then she will extricate herself with surprising grace, avoiding most of the ending clichés that had plagued her at the beginning. By the end, I was even considering four stars. But no; as I write this and remember the B-movie beginning and middle, I find I must remain with only three.
I remember Easter Island, Vanderbes' debut novel, as one of the best in its year (2004). I suppose I was a less sophisticated reader then, but I found much to admire in its three interweaving plots set in different periods, and its potent combination of history, science, and romance. The Secret of Raven Point, her latest, also has an historical setting (the Italian campaign of 1944) and something of scientific interest (the early study of PTSD), but it is much simpler in structure, being encased in a rather vapid romance story that seldom manages to ignite any sparks. All the same, it was pleasant reading, and for the last 60 pages or so, I found it impossible to put down.
The beginning is a string of predictable clichés. Juliet Dufresne is a nerdish highschooler in South Carolina, looking up to her brother Tuck who is (what else?) quarterback of the football team. Then comes the news of Pearl Harbor. As soon as he can, Tuck signs up, ships off the North Africa, and maintains a regular correspondence with his sister, until he is reported missing. Alerted by a delayed letter that arrives a few days later, making reference to a secret code between them (this is the entirely peripheral secret of Raven Point), Juliet fakes her age, trains as an army nurse, and is soon working in a field hospital in Italy, hoping to meet soldiers who were fighting alongside Tuck at the time he disappeared. The trope of the battlefield nurse is also a familiar one, though usually in a WW1 setting; I must have read half a dozen in the last decade, starting with Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs and going on from there. The gangrene, bedpans, and exhaustion kick in immediately; the camaraderie with the other girls is soon to follow; and we know that a romance with some courageous young doctor is right there on the horizon.
But into all this, Vanderbes injects something a lot more interesting: Private Christopher Barnaby, a patient who has apparently attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head. But he survives to become a figure of interest to several people: to his officer, Captain Brilling, who is determined to see him courtmartialed and shot; to Dr. Henry Willard, a pioneering psychiatrist who hopes to reduce such incidences of battle stress in others; and to Juliet, who not only develops sympathy for him as a man, but sees him as a possible source of information about her brother. It seems unlikely that the army would pay so much attention to one disturbed private in the middle of the slow slog up the Italian peninsula, in what, after the D-Day landings, was becoming known as the "forgotten front." But all of this is well described, and Barnaby's story develops quite a lot of interest of its own—showing, for instance, that the recent US policy of "don't ask, don't tell" was far too little, far too late. Vanderbes will build towards a nail-biting climax (the part I couldn't put down) that brings both the romance and the war stories to a head. But then she will extricate herself with surprising grace, avoiding most of the ending clichés that had plagued her at the beginning. By the end, I was even considering four stars. But no; as I write this and remember the B-movie beginning and middle, I find I must remain with only three.
July 25, 2016
A novel by Vanderbes is always cause for celebration. She has only written three to date, each very different in subject matter. The first, Easter Island, introduced two generations of scientists, and was named “Best Book of 2003” by The Washington Post and the Christian Science Monitor. The second, Strangers at the Feast, is set in a single day, Thanksgiving, when a family gets together again at some cost.
There is always something shifting and ambiguous about the characters Vanderbes serves up to us, something which requires our full attention and our judgment reserved. We are forced to rethink our opinions of her characters as we move through the stories because they surprise us, but not in a fundamental way. Fundamentally there is always something true at the center.
Which bring me to what I like best about Vanderbes’ fiction: she does not skirt the truth. She nails the truth. It may not be what we would have wanted, or would have chosen for ourselves, but life is like that.
This is a book about war: World War II, in fact. So many novels have been written about WWII that readers are wily, knowledgeable, heard it all, seen it all. But war concentrates the mind wonderfully. And in this conflict, perhaps we haven’t quite seen it all. Vanderbes makes it new, placing the action in Italy away from news of troop movements and victories, and layering the work with untold, or underreported stories that stun us with recognition. The cruel and casual violence shows us the futility and destruction of war, even here, in the “good” war.
A young woman, Juliet, after receiving a letter from her brother who is reported to be missing-in-action, manages to get herself posted to Italy as a nurse in hopes that she might run into his regiment and learn news of him. The short section (Part I) introduces Juliet and her brother in South Carolina. I wish the novel could have begun with Part II somehow, lacing in the fore-story as it progressed. The explosive machine of war combined with Vanderbes extraordinary characterizations and insinuated truths make her story completely compelling.
Is it even possible to write a war story that isn’t about loss? Would we want to read it if it were? Well, this story is about loss but it is also about how we reconcile loss, how we go on living with that loss. We are given the arc of a woman’s life from teen to grandmother. Now she has seen it all: “…[she was] part of the collective walk, the unending march of history. Along the way things were dropped, others picked up…That was the arc of life, it seemed; the slow and grateful recognition of those who were, by chance or fate, simply with you.” It may not be what we would have wanted, or would have chosen for ourselves, but life is like that.
There is always something shifting and ambiguous about the characters Vanderbes serves up to us, something which requires our full attention and our judgment reserved. We are forced to rethink our opinions of her characters as we move through the stories because they surprise us, but not in a fundamental way. Fundamentally there is always something true at the center.
Which bring me to what I like best about Vanderbes’ fiction: she does not skirt the truth. She nails the truth. It may not be what we would have wanted, or would have chosen for ourselves, but life is like that.
This is a book about war: World War II, in fact. So many novels have been written about WWII that readers are wily, knowledgeable, heard it all, seen it all. But war concentrates the mind wonderfully. And in this conflict, perhaps we haven’t quite seen it all. Vanderbes makes it new, placing the action in Italy away from news of troop movements and victories, and layering the work with untold, or underreported stories that stun us with recognition. The cruel and casual violence shows us the futility and destruction of war, even here, in the “good” war.
A young woman, Juliet, after receiving a letter from her brother who is reported to be missing-in-action, manages to get herself posted to Italy as a nurse in hopes that she might run into his regiment and learn news of him. The short section (Part I) introduces Juliet and her brother in South Carolina. I wish the novel could have begun with Part II somehow, lacing in the fore-story as it progressed. The explosive machine of war combined with Vanderbes extraordinary characterizations and insinuated truths make her story completely compelling.
Is it even possible to write a war story that isn’t about loss? Would we want to read it if it were? Well, this story is about loss but it is also about how we reconcile loss, how we go on living with that loss. We are given the arc of a woman’s life from teen to grandmother. Now she has seen it all: “…[she was] part of the collective walk, the unending march of history. Along the way things were dropped, others picked up…That was the arc of life, it seemed; the slow and grateful recognition of those who were, by chance or fate, simply with you.” It may not be what we would have wanted, or would have chosen for ourselves, but life is like that.
“I’m not sure if you made me believe in God, but you sure made me believe in people.”
He smiled. “Same thing.”
February 10, 2014
When I began The Secret of Raven Point my first impression was that this is a novel of devotion. How far would you go for someone you love? It sounds a little sappy, like a Nicholas Sparks novel, the difference is that Juliet has grit. That trait is what carries The Secret of Raven Point. While I knew Juliet's mission of finding her brother Tuck was a fool's errand her determination and courage is what persevered
Even though it was fiction The Secret of Raven Point showed an interesting view-finder that can go overlooked, that of an army nurse. Jennifer Vanderbes, drew an elaborate picture of an army hospital. There were moments when I wish she hadn't painted such a vivid image as it was an unimaginable sight. Although, one cannot simply turn their head aside and wait for it to pass, I tackled it head on riveted by each character's role.
One patient Christopher Barnaby, may hold the answers to Juliet's burning question which is slowly revealed through the rise and fall of his battle fatigue. As this held a key point of the novel one could longingly anticipate the return to this story but there was so much swirling around that I didn't feel the need to speed through to Barnaby's next confession, instead it became the cream inside a Hostess cupcake.
On two separate occasions Jennifer Vanderbes incorporates a chance at romance. Thank goodness these were short lived, I thought that if advances were included it could be likened to an action film with the directors adding a little romance to draw female viewers. They did add a softening to a hard edged book, but I'm glad they puttered out.
The recovery of her brother Tuck soon became a novelty idea, a lost cause that was clung to. Despite no good deed going unpunished, this misguided hope is what held the novel together. My one complaint was the ending, while concluding on a cliffhanger I almost felt that the author didn't know how to end it and just stopped mid sentence. The epilogue ties everything together but if not for that I would have been left with something missing, an incomplete story. Overall, The Secret of Raven Point is worth the read and a different look at WWII.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Even though it was fiction The Secret of Raven Point showed an interesting view-finder that can go overlooked, that of an army nurse. Jennifer Vanderbes, drew an elaborate picture of an army hospital. There were moments when I wish she hadn't painted such a vivid image as it was an unimaginable sight. Although, one cannot simply turn their head aside and wait for it to pass, I tackled it head on riveted by each character's role.
One patient Christopher Barnaby, may hold the answers to Juliet's burning question which is slowly revealed through the rise and fall of his battle fatigue. As this held a key point of the novel one could longingly anticipate the return to this story but there was so much swirling around that I didn't feel the need to speed through to Barnaby's next confession, instead it became the cream inside a Hostess cupcake.
On two separate occasions Jennifer Vanderbes incorporates a chance at romance. Thank goodness these were short lived, I thought that if advances were included it could be likened to an action film with the directors adding a little romance to draw female viewers. They did add a softening to a hard edged book, but I'm glad they puttered out.
The recovery of her brother Tuck soon became a novelty idea, a lost cause that was clung to. Despite no good deed going unpunished, this misguided hope is what held the novel together. My one complaint was the ending, while concluding on a cliffhanger I almost felt that the author didn't know how to end it and just stopped mid sentence. The epilogue ties everything together but if not for that I would have been left with something missing, an incomplete story. Overall, The Secret of Raven Point is worth the read and a different look at WWII.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
February 26, 2014
Juliet Dufresne enlists as a nurse when her brother is listed as missing somewhere in Italy. She hopes that by travelling to Italy as a nurse she will find her brother. The plot follows Juliet's work as a nurse in the front somewhere in Italy and her attempts to find her brother. In between this Juliet's sexuality awakens. I suspect the ending will .
I'm honestly at a loss to know how to rate this book. The first 100 or so pages I hated the book. The tone in this first third is odd - it feels like a rather robotic lecture from the author. There is no real soul or heart to it - it feels cold. This was emphasised by the stilted prose. However the mid-section of the book - which primarily involved Juliet's nursing and attempt to save a patient - were excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed them. This mid-section almost felt as though it were written by a different author. It was warm, engaging and interesting. There were sections that were very moving. The final pages of the book returned to the odd tone of the first part of the book. Again it felt cold, disinterested and dispassionate. It felt like seeing the characters from a distance. If only the whole of the book had been written as well as the middle.
I've given this 3 stars. I would rate the middle a 4/5 but the beginning and end only 2/5 so 3/5 for the whole. I think it's worth a read but note it is uneven. I'll give this author another go.
I'm honestly at a loss to know how to rate this book. The first 100 or so pages I hated the book. The tone in this first third is odd - it feels like a rather robotic lecture from the author. There is no real soul or heart to it - it feels cold. This was emphasised by the stilted prose. However the mid-section of the book - which primarily involved Juliet's nursing and attempt to save a patient - were excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed them. This mid-section almost felt as though it were written by a different author. It was warm, engaging and interesting. There were sections that were very moving. The final pages of the book returned to the odd tone of the first part of the book. Again it felt cold, disinterested and dispassionate. It felt like seeing the characters from a distance. If only the whole of the book had been written as well as the middle.
I've given this 3 stars. I would rate the middle a 4/5 but the beginning and end only 2/5 so 3/5 for the whole. I think it's worth a read but note it is uneven. I'll give this author another go.
March 21, 2014
Another exquisitely crafted tale from Vanderbes. Having grown up hearing about the "Greatest Generation" and how WWII was a good and noble war (can war really be either?), this book, unlike any other, forced me to see it in an entirely different light. I was captivated. There are such poignant moments throughout this story; I often found myself pausing to ponder them. Such was the beauty of this writing.
A small observation: I found fascinating the seeming theme/repetition of the young, motherless female protagonist devoted to science as influenced by her father's inclination towards science or medicine here and again in Easter Island. (To note, all characters are well-drawn and completely individual, of course, and are similar only in the attributes listed above.)
A small observation: I found fascinating the seeming theme/repetition of the young, motherless female protagonist devoted to science as influenced by her father's inclination towards science or medicine here and again in Easter Island. (To note, all characters are well-drawn and completely individual, of course, and are similar only in the attributes listed above.)
December 16, 2015
Oh such a beautiful book and an extremely sad one too. I'm almost at a loss for words. This book never flinched from the physical, emotional, or mental destruction of war on soldiers, doctors, nurses,and civilians. Even though I've finished the book,I'm still very much still in the story. Absolutely unforgettable!
April 5, 2014
What a boring character, with her "better than thou" attitude! I had high hopes for this book, but found it lacking. What irritated me the most was the number of loose ends that were never resolved. The Secret of Raven's Point still remains and has been forgotten somewhere midway. Lame.
June 5, 2016
well written. good rythm. interesting and original WW2 setting and perspective. i picked it up wanting a devastating siblings story and was not really satisfied on that point...
DO NOT TRUST THE COVER. JULIET NEVER SMILES. I NEVER DID AS WELL.
DO NOT TRUST THE COVER. JULIET NEVER SMILES. I NEVER DID AS WELL.
July 22, 2015
Really well written and I was completely drawn into the story.
February 20, 2019
This is a beautiful story about the discovery of the meaning of love, set in a mobile hospital just behind the front in Italy during World War II. Juliet Dufresne, a young girl whose brother had enlisted in the army and was reported missing in action, forgoes college to become, at age 19, an Army nurse. As Juliet serves, she also hopes to find some word of what might have happened to him.
Author Jennifer Vanderbes doesn't mince words, or gloss over the reality of war as she describes the condition of the soldiers in Juliet's care, or the shock of seeing comrades, doctors and nurses, killed or injured by enemy fire. The book is painfully realistic, and yet we are left with an acknowledgement of the power of love and courage under the most trying conditions.
I would give it 4.5 stars, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Author Jennifer Vanderbes doesn't mince words, or gloss over the reality of war as she describes the condition of the soldiers in Juliet's care, or the shock of seeing comrades, doctors and nurses, killed or injured by enemy fire. The book is painfully realistic, and yet we are left with an acknowledgement of the power of love and courage under the most trying conditions.
I would give it 4.5 stars, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
August 21, 2024
Juliet Dufresne enlists in the Army as a nurse after she finds out her brother Tucker, has gone missing in action somewhere in Italy. She is determined to find out what happened to him & find him alive. Since Juliet works in a field hospital, she saw everything from amputations to the most gruesome injuries along with men suffering from battle fatigue & shell-shock. Juliet discovers many things about herself & war.
I’ve never read a WWII novel from the perspective of a war nurse in a field hospital before so it was a different read for me. I wish some things were addressed/resolved, but otherwise it was a decent read & kept me on my toes!
I’ve never read a WWII novel from the perspective of a war nurse in a field hospital before so it was a different read for me. I wish some things were addressed/resolved, but otherwise it was a decent read & kept me on my toes!
February 7, 2017
I am so ambivalent about this book that it’s taken me several minutes to compose this first sentence. I want to read some satisfying fiction, and this was not it.
We start out in 1941 with our protagonist Juliet blowing stuff up in the science lab at school. I am on board with this. I’m thinking this is going to be a book about a woman doing science during the war having to deal with everything this entails.
This is not what the book is about. It’s confusing that Vanderbes started out with such a strong setting and gives Juliet a brilliant mind and then makes the book not about that.
Juliet has an older brother named Tuck and he is her entire world. Their dad is loving, but quiet and reserved. Their mom died when Juliet was three, and her dad’s new wife is decent, but there’s not demonstrative love in this house. This is a house of science, and calm, rational discussion.
I get the sense that Tuck gets to experience and feel more things because he’s a boy and star of all the sports, so he can move quickly and speak loudly. He gets to make decisions and take action and Juliet is there to support him.
Things happen to Juliet, and that’s my biggest complaint about this book.
Even when she takes action, I never felt like it was her own choice. Tuck made decisions, so she made her decisions based on him. I never really got to know Juliet even though the entire book is her perspective. I didn’t feel frustrated when she did. There were a few moments where I felt her anger, but she seemed so detached from everything.
But then again, it’s WWII and detachment might mean survival.
We’ve got the basic war plot where Tuck signs up and heads off. Letters stop coming. A telegram comes. He’s missing, which is sometimes worse than death.
Juliet has decided to become a nurse. She didn’t know she had decided to become a nurse. She said it out loud and, oh hey, she’s going to become a nurse.
Again, she is super smart and I wanted more of that scientific brilliance to show through.
So she becomes a nurse and she plans on doing domestic nurse things until she turns 18 and can join the Nurse Corps. Now that Tuck is missing? What if she were to lie about her age and keep putting in for transfers until she gets as close as possible to where he last was?
Can that happen? I don’t have any prior knowledge here, but this seemed really unlikely. I liked the idea. Tuck is her world, so of course she’s going to go look for him, but would this work?
Before Tuck went missing he sent Juliet a really weird letter. He referred to Raven Point, their childhood safe place. He used the code phrase they invented but not in a context that made sense. Juliet reads it again and again trying to puzzle out what he was trying to tell her. It didn’t match any of his other letters and they’d never had a face to face conversation like this. She decides that he must be asking for her help, which fuels her to get as close to battle as possible.
She’s thrown in with a good cast of characters but she remains distant, which meant I remained distant from her. I never got the sense that she loved her job or was proud of what she did. It felt flat to me.
I’m reading and waiting for the secret of Raven Point to be revealed. Conveniently, a member of Tuck’s platoon shows up, only Tuck has never written about him. She knows everything about the other men, but nothing about this guy. Also, he’s in a coma-like state. Juliet is convinced that if she can unlock his mind, she’ll find Tuck.
I had checked out of the book long before this, but half-heartedly finished because I was interested in the secret and what kind of resolution comes with a missing-in-action brother. I also realized I’d be able to finish it in one read, which was good because if I had put it down, I wouldn’t have gone back to it.
The did like the final few pages, which was in itself a let down because I thought the rest of the book could have done better. The problem with the last bit though was that it was a bunch of telling and tying things up with pretty bows.
Eh.
Not a horrible book, just not for me. Unless I am completely on board with a main character, I’m going to have a hard time with the story.
We start out in 1941 with our protagonist Juliet blowing stuff up in the science lab at school. I am on board with this. I’m thinking this is going to be a book about a woman doing science during the war having to deal with everything this entails.
This is not what the book is about. It’s confusing that Vanderbes started out with such a strong setting and gives Juliet a brilliant mind and then makes the book not about that.
Juliet has an older brother named Tuck and he is her entire world. Their dad is loving, but quiet and reserved. Their mom died when Juliet was three, and her dad’s new wife is decent, but there’s not demonstrative love in this house. This is a house of science, and calm, rational discussion.
I get the sense that Tuck gets to experience and feel more things because he’s a boy and star of all the sports, so he can move quickly and speak loudly. He gets to make decisions and take action and Juliet is there to support him.
Things happen to Juliet, and that’s my biggest complaint about this book.
Even when she takes action, I never felt like it was her own choice. Tuck made decisions, so she made her decisions based on him. I never really got to know Juliet even though the entire book is her perspective. I didn’t feel frustrated when she did. There were a few moments where I felt her anger, but she seemed so detached from everything.
But then again, it’s WWII and detachment might mean survival.
We’ve got the basic war plot where Tuck signs up and heads off. Letters stop coming. A telegram comes. He’s missing, which is sometimes worse than death.
Juliet has decided to become a nurse. She didn’t know she had decided to become a nurse. She said it out loud and, oh hey, she’s going to become a nurse.
Again, she is super smart and I wanted more of that scientific brilliance to show through.
So she becomes a nurse and she plans on doing domestic nurse things until she turns 18 and can join the Nurse Corps. Now that Tuck is missing? What if she were to lie about her age and keep putting in for transfers until she gets as close as possible to where he last was?
Can that happen? I don’t have any prior knowledge here, but this seemed really unlikely. I liked the idea. Tuck is her world, so of course she’s going to go look for him, but would this work?
Before Tuck went missing he sent Juliet a really weird letter. He referred to Raven Point, their childhood safe place. He used the code phrase they invented but not in a context that made sense. Juliet reads it again and again trying to puzzle out what he was trying to tell her. It didn’t match any of his other letters and they’d never had a face to face conversation like this. She decides that he must be asking for her help, which fuels her to get as close to battle as possible.
She’s thrown in with a good cast of characters but she remains distant, which meant I remained distant from her. I never got the sense that she loved her job or was proud of what she did. It felt flat to me.
I’m reading and waiting for the secret of Raven Point to be revealed. Conveniently, a member of Tuck’s platoon shows up, only Tuck has never written about him. She knows everything about the other men, but nothing about this guy. Also, he’s in a coma-like state. Juliet is convinced that if she can unlock his mind, she’ll find Tuck.
I had checked out of the book long before this, but half-heartedly finished because I was interested in the secret and what kind of resolution comes with a missing-in-action brother. I also realized I’d be able to finish it in one read, which was good because if I had put it down, I wouldn’t have gone back to it.
The did like the final few pages, which was in itself a let down because I thought the rest of the book could have done better. The problem with the last bit though was that it was a bunch of telling and tying things up with pretty bows.
Eh.
Not a horrible book, just not for me. Unless I am completely on board with a main character, I’m going to have a hard time with the story.
October 17, 2021
A different type of WW book that I read. Looking really into life at the front. It took me a bit to get into this book but I certainly needed to finish it to find out what happened. Some of the medical scenes were a bit much for me, but a good story and some insight as to the reality of war.
April 21, 2015
This is a powerful book, hands down. It’s an emotional journey through loss, the horrors of war, and a young woman growing up in very trying circumstances.
I liked that the author wasn’t afraid to explore the truly gruesome and gory of war. The reader gets plunked down right in the middle of the action and experiences the same pain and loss that Juliet and the others do. The emotions this book brings up are incredible. I was alternately angry at the hopeless situation faced by some, tearful at the tragedy of so many young people lost so quickly, and peacefully cheerful at the quiet moments the characters found now and then.
I liked the characters, too, especially Juliet. She grows throughout the book in a very realistic way, from internally focused teenager to a world-weary adult. I grew to like her as an individual and as a vehicle through which the story is told. I liked all the secondary characters, as well, even Brilling. They’re all realistically portrayed and feel three-dimensional, like they’d step right off the page.
I’ve never read a fictionalized account of the American nurses, their co-workers, and their patients during WWII. It gives me new respect for all involved, seeing and at least in this author’s hands, experiencing, all the horrors and tragedies in evidence. I also was very interested in seeing battle fatigue explored in a WWII context. I’ve only ever read it in a WWI context. It was fascinating to see how it was dealt with thirty years after that first Great War and to see how many of the same misconceptions were still in use.
The one issue I have is a minor one. One aspect of the book, Tuck’s last letter, was never fully explored. It’s mentioned multiple times throughout the book, moving the story forward and keeping the letter’s existence in the forefront of reader’s minds. Yet, it’s never fully, explicitly explained why Tuck wrote what he did. Given the material covered in the book, I can make an educated guess, which I guess isn’t that horrible. But a bit more explanation directly would have been nice.
At the end of the day, though, that’s a very inconsequential quibble. The characters are vivid, the story was intriguing, and the author’s not afraid to go where few have before in the emotions and horrific material portrayed. I was kept spellbound by this book and definitely would recommend it to anyone looking for a different perspective on WWII.
I liked that the author wasn’t afraid to explore the truly gruesome and gory of war. The reader gets plunked down right in the middle of the action and experiences the same pain and loss that Juliet and the others do. The emotions this book brings up are incredible. I was alternately angry at the hopeless situation faced by some, tearful at the tragedy of so many young people lost so quickly, and peacefully cheerful at the quiet moments the characters found now and then.
I liked the characters, too, especially Juliet. She grows throughout the book in a very realistic way, from internally focused teenager to a world-weary adult. I grew to like her as an individual and as a vehicle through which the story is told. I liked all the secondary characters, as well, even Brilling. They’re all realistically portrayed and feel three-dimensional, like they’d step right off the page.
I’ve never read a fictionalized account of the American nurses, their co-workers, and their patients during WWII. It gives me new respect for all involved, seeing and at least in this author’s hands, experiencing, all the horrors and tragedies in evidence. I also was very interested in seeing battle fatigue explored in a WWII context. I’ve only ever read it in a WWI context. It was fascinating to see how it was dealt with thirty years after that first Great War and to see how many of the same misconceptions were still in use.
The one issue I have is a minor one. One aspect of the book, Tuck’s last letter, was never fully explored. It’s mentioned multiple times throughout the book, moving the story forward and keeping the letter’s existence in the forefront of reader’s minds. Yet, it’s never fully, explicitly explained why Tuck wrote what he did. Given the material covered in the book, I can make an educated guess, which I guess isn’t that horrible. But a bit more explanation directly would have been nice.
At the end of the day, though, that’s a very inconsequential quibble. The characters are vivid, the story was intriguing, and the author’s not afraid to go where few have before in the emotions and horrific material portrayed. I was kept spellbound by this book and definitely would recommend it to anyone looking for a different perspective on WWII.
November 23, 2014
Historical fiction at it's heart-rending best, Jennifer Vanderbes delivers a harrowing tale of World War II as experienced in a Mobile Hospital Unit in Italy.
In 1943, Juliet Defresne's young life is altered suddenly when her family receives an official letter stating that her older brother Tucker is missing in action. She makes a decision to take an intense nursing program and enlist in the military as soon as she graduates high school.
The last letter she receives from Tuck contains a cryptic message about The Secret of Raven Point, which is a stand of trees near their childhood home. Years earlier, she and Tuck had rescued an injured raven, nursed it back to health and returned it to the wild. She has no idea what he is referring to.
Her unlikely quest to find her brother is a maddeningly slow process, but along the way she sees the horror and chaos of war, and learns much about her own inner strengths. She sees nobility in some doctors and nurses, despair in many hapless Italians who are victims by virtue of living where the war is happening, and the agony and grief of the hospitalized soldiers. Juliet is younger than most of the folks she works with but she is industrious and hard working. She is given the responsibility of caring for a Private Barnaby, a young man who had served in the same unit as Tuck! But her "good fortune" is tempered by the fact that he apparently has attempted suicide, and is too traumatized to speak, even after supposedly successful surgery.
The author has done an incredible amount of research, enabling her to tell the tale as confidently as if she had interviewed the actual participants. Her descriptions of winter in northern Italy, the hardship conditions in the hospital units, unexpected encounters with Germans, and even the terror of walking where mines have been buried are incredibly vivid. The horrors of war can wreak havoc on the psyches of the soldiers, but the reader comes to care enormously about the people, both major and minor characters, who are part of this tale.
A great read, The Secret of Raven Point will be referred to as a classic before long, and likely will be a movie even before that! Get it; read it; let's talk about it.
In 1943, Juliet Defresne's young life is altered suddenly when her family receives an official letter stating that her older brother Tucker is missing in action. She makes a decision to take an intense nursing program and enlist in the military as soon as she graduates high school.
The last letter she receives from Tuck contains a cryptic message about The Secret of Raven Point, which is a stand of trees near their childhood home. Years earlier, she and Tuck had rescued an injured raven, nursed it back to health and returned it to the wild. She has no idea what he is referring to.
Her unlikely quest to find her brother is a maddeningly slow process, but along the way she sees the horror and chaos of war, and learns much about her own inner strengths. She sees nobility in some doctors and nurses, despair in many hapless Italians who are victims by virtue of living where the war is happening, and the agony and grief of the hospitalized soldiers. Juliet is younger than most of the folks she works with but she is industrious and hard working. She is given the responsibility of caring for a Private Barnaby, a young man who had served in the same unit as Tuck! But her "good fortune" is tempered by the fact that he apparently has attempted suicide, and is too traumatized to speak, even after supposedly successful surgery.
The author has done an incredible amount of research, enabling her to tell the tale as confidently as if she had interviewed the actual participants. Her descriptions of winter in northern Italy, the hardship conditions in the hospital units, unexpected encounters with Germans, and even the terror of walking where mines have been buried are incredibly vivid. The horrors of war can wreak havoc on the psyches of the soldiers, but the reader comes to care enormously about the people, both major and minor characters, who are part of this tale.
A great read, The Secret of Raven Point will be referred to as a classic before long, and likely will be a movie even before that! Get it; read it; let's talk about it.
March 8, 2014
A true artist is capable of creating characters that not only touch a reader’s heart but take up residency in their soul. Accordingly, Jennifer Vanderbes is a true artist, the fact that her latest novel, The Secret of Raven Point is also a thorough examination of historical matters that have long been overlooked, raises her to an even higher status. Juliet Dufresne is only seventeen and in nursing school in 1943 when word arrives that her beloved brother Tucker is missing in action somewhere in Italy. Lying about her age, Juliet travels to the front lines as an army nurse, hoping to learn something about the fate of Tucker. Shy and somewhat awkward, Juliet is thrust into camp life and the grueling hours of caring for the wounded. One patient in particular, Christopher Barnaby, a deserter who has failed at his attempt at suicide, may prove as a link to Tucker. Juliet faithfully tends to his recovery only to find that when his wounds heal he is left in a catatonic state due to the traumas of war. Juliet soon finds herself assisting a young psychiatrist Dr. Henry Willard who is charged with treating patients with battle fatigue and getting them back to the frontlines as soon as possible. Barnaby’s experiences highlight the inhumanity and horrors of war, and Juliet learns much more than she expected of what day to day life might have been like for Tucker. In Juliet, Vanderbes has created an unforgettable character that readers will suffer, grow and transform alongside. Meticulously researched, full of period detail, and sincerely drawn, The Secrets of Raven Point is an important and life altering read.
March 6, 2014
"Couldn't put the book down" is a common exaggeration. Anyone can put a book down at any time. Some books will get slammed down or tossed into the trash, justly. But THE SECRET OF RAVEN POINT by Jennifer Vanderbes, slaps a quick tourniquet on the reader's arm and twists it unbearably when thoughts like "stop reading" dare to interrupt.
Set atop realistic telling of the destruction, gore and suffering of World War II, a young woman has joined the war effort as an Army nurse with the ulterior motive to search for her combatant brother who had gone missing in Italy years earlier.
Characterizations in this novel are so real that a salute to the front cover might net dozens of return salutes from the people inside.
More than this, RAVEN POINT is another warning by subtext, like a string of recent books, that only the armament maker and his investors benefit from war. All others endure distress, pain or death.
At its best, the book showcases the ability of some to handle humanity's most ignominious challenge, to face it down, and walk away into satisfying normality. At its worse--there is no worse.
Despite its scenes of medical intensity, nerve-stinging captures by the Nazis and heroics of love, I could put this book down whenever.
But I refused. Don't like tourniquets.
Set atop realistic telling of the destruction, gore and suffering of World War II, a young woman has joined the war effort as an Army nurse with the ulterior motive to search for her combatant brother who had gone missing in Italy years earlier.
Characterizations in this novel are so real that a salute to the front cover might net dozens of return salutes from the people inside.
More than this, RAVEN POINT is another warning by subtext, like a string of recent books, that only the armament maker and his investors benefit from war. All others endure distress, pain or death.
At its best, the book showcases the ability of some to handle humanity's most ignominious challenge, to face it down, and walk away into satisfying normality. At its worse--there is no worse.
Despite its scenes of medical intensity, nerve-stinging captures by the Nazis and heroics of love, I could put this book down whenever.
But I refused. Don't like tourniquets.
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