The Long Path Home

by Ellen Lindseth

A young woman on the run finds a second chance in World War II Italy in a thrilling novel of love, intrigue, and redemption by the author of A Girl Divided.

1944, Chicago. From desperate small-town teen to star of the burlesque circuit, Violet Ernte has survived tough choices and more than one reinvention. Now, framed for an underworld murder, she has one way out: agree to keep Marcie, a reckless USO showgirl and mobster’s daughter, on the straight and narrow. Vi’s new act: play innocent ingenue and join the all-American song-and-dance troupe bound for overseas to a war-torn Italy.

When a USO headliner goes missing soon after landing, the disappearance has treacherous implications for the entire troupe. With Marcie’s safety in peril, Vi turns to battle-roughened army sergeant Ansel Danger for help. But getting closer to Ansel means exposing her past and her double life of scandal and deception. And in a heartbeat, she could lose everything.

Defiant and resilient, Vi is used to taking risks. This time it’s for redemption. To love, and to be loved. And for a second chance at a future she thought was lost forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, World War II, Historical Romance, Adult Fiction

379 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2020

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violet Ernte ran away from home as a teenager, she lives in Chicago and works as a burlesque dancer. She’s made mistakes in her life, she’s her harshest critic and she thinks it’s her own fault. Due to her career, she meets ruthless men, one of them being Tony Vecchione, he has seedy plans for her, Violet’s life's in danger, and she needs to quickly leave Chicago.

Violet joins the USO, as a dancer and part of her job is to keep an eye on Marcie May. They wear a uniform, have to get through army boot camp, and pass the physical. Marcie's actually a mobster’s daughter, she’s rather naive, and spoilt. The USO group, board a military ship full of soldiers, have no idea where they’re going, and it’s defiantly somewhere near the action. They arrive in Italy, everyone's shocked by the damage the war and the German's have caused, and the suffering of the civilians. The troops deserve to be entertained, take their minds off the terrible war and it’s far from over.

Vi meets battle hardened sergeant Ansel Danger, they call him sergeant dangerous, he’s in charge of making sure the USO members are safe and abide by the long list of rules. When the main act Luciana hurts herself, suddenly goes missing, and Vi feels like something isn’t what it seems and she’s right! Violet’s willing to help her country, she has to tell them the truth about her identity, her past, and she’s embarrassed and ashamed.

The Long Path Home is a story about Violet being taken advantage of when she was a teenage girl, she blames herself, and not the perpetrator. By going to war torn Italy, she gains confidence, she realizes that she was an innocent victim, everyone deserves a second chance, and she can leave her past behind and look forward to the future. I recived a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I felt compassion for Violet's character and the Italian civilians, and four stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Long Path Home is an epic piece of historical fiction with a touch of mystery set against the backdrop of World War II Italy circa 1944. It follows Violet ”Vi” Ernte a Chicagoan burlesque dancer who has been mercilessly framed for the murder of a well-known mobster and finds a way to slip beneath the radar and leave the United States for Europe before anything can happen to her. Her friend Sal is instrumental in getting her a place amongst the USO troupe about to travel to Europe to entertain American troops stationed there. The only catch is that she must ensure she will keep tabs on another member of the troupe and daughter of a mob boss, Marcie.

This is a highly original novel which was the reason I was drawn to it, and the narrative is well written with plenty of intrigue but the success of the story depends largely on quite how much you are able to connect and sympathise with the main protagonist, Vi. I felt she was relatable, interesting and incredibly unique in this genre. Both the settings and the wider cast of characters are compelling and it was a book I felt absolutely characterised the period in which its set perfectly. If you enjoy slightly different multigenre historical fiction then give this a go. Recommended. Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an ARC.

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is historical fiction with mystery and suspense. There is so much to this story, I don't know where to begin. I loved the setting and the time frame. Violet Ernte was a teen star who has had to wear many faces, and she wears them well. Framed for murder she heads to war torn Italy. All she really wants is to love and be loved. This was such a heart felt and gripping read. I read it straight through. This is my first time reading this author. One of the best historical fiction books I've read this year.

Dawnny-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

[Karen ReadsALot · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you, as I received this book as a free Kindle download. I have read a lot of books set during WW2 but this was a different perspective. The last third of the book took an unexpected twist from being a dance themed USO show during wartime to one of deception, betrayal and heroism. Julianne Hough, in my mind, could handle this role.

[Constance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully written story. I absolutely love strong female characters that uplift other females.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept reading in the hope that the plot would pick up but it never really did. It starts with an interesting premise but nothing seems to happen until suddenly she’s on a resistance mission and is almost killed?

Each chapter would end with a character saying they’re going on a journey or somethings about to happen and the next chapter would just cut straight to AFTER that event had happened. So whilst it should’ve been exciting to read it just kept falling flat instead. It was a weird read. No idea what the aim was. Don’t write historical fiction if you’re not going to research lol.

[Marni Ribnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story and found myself rooting for different characters along the way. Just when I thought I had something figured out in the story, I found out I was wrong - some very clever twists! Typically I am not a fast reader, but this held my attention and I finished it in record time.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Lake Union publishers for this book.

I usually enjoy World War II books set in the 1940s but this one was not one of them. It had so much potential but I just couldn't finish it. I thought I would enjoy it since it was about women entertaining for the USO overseas. Again, I'm in the minority of not enjoying this book by reading the reviews.

This book just wasn't going anywhere for me.

[Julia B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most recent addition to my collection of World War II historical fiction, The Long Path Home audiobook was honestly a really fun and interesting experience, mostly because the audiobook narrator did such a great job with old-timey accents (as well as European ones), and the plot moved so fast it was like a soap opera for my ears. But far and away the best thing about this book is its protagonist. Vi is simultaneously so fresh, clever, and relatable without ever losing her unique edge. Her backstory is heartbreaking, and yes, a bit Bollywood-y; but Vi's emotions feel so real that empathizing with her is truly effortless. I was so attached to her by the end. All I wanted was her happiness. She's probably the best-written protagonist I have read in a very long time.

There are some small things that add up to hold this book back from being 5 stars. While I think Lindseth actually did an amazing job capturing the atmosphere and lingo of the 40s, the plot and the characters are often a little too extreme to be believable. This can work in some books, but since Vi is so realistic and multi-dimensional she kind of makes all the other characters look dull and fake by comparison. A great example of this is her eventual love interest, Sergeant Ansel Danger, a name that is way too silly to ever take seriously. He is, for the most part, an incredibly flat stoic soldier archetype that is played completely straight, which makes him an absolutely terrible match for Vi. I only started warming up to him by Chapter 31, because he dropped some real truth bombs in that chapter and brought the important theme of self-forgiveness up for Vi's character development, not because I liked anything about him, really.

Sergeant Danger became a persistent problem for me because Vi's story could never be fulfilled by a love interest. Mostly the tension that needed to be resolved was between her and her family, especially her older sister and her young son. This is where the story started and it is also where it ended. So seducing Ansel is a side quest, at best. But the amount of time spent on it is a bit egregious, especially considering that Vi's friendship with Marcie, which is far more integral to the plot, is completely sidelined for the romance. I never truly believed that Vi was close to Marcie because Sergeant Danger is constantly getting in the way and the reader never gets to spend any time with her.

Now I understand this all sounds very harsh for a 4-star review, so I do want to clarify that while the plot is melodramatic, it's also compelling. And though Sergeant Danger is boring, he is also very benign. Nothing is done badly. It can just be done better. Lindseth's potential is huge, so I hope she keeps writing, because I want more.

[Kymm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Long Path Home by Ellen Lindseth was one I got on Kindle Unlimited and not one I'd heard of before. It was a good story, but fell a bit flat for me. Although it had all the necessary parts to make it an edge of your seat read, it felt slow to me and I never really felt anything for the majority of the characters. I don't know if it was the writing style or what, but the story line and the plot were there, just didn't do it for me.

After leaving her hometown in Ohio in shame and now estranged from her family Violet Ernte enters the world of burlesque in Chicago where she changes her name to Lily and becomes the star of the show. She's always dreamed of dancing on Broadway, but for now the burlesque stage is where she's happy. After she gets caught up in a crime she didn't commit she needs to get out of town and away from the investigation, a mobster has been killed and her greatest fear isn't the police investigation it's the mob retaliation she could face if caught. So she decides to join the USO and tour war torn Italy while dancing for the troops. The catch is she's to keep her eye out for the Chicago mob bosses daughter who is also in the dance troupe.

She changes her name again this time to Virginia Heart and she loves her new gig. The faces of the satisfied soldiers after a show enlighten her and make her realize perhaps everything she's gone through in her life, all the mistakes she's made have brought her here to do good and she hopes for redemption and a second chance at life. Until she meets Sgt. Danger and gets involved in a scheme to uncover tons of gold stolen by the Nazi's from the Italian people. Soon she's back at her old tricks of using men to get what she wants and finds herself in a predicament she almost doesn't survive.

The book is the story of a women looking for a second chance to make up for her past mistakes, a woman who needs to move on in life and is just looking for a way to do it. She keeps her secrets close to her heart and takes her job of "babysitting" the mob bosses daughter safe very seriously. She even becomes really close to this girl and will do what it takes to deliver her back to her family when this war is all over. Like I said the book was good, just seemed slow to me. I kept waiting for that big bang moment, that didn't really come. I enjoyed the character of Violet/Lily/Virginia, she was a strong female who was willing to do what it took to regain her confidence and pride in otherwise tough circumstances. Happy Reading!

[Mark taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for fair and honest review form NetGalley


The Long Way Home, tells the story of Vi a burlesque dancer in Chicago who ran away from home when she was fifteen, after getting pregnant, by her sisters fiancée. The book opens after a show when Vi goes to a a house with a hit man, while there instead of having sex with him Vi uses a drug to knocked him out, she then leaves only to find the next day that the person she drugged was killed and Vi is wanted by the police for the murder. The only way Vi has of getting out of Chicago is arranged by her friend and boss Sal who Arranges for Vi to help protect the the daughter of a Mafia boss whose daughter has run away to work with the USO to entertain the American troops in Europe.

The main character Vi has grown up, in her time on in Chicago but the life she has led is not want the USO want in their shows, so she has to take on a new persona however this can lead to even more trouble not only with her fellow cast members as well as Sargent Danger a GI who is their to help the cast while they are in a war zone.

The story Arc of The Long Way Home could have been a basic redemption story of the main character. However what the writer Ellen Lindseth does is take This well known basic story were you learn about USO in World War II and turns it in to a war thriller.

I can highly recommend you should read Ellen Lindseth latest book The Long Way home.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Long Path Home, by Ellen Lindseth, is set in Chicago during World War 2. It follows the path of Violet, or Vi, a girl who once acted in a reproachable manner, wrongly becomes the chief suspect in a murder investigation and flees to Europe to hide. While she’s in Europe, Vi takes on a new persona - playing a show girl who entertains the troops with the USO. There's some interesting material here about the USO, as well as a romance and a thriller of sorts. Defiant and resilient, Vi is used to taking risks. This time it’s for redemption and you want things to work out for her. To love, and to be loved. And for a second chance at a future she thought was lost forever.

This is an exciting read and grips you from the start. There is so much more to Vi than and you want things to work out for her. Falling in love, shot by partisans in Italy and saving a number of lives, Vi is an amazingly brave woman who always tries to do the right thing. The conclusion to her story gives a chance of hope and a happy ending. This story is an enjoyable read, one that certainly won't disappoint and will appeal to fans of historical fiction. I recommend The Long Path Home to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Canette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was mediocre and it took a while to warm up to the protagonist, and even by the end, I didn’t feel that strong of a connection to the heroine.

I feel that there is an unspoken rule that if you’re going to write a piece of WW2 fiction, you need to be writing about relatively obscure aspects of it, instead of including mainstream WW2 events. That genre is saturated and repetitive as it is. That wasn’t the case here, though, and that gave me the impression that it was poorly researched. The nods to that era in this book are typical and so off-the-top-of-one’s-head.

This was also shelved as romance for some reason even though it wasn’t a huge part of the book. The side characters and their relationship to the protagonist were underdeveloped. The story wrapped up abruptly, too.

It ticked all the boxes for historical fiction, but everything was sort of not so well done. Actually, maybe it fell flat because it was trying to accomplish so many things at the same time: character growth, a romance, female friendships, an espionage plot, a Mob conspiracy, a USS show, keeping a showgirl on the line, familial reconciliation. Even the synopsis felt like it packed too much.

This is however an overall enjoyable read if you take the story at face value.

[J.E. Leak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn into this story from the start and my interest never waned. I love WWII era novels, and I loved this author’s writing style. I never felt like “Oh, the author just put that era appropriate tidbit in there to show how much research she’d done.” No, everything flowed very organically and the era was painted effortlessly into the story.

The protagonist’s storyline was believable to me as Vi progressed from under age and on the streets, to wise beyond her years woman on the run from a murder she didn’t commit. A deal made by her underworld boss in exchange for protection, lands her in the USO keeping an eye on a mobster’s daughter as the troupe heads to Italy to entertain the troops.

A case of mistaken identity and a keen sense of impending danger forces Vi into action as she struggles to protect her charge from the shadowy intrigue swirling around their tour.

In the end, it’s a novel about regret, love, and redemption, and the courage to believe in yourself, even if you think you don’t deserve it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Carolyn Huckfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vi is a burlesque performer but she has had to be a prostitute, dancer and performer for men under the name of Lily Lamour. There is so much to Vi than that though, the reason she had to reinvent herself was that pregnant at 15 she ran away from home and her little son has been adopted out of her world. The Second World War and a dead mafia man have put everything at risk.
Her old friend Sol offers a way out of a tricky situation by going on a dancing and singing tour to entertain the troops whilst protecting a mafia chief’s daughter on the tour.
This is an exciting read and grips you from the start. There is so much depth to Vi and you want things to work out for her. Falling in love, shot by partisans in Italy and saving a number of lives Vi is an amazingly brave woman who always tries to do the right thing.
The conclusion to her story gives a chance of hope and a happy ending.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different WWII novel! Vi ran away from home at 15 (for good reason) and supported herself in Chicago as a dancer until one night she found herself in a very nasty situation. Luckily, her boss knows someone who can help her- all she has to do is protect Marcie, the daughter of a Mob boss who has run away to join the USO. There's some interesting material here about the USO, as well as a romance (with Ansel) and a thriller of sorts when Marcie is threatened. You might shake your head about Vi at the start but by the end you will be rooting for her. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a quick read with good characters that will appeal to fans of historical fiction.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different WWII novel! Vi ran away from home at 15 (for good reason) and supported herself in Chicago as a dancer until one night she found herself in a very nasty situation. Luckily, her boss knows someone who can help her- all she has to do is protect Marcie, the daughter of a Mob boss who has run away to join the USO. There's some interesting material here about the USO, as well as a romance (with Ansel) and a thriller of sorts when Marcie is threatened. You might shake your head about Vi at the start but by the end you will be rooting for her. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a quick read with good characters that will appeal to fans of historical fiction.

[Perrin Larton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh...what a ride! From a runaway, to becoming a burlesque dance in Chicago, to a possible murderess, to a USO performer in WWII Italy, this book just didn't disappoint. So many different topics...I want to recommend this book to everyone who enjoys historical romantic suspense, especially the WWII era.

I've never read Ellen Lindseth before and I was pleasantly surprised at the excellent background she gives of the time. You can tell she's done her homework about the time, the treatment of women, and how one must make their own 'luck' when confronted with issues beyond their control. An amazing read. This won't be the last book by this author I'll be reading!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a free Kindle download.

I love books with a strong female protagonist, but Violet bothered me a lot. There were only a handful of chapters without descriptions of her worrying about her past and how she could “never hope to have the kind of future...” I felt that the plot was slow to get going. It plateaued during the basic training section (the PASSPORT). The actual plot was figured out by Violet in outbursts to army officers— who would’ve let her rant and ramble that long??— faster than anything else in the book. The parts that should’ve gone faster dragged, and the parts that should’ve taken more time were sped through.

[Hilary Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I began reading this book I wasn’t sure where it was going but it was intriguing. Violet having ran away from home as a teenager is in a world that is far from the one she was brought up in. A sudden change of events finds her having to be hurried out of Chicago and off to Italy which is still in the final years of WW2. Here she finds new friends, new hope and new love but not before she has to face her past.
I enjoyed this book but felt it teetered off towards the end. At times I wasn’t entirely sure where the author was going with her story and what I felt should’ve happened didn’t quite. Good story lines seems to fade into less than what they could’ve been. That aside it’s still an enjoyable read.

[Clazzzer C · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Long Path Home is set in Chicago in World War 2. It follows the path of Violet, or Vi, a girl who although has acted in a reproachable manner, incorrectly becomes the chief suspect in a murder investigation and flees to Europe to hide. While there she must pose as a show girl and entertain the troops, a career which doesn't come as second nature to her. While there she makes friends and gets a second chance. This story is about redemption as well as writing as a World War 2 thriller. It's a very enjoyable read, one that certainly won't disappoint.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love WWII fiction, and I loved The Long Path Home. Vi is an unusual, spunky heroine, and like a cat, she apparently has a number of lives. She's lived several and experienced a lot by the time she turns twenty-one and circumstances force her into yet another persona, this time as a USO dancer. Sent to Italy to entertain the troops as part of a Broadway style revue, she encounters unexpected danger, adventure, friendship, and love. I read this through without stopping and loved it. Very engaging and realistic characters. Just wish it hadn't ended!

[Carol Hatch · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many 4 and 5 star reviews

I’m seem to be one of the first to give The Long Path Home only 3 stars. Perhaps I’m just too critical, but I had a difficult time buying into the storyline. I also had a hard time believing that Vi, the main character, was a mere 21 yeas old. It’s hard to believe that anyone could be personally so totally screwed- up on the one hand and yet wise beyond her years as she became involved in a highly sophisticated international espionage situation. Oh well, this was historical fiction, and liberties are expected.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a different take on a historical novel about WWII. In this one the protagonist is an exotic dancer and former prostitute who has to get out of town (Chicago) in a hurry when she is framed for the murder of a mafioso. So, she joins the USO and is soon in Europe dancing for the soldiers. I didn't find her character super believable and her likability factor varied during the story, but there was a lot of exciting action in the book as she inadvertently gets involved in espionage in Italy. 3.5 stars

[Katherine Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy Read

This was a fast read about a wayward girl that ends up in a USO troupe during World War II. She goes on an adventure after making doe eyes at a sergeant that was helping the group. It’s a nice story that gets wrapped up in a pretty bow.
The writing, I feel, is directed at young adult, but does have some very adult content.
I was given this book by Goodreads in exchange for my review.

[beauty_andbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I really struggled to get through this book. I think overall I wanted more of the romance side of the book and not so much the spy/war resistance plot lines. The characters were all very unique and likable which was great. The overall plot was sub-par though. I see the underlying message of the book but it just fell flat for me.

*thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for a free copy to review

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, the air and publisher for the ARC of The Long Path Home. All opinions are my own.

Well written, a different take on a WWll era story. While some of the story seemed to drag a bit for me, I did enjoy it. The characters were interesting and I especially enjoyed the intrigue they were involved in.
4 stars

[Lucy Meeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I can't recall a book that put my stomach in knots like a roller coaster like this one. Just when I thought I had it figured out the ride takes off again. A really neat, imaginative WWII story with richly developed characters that make me feel like I was there. Very well-written, Highly recommended.

[Aida Alberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart warming. Just the type of story we need with all the unending tragedy we are facing today. It's full of hope. It's a little intense. It's wonderfully written. So definitely a must read. Happy reading! #TheLongPathHome #NetGalley

[Anna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way home

I received this book from Goodreads. A great historical story set during world war II, was hard not to go along the main character journey to realize that home was the place to begin.