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Evie and Jack
During the Battle of Britain Evie Devereux is an RT operator in the control tower of a Fighter Command airfield. Here she commences an affair with a Spitfire pilot, Jack Cave. Jack, ashamed of his father who was shot as a coward in France during world war 1 and of his working class background, has invented a new identity for himself as Guy Wentworth.
In 1943 Evie joins the SOE. Like Jack, she too now has a false identity. Reports that the Gestapo have infiltrated entire SOE circuits in France have been ignored by London HQ. On the night of her departure she finds a note in her pocket warning her not to trust the man she is travelling with.
Evie & Jack is a riveting novel of suspense, deception and love which brings vividly to life the experiences of a Spitfire pilot and an undercover secret agent working in the Gestapo-infested atmosphere of occupied France.
In 1943 Evie joins the SOE. Like Jack, she too now has a false identity. Reports that the Gestapo have infiltrated entire SOE circuits in France have been ignored by London HQ. On the night of her departure she finds a note in her pocket warning her not to trust the man she is travelling with.
Evie & Jack is a riveting novel of suspense, deception and love which brings vividly to life the experiences of a Spitfire pilot and an undercover secret agent working in the Gestapo-infested atmosphere of occupied France.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2018
192 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Haybittle
10 books76 followersLondon - Lerici - Florence.
Represented by Annabel Merullo at PFD.
The Way Back to Florence is my first novel.
Represented by Annabel Merullo at PFD.
The Way Back to Florence is my first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 23 reviews
May 17, 2018
”It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by”
-- As Time Goes By, Jimmy Durante (et al), Songwriters: Herman Hupfeld
“The Battle of France is over: the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of a perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour"
--Winston Churchill’s “finest hour” speech – 18 June 1940
Three weeks later, 10 July 1940, Germany began bombing Britain.
Going back and forth in time, this story begins in 1943, then travels back and forth between 1943 and 1940, moves forward to 1944, ending in 1945.
When Evie Devereux joins the SOE – Special Operations Executive – she has to leave her old life behind, adopting a new name, a new family, a new childhood, all manufactured to replace the old. She now has a new father, with his own new history and employment. She is now Monique Maupin, field name Anais. She is cautioned to remember, when she is interrogated, to pause in her answers, a momentary reflection.
”Memory is a flawed transaction. Like all ciphers.”
As she dwells on this, the ideas of memories, a momentary memory of a snippet of a poem her father often recited to her throughout her childhood flits through her mind – “And wilt thou leave me thus? Say nay! Say nay!” and she feels a twinge of sorrow while inwardly smiling at the memory, as well.
Jack Cave is a young man who has been re-christened Guy Wentworth. A Spitfire fighter pilot. He rooms with another young man, Benedict, who reads a few pages of Mrs. Dalloway, out loud, at night until it’s time to sleep. Eventually, his work brings him into contact with Evie, and a relationship begins.
But this story isn’t solely about them. It is a love story, of sorts, but certainly not a typical love story. The extremes we will go to in order to protect or help the ones we love, the extra miles walked, or even just the conscious desire to help even when you feel that help is out of reach. The need to do something even when it isn’t enough, because to do nothing is something we can’t live with. The need for definitive answers, because not knowing is something else we can’t live with.
A little over a year ago, I read Haybittle’s ‘The Memory Tree,’ which I enjoyed, and then toward the end of last year I read his ‘The Tree House,’ which I loved. This was very different from either of those, for me, and a different view of that era and place, a view of World War II from the pilots view, and their fears, and from those working behind the scenes to ensure that Hitler’s reign was brought to an end. There is a sense of the primal fear felt by those men and women throughout much of this, but there is also a larger sense of admiration and love for these men and women who truly gave all to suppress and defeat an evil regime.
Pub Date: 18 JUN 2018
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Cheyne Walk
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by”
-- As Time Goes By, Jimmy Durante (et al), Songwriters: Herman Hupfeld
“The Battle of France is over: the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of a perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour"
--Winston Churchill’s “finest hour” speech – 18 June 1940
Three weeks later, 10 July 1940, Germany began bombing Britain.
Going back and forth in time, this story begins in 1943, then travels back and forth between 1943 and 1940, moves forward to 1944, ending in 1945.
When Evie Devereux joins the SOE – Special Operations Executive – she has to leave her old life behind, adopting a new name, a new family, a new childhood, all manufactured to replace the old. She now has a new father, with his own new history and employment. She is now Monique Maupin, field name Anais. She is cautioned to remember, when she is interrogated, to pause in her answers, a momentary reflection.
”Memory is a flawed transaction. Like all ciphers.”
As she dwells on this, the ideas of memories, a momentary memory of a snippet of a poem her father often recited to her throughout her childhood flits through her mind – “And wilt thou leave me thus? Say nay! Say nay!” and she feels a twinge of sorrow while inwardly smiling at the memory, as well.
Jack Cave is a young man who has been re-christened Guy Wentworth. A Spitfire fighter pilot. He rooms with another young man, Benedict, who reads a few pages of Mrs. Dalloway, out loud, at night until it’s time to sleep. Eventually, his work brings him into contact with Evie, and a relationship begins.
But this story isn’t solely about them. It is a love story, of sorts, but certainly not a typical love story. The extremes we will go to in order to protect or help the ones we love, the extra miles walked, or even just the conscious desire to help even when you feel that help is out of reach. The need to do something even when it isn’t enough, because to do nothing is something we can’t live with. The need for definitive answers, because not knowing is something else we can’t live with.
A little over a year ago, I read Haybittle’s ‘The Memory Tree,’ which I enjoyed, and then toward the end of last year I read his ‘The Tree House,’ which I loved. This was very different from either of those, for me, and a different view of that era and place, a view of World War II from the pilots view, and their fears, and from those working behind the scenes to ensure that Hitler’s reign was brought to an end. There is a sense of the primal fear felt by those men and women throughout much of this, but there is also a larger sense of admiration and love for these men and women who truly gave all to suppress and defeat an evil regime.
Pub Date: 18 JUN 2018
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Cheyne Walk
November 15, 2020
Evie and Jack is a love story set during WW2. Jack is a Spitfire pilot; Evie a WAAF radio operator who later in the war becomes a SOE agent who is parachuted into France. The novel adopts initially what is a slightly confusing chronology, beginning with Evie's parachute jump into France. The circuit she is to join has been infiltrated by the Germans and there's a traitor in her midst. We then flash back to the Battle of Britain and Jack's Spitfire squadron. This was my favourite part of the novel. The air combat is brilliantly described as is the camaraderie between the pilots. The Evie narrative for me was less compelling though the search for information about her plight, involving trips to prisons and concentration camps, at the end of the war was moving. I didn't enjoy this as much as his The Way Back to Florence which is more beautifully and lyrically written compared to the minimalist prose of this but on the whole an edifying read.
July 5, 2018
This is yet another tale of love in the time of war. Jack is a young fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain and Evie a plucky young woman who works in radio communications for the squadron when launched against assaults by German bombers and fighters. We start from a later point when Evie parachutes into occupied France to work as liaison to the Resistance. I appreciated the notching down of the melodrama, with restraint in both the romance between our main characters and in the achievements of their heroic actions, adding to a sense of realism. These are not quite the average engaged citizens stepping up to do their part against Hitler, as Furst likes to employ in his tales. Their actions are at the extreme of what we imagine for courage and sacrifice, yet their mentality as they go about their dangerous work in often matter-of-fact. Somehow able to rise above the abject terrors, rage, and insanity that other writers emphasize. I am not sure I believe the implication that love makes such resilience possible.
Evie and Jack’s courtship makes for a personal way to stand up for humane concerns in the face of the madness of war and persistent dangers of him getting shot down or her dying in the periodic bombings of the airfield. After they begin to fall in love (both virgins), she suddenly abandons ship and pursues dates with others. There is some hint she objects a lot to Jack’s enlisting under a false name, which is a longstanding puzzle in the tale. As the book opens, we experience her prepping for how to handle a Gestapo interrogation and then rehearsing the details of her assigned French identity before a night drop by parachute to work a liaison with the French Resistance. Her thoughts dwell on Jack, presumed dead after failing to return from a sortie. She finds herself adapting her story for her role as “Monique” to realities in her own life:
I betrayed my husband for another man. …Why did I betray him like that?. … Because he was going to die. Every time he was up in the air I expected him not to come back. I went through a torture of apprehension every day. I wanted not to care about him anymore.
The unfolding story covers how Evie came to this courageous role and struggles with the dangers of betrayal and capture as she does her job in France. On his side, we follow the rollercoaster of their aborted romance in parallel to his growing success in the near-daily air battles, while day after day losing more and more of his bosom buddies. I found myself happy to dwell in their minds as rendered by Haybittle, amazed at their healthy capacity to surmount debilitating emotions such as feelings of helplessness or the opposite of turning into robots of death. For example, here we see Jack empathizing with a German pilot who ejected from his plane and caught briefly on his wing:
For a moment he and the German hanging beneath his wing exchange eye contact. He is just a boy of about nineteen, twenty. He has never seen anyone look so terrified in his life. ...
As far as his feeling is concerned the boy has somehow become his friend. He wants him to survive. …But he is annoyed with the boy too. He has stolen some of his aggression. Infected him with his fear.
As a second example of mind over madness, here are Evie’s thoughts just before a night jump from a plane over a clandestine site in France:
She turns to face the ladder. For a moment she is lifted outsider herself, a voyeur of her own experience. It’s like she is saying farewell to Evie. Leaving behind everything meaningful she as Evie has created in conjunction with the world that has in turn created her. Images of that world flash before her … For a moment it’s as if she is breathing on a moonlit window, writing her name on a circle of mist and then watching it slowly disappear.
She thinks of the mysterious people down there who will soon become part of her daily life, how at the moment they are no more than shadows outside the frame of a mirror.
All in all, I found this novel leaned a bit too far in making the war a backdrop to the romance of Evie and Jack, in a sense sanitizing their experience. Somewhat more than in Haybittle’s previous novel The Way Back to Florence, which featured a more nuanced relationship between an artist and a downed American pilot in WW2 Italy. But not nearly so much as in Hannah’s “The Nightingale.” As in “Dr. Zhivago” I wanted to believe that the characters could prove a counter to the claim of Pasha that in war (in Russia) “the personal life is dead.” Thus, by rating is about 3.5, or a B+.
This book was provided for review by the publisher through the Netgalley program.
Evie and Jack’s courtship makes for a personal way to stand up for humane concerns in the face of the madness of war and persistent dangers of him getting shot down or her dying in the periodic bombings of the airfield. After they begin to fall in love (both virgins), she suddenly abandons ship and pursues dates with others. There is some hint she objects a lot to Jack’s enlisting under a false name, which is a longstanding puzzle in the tale. As the book opens, we experience her prepping for how to handle a Gestapo interrogation and then rehearsing the details of her assigned French identity before a night drop by parachute to work a liaison with the French Resistance. Her thoughts dwell on Jack, presumed dead after failing to return from a sortie. She finds herself adapting her story for her role as “Monique” to realities in her own life:
I betrayed my husband for another man. …Why did I betray him like that?. … Because he was going to die. Every time he was up in the air I expected him not to come back. I went through a torture of apprehension every day. I wanted not to care about him anymore.
The unfolding story covers how Evie came to this courageous role and struggles with the dangers of betrayal and capture as she does her job in France. On his side, we follow the rollercoaster of their aborted romance in parallel to his growing success in the near-daily air battles, while day after day losing more and more of his bosom buddies. I found myself happy to dwell in their minds as rendered by Haybittle, amazed at their healthy capacity to surmount debilitating emotions such as feelings of helplessness or the opposite of turning into robots of death. For example, here we see Jack empathizing with a German pilot who ejected from his plane and caught briefly on his wing:
For a moment he and the German hanging beneath his wing exchange eye contact. He is just a boy of about nineteen, twenty. He has never seen anyone look so terrified in his life. ...
As far as his feeling is concerned the boy has somehow become his friend. He wants him to survive. …But he is annoyed with the boy too. He has stolen some of his aggression. Infected him with his fear.
As a second example of mind over madness, here are Evie’s thoughts just before a night jump from a plane over a clandestine site in France:
She turns to face the ladder. For a moment she is lifted outsider herself, a voyeur of her own experience. It’s like she is saying farewell to Evie. Leaving behind everything meaningful she as Evie has created in conjunction with the world that has in turn created her. Images of that world flash before her … For a moment it’s as if she is breathing on a moonlit window, writing her name on a circle of mist and then watching it slowly disappear.
She thinks of the mysterious people down there who will soon become part of her daily life, how at the moment they are no more than shadows outside the frame of a mirror.
All in all, I found this novel leaned a bit too far in making the war a backdrop to the romance of Evie and Jack, in a sense sanitizing their experience. Somewhat more than in Haybittle’s previous novel The Way Back to Florence, which featured a more nuanced relationship between an artist and a downed American pilot in WW2 Italy. But not nearly so much as in Hannah’s “The Nightingale.” As in “Dr. Zhivago” I wanted to believe that the characters could prove a counter to the claim of Pasha that in war (in Russia) “the personal life is dead.” Thus, by rating is about 3.5, or a B+.
This book was provided for review by the publisher through the Netgalley program.
May 12, 2018
A definite 4.5 Stars
I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and give my honest review of this amazing book.
I have now been on intimate terms with a war that took place and ended before my birth. I have known the angst and ecstasy of being in the cockpit of a Spitfire during air battles that claimed the lives of both friend and foe. I have experienced the primal fear of falling through darkness in hostile lands not knowing if my body missile is the target of the evening games, only to be jerked up and, finally thudded on the ground with my heart in my throat.
I have known the joys of discovery, the weariness of deceit, the stark terror of interrogation/incarceration and the exhaustion of reprieve. I have known the unyielding bond of friendship only derived through the horrors we live through, the fickleness of the fates and the power of how love can blind us to all else. I have known the drudgery of moving forward while looking backward, of prejudice and poverty, of class and ignorance and the loss of innocence.
I have known all of the above and so much more because of Evie and Jack and the brilliant author who took up his pen to write their story. An author who can write a powerful truth through fiction, a soul touching experience that few could conjure, let alone tell. This book is a gift and I thank the author for it.
I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and give my honest review of this amazing book.
I have now been on intimate terms with a war that took place and ended before my birth. I have known the angst and ecstasy of being in the cockpit of a Spitfire during air battles that claimed the lives of both friend and foe. I have experienced the primal fear of falling through darkness in hostile lands not knowing if my body missile is the target of the evening games, only to be jerked up and, finally thudded on the ground with my heart in my throat.
I have known the joys of discovery, the weariness of deceit, the stark terror of interrogation/incarceration and the exhaustion of reprieve. I have known the unyielding bond of friendship only derived through the horrors we live through, the fickleness of the fates and the power of how love can blind us to all else. I have known the drudgery of moving forward while looking backward, of prejudice and poverty, of class and ignorance and the loss of innocence.
I have known all of the above and so much more because of Evie and Jack and the brilliant author who took up his pen to write their story. An author who can write a powerful truth through fiction, a soul touching experience that few could conjure, let alone tell. This book is a gift and I thank the author for it.
October 29, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It had lots of interesting side stories and the love story of Evie and Jack made me smile. If you love historical fiction, I highly suggest you read this book.
March 21, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much. It's about WWII and a sweet love story. Not only do you feel as if you are there with the characters. You feel you are the characters! It's very detailed. It's a hard book to put down. Highly recommend for WWII buffs. Men and women both will enjoy this book.
I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley! All opinions are my own.
I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley! All opinions are my own.
July 25, 2018
GNab Evie and Jack is an entertaining historical novel, taking place in England and France during WWII. Jack is a British pilot working under an assumed name and Evie has various jobs throughout the course of the war under several nam de plumes. This is an excellent novel, presenting the realities of the war without losing the pace and drama of the story, or the sense of humanity that drives the characters.
I think you will love Evie and Jack, under whatever name they are hiding. This is a tale with personable characters and flowing descriptive passages of English countryside and French farming counties, and the flying segments are pure poetry. Glenn Haybittle is an author I will follow.
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Glenn Haybittle, and Cheyne Walk in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
June 18th 2018
Cheyne Walk
I think you will love Evie and Jack, under whatever name they are hiding. This is a tale with personable characters and flowing descriptive passages of English countryside and French farming counties, and the flying segments are pure poetry. Glenn Haybittle is an author I will follow.
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Glenn Haybittle, and Cheyne Walk in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
June 18th 2018
Cheyne Walk
August 21, 2018
Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my candid review.
I love to read books about WWII. I read a lot of books about WWII. And this is one of the best books about the war that I have read. Why?
Because it reflects the real horror and fears and uncertainty and gruesomeness of war. The book takes place on an RAF base where pilots were sent up into the air to defend England from the Nazi bombers. They were frequently facing odds of 10 or 15 to one. And they were sent up 2 or 3 times per day. And they were afraid. And you never knew who would be back on the base. And the losses were horrifying. So men and women had abbreviated love affairs, since they never knew if they were going to be alive the next day.
It also tells the story of the brave men and women who infiltrated Nazi-occupied France under huge stress and having to trust their lives to people that they were ever fully confident would not turn them in to the Nazis.
It is a great story of love and war. And you should read it.
I would rate it 6 stars, if I could!
I love to read books about WWII. I read a lot of books about WWII. And this is one of the best books about the war that I have read. Why?
Because it reflects the real horror and fears and uncertainty and gruesomeness of war. The book takes place on an RAF base where pilots were sent up into the air to defend England from the Nazi bombers. They were frequently facing odds of 10 or 15 to one. And they were sent up 2 or 3 times per day. And they were afraid. And you never knew who would be back on the base. And the losses were horrifying. So men and women had abbreviated love affairs, since they never knew if they were going to be alive the next day.
It also tells the story of the brave men and women who infiltrated Nazi-occupied France under huge stress and having to trust their lives to people that they were ever fully confident would not turn them in to the Nazis.
It is a great story of love and war. And you should read it.
I would rate it 6 stars, if I could!
May 17, 2018
During WWII we follow the lives and love of Jack and Evie. The storytelling brought the war to life as we fly through the skies in a Spitfire with Jack, a RAF pilot and as Evie an RT operator, later French agent involved in espionage. I felt a part of the storyline and was caught up in the characters and their story. It was a great read that was hard to put down.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review the advance review copy.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review the advance review copy.
May 24, 2018
This is a history fiction. Evite is an undercover agent and Jack is a pilot. They meet during the war and start a romance. There is so much deception that the characters don't know whim they can trust. identities change and changing into the identity can be challenging.
This is a remarkable book. They characters are finely tuned to each other. The storyline is believable and entertaining.
5 Stars
This is a remarkable book. They characters are finely tuned to each other. The storyline is believable and entertaining.
5 Stars
April 15, 2018
Evie and Jack is a love story in the time of World War II. Will love triumph over betrayal, bombs, and espionage? I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley for early review.
Jack is a fighter pilot in England, but he uses a stolen identity to escape his past. He falls in love with Evie who is an RT operator. After a few days, they go separate ways and later Jack goes missing. Evie trains hard and becomes a spy and goes to France. In France, Nazis infiltrated the Allies communication systems, so Evie might just be walking into a trap. In the enemy territory, Evie can’t stop thinking about her betrayal of Jack. What happened to Jack? Will Evie make it out alive? How did she betray Jack?
What I liked the most about this book is how detailed it is. When I was reading about fighter planes in this book, I could see whatever Jack is seeing at that moment, it felt like I was there with the character. I am a World War II buff, I liked how this book takes us through bomb raids, fighter planes, coded transmissions, interrogations, personal loss, and concentration camps.
The story goes at a very slow pace, so I kept losing my interest in the book constantly. Sometimes there is no connection between chapters. There are many times when I start reading a new chapter, and I wonder how did we did end up in this scene? how is the last scene connected to present scene?
I think the book could use some serious editing to keep the reader hooked into the story. If you love World War II novels and can’t get enough of them, I suggest you keep an eye an out for this book. If you like a cute love story, then don’t forget to add this book to your To-Read list.
Rating: 3/5
For more reviews check out my blog
Memory is a flawed transaction. Like all ciphers.
Jack is a fighter pilot in England, but he uses a stolen identity to escape his past. He falls in love with Evie who is an RT operator. After a few days, they go separate ways and later Jack goes missing. Evie trains hard and becomes a spy and goes to France. In France, Nazis infiltrated the Allies communication systems, so Evie might just be walking into a trap. In the enemy territory, Evie can’t stop thinking about her betrayal of Jack. What happened to Jack? Will Evie make it out alive? How did she betray Jack?
What I liked the most about this book is how detailed it is. When I was reading about fighter planes in this book, I could see whatever Jack is seeing at that moment, it felt like I was there with the character. I am a World War II buff, I liked how this book takes us through bomb raids, fighter planes, coded transmissions, interrogations, personal loss, and concentration camps.
The story goes at a very slow pace, so I kept losing my interest in the book constantly. Sometimes there is no connection between chapters. There are many times when I start reading a new chapter, and I wonder how did we did end up in this scene? how is the last scene connected to present scene?
I think the book could use some serious editing to keep the reader hooked into the story. If you love World War II novels and can’t get enough of them, I suggest you keep an eye an out for this book. If you like a cute love story, then don’t forget to add this book to your To-Read list.
Rating: 3/5
For more reviews check out my blog
June 8, 2018
Loved parts of this book - the scenarios from the Spitfire were so thrilling, the prison scenarios were also interesting. I felt, as a whole, that the book seemed disjointed. I found myself rereading to try to fill in the connections between scenes or chapters. Although Evie and Jack seemed real their relationship did not. My thanks to Glenn Haybittle, Cheyne Walk, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC, soon to be published on June 18th.
June 26, 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Evie and Jack is the story of an RAF pilot and a British courier undercover with the SOE. They fall in love during the last tumultuous years of World War II, each experiencing unimaginable horrors that changes the course of their lives. Somewhere within these horrors, their love and memories of one another brings them together again. The story of Evie and Jack will stay with you long after the last page is read.
Glenn Haybittle has given a exceptional literary performance in his novel "Evie and Jack". Not having an extensive repertoire, there is nothing amateur about this author. He writes as a seasoned veteran. Haybittle has the ability to draw the reader into the experiences of his characters, and his imagery is superb. I could practically feel the controls of the Spitfire within my hands, the excitement, exhilaration and at times fear of flying through the air as enemy fighters are on my tail, could be felt through the authors words on the page.
I could feel the trepidation as Evie walks through the streets of occupied Paris, wondering who may be following, who to trust, and how much time before the inevitable capture by the enemy as they seem to get closer and closer.
At times the author is a bit crass but if one can get past that, you will find this amazing piece a literature that is beautifully written , that will captivate and leave you wanting more from this author.
Evie and Jack is the story of an RAF pilot and a British courier undercover with the SOE. They fall in love during the last tumultuous years of World War II, each experiencing unimaginable horrors that changes the course of their lives. Somewhere within these horrors, their love and memories of one another brings them together again. The story of Evie and Jack will stay with you long after the last page is read.
Glenn Haybittle has given a exceptional literary performance in his novel "Evie and Jack". Not having an extensive repertoire, there is nothing amateur about this author. He writes as a seasoned veteran. Haybittle has the ability to draw the reader into the experiences of his characters, and his imagery is superb. I could practically feel the controls of the Spitfire within my hands, the excitement, exhilaration and at times fear of flying through the air as enemy fighters are on my tail, could be felt through the authors words on the page.
I could feel the trepidation as Evie walks through the streets of occupied Paris, wondering who may be following, who to trust, and how much time before the inevitable capture by the enemy as they seem to get closer and closer.
At times the author is a bit crass but if one can get past that, you will find this amazing piece a literature that is beautifully written , that will captivate and leave you wanting more from this author.
August 20, 2018
This book reminded me of the Code Name Verity series so I went into it with one mindset but after I began I had a difficult time getting into the way the tense and narration was set up. After I got used to it I began to enjoy the book more.
I wish a bit more of it could have been fleshed out, sometimes the narration and jumping between time frames was confusing, especially towards the end with Evie---I thought the 1944 scenes with her were later in 1944 or closer to 1945 but we see that isn't the case later. That threw me off because it wasn't clear.
Overall I enjoyed the read!
*I received a copy via Net Galley in exchange for my review.*
I wish a bit more of it could have been fleshed out, sometimes the narration and jumping between time frames was confusing, especially towards the end with Evie---I thought the 1944 scenes with her were later in 1944 or closer to 1945 but we see that isn't the case later. That threw me off because it wasn't clear.
Overall I enjoyed the read!
*I received a copy via Net Galley in exchange for my review.*
February 22, 2019
I have to say that this book was not very good. It seemed too haphazard and waffled from one thought to another. I kept trying to give it a chance to tell me a story that I actually cared about, but it never did.
As a positive, though, I was impressed with how the fear of being a pilot for the RAF became real for me.
I know the author tried to give some background for the characters, but the information was not handled well and I never felt like I connected with any of them. That makes me sad because I had really looked forward to reading this book.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
As a positive, though, I was impressed with how the fear of being a pilot for the RAF became real for me.
I know the author tried to give some background for the characters, but the information was not handled well and I never felt like I connected with any of them. That makes me sad because I had really looked forward to reading this book.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 10, 2019
Historical fiction is my genre especially WWII. I was excited to read Evie and Jack from the blurb about a British undercover courier and an RAF pilot. I have tried to read this at three different times. There were a few interesting parts but for me, I found myself having to reread in places as it just did not flow. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
June 21, 2018
I wanted to like this more. It was a good read (though I did note several errors that should have been corrected during the editing process) but I had hoped for at least a SOMEWHAT more positive ending. I mean, the ending is "positive." And, I suppose, realistic. But the book was sort of a downer overall.
May 25, 2019
Fantastic depiction of the battle of Britain. I was slightly less keen on the French SOE narrative but the ending was poignantly moving.
August 29, 2023
Sometimes when you're reading a historical fiction novel, perhaps especially one set during World War II and featuring characters doing extraordinary things (like being an SOE agent and a fighter pilot with a hidden identity), you have to suspend not disbelief, exactly, but adherence to the details of the actual historical events and times. This is important if you really want to read enjoy a story, in the case of Evie and Jack a story of romance against all odds.
After all, if it's strict and nuanced details of war you want, you should probably read non-fiction histories anyway.
So, with suspended judgment of facts skimmed over and/or twisted to fit the tale of Evie Devereux and Jack Cave, I did read and very much liked this novel by Glenn Haybittle. Yes, some things seemed awfully extra and extreme but never entirely outside the realm of possibility.
The most interesting part of this novel is that Evie and Jack spend very little time together during it. And the biggest accomplishment of the novel is that their being very far apart and yet still holding onto each, not so much out of true romance but more out of a need simply to have someone to anchor them in their darkest hours.
It isn't so much a romance as it is a story of two people enduring World War II and having what may not even have been a connection in another time and other place be strengthened by and because of the circumstances of what they were living. And that makes sense enough to forgive the few flaws in the story.
Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and Cheyne Walk for the chance to read this book. All thoughts are my own, no compensation was given, and I apologize for the badly delayed review.
After all, if it's strict and nuanced details of war you want, you should probably read non-fiction histories anyway.
So, with suspended judgment of facts skimmed over and/or twisted to fit the tale of Evie Devereux and Jack Cave, I did read and very much liked this novel by Glenn Haybittle. Yes, some things seemed awfully extra and extreme but never entirely outside the realm of possibility.
The most interesting part of this novel is that Evie and Jack spend very little time together during it. And the biggest accomplishment of the novel is that their being very far apart and yet still holding onto each, not so much out of true romance but more out of a need simply to have someone to anchor them in their darkest hours.
It isn't so much a romance as it is a story of two people enduring World War II and having what may not even have been a connection in another time and other place be strengthened by and because of the circumstances of what they were living. And that makes sense enough to forgive the few flaws in the story.
Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and Cheyne Walk for the chance to read this book. All thoughts are my own, no compensation was given, and I apologize for the badly delayed review.
July 31, 2021
Reading Evie and Jack felt as if I was on a roller coaster. Ascending up the track was slow but anticipatory and then, after reaching the pinnacle, the downward ride was swift and menacing. I found the book disjointed at times and I had to go back to peruse what I may have missed. Perhaps the final draft could have more continuity between chapters. The characters were well defined. The descriptions of life in war torn England and France, vivid. I liked the book even though it took me time to become invested in it.
September 15, 2018
I must admit I almost put the book down which is something I rarely do with historical fiction. The narrator changes and in the beginning especially the way it changed just felt off to me. The pace is also a bit off throughout the book.
It is strange to think about all that was put on the line for WWII and how the repercussions of WWI were still being played out, not just globally but individual struggles.
I just wish the flow had been better as Evie and Jack were great characters who were well developed and thought out but the flow through off really connecting with them.
It is strange to think about all that was put on the line for WWII and how the repercussions of WWI were still being played out, not just globally but individual struggles.
I just wish the flow had been better as Evie and Jack were great characters who were well developed and thought out but the flow through off really connecting with them.
Read
July 3, 2018I had a bit of a tough time getting into this book at first; I'm a bit fussy about writing style and the changes back and forth between points of view was a bit confusing, given that the main characters had more than one name! But Evie and Jack is worth a read, especially if you like WWII historical fiction.
Evie is a WAAF wireless operator and Jack is a Spitfire pilot when they meet. It's the beginning of Germany's nightly assault on England, and Evie's voice is one of those that Jack hears as he is hopelessly outnumbered and outguns by German pilots escorting the hundreds of bombers with their deadly loads they plan to drop on England. In an attempt to escape is father's past, Jack takes on a different name before he meets Evie, who only knows him as Guy. Soon Evie too has a new name, as she joins the SOE and becomes an agent in Nazi occupied France.
The story goes back and forth between the two as their relationship starts, then develops, then is ripped apart by the vicissitudes of war. Even though it wasn't my favorite writing style, I couldn't put the book down; I just had to know what happened next, to both Jack and to Evie. Their characters were so real, their stories so compelling, I couldn't let it go.
There is lots of WWII historical fiction out there, but Evie and Jack stands with the likes of "All The Light You Cannot See" and "The Nightingale". Definitely a good read!
Evie is a WAAF wireless operator and Jack is a Spitfire pilot when they meet. It's the beginning of Germany's nightly assault on England, and Evie's voice is one of those that Jack hears as he is hopelessly outnumbered and outguns by German pilots escorting the hundreds of bombers with their deadly loads they plan to drop on England. In an attempt to escape is father's past, Jack takes on a different name before he meets Evie, who only knows him as Guy. Soon Evie too has a new name, as she joins the SOE and becomes an agent in Nazi occupied France.
The story goes back and forth between the two as their relationship starts, then develops, then is ripped apart by the vicissitudes of war. Even though it wasn't my favorite writing style, I couldn't put the book down; I just had to know what happened next, to both Jack and to Evie. Their characters were so real, their stories so compelling, I couldn't let it go.
There is lots of WWII historical fiction out there, but Evie and Jack stands with the likes of "All The Light You Cannot See" and "The Nightingale". Definitely a good read!
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