An Act of Love

by Carol Drinkwater

France, 1943.

Forced to flee war ravaged Poland, seventeen-year-old Sara and her parents find refuge in a dilapidated house in the French Alps. On first glance it seems the perfect hideaway.

But soon the Nazis close in, casting a shadow over Sara's blissful summer and her blossoming romance with handsome local villager Alain.

Eventually the family must make a harrowing choice, one that could drive them apart forever and risk several lives.

Will they make it through the summer?

Will the family find each other again?

And can Sara hold onto the love she has found with Alain?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, World War II

443 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2021

About the author

Carol Drinkwater is an Anglo-Irish actress, author and filmmaker.

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I was tossed back and forth with this book, which makes it difficult to rate.
Sara, a 17 year old Jewish girl arrives with her parents at a village in the French Alps near the Italian border to hide away from the Germans. She has a nice summer with friends and her first love. Then the family needs to move on because the Germans are getting nearer. She and her parents get separated. After doing a job for the resistance she ends up in the UK and does more resistance work from there.
It's nicely written, but there are improbabilities to say the least. I don't want to go into them because they'd be spoilers. I know I'm very critical on WWII novels. I don't mind them being fiction with a historical background, but even the fiction must be plausible at all times.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

#AnActOfLove
By Carol Drinkwater

- A sweeping and evocative love story about bravery and courage in our darkest hours -

The author was so inspired by a true story that took place in 1943 in ‘Switzerland of the Alpes-Maritimes’, that she felt compelled to write a novel based on that wartime summer. Though entirely fictional, it has been crafted on the inspiration gleaned on the history of the stunning village, whilst she was visiting the area herself.
‘An Act of Love’ was superbly told with a beautiful voice and with immense atmospheric detail. Packed with emotion and tragedy of the era, it was impossible to not form an affinity with the characters. Sara was such a strong young woman, only just turning seventeen, with the intelligence and compassion of a much older adult. I was rooting constantly for her and Alain to survive the war and the imminent German invasion, so they could become the couple they so desired to be. Sara’s determination in the belief she would see her Jewish parents again, was heartbreaking and my heart truly went out to the refugees fleeing for their lives.
I was drawn in instantly with the bus journey through the stunning scenery as it travelled through the winding roads of the mountains. A real page turner, I was captivated by the tenderly written words and knowing it was inspired from a true life story made it all the more fascinating. I thought the ending very befitting and always admire stories that feature unsung anonymous heroes, who were just as responsible for aiding the war as any frontline fighter.
Evocatively written and with authentic descriptions of the location, era and emotions, I loved this book and can highly recommend.
5 stars

Carol Drinkwater is a multi award winning actress and author of her quartet of memoirs set on her olive farm in the South of France, which sold over a million copies worldwide. She has also published three standalone fictional novels.
You can find more on the author and how to buy #AnActOfLove from the following link - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/306/3...

Thank you to Sriya Varadharajan and Penguin books for inviting me on the #BookTour and supplying me with a copy of the book in return for an honest opinion.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many of Carol Drinkwater's previous books, both her non-fiction series set on her olive farm in the South of France, and her fictional novels. She's an author whom I admire, I've enjoyed reading her books, and have to say that this new novel; An Act of Love is my favourite of them all.

I was utterly engrossed in Sara's story from the opening paragraphs, as she lays in bed, surrounded by her loved ones, at the end of her life. The reader knows from this short prologue that Sara has such a story to tell.

Sara and her parents arrive at a small village in Alpes-Maritimes, France. It is early spring 1943 and this small family have had a dangerous and arduous journey that has taken a long time, stopped in many places and it seems that this isolated mountain village will be their next home. For how long, nobody knows. Sara and her parents are Polish Jews, driven out of their home by the invasion of the German forces. Labelled and targeted because of their heritage, and destined for almost certain death if they are caught.

The villagers are welcoming, and whilst the Italian army are there, in charge, they turn a blind eye to the newcomers. The village has become a safe haven for Sara and her people, almost fifty per cent of the population are now immigrants. Whilst still afraid, and worried about their future, the family find allies and friends, and Sara, at just seventeen years old, soon becomes an integral part of village life. She finds people to trust, and one to love. However, it is clear that the Germans are advancing, and the family will need to move on.

When the Nazis arrive, decisions are taken and Sara finds herself alone. As she hides away, whilst trying to protect others, less stronger, the tension increases.

Sara's life is just beginning and her future holds such dangers that she could never have imagined, whilst all the time, pining for her family, and her lost love. She is no longer able to be 'Sara' and in order to survive, she must forget everything and everyone she knows and loves and create a new being.

An Act of Love is a compelling and impeccably researched novel, based around real-life incidents that took place in 1943. The author draws such wonderfully realistic characters set in an evocative setting. This is a story of love and loss, of bravery and daring. It is a tale of sacrifice in a plot that dances with intrigue.

This heartfelt and emotional story is more so because it is based on the truth. I was on tenterhooks throughout this powerful novel. Highly recommended.

[LindyLouMac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Carol Drinkwater's writing about her life on The Olive Farm in the south of France and have also always admired her as an actress. However, this is the first novel of hers that I have read, having only recently discovered just what a prolific fiction writer she is.

'An Act of Love' set in France during WWII contains wonderfully descriptive writing, so the reader gets a great sense of time and place throughout.

A sensitively told story about illicit love, woven around the life of the young protagonist Sara, as she arrives in a small village in Alpes Maritime France in the spring of 1943. Fictional but as it is based on real events that occurred in the region, it feels even more realistic and emotional.

In my opinion a worthwhile read for anyone that enjoys a tenderly written novel set in this period.

https://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogsp...

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the latest brilliantly written historical novel from author and actress Carol Drinkwater, whose writing I have admired for many years now.

Set in a small village in the Alps during The Occupation, we follow Sara’s war journey from adolescent refuge, whose family are given lodgings in a small mountain village, to a life filled with danger when change was forced upon them once more.

In this beautifully descriptive book, it was easy to visualise the village and the mountains, and to feel Sara’s emotions. In the small mountain community, we meet those who are prepared to fight, those who crave acceptance, whatever the cost, those who care and those who are driven to do what they can, no matter the consequences. As the changing of the seasons mirrored Sara’s maturity, I could feel her determination to fit in, her frustrations at her parent’s reluctance to embrace their new haven of peace, as well as her fear of change, and strength of character.

Carol’s words painted a vivid picture of the Occupation in the south of France and the situation of the Jewish refugees. Things here were very different to Paris, but no less shocking, and the liberation came later than on the northern coast, something I hadn’t fully appreciated before. Sara’s story gripped my attention and I lost hours among the pages, my heart in my mouth, fearing for her safety. There was a plot twist that totally took me by surprise and in one particularly moving scene Carol gave death a sense of peace and beauty that I’d not experienced before.

This book will stay with me for a long while. I may have finished reading it, but I’m not ready to let Sara leave me just yet.

[Laura Besley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why do we read? Why do you read? The reason I read is because I want to be swept up in the lives of characters I've grown to love and root for; I want to be taken to a place that I may never be able to see with my own eyes, but through the eyes of the characters, feel I've been to; and I want to learn something that I didn't even know I wanted to learn. This is why, for me, An Act of Love was the perfect book.

Sara is a wonderful character and along with the fear that she lived with on a day-to-day basis, she was also 'just' a teenage girl learning about herself and her place in the world. It would be easy to make her perfect, but what I think Drinkwater has done perfectly, is make Sara flawed. There were times I was frustrated with her and the things she did or didn't do, said or didn't say, felt or didn't feel, but then I remembered that these are the best characters; the ones who don't act the way they should, but act the only way they can.

An Act of Love is set in La Ville-Vésubie, a small village high in the French Alps. Not only is place extremely important in this novel due to its historical background, but it plays an important role in the development of Sara's character. As she learns more about her surroundings - the plants and trees, animals and waterholes - we feel her embedding in her makeshift home.

Through Drinkwater's adept storytelling of Sara, I have learned about the unique history of the Alpes-Maritimes department in WWII. Years ago I read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay about the rounding up of Jews in Paris in 1942. That is a story that has always stayed with me and I know An Act of Love will be joining it.

Beautiful, eye-opening and compelling, An Act of Love is a book not to be missed.

[Mariam Salahudeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is a well written book, I loved the descriptions of the french alps! I liked the lead character and her need for normalcy during troubled times.
But the first half of the book dragged on and at times I forgot that I was reading a book set during World War 2. It picked up during the latter half and kept me going.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara’s Polish Jewish family is on the run.

I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by Carol Drinkwater, but An Act of Love surpasses them all. It’s a beautiful read, perfectly crafted, romantic and exciting so that it holds the reader entranced.

In An Act of Love Carol Drinkwater creates such vivid imagery that I was totally transported to her settings. Rich and varied language caused me to inhabit Sara’s mind rather than merely read about her so that I travelled with her and experienced every nuance of the senses with her. There’s an almost filmic quality to the prose that is sumptuous. I thought this was just fantastic.

A glorious plot blends fact and fiction to perfection with an authenticity I found spell binding. Frequent hooks at the end of chapters draw the reader into the narrative so that it is impossible not to want to read on. An Act of Love is an exciting read too with considerable peril and pulse elevating action, particularly in the second half of the novel. The burgeoning and frustrated love Sara feels for Alain is so sensitively wrought that its intensity gives a feeling of yearning, a kind of tristesse that is highly emotional, so the atmosphere that really penetrates the reader’s mind. I thought the balance of action, emotion and characterisation was simply wonderful.

I loved meeting Sara. From the very first page to the last, I was on her side, desperate for her to be happy; not just to survive, but to thrive. Her bravery, her stoicism, her foolishness, her gaucheness and her determination make her a truly identifiable heroine. As Carol Drinkwater blends her protagonist’s character with themes of identity and belonging, with complete understanding of what it means to be displaced, to be an outsider, An Act of Love becomes so much more than a sweeping, carefully researched, saga of the Second World War, but rather is a rich tapestry of life relevant to all eras and to any person. I found this an emotional and compelling facet of the book.

Immersive, engaging and achingly beautifully written, An Act of Love is a book for the reader to lose themselves in, to travel through time and location until the current world seems to have melted away and they are living another life. I absolutely loved it and think it is Carol Drinkwater’s best book to date.

[Veronique Wilbrink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deze recensie is eerder verschenen op Koukleum.nl.

Het verhaal begint in het heden, er ligt een vrouw, Sara, op sterven. Ze hoopt op vergiffenis voor de vele fouten die ze begaan heeft en ze heeft een man vermoord. Dit weten haar zonen niet. Ze vraagt zich af hoe haar zonen over haar zouden denken als ze dit van haar wisten? Hierna gaan we terug in de tijd en zijn we in 1943. Het verhaal begint dat de hoofdpersonen in een bus zitten en een berg oprijden met duizelingwekkende haarspeldbochten. Ze komen in een dorp aan, boven in de Franse Alpen. Het lijkt het einde van de wereld. Hier moeten ze toch wel veilig zijn. Er zijn al meer dan vijfhonderd vluchtelingen opgenomen in dit kleine dorpje en er is eigenlijk geen plek meer, echter worden ze toch opgenomen en dat is ook meteen de toon van het verhaal. In ieder geval in het eerste deel. Ondanks het dreigende gevaar, voelt het gezin van Sara zich gelukkig in dit Franse dorpje. Ze kunnen redelijk vrij leven en merken hier weinig van de oorlog. Maar dan komen er geruchten dat de Nazi’s ook hun afgelopen dorpje steeds dichter naderen en merk je dat het verhaal een andere toon krijgt.

Drinkwater omschrijft de omgeving en de emoties erg uitgebreid hierdoor kun je je heel goed in de personages verplaatsen, maar zie je ook de omgeving levendig voor je. Door deze uitgebreide omschrijving leest het verhaal traag, echter dit past bij dit verhaal. Het is een idyllisch dorpje, waar alles goed lijkt te zijn. Sara is er gelukkig en begint er haar leven als jonge vrouw. Ze ontdekt de liefde en weet dat ze hier zou willen blijven.

Als de oorlog ook tot dit kleine Alpendorpje doordringt, merk je dat er ook meer vaart in het verhaal komt. Er komt meer spanning in het verhaal en hierdoor gebeurt er ook meer. Dit zorgt ervoor dat je het boek vanaf dat moment echt niet meer weg kunt leggen. Door de beeldende schrijfstijl, leef je heel erg met Sara mee en je merkt dat ze van verlegen en jong meisje uitgroeit tot een stoere, dappere, jonge vrouw. Sara is het personage waar het verhaal eigenlijk om draait. En doordat ze, op het moment dat de nazi’s dichterbij komt, uit liefde en dankbaarheid iets doet (wat lees je natuurlijk in het verhaal), gaan haar ouders alleen op de vlucht, om ze later te treffen in veilig gebied. Echter, dit wordt lastig. Als het tijd wordt voor Sara om te vluchten, moet ze dit op een niet alledaagse manier doen, en hierdoor komt ze in aanraking met het verzet. Op deze manier zal ze de overige oorlogstijd ook meemaken.

Dan komt ze soms mensen tegen die ze liever niet meer tegen zou komen, omdat ze niet weet of ze die kan vertrouwen. En moet ze een alternatief pad kiezen en keuzes maken die niet meteen haar eerste keus waren, zoals uiteindelijk een man vermoorden om haar eigen leven te redden. Het is een verhaal met maar een gedeeltelijk happy end en dat vind ik persoonlijk ook passend bij dit verhaal. Als alles goed zou aflopen, zou dit afbreuk doen aan het verhaal. Als je van oorlogsverhalen houdt, die niet in een alledaagse setting verteld worden, dan kan ik ‘Een daad van liefde’ alleen maar aanraden.

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really evocative and powerful historical romance, that gives you a glimpse at life amidst the fear of war. Set in France, a young family are seeking shelter after having to flee Poland and they soon find themselves part of a new community and wondering where life will take them next.

The story is told as Sara looks back over her life, surrounded by her family, and is dealing with regrets from the past. As she shares what happened to her during 1943 we get to see what life was like for the Polish Jews forced to flee and hide, all to avoid death.

She was 17 at the time, so life in the new French village where the locals welcomed them, was something very different. There's even some optimism about their future - that soon turned to dread as events from the War took a darker turn and got closer to where they were. She gets herself a job looking after children for a local family, but you can sense they never feel settled because of that unknown element of will they continue to be safe.

I really felt the trepidation and fear of Sara as she found herself living a new life with a new identity, and helping with the war effort in whatever way she could. The hope that her time spent with Alain gave her really does steady her mind and gives her some kind of security, but you know she's always wary of feeling too settled anywhere.

The characters and settings are really brought to life throughout, and that dread of never knowing what was around the corner comes through loud and clear. The realities of life, often hopeful, often cruel, are really explored throughout this beautifully written book.

[Tatiana Wijngaarde · Rating 3 out of 5]

In het begin van het verhaal heeft de schrijfster mij goed te pakken . Ik vond het heel spannend om te lezen . Maar iets over de helft van het boek vond ik het iets te langdradig worden ... wel jammer want het verhaal op zich vond ik wel heel interessant.

[Annelies leest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankrijk, 1943
Na hun vlucht uit hun thuisland Polen, komt Sara Rosenbaum samen met haar ouders terecht in een bergdorpje in Frankrijk. In La Ville-Vésubie denken ze veilig te zijn en in het huis dat ze krijgen toegewezen proberen ze hun leven terug op te pakken. Sara lijkt de zomer van haar leven te beleven, ze maakt nieuwe vrienden, leert zwemmen en er ontluikt een mooie liefde tussen haar en Allain. Maar wanneer de nazi’s steeds dichter komen en hun vredige leventje in het bergdorp in gevaar komt moeten er keuzes gemaakt worden. Zal Sara samen met haar ouders vluchten of kiest ze voor de liefde?

Niet eerder las ik over de veilige bergdorpjes in de Alpen, die in de Tweede Wereldoorlog vluchtelingen opvingen, het onderwerp vond ik dan ook erg intrigerend. Carol Drinkwater doet haar best om de dreiging en angst die de Joden constant ervaren goed neer te zetten, doch bleef ik wat op mijn honger zitten. De korte hoofdstukken komen traag op gang en lezen langzaam weg. Ik miste wat spanning, onverwachte gebeurtenissen en bovenal meer feitjes over het overleven in de bergdorpen. Jammer genoeg was Een daad van liefde niet wat ik ervan verwacht had. Maar...misschien had ik gewoonweg de verkeerde verwachtingen?

Vind mij ook op Instagram @annelies_leest.

[Sjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeer indrukwekkend, alleen vond ik het eind wat afgeraffeld.

[Mabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly addictive novel from Carol set the Second World War. Sara and her family fled from Poland to France and were supported by the locals, but life was full of danger and constantly changing as the Germans sought out all Jews. It was a fascinating read and very descriptive as you could feel the oppressive atmosphere and danger they all were in. Even in this terrible time romance reared it’s head.

[Sarah - Sarah's Vignettes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review at sarahsvignettes.wordpress.com

*My thanks to the publisher for sending me an early copy of the book in return for this honest review.

Carol Drinkwater is one of my favourite writers. I have read and loved her Olive Farm series of memoirs and three of her adult fiction novels: The Forgotten Summer, The Lost Girl, and The House on the Edge of the Cliff. So imagine my excitement when an advanced proof copy of her latest novel, An Act of Love, landed on my doormat before Christmas. It was an early Christmas present.

I always knew that when I sat down to read it, I would want the time to fully immerse myself in it - Carol Drinkwater’s writing will make you want to do this. Fortunately, I read a good chunk over the Christmas holidays, and I am so pleased I carved out this time. What a story! As a fan of this author’s work, I felt honoured and privileged to have read it early on. I am in awe of what Carol Drinkwater has achieved with An Act of Love. I hope this review does the book justice.

Set in the summer of 1943, An Act of Love is a story of bravery, courage, first love, and finding yourself. It is told from the point of view of Sara, a 17-year-old displaced in France from her native Poland with her mother and father. At the beginning of the story, the family moves from Nice to Ville-Vesubie, a mountain village deemed safer than the coastal towns. It is also a potential route to safety in another country. Although Ville-Vesubie is fictitious for this story, it is not dissimilar to those villages in the Alps. Through Sara, we learn the story of Jewish refugees with no home/state, the free area of France during WW2, village life, the activities of the French Resistance.

From the way that Carol Drinkwater has written the story and how Sara’s character is crafted, it is clear that she walked in Sara’s shoes whilst writing her. It’s almost as though she has embodied her characters. This is a treat as a reader because I became Sara, living her journey and taking on on her emotions every time I opened the book. We, as readers, are invited to share Sara’s internal monologue, trusted with her innermost thoughts and feelings about the war, the villagers, her hopes for the future.

Carol Drinkwater’s level of observation of people and the natural world is as vivid and as deep as ever. As is her attention to detail. There is no doubt that she has spent hours sitting in one of the villages and watching the comings and going’s of the community. There is no detail left out, and her detailed description plays with each of our senses. Her experience both in front of and behind the camera is on every page. She has a way of writing that makes the reader feel like they’re looking through a camera lens, watching a film play out on the pages - I would love to see this story on screen.

It’s evident from reading An Act of Love that a vast amount of research has gone into this book. I love to read stories set in WW2, but I knew nothing about the Second World War in the south of France, how villagers in the mountains risked their own lives in attempt to keep the Jewish immigrants safe and how the war was in this part of France. It takes skill for a writer to craft a story around a wealth of research so it doesn’t feel like they are trying to show the reader how much research they have done. An Act of Love is a fine example of a fictional story expertly crafted around actual historical events.

An Act of Love has it all. From the elegant cover, the considerable amount of research, the skilfully crafted plot to the sophisticated writing, the believable characters and an incredible sense of place. In my opinion, this is Carol Drinkwater’s best book yet. I have loved all her previous work, but there is something about the depth in this book that is more profound. I mean, the fiction novels I mentioned above are excellent, but An Act of Love has raised the bar.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Sara and her parents arrive in a beautiful village as refugees in France 1943, they cannot believe their good fortune after their exile from Poland as Jews. A beautiful if deserted house, a community which seems to welcome them, a place of safety after their trials. Sara is sixteen, shy and wary in some respects, but desperate for friends, for normality. The discovery of what is really going on in the village, and the choices that she must make, gives real impetus to a book that is at times lyrical, at times honest, about Sara’s life and times.
This book is a subtle look at the realities of life in France during the second World War, both for refugees and those with deep links to the community and land. Drinkwater obviously knows and loves the area in which it is set, such are the descriptions of the flowers, plants and landscape which run throughout this novel. It is also excellent in regards to character, especially that of Sara, who is at first hesitant about a whole new way of life, then becomes committed to those around her and the dangers they run. Not that the author only describes the main protagonists; even the minor characters destined to only appear briefly in the narrative have telling details. The creation of a girl who is at first nervous of those around her but actually has great discernment about people and what motivates them is the great achievement of this novel, especially as it turns out that she must quickly find out who to trust. Her relationship with her parents is touching and truthful, as her beloved father counsels giving her freedom “as we don’t know how many summers she will have”. A book set in these circumstances could be depressing or worse, this book is neither. It breathes hope and love, subtle in many ways, unexpected and well paced. I was so very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this beautifully written book.
Sara is possibly best summed up in her own words “I had a million questions”, as she tells the story of the people of the village with the keen eye of a new observer. She notices the details, such as the friendly shopkeeper, the laundry woman in her several guises, the duplicity of a young woman who will always want more excitement rather than safety. Her increasing attraction to certain people, especially Alain, will have life changing results, while her concern for the children she is asked to care for while their mother is unwell will have long lasting implications. She discovers a mysterious house, and it is in the solitude of a secret place that she discovers a lot about the mysterious owners as well as herself.
This book has a pattern of the unexpected, and the plot is so well worked out, as the shadows of huge forces threaten, while the people, the flowers, the setting continue on, working out their patterns. Sara has a wonderful summer in many ways, but danger is ever present, even when she manages to forget for a few blissful hours. I really enjoyed this book for its honesty, its willingness to tackle difficult subjects, and yet also the evident impetus of Sara’s intelligent spirit. I really recommend this as a novel which is set in a time and circumstances much written of, but is so well written with the small details that make it seem new and spontaneous with this experienced writer.

[Stephan Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN ACT OF LOVE by CAROL DRINKWATER takes the reader on an emotional journey through war-torn France. Presented through the eyes of Sara, who has fled from her homeland of Poland, every twist and turn feels like it is happening for the first time, and this is what makes it the finest book that Carol has ever written.

There are many subjects that are told, and retold, with accuracy and meticulous attention to detail, but these can often end up being cold and detached. Carol however has managed to bring the whole period to astonishing life and has created a community of characters that are both believable and human.

You care what happens to the people, what happens to the village, and what happens to Sara’s family. You travel alongside the characters thanks to Carol Drinkwater’s incredible descriptions of scent and scenery. Your heart breaks as the realisation dawns that real life doesn’t always end happily, although peace can be found in those final moments.

In a similar way to her previous books, AN ACT OF LOVE is both cinematic and immersive. The story is told with compassion and eloquence, and you come away feeling that you have been allowed to take a privileged look at a family’s journey and also how it was to become an adult during wartime.

The final words surely belong to the lead character of Sara, “Souls are not trapped: they rise above the shackles.”

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

New insights into WW2...I have read many novels about this period of history but none that told me about the Italian and then the Nazi occupation of the Alpes Maritimes/Cote d'Azur area of France.
The story is told from the point of view of Polish, Jewish refugees finding sanctuary in this area and their subsequent lives.
The novel starts slowly, mirroring perhaps their quiet life in a rural mountainous area, but also adding touches of suspense about what may be to come.
The pace increases later in the book when the Nazis arrive.
The main character, Sara, develops and grows from her teenage years into young adulthood and we see her conflicted emotions as she considers her responsibilities to parents and those who have helped them in the locality. We also experience her love for Alain who plays a significant role in the story.
The other characters from the area are well drawn and one is almost transported into the main square with all its goings on, so much so that one thinks one knows everyone as a neighbour.
Carol Drinkwater has a truly amazing gift of creating a novel with an amazing sense of place and taking one there with her gorgeous descriptions of the landscape. Her imagination and empathy come to the fore in her writing, which is also no doubt based on strong historical and geographical research. Very well worth reading.

[Aileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik heb behoorlijk lang over dit boek gedaan. Het begin pakte me niet voldoende om echt zin te hebben om door te lezen. Ik had ook andere boeken liggen en deze ging wat naar de achtergrond. Ik bleef steeds kleine stukjes lezen en toen ik eenmaal over de helft was, pakte het boek me meer en meer. Het boek gaat over de Joodse Sara die samen met haar ouders uit Polen vlucht naar dit, op dat moment nog, veilige gebied in een bergdorp in Zuid Frankrijk. Sara wordt verliefd op de Franse Alain en ze maakt vrienden in het dorp. Na een tijd wordt duidelijk dat ook dit dorp niet langer ontkomt aan de nazi’s en Sara en haar ouders willen vluchten naar veilig gebied in Italie. Door een vraag die Sara wordt gesteld, komt ze in het verzet en haar ouders gaan vast vooruit. Zij worden al snel opgepakt en gedeporteerd naar Auschwitz (komt Sara later achter). Sara gaat spionagewerk doen en uiteindelijk overleefd ze, welliswaar zwaar beschadigd, de oorlog en komt ze terug in het bergdorp in Zuid Frankrijk, waar ze met een aantal mensen wordt herenigd. Mooi boek, maar omdat het begin zo langzaam is, voor mij 3/3.5 ⭐️

[Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read most of Carol's books and her writing is stronger with each effort. This story she has set in 1943 France in the Alps. Sara and her parents are Jews escaping the ravages of the Germans after fleeing their home in Poland. Sara's father is a doctor and plays an important role in the village they have become a part of. Sara makes herself useful as well, but her mother struggles with the circumstances she finds her family in. As Sara learns about the setting she now occupies, we see a picture of a lovely village in the mountains which Carol brings to life for us with her descriptive skills. The story is engaging and twists and turns, not always as the reader would prefer. Love and friendship prevail as we follow lives threatened and free through their course of challenge and survival.

[E.J. Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of France in WW2 fascinate me and this novel took me to an area of the country I know little about in the context of the conflict; the department of Alpes-Maritimes. Faithfully researched, the story follows refugees and their flight from northern Europe, skilfully woven with the efforts of the local residents and the Maquis as Italian troops withdraw and the Wermacht advances. An intriguing account of love, courage and loyalty is harshly contrasted with betrayal, cruelty and tragic loss.
Vivid descriptions of the alpine region inland from Nice, the mountainous route to the Italian border and the last days of the German occupation of the city form the backdrop for this engrossing narrative. It was a one day read for me.

[Rosalind McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am addicted to books about the German occupation of France and have read several non fiction accounts about villages in the Jura and the Alpes Maritimes which harbored Jewish children and families. I loved An Act of Love which tells Sara’s story and the story of the town in such convincing detail but avoids cliché. Carol Drinkwater’s writing is so engaging and draws you into a completely believable evocation of a time and place which must always be remembered. She makes Sara’s experiences immediate and balances the horror of her situation with her wish to be a teenager leading a carefree life. There is no sentimentality in her story telling and her characters absorb you in their dilemmas and dreadful experiences of les années sombres.

[Elaine Schroller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of hist fic set in out of the ordinary places - in this case the place is the lower reaches of the French Alps as the mountains tumble down to the Mediterranean. An Act of Love plays out mostly in and around a tiny hamlet in the Alpes-Maritimes where the inhabitants collectively agreed to shelter Jews during the German (and Italian) occupation of France. In some ways the storylines are predictable, albeit terrifying, because we know what could happen if Sara, the protagonist, and her parents are captured and deported. However, the sense of place is written so beautifully that I could imagine myself there, inhaling the scents of mountain flowers and gazing up to rocky peaks set against crystal blue skies.

[Lesley N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Carol Drinkwater's writing as it is so evocative of the south of France - you can almost smell the maquis. This was a part of the war about which I had no idea and it showed a more positive view of the French to foreigners; rather than reporting them to the authorities they actually looked after them. As well as the historical aspect this is a story about a girl on the cusp of womanhood, an only child, coping with constantly changing environments. The narrative can feel rather slow at times, but that is what makes it even more engrossing as the level of detail envelops the reader.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and enjoyable story set during WW II in the South of France. I found the descriptions of the area were how I remembered them having changed little over the years. I was swept along by the story of the struggles and heartbreak of the people who were living in fear of their lives. Expecting to be captured at any minute by the German invaders. The little town had become a haven for the refugees who were mainly Jewish families who had fled their own countries to what they thought was safety in the hillsides about the Cote d'Azure. They were taken in and aided by complete strangers but always had the fear of being discovered or betrayed.

[Marie Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful read from Carol Drinkwater.

An Act of Love is set in the South of France during World War Two. Sara and her parents are Polish refugees who have fled to France and are moved to a small mountain village for safety.

Sara settles well in the village, makes friends and enjoys a typical teenage summer, despite the constant worry that war brings.

However as summer ends and the German army advances towards the village tough decisions have to be made to survive and life for all villagers will change forever.

A story of courage, bravery and love and proof that, against the odds, good things can happen in the worst of situations.

Carol Drinkwaters writing style transports you to the South of France and makes you feel like you are a village bystander watching the story unfold. I really enjoyed this book.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reading Carol's books, they are always intriguing and her writing is very descriptive, this story is about Sara and her parents who have had to run away from Poland to France. It is set in 1943 and there is a war going on in Poland that forces them to run. In France they stay in a run down house tucked away in the Alps. In the Summer Sara even have a little romance going on with a local, but things don't always fall in to place and the Nazis are closing in, will the family be able to stay together or will they have to make an unbearable choice? I found this story a little slow but I liked how the story was told and the ending was good.

[Marie Quinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A proper story with a proper end.

I like a story that has a proper end, not one that leaves you wondering. To me it's like the author doesn't know how to complete it and it leaves the reader frustrated. An act of love ends properly. It's also an incredibly good read throughout. The story of a young Polish refugee and her family fleeing from their homeland and ending up in France, high up in a village in the mountains. A love story told so well can feel the electricity in the air between the them. The cruelty of the Nazi rule and the excitement of the resistances struggle. A story of fiction set in fact. Will definitely read more from this author.

[em · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one, the writing was beautiful and the setting was gorgeous, but I struggled to connect to the characters. I found myself often skim reading and wanting more information on what was happening and the general context of the political backdrop of the war. Drinkwater has a way with words, despite struggling to connect, I still found myself emotional at the end. I just wish I was able to love it more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #AnActofLove #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Angi Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a touching, sensitive and well written book this is.

We have a family of Polish Jews who are moving through necessity in the Second World War, and to a life fraught with danger and the possibility of death, if blind eyes begin to see.

I found my heart in my mouth throughout this novel. The writing is beautiful and evocative. It makes you truly feel and imagine you are there with the character seeing through her eyes.

This is a fantastic novel and I can’t recommend it enough.

With thanks to Chrissie Antoniou, and the author and publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book.