A Map Of Scars

by Moyra Sammut

From the back streets of Valletta in Malta, a chance discovery by her father forces Georgina Parker to make a decision that will change her life and of those around her. She finds herself on a path to self-discovery at the brink of WWII; a journey that takes her across the Mediterranean to the White Cliffs of Dover. Will her dream to join the war effort cost her everything? Will she ever find the true love she seeks among the machinations of war?

340 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2021

Reviews

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good premise

I liked the premise of this novel. I am a sucker for WWII historical fiction, especially if it involves the SOE and a wlw subplot. Unfortunately, I think this novel was let down by the editing. It needed a good going over. The dialogue was kind of stilted and lacked flow. The tags got in the way, and it was often repetitive, or used to bring other characters up to speed on something the reader already knows, or to info dump historical data. There was also an awful lot of telling.
The story really didn't get going properly until after the 40% mark. The first half of the novel could have been tightened up a lot without losing anything.
There seemed to be a great deal of detail given to certain things, such as a character making a cup of tea and a sandwich, but other things, like aspects of training felt almost skipped over hurriedly. That felt a little backwards.
I was also having trouble keeping track of the timeline, especially when it came to the invasion of France and taking of Paris. Things seemed a bit muddled, and that business of a German officer being in Paris before 14th June didn't sit right - even if it was sort of explained later - or liaising with Vichy France which wasn't established until July 1940.
There were a few other things too, like a pub being open at 11pm - they closed at 10pm in 1940.
I know I was supposed to care about the main character, George, but I couldn't make a connection. Perhaps because she seemed incapable of keeping it in her pants. Someone would only have to look at her and she'd end up having sex with them and then wondering how it happened, even cheating on her girlfriend, who forgave her in a heartbeat.
So overall, I would have liked to have made a better emotional connection with the characters, particularly George. I think if it was tightened up, given a fact check, and the dialogue made more natural it would make for a more enjoyable read. Alternatively, I might just know more about the time period than the average reader and others would skip over the stuff that jumped out at me.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

George, a young Maltese woman living in the 1930's used to frequent Malta's red light district dressed in man's clothing, to the Cairo, a bar where doing so went unquestioned until the night she returned home and was caught dressed in this manner by her father. Malta is a very catholic country and during that time these things were not accepted, thus George decided she needed to leave the small island and try her wings out in the UK. This decision led her on a journey of self discovery, introducing her to a life of certain freedom, meeting other women like herself and even meeting someone to love. She also joined the war effort and trained to become a spy for the British intelligence. However the war was tough and being a spy was even tougher, but being betrayed was tougher still. I really enjoyed reading this very authentic book, I particularly loved the nostalgic feelings it brought forth for me since I am Maltese, of a certain age and also a lesbian. I remember quite well the goings on in Strada Stretta where I grew up and could quite empathise with George's feelings of unacceptance, fear of being found out to be different and wanting to move to a country where she could acquire a bit of anonymity, however the black triangle the Nazis pinned on their lesbian prisoners unfortunately marked us as different for many years after the war ended and in some countries does so still! This is a book which will be enjoyed by gay people, those who enjoy reading about world war 2 and anyone interested in history and culture.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is long overdue as it’s been a while since I finished reading this book. What an amazing read 😍 it is beautifully written and really keeps a hold of the readers attention. I love the occasional Malta anecdotes that George reflects on even in such precarious situations. The storyline and plot are constantly evolving, never leaving a dull page to be read. A wonderful reflection on the struggle of LGBT identity and life as a woman during the war. Having become familiar with George as a main character, and given how this book ended, I’m quite keen and hoping for a sequel! Full and deserving credit to the author Moyra Sammut for this incredible read. As an avid reader, I would highly recommend this novel!

[Bledvar Albekell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has a promising story however it falls short of delivering character substance. The proofreading and editing is poor and can be annoying to the reader trying to understand the flow of the text. I "liked" the book but am hoping that should a sequel be on its way, improvements are necessary for giving a more engaging and historically accurate novel.