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Beyond a Broken Sky
Some secrets are better left buried...
2022. Stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan is called to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian Prisoner of War during WW2. It should be a quick job but when she and the owner's son, Nate Hartwell, discover a body underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel, Rhoda cannot let the mystery go. She knows what it's like to miss someone who is missing – her twin brother disappeared just before their eighteenth birthday, and she has been looking for him for nearly a decade. But when the threats start, it's clear someone doesn't want the secrets of Telton Hall to come to light.
1945. Alice Renshaw is in trouble. Sent away to hide her shame, she is taken in by Louise Hartwell who has a farm in Somerset worked by prisoners of war. As her belly grows, Alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone at Telton Hall is happy about it. And even though peace has been declared in Europe, the war at home is only just beginning...
2022. Stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan is called to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian Prisoner of War during WW2. It should be a quick job but when she and the owner's son, Nate Hartwell, discover a body underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel, Rhoda cannot let the mystery go. She knows what it's like to miss someone who is missing – her twin brother disappeared just before their eighteenth birthday, and she has been looking for him for nearly a decade. But when the threats start, it's clear someone doesn't want the secrets of Telton Hall to come to light.
1945. Alice Renshaw is in trouble. Sent away to hide her shame, she is taken in by Louise Hartwell who has a farm in Somerset worked by prisoners of war. As her belly grows, Alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone at Telton Hall is happy about it. And even though peace has been declared in Europe, the war at home is only just beginning...
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2022
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July 18, 2022
Beyond a Broken Sky by Suzanne Fortin was the second book I have had the pleasure of reading by this talented and accomplished author. I had previously read All That We Have Lost and enjoyed it very much so I was excited to read her new book. Beyond a Broken Sky was both gripping and engrossing. This well plotted novel drew me in immediately. I hated to have to put this book down. The characters were rich and well developed. I appreciated the dual time that alternated between 2022 and 1945 that Suzanne Fortin chose for the backdrop of this well researched novel. It was fast paced and helped me learn about some new things that occurred during World War II that I did not possess a lot of prior knowledge of.
In 2022, an English farm, Telton Hall, located in Somerset, England, that had been in the Hartwell family for generations, was about to be sold. There was a compulsory purchase order and developers were planning to build new housing on the property. Jack Hartwell was not pleased with this prospect and was still trying to fight it. Telton Hall was the only home Jack had ever known. Jack’s son Nate had grown up there as well. Rhoda Sullivan, a stained glass expert from Singlewood Museum in West Sussex had just arrived to assess the stained glass window in the chapel that was located on the property of Telton Hall. After some coaxing from Rhoda and Jack’s son, Nate, Rhoda, Nate, Jack and Jack’s dog, Tink, trudged up to the chapel to view the stained glass windows. The entire chapel was scheduled to be disassembled and moved to the grounds of the Singlewood Museum but first Rhoda had to remove the windows so she could repair them. Rhoda learned that one of the prisoners of war that lived on the farm sometime between 1945 and 1947 had made the windows. Suddenly, Tink, Jack’s little dog, started yelping and scratching at the floor at the side of the chapel. Tink had discovered a gap in the stones and scampered down into the hole. After Nate and Rhoda got Tink out, Rhoda discovered that there was a skeleton down there. Who could it be? Was it one of the Prisoners of War? Rhoda’s twin brother had gone missing just before their eighteenth birthdays. She had spent the last ten years searching for him. Rhoda was determined to find out whose remains the skeleton was so that that family could have some closure. Shortly after discovering the skeleton and the start of their quest to look for answers, Rhoda and Nate started to receive serious threats. Someone really wanted them to drop their investigation about the skeleton they discovered but Rhoda and Nate became even more determined to get to the bottom of it as a result. Who could want them to stop and why? What was someone afraid of?
In 1945, Alice Renhaw was eighteen years old and was smitten with an American soldier that was stationed by her home. When Alice found herself in a family way, she shared her news with her American soldier. Unfortunately, his reaction was not what Alice had anticipated. He finally agreed to marry Alice but on the day of their wedding he never showed up. Alice was sent to Telton Farm in Somerset. The farm was run by Louise Hartwell. Miss Hartwell had a generous heart and often helped young women who unexpectedly found themselves in a family way have their babies and found suitable families to adopt these babies. Louise Hartwell also agreed to have Italian and German POW’s work on her farm. Some of the more trusted POW’s even boarded at the farm. Over the months that Alice lived on the farm she forged meaningful friendships with Lily, the house girl, and with two of the POW’s, Paolo and Carlo. Alice and Paolo developed a close and caring friendship that blossomed into something more over time. She came to care deeply about ten year old Jack and twelve year old Aggie. Alice was constantly tormented by her desire to keep her unborn child. She was not sure she could go through with the adoption process. Billy, Louise Hartwell’s step son, tormented Alice every chance he had. He was a bully and she could not tolerate the sight of him or his cruel acts. What would happen to Alice’s baby? Would she be persuaded to give it up for adoption? Would Alice’s and Paola’s feelings for each other develop into something more than friendship? Would they all be able to avoid Billy’s tirades and cruelty?
The chapters were alternately told from the points of view of Rhoda, Nate and Alice. Paolo’s letters home supplied enough information to learn about his character and family. In Suzanne Fortin’s acknowledgments, she wrote that Beyond a Broken Sky was based on the life of Anton Gunther, a German prisoner of war that was held at a camp in Yeoville. His story and connection with the church located in the Somerset village of East Chinnock inspired her to write this novel. Her research was impeccable and I learned a lot about the young women back then that were forced to leave their families, live in a strange environment, and put their babies up for adoption . I also learned about the lives of the prisoners of war and how they were regarded and treated. I really enjoyed Beyond a Broken Sky and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Aria Books for allowing me to read the ARC of Beyond a Broken Sky through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Beyond a Broken Sky is set to be published on July 21, 2022.
In 2022, an English farm, Telton Hall, located in Somerset, England, that had been in the Hartwell family for generations, was about to be sold. There was a compulsory purchase order and developers were planning to build new housing on the property. Jack Hartwell was not pleased with this prospect and was still trying to fight it. Telton Hall was the only home Jack had ever known. Jack’s son Nate had grown up there as well. Rhoda Sullivan, a stained glass expert from Singlewood Museum in West Sussex had just arrived to assess the stained glass window in the chapel that was located on the property of Telton Hall. After some coaxing from Rhoda and Jack’s son, Nate, Rhoda, Nate, Jack and Jack’s dog, Tink, trudged up to the chapel to view the stained glass windows. The entire chapel was scheduled to be disassembled and moved to the grounds of the Singlewood Museum but first Rhoda had to remove the windows so she could repair them. Rhoda learned that one of the prisoners of war that lived on the farm sometime between 1945 and 1947 had made the windows. Suddenly, Tink, Jack’s little dog, started yelping and scratching at the floor at the side of the chapel. Tink had discovered a gap in the stones and scampered down into the hole. After Nate and Rhoda got Tink out, Rhoda discovered that there was a skeleton down there. Who could it be? Was it one of the Prisoners of War? Rhoda’s twin brother had gone missing just before their eighteenth birthdays. She had spent the last ten years searching for him. Rhoda was determined to find out whose remains the skeleton was so that that family could have some closure. Shortly after discovering the skeleton and the start of their quest to look for answers, Rhoda and Nate started to receive serious threats. Someone really wanted them to drop their investigation about the skeleton they discovered but Rhoda and Nate became even more determined to get to the bottom of it as a result. Who could want them to stop and why? What was someone afraid of?
In 1945, Alice Renhaw was eighteen years old and was smitten with an American soldier that was stationed by her home. When Alice found herself in a family way, she shared her news with her American soldier. Unfortunately, his reaction was not what Alice had anticipated. He finally agreed to marry Alice but on the day of their wedding he never showed up. Alice was sent to Telton Farm in Somerset. The farm was run by Louise Hartwell. Miss Hartwell had a generous heart and often helped young women who unexpectedly found themselves in a family way have their babies and found suitable families to adopt these babies. Louise Hartwell also agreed to have Italian and German POW’s work on her farm. Some of the more trusted POW’s even boarded at the farm. Over the months that Alice lived on the farm she forged meaningful friendships with Lily, the house girl, and with two of the POW’s, Paolo and Carlo. Alice and Paolo developed a close and caring friendship that blossomed into something more over time. She came to care deeply about ten year old Jack and twelve year old Aggie. Alice was constantly tormented by her desire to keep her unborn child. She was not sure she could go through with the adoption process. Billy, Louise Hartwell’s step son, tormented Alice every chance he had. He was a bully and she could not tolerate the sight of him or his cruel acts. What would happen to Alice’s baby? Would she be persuaded to give it up for adoption? Would Alice’s and Paola’s feelings for each other develop into something more than friendship? Would they all be able to avoid Billy’s tirades and cruelty?
The chapters were alternately told from the points of view of Rhoda, Nate and Alice. Paolo’s letters home supplied enough information to learn about his character and family. In Suzanne Fortin’s acknowledgments, she wrote that Beyond a Broken Sky was based on the life of Anton Gunther, a German prisoner of war that was held at a camp in Yeoville. His story and connection with the church located in the Somerset village of East Chinnock inspired her to write this novel. Her research was impeccable and I learned a lot about the young women back then that were forced to leave their families, live in a strange environment, and put their babies up for adoption . I also learned about the lives of the prisoners of war and how they were regarded and treated. I really enjoyed Beyond a Broken Sky and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Aria Books for allowing me to read the ARC of Beyond a Broken Sky through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Beyond a Broken Sky is set to be published on July 21, 2022.
December 2, 2022
Rhoda Sullivan works for a museum at Singlewood, and she’s an expert at resorting old glass windows. She’s sent to Telton Hall, to check a stain glass window, designed by an Italian prisoner of war and it’s inside the family chapel. Jack Hartwell has lived at Telton Hall his whole life, he’s not happy about what’s happening to his families land and he’s blocking the road. Nate Hartwell arrives, he talks some sense into his father and he lets Rhoda inspect the chapel. What should be a quick look-over, turns into Nate having to call the police and a body is found buried underneath the pavers in the chapel. Rhoda’s brother Dean went missing ten years ago, she knows what it’s like to lose someone and not know what happened to them, and she’s determined to solve the mystery of the Telton Hall skeleton.
The narrative has a dual timeline, the story takes place mainly at Telton Hall in 2022 and during the Second World War in 1945.
Alice Renshaw in only eighteen, she fell head over heals for an American soldier and he’s left her in the family way! Mrs. Louise Hartwell is a kind lady, she owns a house in remote Somerset, she takes in girls in Alice’s predicament and arranges for their babies to be adopted. At first Alice feels overwhelmed, everyone at Telton Hall is nice, and she shares a room with a land girl. Alice meets Paola, an Italian prisoner of war, he’s working at the farm and they become friends. Louise’s step-son Billy Stoker was injured in the war, he’s staying at Telton Hall, he hates the prisoners of war, he treats them badly and Alice finds him creepy.
I received a copy of Beyond a Broken Sky from NetGalley and Head of Zeus/Aria in exchange for an honest review. Suzanne Fortin has done it again, she’s written another engrossing dual timeline historical mystery and with a cast of compelling characters. I don’t want to give too much away, if you like stories about old houses and hidden wartime secrets, I highly recommend reading this book and five stars from me.
The narrative has a dual timeline, the story takes place mainly at Telton Hall in 2022 and during the Second World War in 1945.
Alice Renshaw in only eighteen, she fell head over heals for an American soldier and he’s left her in the family way! Mrs. Louise Hartwell is a kind lady, she owns a house in remote Somerset, she takes in girls in Alice’s predicament and arranges for their babies to be adopted. At first Alice feels overwhelmed, everyone at Telton Hall is nice, and she shares a room with a land girl. Alice meets Paola, an Italian prisoner of war, he’s working at the farm and they become friends. Louise’s step-son Billy Stoker was injured in the war, he’s staying at Telton Hall, he hates the prisoners of war, he treats them badly and Alice finds him creepy.
I received a copy of Beyond a Broken Sky from NetGalley and Head of Zeus/Aria in exchange for an honest review. Suzanne Fortin has done it again, she’s written another engrossing dual timeline historical mystery and with a cast of compelling characters. I don’t want to give too much away, if you like stories about old houses and hidden wartime secrets, I highly recommend reading this book and five stars from me.
August 11, 2022
“In a time of war, can love save them?”
I just knew that I had to read this book, as soon as it became available on NetGalley. Not only have I read one of the author’s previous books and enjoyed both her wonderful storytelling, and fluent writing style. But the notion of a storyline which included the words ‘stained glass expert’ in the premise, was simply too good to ignore, as this is a profession which runs deep within the veins of the American arm of my own family and has always intrigued me. Plus, the village, farm and chapel locations, are all in Somerset, the county I now call home, albeit that many of the place names used are fictitious. However, there are several more relevant and comprehensive references and acknowledgements at the end of the book, which helped me pinpoint places.
It would be all too easy to let ‘spoilers’ slip into my storyline premise, so this one is deliberately short and sweet…
…
1945 – Fallen woman, Alice Renshaw, is sent to Telton Hall, Somerset for her forthcoming confinement and the subsequent adoption of her baby. Louise Hartwell is a kind and compassionate woman, as are her small team of staff, her young son and his cousin. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her older stepson, who has been invalided out of the army and cannot cope with life cooped up on the farm. Bitter and twisted, he despises the situation the young girls find themselves in, but believes them to be fair game after their babies are born, making him unpredictable and dangerous. The only people he hates more, are the two Italian POWs Louise has working on the farm, especially when Alice catches the eye of one of them and her feelings are reciprocated.
2022 – Sussex based, Rhoda Sullivan, is finding it difficult to move on with her life, always waiting for news on social media, which never comes. Her twin brother Dean disappeared 10 years ago just before their 18th birthdays and no one has seen or heard from him since. They had grown up in the care system, although they had been separated by many short stay, foster parent placements.
In her role as stained glass expert, at the living museum she works for, she is assigned to remove and renovate some windows from the farm chapel, at Telton Hall, in Somerset, so that the chapel itself can then be relocated to the museum and the windows re-installed, with the remaining farm buildings destined to be demolished for development.
It soon becomes apparent that the incumbent farmer, Jack and his cousin Aggie, have something to hide, and the chapel seems to hold the key to all their darkest secrets. Jack’s son Nate and grandson Isaac, together with a very inquisitive Rhoda, soon become embroiled in the stoic war of silence being waged by the the farm’s elderly residents, with the three of them being determined to get to the bottom of a mystery which grows deeper and takes on darker meaning and undertones, as time goes on.
When wartime actions collide with present day reckoning, there are spectacular and far-reaching consequences as the timelines merge, and tensions run high. Documents suddenly go missing and there are obviously many family secrets to which Nate is not party, making it difficult for him to protect an increasingly vulnerable Rhoda, as she begins to unravel the web of lies and secrets held so close, for so many years, placing herself in extreme danger.
When Nate and Rhoda, with the help of a very usefully attentive Isaac, finally begin to piece things together and work out just how the two timelines are so intricately balanced and woven together, they have some tough decisions to make, which will affect all their futures.
…
This emotional, intriguing, atmospheric and immersive, multi-layered storyline, is well researched and structured in short, seamless and easy to navigate chapters. Narrated as an alternating dual timeline story, set in 1945 and 2022, interspersed with some additional sad and poignant letters written by an incarcerated man, to his family at home, far away. Part thriller, part love story, there were plenty of secrets, twists and double twists, which were just waiting to trip me up. Even with the added advantage of knowing much of the history, which Rhoda is not privy to and must piece together little by little, I was still unsure about the final outcome until it happened, even though I was right about the general direction in which things were heading.
There were so many poignant and interesting strands to the storyline, which kept me intrigued – The societal mores of a time when bearing a child out of wedlock was a matter of extreme shame and many mothers found themselves enduring birth away from home, with the knowledge that their new baby was going to be taken away from them immediately for adoption. The bitter hatred of a war invalid and his inability to re-join society, which today would almost certainly be recognised as PTSD. The decision of a group of people to deal lawlessly with a criminal situation, an act which they know they must never discuss, as to name any one of them might see them all found guilty, then to have the strength to keep their silence until their dying days. The total devotion of a father to a son who is on the spectrum and can be quite single-minded and difficult to connect with, but finds himself holding the key to unlocking the puzzle. And a woman, so scarred and damaged by the care system as a child, that moving on alone, or allowing anyone to get close to her, has always caused an emotional trauma.
Notwithstanding my own personal preference for the use of real place names in books, the beautifully nuanced and descriptive narrative and dialogue, afford a wonderfully visual and evocative feeling of time and place, lifting the sights, sounds and smells from the page, as I took my ‘armchair journey’ back in time; then bringing those same senses bang up to date and into the present.
Suzanne’s evocative portrayal of the fragility and frailty of the human mind is carried out sensitively, sympathetically and compassionately, in her well-developed cast of multi-faceted characters, who, whether they are on the side of good or bad, are authentically realistic and genuinely believable to the individual roles which have been created for them. Some are understandably emotionally complex and vulnerable, raw and passionate, with little or no synergy or dynamism between them. Others are unreliable and volatile witnesses, manipulative and duplicitous and whilst my feelings and emotions were really divided right down the middle, I’m not sure that I ever felt connected with, invested in, or identified with, any of them totally, although a new and brighter future is a distinct possibility for Nate, Rhoda and Isaac.
This book definitely ticks all the right boxes for the reasons I read and how I want to feel when I have finished the last word and closed that final page. Thank you for taking me on another amazing journey, Suzanne.
I just knew that I had to read this book, as soon as it became available on NetGalley. Not only have I read one of the author’s previous books and enjoyed both her wonderful storytelling, and fluent writing style. But the notion of a storyline which included the words ‘stained glass expert’ in the premise, was simply too good to ignore, as this is a profession which runs deep within the veins of the American arm of my own family and has always intrigued me. Plus, the village, farm and chapel locations, are all in Somerset, the county I now call home, albeit that many of the place names used are fictitious. However, there are several more relevant and comprehensive references and acknowledgements at the end of the book, which helped me pinpoint places.
It would be all too easy to let ‘spoilers’ slip into my storyline premise, so this one is deliberately short and sweet…
…
1945 – Fallen woman, Alice Renshaw, is sent to Telton Hall, Somerset for her forthcoming confinement and the subsequent adoption of her baby. Louise Hartwell is a kind and compassionate woman, as are her small team of staff, her young son and his cousin. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her older stepson, who has been invalided out of the army and cannot cope with life cooped up on the farm. Bitter and twisted, he despises the situation the young girls find themselves in, but believes them to be fair game after their babies are born, making him unpredictable and dangerous. The only people he hates more, are the two Italian POWs Louise has working on the farm, especially when Alice catches the eye of one of them and her feelings are reciprocated.
2022 – Sussex based, Rhoda Sullivan, is finding it difficult to move on with her life, always waiting for news on social media, which never comes. Her twin brother Dean disappeared 10 years ago just before their 18th birthdays and no one has seen or heard from him since. They had grown up in the care system, although they had been separated by many short stay, foster parent placements.
In her role as stained glass expert, at the living museum she works for, she is assigned to remove and renovate some windows from the farm chapel, at Telton Hall, in Somerset, so that the chapel itself can then be relocated to the museum and the windows re-installed, with the remaining farm buildings destined to be demolished for development.
It soon becomes apparent that the incumbent farmer, Jack and his cousin Aggie, have something to hide, and the chapel seems to hold the key to all their darkest secrets. Jack’s son Nate and grandson Isaac, together with a very inquisitive Rhoda, soon become embroiled in the stoic war of silence being waged by the the farm’s elderly residents, with the three of them being determined to get to the bottom of a mystery which grows deeper and takes on darker meaning and undertones, as time goes on.
When wartime actions collide with present day reckoning, there are spectacular and far-reaching consequences as the timelines merge, and tensions run high. Documents suddenly go missing and there are obviously many family secrets to which Nate is not party, making it difficult for him to protect an increasingly vulnerable Rhoda, as she begins to unravel the web of lies and secrets held so close, for so many years, placing herself in extreme danger.
When Nate and Rhoda, with the help of a very usefully attentive Isaac, finally begin to piece things together and work out just how the two timelines are so intricately balanced and woven together, they have some tough decisions to make, which will affect all their futures.
…
This emotional, intriguing, atmospheric and immersive, multi-layered storyline, is well researched and structured in short, seamless and easy to navigate chapters. Narrated as an alternating dual timeline story, set in 1945 and 2022, interspersed with some additional sad and poignant letters written by an incarcerated man, to his family at home, far away. Part thriller, part love story, there were plenty of secrets, twists and double twists, which were just waiting to trip me up. Even with the added advantage of knowing much of the history, which Rhoda is not privy to and must piece together little by little, I was still unsure about the final outcome until it happened, even though I was right about the general direction in which things were heading.
There were so many poignant and interesting strands to the storyline, which kept me intrigued – The societal mores of a time when bearing a child out of wedlock was a matter of extreme shame and many mothers found themselves enduring birth away from home, with the knowledge that their new baby was going to be taken away from them immediately for adoption. The bitter hatred of a war invalid and his inability to re-join society, which today would almost certainly be recognised as PTSD. The decision of a group of people to deal lawlessly with a criminal situation, an act which they know they must never discuss, as to name any one of them might see them all found guilty, then to have the strength to keep their silence until their dying days. The total devotion of a father to a son who is on the spectrum and can be quite single-minded and difficult to connect with, but finds himself holding the key to unlocking the puzzle. And a woman, so scarred and damaged by the care system as a child, that moving on alone, or allowing anyone to get close to her, has always caused an emotional trauma.
Notwithstanding my own personal preference for the use of real place names in books, the beautifully nuanced and descriptive narrative and dialogue, afford a wonderfully visual and evocative feeling of time and place, lifting the sights, sounds and smells from the page, as I took my ‘armchair journey’ back in time; then bringing those same senses bang up to date and into the present.
Suzanne’s evocative portrayal of the fragility and frailty of the human mind is carried out sensitively, sympathetically and compassionately, in her well-developed cast of multi-faceted characters, who, whether they are on the side of good or bad, are authentically realistic and genuinely believable to the individual roles which have been created for them. Some are understandably emotionally complex and vulnerable, raw and passionate, with little or no synergy or dynamism between them. Others are unreliable and volatile witnesses, manipulative and duplicitous and whilst my feelings and emotions were really divided right down the middle, I’m not sure that I ever felt connected with, invested in, or identified with, any of them totally, although a new and brighter future is a distinct possibility for Nate, Rhoda and Isaac.
This book definitely ticks all the right boxes for the reasons I read and how I want to feel when I have finished the last word and closed that final page. Thank you for taking me on another amazing journey, Suzanne.
June 20, 2022
For a few hours today Suzanne Fortin had me wearing three different pairs of shoes!
I loved the opportunity to sneak back to 1945 to see life from a pregnant 18-year old’s point of view as well as from an Italian POW’s viewpoint and then walk in the shoes of a girl whose twin brother has been missing for years. Well written historical fiction such as Fortin’s allows my empathy to grow significantly. In a world so divided by fear and hatred, I see this as a welcome opportunity.
I had no idea that in an effort to alleviate labour shortages, particularly in agriculture, Italian POWs captured in the Middle East were brought to Britain. In fact, many of them volunteered to work as co-operators, were sent to camps in the English countryside and given freedom to mix with the locals, even living with farm families. Fortin introduces us to two such men and we get a sense of what it was like for them.
I also learned what it was like for a young, jilted bride to be left ashamed and pregnant with few options. The emotions Fortin channels through this desperate girl left me feeling wrung out, yet thankful to be raised at a time when girls have many more options available to them.
Finally, I experienced the anxiety and fear of a twin who was uncertain about the whereabouts of her brother for the past 15+ years. I felt what it was like to create a missing persons page on Facebook and check daily for years to see if someone had offered clues or had sightings. The fear of the unknown played a major part in this character’s life.
In addition to a fantastic shoe saleswoman, Fortin is a splendid gatekeeper; she opens doors to the past that have previously been closed or rarely opened and brings to life a piece of history that time had forgotten.
You’ll want to pick up this 5-star historical fiction not only for the knowledge Fortin can impart, but also because it's a layered read. You’ll be immersed in the final days of WW2, have a front row seat to a murder the locals are trying to bury, a mystery that’s difficult to unravel, understand what it was like for returning soldiers who had no emotional support, and witness a blossoming romance. It all flows effortlessly together and is written with such passion - don’t miss out on one of this summer’s best historical fiction novels!
I was gifted this advance copy by Suzanne Fortin, Head of Zeus, Aria, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I loved the opportunity to sneak back to 1945 to see life from a pregnant 18-year old’s point of view as well as from an Italian POW’s viewpoint and then walk in the shoes of a girl whose twin brother has been missing for years. Well written historical fiction such as Fortin’s allows my empathy to grow significantly. In a world so divided by fear and hatred, I see this as a welcome opportunity.
I had no idea that in an effort to alleviate labour shortages, particularly in agriculture, Italian POWs captured in the Middle East were brought to Britain. In fact, many of them volunteered to work as co-operators, were sent to camps in the English countryside and given freedom to mix with the locals, even living with farm families. Fortin introduces us to two such men and we get a sense of what it was like for them.
I also learned what it was like for a young, jilted bride to be left ashamed and pregnant with few options. The emotions Fortin channels through this desperate girl left me feeling wrung out, yet thankful to be raised at a time when girls have many more options available to them.
Finally, I experienced the anxiety and fear of a twin who was uncertain about the whereabouts of her brother for the past 15+ years. I felt what it was like to create a missing persons page on Facebook and check daily for years to see if someone had offered clues or had sightings. The fear of the unknown played a major part in this character’s life.
In addition to a fantastic shoe saleswoman, Fortin is a splendid gatekeeper; she opens doors to the past that have previously been closed or rarely opened and brings to life a piece of history that time had forgotten.
You’ll want to pick up this 5-star historical fiction not only for the knowledge Fortin can impart, but also because it's a layered read. You’ll be immersed in the final days of WW2, have a front row seat to a murder the locals are trying to bury, a mystery that’s difficult to unravel, understand what it was like for returning soldiers who had no emotional support, and witness a blossoming romance. It all flows effortlessly together and is written with such passion - don’t miss out on one of this summer’s best historical fiction novels!
I was gifted this advance copy by Suzanne Fortin, Head of Zeus, Aria, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
July 20, 2022
In 2022 Rhoda is an artisan who restores antique glass. Having spent part of her childhood in the care system, she dislikes authority and still mourns losing contact with her twin brother when they were eighteen. The removal of the old chapel at Telton Hall in Somerset needs her expertise, but the owner doesn't want to move, and a chance discovery of human remains with the owner's son leads to a web of dark secrets. In 1945 pregnant Alice finds a temporary home at Telton Hall. She finds friendship with the other workers and a menacing danger threatening them all.
A dual timeline story, it explores the prejudices prevalent in wartime Britain and the camaraderie that existed between relative strangers. Suspenseful with an underlying menacing ethos in both 1945 and 2022, it keeps you reading to find out what happens to the easy to empathise characters.
I enjoyed the female protagonists and the plot twists. The historic details create a believable world, and the ending, whilst not a total surprise, was satisfying.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
A dual timeline story, it explores the prejudices prevalent in wartime Britain and the camaraderie that existed between relative strangers. Suspenseful with an underlying menacing ethos in both 1945 and 2022, it keeps you reading to find out what happens to the easy to empathise characters.
I enjoyed the female protagonists and the plot twists. The historic details create a believable world, and the ending, whilst not a total surprise, was satisfying.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
July 10, 2022
This was a very enjoyable dual time-line which as set in present and and the last days of the Second World War in 1945. It had all the elements I enjoy, mystery and intrigue with a little blackmail thrown in for good measure. Highly recommend. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
July 17, 2022
2022. Stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan is call to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian Prisoner of War during WWII. It should be a quick job but when she and the owners son, Nate Hartnell discover a body underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel, Rhoda cannot let the mystery go. She knows what it's like to miss someone who is missing - her twin brother disappeared before their eighteenth birthday.
1945. Alice Renshaw is in trouble. Sent away to hide her shame, she is taken in by Louise Hartwell who had a farm in Somerset worked by Prisoners of War. As her belly grows, Alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone at Telton Hall is happy about it.
I like a story with a dual timeline and this one doesn't disappoint. Both parts of the story were well written with a hint of danger. It can also be sad in parts. There is some sexual harassment and misogyny. This is another one of these stories where I think you're better off going into it blind. It's also a romantic story. I liked the authors style in writing this book. Fans of historical fiction will love it.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HeadofZeus and the author #SuzanneFortin for my ARC of #BeyondABrokenSky in exchange for an honest review.
1945. Alice Renshaw is in trouble. Sent away to hide her shame, she is taken in by Louise Hartwell who had a farm in Somerset worked by Prisoners of War. As her belly grows, Alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone at Telton Hall is happy about it.
I like a story with a dual timeline and this one doesn't disappoint. Both parts of the story were well written with a hint of danger. It can also be sad in parts. There is some sexual harassment and misogyny. This is another one of these stories where I think you're better off going into it blind. It's also a romantic story. I liked the authors style in writing this book. Fans of historical fiction will love it.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HeadofZeus and the author #SuzanneFortin for my ARC of #BeyondABrokenSky in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2022
The Chapel on the hill
A dual timeline story with present dating back to WWII.
When Rhoda took the job of fixing a stained glass window and moving a chapel from the Harwell farm to the museum she would never have guessed how this would affect her and what secrets the chapel held that she would uncover.
Rhoda didn't count on meeting the handsome son of the grouchy farmer Jack Hartwell. When Rhoda and Nate discover a skeleton under the chapel they decide to solve the mystery and find out who the skeleton was. This puts them both in danger as someone does not want the mystery solved.
The first story is of Jack Hartwell, his cousin Aggie that lives in the cottage on the farm, his son Nate and Nate's son Isaac and Rhoda the girl from the museum come to fix the stained glass window in the chapel.
The second storyline is of the Harwell family in 1945. Louise Hartwell took in unwed mothers and Alice went to stay on the Hartwell farm. Mrs. Hartwell lived on the farm with her son Jack, his cousin Aggie, another girl Lily that came to stay at the farm, and Mrs. Hartwell's nephew Billy. There was also two Italian POW's that worked on the farm and lived in the Attic Paolo and Carlos.
These two stories tie in together with the mystery of the skeleton in the chapel as do the characters in each one.
It is a story of Love, romance, war, and a mystery. The story was a great read and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Suzanne Fortin for writing a great story, to Head of Zeus for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.
A dual timeline story with present dating back to WWII.
When Rhoda took the job of fixing a stained glass window and moving a chapel from the Harwell farm to the museum she would never have guessed how this would affect her and what secrets the chapel held that she would uncover.
Rhoda didn't count on meeting the handsome son of the grouchy farmer Jack Hartwell. When Rhoda and Nate discover a skeleton under the chapel they decide to solve the mystery and find out who the skeleton was. This puts them both in danger as someone does not want the mystery solved.
The first story is of Jack Hartwell, his cousin Aggie that lives in the cottage on the farm, his son Nate and Nate's son Isaac and Rhoda the girl from the museum come to fix the stained glass window in the chapel.
The second storyline is of the Harwell family in 1945. Louise Hartwell took in unwed mothers and Alice went to stay on the Hartwell farm. Mrs. Hartwell lived on the farm with her son Jack, his cousin Aggie, another girl Lily that came to stay at the farm, and Mrs. Hartwell's nephew Billy. There was also two Italian POW's that worked on the farm and lived in the Attic Paolo and Carlos.
These two stories tie in together with the mystery of the skeleton in the chapel as do the characters in each one.
It is a story of Love, romance, war, and a mystery. The story was a great read and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Suzanne Fortin for writing a great story, to Head of Zeus for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.
June 21, 2022
Rating: 3.5/5: For all the regency romances out there.. there's something fun about reading a historical romance/mystery from within the last century. Times were simpler and society had progressed but not so far as to not have the same issues that face us today.
Beyond a Broken Sky weaves a tale of sorrow with one of unending love and self-discovery. A few things to love about it are how the dual points of view and alternating timelines - but both with female leads who turn out to have more strength than they knew. I found myself connecting with Alice and being so frustrated with Rhoda. Alice is a victim of the times while Rhoda is one of those overly self-righteous (yet naive) characters that make you want to scream a bit!!
Overall - an easy read if you love historical romances and mysteries - but especially if you love the 1940s era! I really felt the mysteries on both timelines unfold while still trying to understand the trauma and relationships surrounding WWII - complex and a satisfying ending on all counts!!
Beyond a Broken Sky weaves a tale of sorrow with one of unending love and self-discovery. A few things to love about it are how the dual points of view and alternating timelines - but both with female leads who turn out to have more strength than they knew. I found myself connecting with Alice and being so frustrated with Rhoda. Alice is a victim of the times while Rhoda is one of those overly self-righteous (yet naive) characters that make you want to scream a bit!!
Overall - an easy read if you love historical romances and mysteries - but especially if you love the 1940s era! I really felt the mysteries on both timelines unfold while still trying to understand the trauma and relationships surrounding WWII - complex and a satisfying ending on all counts!!
May 13, 2022
4 stars
Museum worker and stained glass restorer Rhoda Sullivan gets pulled into a mysterious case of a skeleton found under an old chapel floor.
Forced to move from his family farm, Jack is understandably a curmudgeonly seventy-year old. His son Nate has tried to smooth the waters between the developers forcing Jack out and his father to little effect. When Rhoda shows up from the museum to determine how to restore stained glass in the old, abandoned chapel on Jack’s property, she meets him and Nate. Rhoda immediately gets along with Jack and he allows her to see the window.
Jack’s little dog got into a hole in the floor, while trying to get him out, Rhoda and Nate discover a skeleton. When the police decide that it is too old to investigate; that they don't have the resources, Rhoda and Nate decide to investigate themselves.
Rhoda’s history has made her who she is. A string of foster homes and a twin brother who has been missing for several years have made her guarded and not too trusting of others. This, naturally, gets in the way of relationships.
Rhoda and Nate begin to receive threatening messages. Then things escalate with personal attacks. The police don’t seem very interested.
Rhoda’s snooping around Jack’s house gives some clues. There are flashbacks to 1945 by which the reader understands more of what is going on than Rhoda and Nate. There we meet Alice, Lily, young Jack and Aggie. And, of course, the Italian prisoner Paolo.
When all is revealed, it makes sense.
This is a well written and plotted novel. I liked the characters with the exception of Billy (of course). Ms. Fortin has her protagonists and the lesser characters have interesting backgrounds. The details given were important to the development of the story. A very nice mystery. I will definitely look into her other books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Head of Zeus/Aria for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.
Museum worker and stained glass restorer Rhoda Sullivan gets pulled into a mysterious case of a skeleton found under an old chapel floor.
Forced to move from his family farm, Jack is understandably a curmudgeonly seventy-year old. His son Nate has tried to smooth the waters between the developers forcing Jack out and his father to little effect. When Rhoda shows up from the museum to determine how to restore stained glass in the old, abandoned chapel on Jack’s property, she meets him and Nate. Rhoda immediately gets along with Jack and he allows her to see the window.
Jack’s little dog got into a hole in the floor, while trying to get him out, Rhoda and Nate discover a skeleton. When the police decide that it is too old to investigate; that they don't have the resources, Rhoda and Nate decide to investigate themselves.
Rhoda’s history has made her who she is. A string of foster homes and a twin brother who has been missing for several years have made her guarded and not too trusting of others. This, naturally, gets in the way of relationships.
Rhoda and Nate begin to receive threatening messages. Then things escalate with personal attacks. The police don’t seem very interested.
Rhoda’s snooping around Jack’s house gives some clues. There are flashbacks to 1945 by which the reader understands more of what is going on than Rhoda and Nate. There we meet Alice, Lily, young Jack and Aggie. And, of course, the Italian prisoner Paolo.
When all is revealed, it makes sense.
This is a well written and plotted novel. I liked the characters with the exception of Billy (of course). Ms. Fortin has her protagonists and the lesser characters have interesting backgrounds. The details given were important to the development of the story. A very nice mystery. I will definitely look into her other books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Head of Zeus/Aria for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.
August 28, 2022
I love a Suzanne Fortin book and this was brilliant. Told in a dual timeline from multiple points of view it really captured the mood of the time as the war came to an end and showed how the actions of the past filtered through to the present and the lives of the characters. For me the chapters in 1945 were the most compelling. I was wrapped up in Alice's story and the goings-on at the farm but they were seamlessly interwoven into the story in 2022. Just like Rhoda and Nate, I was desperate to uncover the truth! Highly recommended!
July 29, 2022
There are several things I loved about Beyond a Broken Sky.
The dual narrative works really well making connections between the past and present. I thought the timing of that information was perfect, building the drama and suspense. This contributed a lot to me not being able to put the book down!
In the present day there’s lots of intrigue, suspicious accidents and of course not forgetting a spark of romance. In 1945, I felt so much for Grace and the situation she found herself in. Paolo’s letters home are a great introduction to how close he is to his family before we get to know him at the Hall.
In the present day it’s clear that Jack is up to something underhand (although it doesn’t fit well with his personality). The first time Rhoda meets Jack sparks conflict with his son Nate. Rhoda’s childhood has given her survival skills and hard edges (and a lot of understanding for Nate’s son Isaac). It was great to see her questioning her motives which leads to her engaging more openly with others.
I loved the setting. The characters bring Telton Hall to life in both timelines. It was interesting to compare what it was like during the war to the emptiness of the present day.
I loved learning about stained glass and I enjoyed the museum visit as much as Isaac did!
My hackles were up a lot in 1945 – not only on behalf of Grace but also how the Italian prisoners of war were treated by Billy. It’s clear that Suzanne Fortin knows her history giving this timeline authenticity.
One thing I didn’t expect was to be questioning my morals and ethics! I felt really satisfied with a couple of outcomes and perhaps shouldn’t have done so!
Beyond a Broken Sky is a compelling historical mystery. You’ll be turning the pages as fast as you can and falling in love with (most of) the characters.
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/revie...
The dual narrative works really well making connections between the past and present. I thought the timing of that information was perfect, building the drama and suspense. This contributed a lot to me not being able to put the book down!
In the present day there’s lots of intrigue, suspicious accidents and of course not forgetting a spark of romance. In 1945, I felt so much for Grace and the situation she found herself in. Paolo’s letters home are a great introduction to how close he is to his family before we get to know him at the Hall.
In the present day it’s clear that Jack is up to something underhand (although it doesn’t fit well with his personality). The first time Rhoda meets Jack sparks conflict with his son Nate. Rhoda’s childhood has given her survival skills and hard edges (and a lot of understanding for Nate’s son Isaac). It was great to see her questioning her motives which leads to her engaging more openly with others.
I loved the setting. The characters bring Telton Hall to life in both timelines. It was interesting to compare what it was like during the war to the emptiness of the present day.
I loved learning about stained glass and I enjoyed the museum visit as much as Isaac did!
My hackles were up a lot in 1945 – not only on behalf of Grace but also how the Italian prisoners of war were treated by Billy. It’s clear that Suzanne Fortin knows her history giving this timeline authenticity.
One thing I didn’t expect was to be questioning my morals and ethics! I felt really satisfied with a couple of outcomes and perhaps shouldn’t have done so!
Beyond a Broken Sky is a compelling historical mystery. You’ll be turning the pages as fast as you can and falling in love with (most of) the characters.
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/revie...
July 22, 2022
Beyond a Broken Sky is an historical romance with a dual timeline, which takes place during the Second World War in 1945 and in 2022 in Somerset. The story cleverly uses the stained glass window and the discovery under the stone flags in the chapel to tie the two eras together. The chapters are told from the alternate points of view of Alice, Rhoda and Nate. Scattered throughout are letters from Paolo, the Italian Prisoner of War, to his family in Italy, where we glean snippets of information about his personality and home life.
This is a well researched book and an eye-opening insight into the hardships one had to endure during WWII. The storyline is engrossing in itself, but with the incorporation of the murder mystery it became a real page-turner and exciting to watch the mystery unfold. There is also a little bit of romance in both timelines, which is kept light and doesn’t over-power the storyline. This is quite a fast-paced book and there is never a dull moment. The characters are portrayed well, they are colourful and interesting and I liked the camaraderie and the fact some wonderful friendships are forged during these difficult times. This a thoughtfully written book, which is an enjoyable and easy read, it’s entertaining and a wonderful glimpse into the history of WWII. A must read for all fans of historical fiction and romance with a dash of mystery.
Thank you to the publisher for inviting me on the book tour and for the gifted advanced copy.
TWISTED IN PAGES BLOG
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This is a well researched book and an eye-opening insight into the hardships one had to endure during WWII. The storyline is engrossing in itself, but with the incorporation of the murder mystery it became a real page-turner and exciting to watch the mystery unfold. There is also a little bit of romance in both timelines, which is kept light and doesn’t over-power the storyline. This is quite a fast-paced book and there is never a dull moment. The characters are portrayed well, they are colourful and interesting and I liked the camaraderie and the fact some wonderful friendships are forged during these difficult times. This a thoughtfully written book, which is an enjoyable and easy read, it’s entertaining and a wonderful glimpse into the history of WWII. A must read for all fans of historical fiction and romance with a dash of mystery.
Thank you to the publisher for inviting me on the book tour and for the gifted advanced copy.
TWISTED IN PAGES BLOG
TWISTED IN PAGES ON INSTAGRAM
July 11, 2022
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this awe inspiring book
stained glass window in a chapel
compulsory order to by out the farm
bones found in chapel
what should be a normal routine job of restoring a stained glass window in a chapel for rhoda sullivan turns out to be a more when the skeletal remains are found
that they have been there since 1945 makes no difference to rhoda who wants to find out the identity and let the family know what has happened to their relative, but before long she starts getting threatening letters to back off
its an interesting read with two time lines going alongside of each other...1945 and 2022 and they melded together really well
will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works as i like how smoothly and the characters were likeable an easy read
stained glass window in a chapel
compulsory order to by out the farm
bones found in chapel
what should be a normal routine job of restoring a stained glass window in a chapel for rhoda sullivan turns out to be a more when the skeletal remains are found
that they have been there since 1945 makes no difference to rhoda who wants to find out the identity and let the family know what has happened to their relative, but before long she starts getting threatening letters to back off
its an interesting read with two time lines going alongside of each other...1945 and 2022 and they melded together really well
will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works as i like how smoothly and the characters were likeable an easy read
May 8, 2024
5+ stars!! I’ve had this in my “to read” (or in my case listen to) list for ages. Why have I waited so long? It was so so good.
The characters were so real, I liked flipping between 1945 and 2022. Mystery, intrigue, history. It had it all and expertly narrated by Tamsin Kennard.
Off to check out more Suzanne Fortin books now, having read only one previously. I want to get totally lost into a story once again.
The characters were so real, I liked flipping between 1945 and 2022. Mystery, intrigue, history. It had it all and expertly narrated by Tamsin Kennard.
Off to check out more Suzanne Fortin books now, having read only one previously. I want to get totally lost into a story once again.
April 23, 2025
A good dual-timeline read that exposes some WW2 topics not often discussed.
I found that the story felt fairly linear with character development remaining surface level throughout. The twists and turns of the book were engaging nevertheless.
3/5 - Good
I found that the story felt fairly linear with character development remaining surface level throughout. The twists and turns of the book were engaging nevertheless.
3/5 - Good
May 30, 2024
Thanks for the recommendation Carol for this one. Book was an easy listen it kept me interested, narrator was great and jump between the present and the 40's was easy to follow.
July 21, 2022
Rhoda has the job of removing the windows in an old chapel that is going to be moved. Jack the owner isn’t too happy with the whole thing and his forced move. They find a body buried close to the chapel and Rhoda is determined to find out who it is.
The story is told in dual timelines. Both are interesting but also sad at times. This is my second book by this author and it’s just as good as the first.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
The story is told in dual timelines. Both are interesting but also sad at times. This is my second book by this author and it’s just as good as the first.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
August 17, 2022
Beyond a Broken Sky is a dual timeline story with the settings being WWII and present day and revolves around the mystery of a body found in a chapel. The story is engaging and the characters are easy to identify with. Due to the air of mystery the story keeps the reader engaged.
Suzanne Fortin has written a fascinating story with well developed and compelling characters. I will definitely be reading more of this author.
ThanK you to #netgalley and #headofzeus/atria for allowing me to read the eARC of the book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Suzanne Fortin has written a fascinating story with well developed and compelling characters. I will definitely be reading more of this author.
ThanK you to #netgalley and #headofzeus/atria for allowing me to read the eARC of the book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
August 28, 2022
Beyond a Broken Sky was the second book by Suzanne Fortin that I have read, the first being The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger. I loved this dual timeline historical fiction, set in present day and in Somerset towards the end of World War II.
I loved the mysterious element of this story. When Rhoda and Nate find a skeleton under the flagstones in the chapel, they set out to investigate whose body is buried in the chapel, and that links to the storyline we follow in 1945 with Alice and Italian prisoner of war Paolo. Rhoda was such a brittle character, as a result of her childhood and the loss of her twin when she was 18. The fact that her brother had never been found left her unable to get on with her life, and it affected every element of her life. I loved that her friendship with Nate and his son, together with their investigation, gave her the clarity she had always needed, and as she opened up, her brittleness subtly changed.
The storyline in the 1940s was very different, with chapters from Alice and her story, interspersed with letters from Paolo, the Italian prisoner of war working at Telton Hall, to his mother and sister. The way in which the secrets from the past were gradually revealed was perfectly done to unveil who had been buried in the chapel, and what lead to the secrets building over the years.
As a dual-timeline historical fiction, this beautifully written and compelling story captured my heart!
I loved the mysterious element of this story. When Rhoda and Nate find a skeleton under the flagstones in the chapel, they set out to investigate whose body is buried in the chapel, and that links to the storyline we follow in 1945 with Alice and Italian prisoner of war Paolo. Rhoda was such a brittle character, as a result of her childhood and the loss of her twin when she was 18. The fact that her brother had never been found left her unable to get on with her life, and it affected every element of her life. I loved that her friendship with Nate and his son, together with their investigation, gave her the clarity she had always needed, and as she opened up, her brittleness subtly changed.
The storyline in the 1940s was very different, with chapters from Alice and her story, interspersed with letters from Paolo, the Italian prisoner of war working at Telton Hall, to his mother and sister. The way in which the secrets from the past were gradually revealed was perfectly done to unveil who had been buried in the chapel, and what lead to the secrets building over the years.
As a dual-timeline historical fiction, this beautifully written and compelling story captured my heart!
July 13, 2022
CW: sexual harassment, misogyny, classism, WWII period treatment of unwed mothers, WWII Italian POWs, contemporary characters placed in dangerous situations, murder
This was an unexpected read, and I could not put it down. Originally I thought this would be a standard historical fiction, with a dual timeline. Instead, this was more of a contemporary gothic, with the historical backstory that created the conflict and setting and the mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Alice is the protagonist of the historical portion. As an unwed mother as the result of a relationship with an American pilot based in England during WWII, she goes to Telton Hall to have her baby and have the baby placed for adoption. While there, she becomes close with an Italian POW, Paolo, that was working on the Telton Hall farm along with other Italian POWs.
I will pause here and note that this fact of WWII POWs being included in the story, was one that concerned me greatly as I began reading. I did not want to read any kind of Nazi redemption story. The POWs here are from Italy. There is no time spent on discussing the role the Italians in general, and these Italians specifically, played in WWII as part of the Axis forces. The two Italians here are portrayed as just two men who were dragged into war. One, Carlo, is only briefly drawn, mostly just a POW who dislikes and is victimized by an overbearing and hateful nephew of the owner of Telton Hall. We see Paolo more through letters he writes home, including details about the difficulties his family experiences in Italy, and his growing relationship with Alice. He wants to go home and back to his country, but as he grows closer with Alice, he just wants to be with her. That's the extent of his portrayal with regards to WWII. Historically, Italy surrendered in 1943, and Italian POWs were relabeled as co-conspirators in Britain. Note that the author continues to call the Italians "POWs" throughout the story. They were not sent home until well after VE Day. The historical story here takes place in 1945. I wish there was more explanation of these important facts in the book but the portrayal is consistent with info in this BBC article that I found, about how many POWs stayed or came back to the UK after the war and made their homes in Britain. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-n....
In the contemporary story, Rhoda is a glass specialist tasked with dismantling a stained glass window from the chapel at Telton Hall. Along with the owner's son, Nate, she discovers something unexpected. Together they try to unwind the mystery surrounding their discovery. As with any good gothic, there are unexpected threats, car issues, break ins, and a faulty bit of scaffolding. And of course, Rhoda and Nate are attracted to each other and have a growing romance throughout the course of the story.
We learn about the who-done-it and who-is-it through both the contemporary and historical stories. I thought they were woven together seamlessly. And while there some things that weren't a surprise, others were. Of course it's all taking place at an English manor house, with a creepy chapel and dark rooms. That's the mark of a good gothic.
Romance as a genre is defined as a central romance and a happy ever after/happy for now ending. Beyond a Broken Sky a light romance. The romance is not the central plot as one would find in a contemporary romance, but it is inextricably wound up in the gothic mystery. The mystery portion would not work as well without the romance, so I don't think one could take it out and have the same book. That is one of the hallmarks of a gothic romance in the Victoria Holt vein - budding romance happens while a mystery surrounds the couple or at least surrounds the female protagonist. Those are still a romance, even if they don't fit in as neatly with our modern definition of a central romance. The HEA/HFN ending still remains.
I really enjoyed this. For historical fiction fans, they might find less history than some others, but the setting is WWII and facts from the era, create the historical portion of the story, and set us up perfectly for the dual timeline contemporary portion. The gothic portion is textbook and well done. Anyone concerned about the presence of POWs and how they are portrayed, should read the included BBC article. I can see how the author chose to include and portray Paolo and Carlo. That may still be difficult for some readers, which is why I include it as a content warning.
I read an e-ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This was an unexpected read, and I could not put it down. Originally I thought this would be a standard historical fiction, with a dual timeline. Instead, this was more of a contemporary gothic, with the historical backstory that created the conflict and setting and the mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Alice is the protagonist of the historical portion. As an unwed mother as the result of a relationship with an American pilot based in England during WWII, she goes to Telton Hall to have her baby and have the baby placed for adoption. While there, she becomes close with an Italian POW, Paolo, that was working on the Telton Hall farm along with other Italian POWs.
I will pause here and note that this fact of WWII POWs being included in the story, was one that concerned me greatly as I began reading. I did not want to read any kind of Nazi redemption story. The POWs here are from Italy. There is no time spent on discussing the role the Italians in general, and these Italians specifically, played in WWII as part of the Axis forces. The two Italians here are portrayed as just two men who were dragged into war. One, Carlo, is only briefly drawn, mostly just a POW who dislikes and is victimized by an overbearing and hateful nephew of the owner of Telton Hall. We see Paolo more through letters he writes home, including details about the difficulties his family experiences in Italy, and his growing relationship with Alice. He wants to go home and back to his country, but as he grows closer with Alice, he just wants to be with her. That's the extent of his portrayal with regards to WWII. Historically, Italy surrendered in 1943, and Italian POWs were relabeled as co-conspirators in Britain. Note that the author continues to call the Italians "POWs" throughout the story. They were not sent home until well after VE Day. The historical story here takes place in 1945. I wish there was more explanation of these important facts in the book but the portrayal is consistent with info in this BBC article that I found, about how many POWs stayed or came back to the UK after the war and made their homes in Britain. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-n....
In the contemporary story, Rhoda is a glass specialist tasked with dismantling a stained glass window from the chapel at Telton Hall. Along with the owner's son, Nate, she discovers something unexpected. Together they try to unwind the mystery surrounding their discovery. As with any good gothic, there are unexpected threats, car issues, break ins, and a faulty bit of scaffolding. And of course, Rhoda and Nate are attracted to each other and have a growing romance throughout the course of the story.
We learn about the who-done-it and who-is-it through both the contemporary and historical stories. I thought they were woven together seamlessly. And while there some things that weren't a surprise, others were. Of course it's all taking place at an English manor house, with a creepy chapel and dark rooms. That's the mark of a good gothic.
Romance as a genre is defined as a central romance and a happy ever after/happy for now ending. Beyond a Broken Sky a light romance. The romance is not the central plot as one would find in a contemporary romance, but it is inextricably wound up in the gothic mystery. The mystery portion would not work as well without the romance, so I don't think one could take it out and have the same book. That is one of the hallmarks of a gothic romance in the Victoria Holt vein - budding romance happens while a mystery surrounds the couple or at least surrounds the female protagonist. Those are still a romance, even if they don't fit in as neatly with our modern definition of a central romance. The HEA/HFN ending still remains.
I really enjoyed this. For historical fiction fans, they might find less history than some others, but the setting is WWII and facts from the era, create the historical portion of the story, and set us up perfectly for the dual timeline contemporary portion. The gothic portion is textbook and well done. Anyone concerned about the presence of POWs and how they are portrayed, should read the included BBC article. I can see how the author chose to include and portray Paolo and Carlo. That may still be difficult for some readers, which is why I include it as a content warning.
I read an e-ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
October 2, 2022
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Suzanne Fortin returns with Beyond a Broken Sky, an emotional, dramatic and involving dual timeline novel.
It’s 1945 and Alice Renshaw has got herself into trouble. Pregnant and alone, she has nobody to turn to and is left to face this terrifying time all on her own. She is sent away to hide her shame and finds herself being taken in by Louise Hartwell, who has a farm in Somerset worked by prisoners of war. Alice’s fear and trepidation soon give way to a feeling of safety and security as she begins to settle down and make new friends. Yet, not everybody is happy about Alice’s presence at Telton Hall and although the world is now at peace, closer to home another kind of war is going to break out…
In the present day, stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan goes to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian POW during the Second World War. Rhoda thinks this will be a quick job, however, she gets the shock of her life when, alongside owner Nate Hartwell, she discovers a dead body buried underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel. Rhoda finds herself intrigued by this mystery and becomes consumed with a desperate need to uncover the truth. Still haunted by her twin brother’s disappearance when they were eighteen, Rhoda understands the pain and sorrow of missing a loved one. Yet, her investigation into Telton Hall’s past is making some people uneasy and as threats on Rhoda’s life escalate, she begins to wonder just what other long-buried secrets are hidden at Telton Hall…
Suzanne Fortin’s Beyond a Broken Sky is a heart-wrenching, poignant and immersive dual-timeline tale of secrets, courage, hope and love perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Lorna Cook. Suzanne Fortin writes so beautifully that it’s impossible not to find yourself drawn into the world she creates from page one and she keeps you gripped and riveted until the very end.
Alice and Rhoda are two characters that capture your imagination and will have you laughing and crying alongside them. Although separated by decades, both characters are strong, resilient and simply inspirational.
A first class read perfect for curling up with, you will not be able to resist falling under Suzanne Fortin’s spell with Beyond a Broken Sky.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Suzanne Fortin returns with Beyond a Broken Sky, an emotional, dramatic and involving dual timeline novel.
It’s 1945 and Alice Renshaw has got herself into trouble. Pregnant and alone, she has nobody to turn to and is left to face this terrifying time all on her own. She is sent away to hide her shame and finds herself being taken in by Louise Hartwell, who has a farm in Somerset worked by prisoners of war. Alice’s fear and trepidation soon give way to a feeling of safety and security as she begins to settle down and make new friends. Yet, not everybody is happy about Alice’s presence at Telton Hall and although the world is now at peace, closer to home another kind of war is going to break out…
In the present day, stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan goes to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian POW during the Second World War. Rhoda thinks this will be a quick job, however, she gets the shock of her life when, alongside owner Nate Hartwell, she discovers a dead body buried underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel. Rhoda finds herself intrigued by this mystery and becomes consumed with a desperate need to uncover the truth. Still haunted by her twin brother’s disappearance when they were eighteen, Rhoda understands the pain and sorrow of missing a loved one. Yet, her investigation into Telton Hall’s past is making some people uneasy and as threats on Rhoda’s life escalate, she begins to wonder just what other long-buried secrets are hidden at Telton Hall…
Suzanne Fortin’s Beyond a Broken Sky is a heart-wrenching, poignant and immersive dual-timeline tale of secrets, courage, hope and love perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Lorna Cook. Suzanne Fortin writes so beautifully that it’s impossible not to find yourself drawn into the world she creates from page one and she keeps you gripped and riveted until the very end.
Alice and Rhoda are two characters that capture your imagination and will have you laughing and crying alongside them. Although separated by decades, both characters are strong, resilient and simply inspirational.
A first class read perfect for curling up with, you will not be able to resist falling under Suzanne Fortin’s spell with Beyond a Broken Sky.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 22, 2022
4.5/5 ☆
i really liked this story of love and redemption.
the characters felt so real with real troubles and real and justified emotions. the plot was great and it was such a page turner - SO FAST PACED!!
plot
somerset, 1945. ww2 may be coming to an end, but alice renshaw is in trouble. pregnant and alone, she is sent away to hide her shame at louise hart wells farm, worked by prisoners of war. here, alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone is happy about it. while peace has been declared in europe, the war at home is just beginning…
2022. the secrets of telton hall have long been hidden away. when rhoda sullivan, stained-glass expert, discovers a body beneath a flagstone in the chapel, will she uncover the truth… despite those who wish it to remain undiscovered?
like i said - super fast paced due to the amount of information that had to be packed into both timelines which was a relief for me and meant i was able to get through it super quickly.
i absolutely fell in love with some of the characters, and the two separate timelines meant two different love stories were revealed, which was AMAZING. i fell in love with the love in this book!
the concept was really great, i really liked that there were elements of mystery as well which kept me on edge throughout the book. i generally enjoy learning about the events of the second world war, and have always enjoyed history at school, so i knew i would like this, but i didnt expect to be feeling all the things i felt while reading - suzanne fortin knows how to write characters… paolo😩
i have a book review to be posted on my blog later on today so check that out if you want to know more!
thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me an early copy of this!
i really liked this story of love and redemption.
the characters felt so real with real troubles and real and justified emotions. the plot was great and it was such a page turner - SO FAST PACED!!
plot
somerset, 1945. ww2 may be coming to an end, but alice renshaw is in trouble. pregnant and alone, she is sent away to hide her shame at louise hart wells farm, worked by prisoners of war. here, alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone is happy about it. while peace has been declared in europe, the war at home is just beginning…
2022. the secrets of telton hall have long been hidden away. when rhoda sullivan, stained-glass expert, discovers a body beneath a flagstone in the chapel, will she uncover the truth… despite those who wish it to remain undiscovered?
like i said - super fast paced due to the amount of information that had to be packed into both timelines which was a relief for me and meant i was able to get through it super quickly.
i absolutely fell in love with some of the characters, and the two separate timelines meant two different love stories were revealed, which was AMAZING. i fell in love with the love in this book!
the concept was really great, i really liked that there were elements of mystery as well which kept me on edge throughout the book. i generally enjoy learning about the events of the second world war, and have always enjoyed history at school, so i knew i would like this, but i didnt expect to be feeling all the things i felt while reading - suzanne fortin knows how to write characters… paolo😩
i have a book review to be posted on my blog later on today so check that out if you want to know more!
thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me an early copy of this!
June 13, 2022
3.25/5⭐️
This is a dual timeline historical mystery set in both the present and in 1945 England.
At present, Rhoda is a stained glass restorer for a museum who discovers a human skeleton while assessing an old window at Jack’s (an elderly farmer’s) abandoned chapel. The window was supposedly made by an Italian POW who worked on the farm in 1945. She becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of the skeleton because she’s never had closure over her twin’s disappearance 10 years prior (which is another storyline).
Alice is an 18-year-old left pregnant by an American soldier in 1945 who travels to Jack’s home (he is a small child at the time) to birth and give up her baby for adoption. She is sexually harassed by bully Billy, Jack’s mother’s stepson and is drawn to Paolo, the Italian POW. And no, this is not as confusing as I’m making it sound…sorry.
Obviously the stained glass window is what ties these two timelines together. I had read a previous book by this author that I really enjoyed, but this one just fell short for me. Part of it was that I didn’t connect with the characters, especially Rhoda, who was at times abrupt and just plain rude, especially to Nate, Jack’s son, who was to me, an inexplicable and no-chemistry love interest. I also felt the plot twist at the end was a bit weird and far-fetched. But I do give kudos for the historical elements and the insight into stained glass.
Thanks to NetGalley and Aria for providing the free early arc of Beyond A Broken Sky for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
This is a dual timeline historical mystery set in both the present and in 1945 England.
At present, Rhoda is a stained glass restorer for a museum who discovers a human skeleton while assessing an old window at Jack’s (an elderly farmer’s) abandoned chapel. The window was supposedly made by an Italian POW who worked on the farm in 1945. She becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of the skeleton because she’s never had closure over her twin’s disappearance 10 years prior (which is another storyline).
Alice is an 18-year-old left pregnant by an American soldier in 1945 who travels to Jack’s home (he is a small child at the time) to birth and give up her baby for adoption. She is sexually harassed by bully Billy, Jack’s mother’s stepson and is drawn to Paolo, the Italian POW. And no, this is not as confusing as I’m making it sound…sorry.
Obviously the stained glass window is what ties these two timelines together. I had read a previous book by this author that I really enjoyed, but this one just fell short for me. Part of it was that I didn’t connect with the characters, especially Rhoda, who was at times abrupt and just plain rude, especially to Nate, Jack’s son, who was to me, an inexplicable and no-chemistry love interest. I also felt the plot twist at the end was a bit weird and far-fetched. But I do give kudos for the historical elements and the insight into stained glass.
Thanks to NetGalley and Aria for providing the free early arc of Beyond A Broken Sky for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
June 26, 2022
Set in 1945 and 2022 Somerset, England, this beautiful dual timeline novel has what many rabid readers yearn for in a book...history, secrets, mystery and a bit of romance. Author Suzanne Fortin writes gorgeously and thoughtfully and I lost myself in emotive Beyond A Broken Sky.
Dual timelines are a particular favourite of mine if written well with believable links. Thankfully, this book has just that. In 1945, young Alice finds herself in a predicament at a POW camp located on a farm called Teton Hall. A few of the most trusted prisoners are allowed to stay on the farm. Alice encounters much kindness but also witnesses cruelty and deception. Her life is connected with that of stained glass expert Rhoda who in 2022 carefully examines and preserves stained glass found on Teton Farm. Not all locals are enthused about her expertise. When human remains are found, secret after secret is eventually exposed. Her project becomes even more meaningful when she meets Jack and Nate. Both stories are equally enjoyable though the 1945 timeline intrigued me more as the era is one of my favourites to read about.
My favourite aspects of this book are the timelines and characters who are not all likeable but are well written. The mystery elements are also fascinating. Though not suspenseful, this book is soothing, escapist and well worth reading.
M y sincere thank you to Head of Zeus Aria and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book.
Dual timelines are a particular favourite of mine if written well with believable links. Thankfully, this book has just that. In 1945, young Alice finds herself in a predicament at a POW camp located on a farm called Teton Hall. A few of the most trusted prisoners are allowed to stay on the farm. Alice encounters much kindness but also witnesses cruelty and deception. Her life is connected with that of stained glass expert Rhoda who in 2022 carefully examines and preserves stained glass found on Teton Farm. Not all locals are enthused about her expertise. When human remains are found, secret after secret is eventually exposed. Her project becomes even more meaningful when she meets Jack and Nate. Both stories are equally enjoyable though the 1945 timeline intrigued me more as the era is one of my favourites to read about.
My favourite aspects of this book are the timelines and characters who are not all likeable but are well written. The mystery elements are also fascinating. Though not suspenseful, this book is soothing, escapist and well worth reading.
M y sincere thank you to Head of Zeus Aria and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book.
Read
July 17, 2022This is a dual-timeline gothic mystery that takes place at Telton Hall in Somerset, England. In the contemporary storyline, Rhoda Sullivan is a stained glass restorer who works for a museum. Telton Hall is under a compulsory purchase order and the owner, Jack, is none too happy about it and not exactly welcoming when Rhoda shows up to evaluate and remove stained glass in a chapel on the property. Jack’s son, Nate, intervenes to smooth things over, and is there for Rhoda as the story progresses, particularly when the family dog falls through a hole and in removing him, skeletal remains are found! Turns out these remains date back to the end of WWII. The police aren’t particularly concerned about 75-year-old remains, but Rhoda can’t be a blasé about it because her twin went missing right before their 18th birthday and she knows how the family of a missing person can suffer. She and Nate investigate but despite the passage of time, someone does not want them unearthing secrets and threats are made.
In the 1945 timeline, Alice is a pregnant, jilted bride-to-be who is sent to Telton Hall to have her baby. On the farm she befriends an Italian POW, Paolo, who is repairing a stained glass window in the chapel. As events in 1945 are revealed, I had numerous guesses about the mystery, but I was wrong. In addition the the mystery, I really enjoyed learning about how Italian POW’s were sent off to England to work on farms, a historical practice that was new to me.
In the 1945 timeline, Alice is a pregnant, jilted bride-to-be who is sent to Telton Hall to have her baby. On the farm she befriends an Italian POW, Paolo, who is repairing a stained glass window in the chapel. As events in 1945 are revealed, I had numerous guesses about the mystery, but I was wrong. In addition the the mystery, I really enjoyed learning about how Italian POW’s were sent off to England to work on farms, a historical practice that was new to me.
July 23, 2022
Wow, there was a lot going on in this book! Set in a dual timeline, between the present day and 1945, this story has a lot of layers of complexity.
Alice is 18 years old in 1944 when she accidentally becomes pregnant. She is not married. This is a major problem. She is sent away to Telton Hall, where a kindly woman takes her in and she settles into a new life there. However, not everyone around her is as kind as this lady.....
Rhoda is a stained glass expert in the present day who is tasked with restoring a window on the grounds of Telton Hall. She finds herself getting caught up in a series of events that she just doesn't understand, but she knows it has something to do with events from the past.
I enjoyed this book, although there were some loose ends not tied up that I would have liked to have been. There is an overwhelming feeling of menace about this story, although it does have it's lighter moments too. I learned about why POW's were put to work in the UK - not something I had any idea about at all. And I felt thankful that unmarried, pregnant girls have a lot more options now.
Overall, I think this is a 4.5 star kind of novel, bumped up to a 5 because a lot of effort has gone into making this story as powerful as it was.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus.
Alice is 18 years old in 1944 when she accidentally becomes pregnant. She is not married. This is a major problem. She is sent away to Telton Hall, where a kindly woman takes her in and she settles into a new life there. However, not everyone around her is as kind as this lady.....
Rhoda is a stained glass expert in the present day who is tasked with restoring a window on the grounds of Telton Hall. She finds herself getting caught up in a series of events that she just doesn't understand, but she knows it has something to do with events from the past.
I enjoyed this book, although there were some loose ends not tied up that I would have liked to have been. There is an overwhelming feeling of menace about this story, although it does have it's lighter moments too. I learned about why POW's were put to work in the UK - not something I had any idea about at all. And I felt thankful that unmarried, pregnant girls have a lot more options now.
Overall, I think this is a 4.5 star kind of novel, bumped up to a 5 because a lot of effort has gone into making this story as powerful as it was.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus.
June 7, 2022
Thanks to @Netgalley.co.uk for a copy in return for an honest review
This is the second book by Suzanne Fortin I have read, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.
The dual time line works well.
In 1945, we meet Alice, who is sent to Felton Hall in shame, to stay and work for a while following her father's discovery that she is pregnant. Alone and away from home, Alice befriends Lily, who also lives at the Hall.
In 2022, as we follow Rhoda's project of preserving, removing and restoring a stained glass window from Felton Hall Chapel - the work of an Italian POW - Rhoda is keen to complete the job before the Hall and Chapel are destroyed. And as she works, so begins a journey back in time.
The discovery of a skeleton halts the process briefly, but since the police are uninterested, Rhoda is determined to uncover who the bones belong to and how they ended up there.
But someone is determined to stop her from uncovering the secrets of Felton Hall Chapel.
As the story unfolds, the link between past and present is carefully revealed.
Although the story has some surprises which keep the reader's interest peaked, the "who" is easy to recognise, but it's the "why" that keeps the reader intrigued.
This is the second book by Suzanne Fortin I have read, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.
The dual time line works well.
In 1945, we meet Alice, who is sent to Felton Hall in shame, to stay and work for a while following her father's discovery that she is pregnant. Alone and away from home, Alice befriends Lily, who also lives at the Hall.
In 2022, as we follow Rhoda's project of preserving, removing and restoring a stained glass window from Felton Hall Chapel - the work of an Italian POW - Rhoda is keen to complete the job before the Hall and Chapel are destroyed. And as she works, so begins a journey back in time.
The discovery of a skeleton halts the process briefly, but since the police are uninterested, Rhoda is determined to uncover who the bones belong to and how they ended up there.
But someone is determined to stop her from uncovering the secrets of Felton Hall Chapel.
As the story unfolds, the link between past and present is carefully revealed.
Although the story has some surprises which keep the reader's interest peaked, the "who" is easy to recognise, but it's the "why" that keeps the reader intrigued.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2022
Really enjoyed!
I thought this was a very well-written book, great plot, moved along fast and kept me engaged. I could easily have read it in one sitting if other things didn’t get in the way!
Told in dual timelines, one present day 2022 ( with no mention of the pandemic, thank you!); the other timeline was 1944-1945, at the end of WW2. Alice finds herself pregnant, plans to marry her American boyfriend, but he leaves her at the altar. As was common in those days, girls in Alice’s position were sent elsewhere to have the baby and put it up for adoption.
The place were Alice was sent also housed two POW’s , nice Italian boys. One, Paolo, knows stained glass making and was asked to repair damage. This window is what ties the two timelines together, because in 2022, Rhoda is a museum employee tasked with removing the window for preservation.
I don’t do spoilers, so I can’t tell much. This book has mystery, emotional memories, family stories and maybe a touch of romance. Highly recommend it!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.
I thought this was a very well-written book, great plot, moved along fast and kept me engaged. I could easily have read it in one sitting if other things didn’t get in the way!
Told in dual timelines, one present day 2022 ( with no mention of the pandemic, thank you!); the other timeline was 1944-1945, at the end of WW2. Alice finds herself pregnant, plans to marry her American boyfriend, but he leaves her at the altar. As was common in those days, girls in Alice’s position were sent elsewhere to have the baby and put it up for adoption.
The place were Alice was sent also housed two POW’s , nice Italian boys. One, Paolo, knows stained glass making and was asked to repair damage. This window is what ties the two timelines together, because in 2022, Rhoda is a museum employee tasked with removing the window for preservation.
I don’t do spoilers, so I can’t tell much. This book has mystery, emotional memories, family stories and maybe a touch of romance. Highly recommend it!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.
March 10, 2024
I read “All that we have lost” by Suzanne Fortin last year and very much enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading this book. It didn’t disappoint, but “Beyond a Broken Sky” is, in my opinion, not as good as “All that we have lost”. I didn’t feel as connected with the characters as in the previous book.
Having said that, it is still a good book and would definitely recommend it, even though both books follow the same pattern in story telling: a dual timeline (one set in WWII, one in present day) that is connected. I did prefer the story of Alice and Paolo more than that of Rhoda and Nate, but both storylines regarding how their relationships developed are believable.
The whole viaduct incident in the present day timeline towards the end of the book was a bit far fetched and the gullible behaviour of Rhoda made my eyes roll.
What was a nice change is the happy ending that Alice and Paolo got (and deservedly so). Usually in dual timelines stories the one set in the past won’t have a happy ending while the present day one will have a happy ending. Here both timelines end well. I liked that.
All in all a strong 3.5* book. Worth reading.
Having said that, it is still a good book and would definitely recommend it, even though both books follow the same pattern in story telling: a dual timeline (one set in WWII, one in present day) that is connected. I did prefer the story of Alice and Paolo more than that of Rhoda and Nate, but both storylines regarding how their relationships developed are believable.
The whole viaduct incident in the present day timeline towards the end of the book was a bit far fetched and the gullible behaviour of Rhoda made my eyes roll.
What was a nice change is the happy ending that Alice and Paolo got (and deservedly so). Usually in dual timelines stories the one set in the past won’t have a happy ending while the present day one will have a happy ending. Here both timelines end well. I liked that.
All in all a strong 3.5* book. Worth reading.
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