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The Great War #2
Whisper on the Wind
In Brussels at the height of WWI, a small, underground newspaper is the only thing offering the occupied city hope―and real news of the war. The paper may be a small whisper amid the shouts of the German army, but Edward Kirkland will do anything to keep it in print. Meanwhile, Isa Lassone, a Belgian-American socialite whose parents whisked her to safety at the start of the war, sneaks back into the country to rescue those dearest to Edward and his mother. But Edward refuses to go, and soon Isa is drawn into his secret life printing the newspaper . . . And into his heart.
407 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2010
86 people are currently reading
1437 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Lang
38 books209 followersMaureen Lang
Maureen Lang has always had a passion for writing. She wrote her first novel longhand around the age of 10, put the pages into a notebook she had covered with soft deerskin (nothing but the best!), then passed it around the neighborhood to rave reviews. It was so much fun she's been writing ever since.
Most of her books are historical, with an emphasis on faith and romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
May 17, 2013
Wealthy and privileged Isa Lassone and her parents escaped the German onslaught that would ultimately overwhelm her beloved Belgium at the start of the Great War. But her freedom exacted a steep emotional toll, for Isa was abandoning not only her home but her heart, leaving behind Genny, the innkeeper's wife who practically raised her and whose son, Edward, Isa's loved since childhood. Against all reason and advice Isa makes arrangements to sneak back into Belgium with enough gold and jewels to successfully smuggle those she loves across the border, far from their German oppressors. But when Isa arrives with her unexpected treasure, the welcome she receives is far cooler than she'd hoped -- Edward, stripped of his once-vibrant faith thanks the horrors of war, refuses to leave Brussels, determined to sacrifice his life if need be for the resistance newspaper La Libre Belgique.
Despite Isa's brave if foolhardy journey into occupied territory, Edward continues to view her as nothing more than a spoiled child, a product of society-obsessed parents sure to buckle under the rigors of life in occupied Brussels, stripped of the privileged lifestyle her class once held dear. When Edward refuses to abandon his resistance work, Isa seizes the chance to remain, determined to prove to Edward that in the two years that have elapsed since the start of the war she's become a woman worthy of his love and respect. But with the German Army determined to destroy the voice of the resistance paper and all who support it, Isa's faith in her God and her cause are brutally tested. For the price of her hopes and girlish dreams, the price of resistance may demand nothing less than her very life.
After recently finishing Look to the East, the first installment in The Great War series which told the story of Isa's brother Charles, I was eager to continue my exploration of Lang's fiction. While Charles's story of finding danger and romance behind enemy lines is powerfully-rendered on the page, characterization and pacing issues left me hungry for more fully-rounded characters and a more action-driven plot. Happily, Lang's second outing featuring a member of the Lassone family delivers on all fronts. If one sets aside the incredulity with which Isa's audacious action at the beginning of the novel must be met -- I find it impossible to believe that a young woman of her breeding and standing could decamp to an occupied country with so little remark or regard for those she leaves behind -- Whisper on the Wind is nothing less than a thoroughly enjoyable tale of intrigue, danger, and romance against the backdrop of a war-torn world.
Though Isa can at times seem incredibly foolish and headstrong, I was quickly able to forgive her penchant for viewing her role as a "resistance heroine" during wartime with rose-colored glasses. Her youthful enthusiasm and determination to live out the tenants of her faith make for an appealing character, one whose moxie I cannot help but admire. Likewise, Edward's determination to play a vibrant role in the dangerous resistance community, driven by a desire to avenge the horrors he's witnessed under the occupation is compellingly sketched on the page. While not exactly a spy per se, Edward's work with La Libre Belgique lends the narrative all the drama and intrigue of a spy story, since his work necessitates false identities, safe houses, and a loosely-connected, sprawling network of ordinary men and women willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Belgian freedom.
While this is very much Isa and Edward's story, Lang introduces a secondary romance that completely captured my heart. Genny, widowed when a German bullet took her husband's life, is forced to keep a wounded German major distracted from Isa and Edward's illegal newspaper work. Max, billeted at Isa's one-time family home since his injury, finds himself re-evaluating his life and work following two years of war that cost him the lives of his sons, a foot, and his wife's sanity. Against her better judgement, Genny finds herself drawn to the major's quiet strength, and the two erstwhile enemies find themselves drawing ever closer as the bonds of their shared faith overcome the politics of wartime. Forbidden romance between two would-be enemies? I am SO THERE. The restrained passion with which Lang paints Genny and Max's relationship is breathtakingly sweet, and Max's deeply-rooted sense of honor is swoon-worthy. This couple is so good they nearly steal the show -- a masterful example of peopling one's world with vibrant, memorable secondary characters.
One of Lang's greatest strengths in both Whisper on the Wind and its predecessor is the powerful manner in which she explores what it means to be a believer on both sides of the conflict. Rather than than succumbing to the temptation to make those on either side of the conflict either wholly "good" or "evil," Lang's three-dimensional characterizations explore what it means to literally love one's enemy, to place the call to faith and love before prejudice and hatred. When everything within Genny and Isa screams to deny any kinship with one of their loathed German oppressors, Max's quiet faith forces them to acknowledge a commonality stronger than national loyalty. And therein lies the power of Lang's narrative -- by forcing those on opposite sides of the conflict to recognize a spiritual kinship, she underscores the shattering, tragic, very human cost of the conflict.
Whispers on the Wind is one of the best war-set inspy historicals I've read in years, reminiscent of the Thoenes' classic Zion Covenant series in the colorful, absorbing manner in which it brings history to life. By peppering the narrative with accounts of Edith Cavell, a British nurse executed for helping Allied soldiers escape German detection, and the efforts of harried American ambassador Brad Whitlock to aide the Belgian people, and incorporating the actual resistance newspaper, La Libre Belgique into the storyline, Lang adds authenticity and atmosphere to a tale rife with intrigue and danger. Lang's grasp of the history and time period are stellar, resulting in a thoroughly absorbing read. With her well-drawn characterizations, a tightly-plotted storyline, and deft handling of action sequences, this is my favorite Lang novel yet. A richly-drawn, romantic, and thought-provoking tale of faith and honor in a world at war, Whisper on the Wind is a gorgeously-rendered tapestry of a pivotal moment in history vibrantly re-created, where faith and fear collide in a world bent on destruction. If this is what Lang is capable of, I cannot wait to read more of her work!
Despite Isa's brave if foolhardy journey into occupied territory, Edward continues to view her as nothing more than a spoiled child, a product of society-obsessed parents sure to buckle under the rigors of life in occupied Brussels, stripped of the privileged lifestyle her class once held dear. When Edward refuses to abandon his resistance work, Isa seizes the chance to remain, determined to prove to Edward that in the two years that have elapsed since the start of the war she's become a woman worthy of his love and respect. But with the German Army determined to destroy the voice of the resistance paper and all who support it, Isa's faith in her God and her cause are brutally tested. For the price of her hopes and girlish dreams, the price of resistance may demand nothing less than her very life.
After recently finishing Look to the East, the first installment in The Great War series which told the story of Isa's brother Charles, I was eager to continue my exploration of Lang's fiction. While Charles's story of finding danger and romance behind enemy lines is powerfully-rendered on the page, characterization and pacing issues left me hungry for more fully-rounded characters and a more action-driven plot. Happily, Lang's second outing featuring a member of the Lassone family delivers on all fronts. If one sets aside the incredulity with which Isa's audacious action at the beginning of the novel must be met -- I find it impossible to believe that a young woman of her breeding and standing could decamp to an occupied country with so little remark or regard for those she leaves behind -- Whisper on the Wind is nothing less than a thoroughly enjoyable tale of intrigue, danger, and romance against the backdrop of a war-torn world.
Though Isa can at times seem incredibly foolish and headstrong, I was quickly able to forgive her penchant for viewing her role as a "resistance heroine" during wartime with rose-colored glasses. Her youthful enthusiasm and determination to live out the tenants of her faith make for an appealing character, one whose moxie I cannot help but admire. Likewise, Edward's determination to play a vibrant role in the dangerous resistance community, driven by a desire to avenge the horrors he's witnessed under the occupation is compellingly sketched on the page. While not exactly a spy per se, Edward's work with La Libre Belgique lends the narrative all the drama and intrigue of a spy story, since his work necessitates false identities, safe houses, and a loosely-connected, sprawling network of ordinary men and women willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Belgian freedom.
While this is very much Isa and Edward's story, Lang introduces a secondary romance that completely captured my heart. Genny, widowed when a German bullet took her husband's life, is forced to keep a wounded German major distracted from Isa and Edward's illegal newspaper work. Max, billeted at Isa's one-time family home since his injury, finds himself re-evaluating his life and work following two years of war that cost him the lives of his sons, a foot, and his wife's sanity. Against her better judgement, Genny finds herself drawn to the major's quiet strength, and the two erstwhile enemies find themselves drawing ever closer as the bonds of their shared faith overcome the politics of wartime. Forbidden romance between two would-be enemies? I am SO THERE. The restrained passion with which Lang paints Genny and Max's relationship is breathtakingly sweet, and Max's deeply-rooted sense of honor is swoon-worthy. This couple is so good they nearly steal the show -- a masterful example of peopling one's world with vibrant, memorable secondary characters.
One of Lang's greatest strengths in both Whisper on the Wind and its predecessor is the powerful manner in which she explores what it means to be a believer on both sides of the conflict. Rather than than succumbing to the temptation to make those on either side of the conflict either wholly "good" or "evil," Lang's three-dimensional characterizations explore what it means to literally love one's enemy, to place the call to faith and love before prejudice and hatred. When everything within Genny and Isa screams to deny any kinship with one of their loathed German oppressors, Max's quiet faith forces them to acknowledge a commonality stronger than national loyalty. And therein lies the power of Lang's narrative -- by forcing those on opposite sides of the conflict to recognize a spiritual kinship, she underscores the shattering, tragic, very human cost of the conflict.
Whispers on the Wind is one of the best war-set inspy historicals I've read in years, reminiscent of the Thoenes' classic Zion Covenant series in the colorful, absorbing manner in which it brings history to life. By peppering the narrative with accounts of Edith Cavell, a British nurse executed for helping Allied soldiers escape German detection, and the efforts of harried American ambassador Brad Whitlock to aide the Belgian people, and incorporating the actual resistance newspaper, La Libre Belgique into the storyline, Lang adds authenticity and atmosphere to a tale rife with intrigue and danger. Lang's grasp of the history and time period are stellar, resulting in a thoroughly absorbing read. With her well-drawn characterizations, a tightly-plotted storyline, and deft handling of action sequences, this is my favorite Lang novel yet. A richly-drawn, romantic, and thought-provoking tale of faith and honor in a world at war, Whisper on the Wind is a gorgeously-rendered tapestry of a pivotal moment in history vibrantly re-created, where faith and fear collide in a world bent on destruction. If this is what Lang is capable of, I cannot wait to read more of her work!
October 21, 2010
While a bit long, I found this story thoroughly enjoyable. I always appreciate stories about the two world wars. This one was unique in that it was set during WWI, and some of the things available in the 1940s weren't available during The Great War. I loved the whole underground newspaper theme and the idea of keeping the spirit of Belgium alive through the power of the written word. That, of course, made the German occupiers crazy, and thus more determined to destroy the "traitors," which increased the tension.
Whisper on the Wind had a lot of conflict and a wonderfully subtle romantic thread. As a lover of romance, I enjoyed that very much. The spiritual thread was also pretty well done. It didn't feel contrived and flowed naturally with the story. The theme of forgiveness and loving others regardless of their background was powerful, too. There was just enough danger in this story to keep me stressing out as I worked my way through the war along with the characters. I waited for the inevitable to happen, and of course, it eventually did. But a Phoenix rose from the ashes in this story and their actions turned the hearts of several people back to faith in Christ. This story was very well done, and I commend the author for her amazing gift when it comes to craft, setting, dialog, and showing faith in action.
Whisper on the Wind had a lot of conflict and a wonderfully subtle romantic thread. As a lover of romance, I enjoyed that very much. The spiritual thread was also pretty well done. It didn't feel contrived and flowed naturally with the story. The theme of forgiveness and loving others regardless of their background was powerful, too. There was just enough danger in this story to keep me stressing out as I worked my way through the war along with the characters. I waited for the inevitable to happen, and of course, it eventually did. But a Phoenix rose from the ashes in this story and their actions turned the hearts of several people back to faith in Christ. This story was very well done, and I commend the author for her amazing gift when it comes to craft, setting, dialog, and showing faith in action.
November 8, 2010
This book was a Goodreads win. I would have passed it by had I noticed that it was 'Christian' fiction, as usually I find that genre not well written and too contrived. However, this book was surprisingly well done. I've always liked historical novels, particularly war stories, and this book did not disappoint. I haven't read many WWI novels, so found this story of the German occupation of Belgium in that war very interesting. The characters were multi-dimensional, and their reliance on their faith in extremely difficult circumstances fit naturally into the story. There was suspense and a little romance, but not overdone. The relationship between one of the Belgian women and a German soldier was also interesting. They were able to overcome their initial hatred of the enemy and come to accept each other as people. All in all, this was an interesting and enjoyable book.
I would recommend this book, and will look for some of the other books by this author in her great war series.
I would recommend this book, and will look for some of the other books by this author in her great war series.
August 30, 2010
World 1: Brussels, with the German arm breathing down on Isa and Edward as they fight for all that is right and true against the tyranny of the war.
I was there. I felt the hatred and tasted the fear. I could sense the urgency and see the anxiety racing through the characters.
This book was a great work of fiction and I loved the read. It wasn’t all action and that is what I think I loved the most about it. I was involved in the characters, their love story and connection- or their refusal to except it. The love between Isa and Edward is strong and filled with tension, but it was the love story between Major and Genny that captured me the most. I could see their attraction to each other and the growing love, but will they ever conquer the obstacles surrounding them?
The ending was thrilling and kept me turning pages, anxious to know how this was going to turn out!
More like 4 ½ stars, this book is filled with dimensional characters and a setting that took over the book and filled my head with a great story. One I recommend to all those who love great historical fiction.
Thanks to the publishers through FIRST for my copy to review. This review is my honest opinion.
I was there. I felt the hatred and tasted the fear. I could sense the urgency and see the anxiety racing through the characters.
This book was a great work of fiction and I loved the read. It wasn’t all action and that is what I think I loved the most about it. I was involved in the characters, their love story and connection- or their refusal to except it. The love between Isa and Edward is strong and filled with tension, but it was the love story between Major and Genny that captured me the most. I could see their attraction to each other and the growing love, but will they ever conquer the obstacles surrounding them?
The ending was thrilling and kept me turning pages, anxious to know how this was going to turn out!
More like 4 ½ stars, this book is filled with dimensional characters and a setting that took over the book and filled my head with a great story. One I recommend to all those who love great historical fiction.
Thanks to the publishers through FIRST for my copy to review. This review is my honest opinion.
January 15, 2011
This is, I think, one of Lang's very best books-to-date! I had a chance to read this before publication and reading it again, revised and updated was a genuine treat! I am really glad that we read this for our book club! Maureen Lang is a very talented writer, who has real skill and polish in creating vivid scenes, and characters you can almost glimpse out of the corner of your eye as you read her life-like dialogue. This second installment of the Great War Series revolves around the real-life fascinating story of the underground newspaper La Libre Belgique. The characters are not only sympathetic and likable, but completely believable and three-dimensional. Max, in particular, stands out as a truly wonderful creation. All in all, this was such a great story, just a genuinely good with a solid, exciting plot and truly terrific characters. I am really looking forward to her next book!
February 16, 2014
2.5 Stars
I had a really hard time getting into this book and almost put it down several times. While the premise sounded exciting, the story dragged throughout the book. There are not many books about War World 1, so I've had high hopes for this series. Maybe book 3 will be better...
I had a really hard time getting into this book and almost put it down several times. While the premise sounded exciting, the story dragged throughout the book. There are not many books about War World 1, so I've had high hopes for this series. Maybe book 3 will be better...
July 1, 2011
A wonderful, action-packed story that just begs to be turned into a movie.
September 16, 2021
In Brussels at the height of WWI, a small, underground newspaper is the only thing offering the occupied city hope—and real news of the war. The paper may be a small whisper amid the shouts of the German army, but Edward Kirkland will do anything to keep it in print. Meanwhile, Isa Lassone, a Belgian-American socialite whose parents whisked her to safety at the start of the war, sneaks back into the country to rescue those dearest to her: Edward and his mother. But Edward refuses to go, and soon Isa is drawn into his secret life printing the newspaper . . . And into his heart.La Libre Belgique (literally The Free Belgium), currently sold under the name La Libre, is a major daily newspaper in Belgium. Together with Le Soir, it is one of the country's major French language newspapers and is popular in Brussels and Wallonia. La Libre was founded in 1884 and has historically had a centre-right Christian Democratic political stance. The papers is particularly celebrated for its role as an underground newspaper during both World Wars when Belgium was occupied. After the German invasion of Belgium in World War I, Le Patriote was banned by the German occupation authorities. In February 1915, however, it was re-founded in secret by the Jourdain brothers as an underground newspaper called La Libre Belgique ("Free Belgium"). The new title was an allusion to a collaborationist paper called La Belgique ("Belgium"). A total of 171 issues of La Libre Belgique appeared during the occupation. It soon became famous as an example of Belgian resistance.Brand Whitlock (March 4, 1869 – May 24, 1934) was an American journalist, attorney, politician, Georgist, four-time mayor of Toledo, Ohio elected on the Independent ticket; ambassador to Belgium,and author.When the First World War broke out, his responsibilities were increased as he was given representation for seven additional countries in wartime. His position was extremely sensitive after the German occupation of Belgium. His adroit performance of his duties in the office won him an international reputation for tact, zeal, and efficiency.
April 19, 2022
I have now read two novels by Maureen Lang---her first 2 books in The Great War series. I didn't write a review of the first novel 'Look to the East' but decided I had enough definite thoughts about this one to write a review.
Whisper on the Wind is set in Brussels, Belgium during WWII. One of the main characters in it, Isa Lassone is the younger sister of a main character in the first novel in the series and that what was attracted my interest in continuing the series. However, I did not like the character of Isa. She seemed very immature and reckless to me---endangering others to fulfill her own personal desires. The novel starts out with Isa getting smuggled into Belgium and meeting up with Edward Kirkland, a young man she had known very well during the years she lived in Brussels while growing up. At that time, she had developed an infatuation with him that persisted. Now she has come back to Belgium to try and get him and his mother out of the country. She is 17 years old now. She is determined to do whatever it takes to cause him to love her in the same way that she loves him.
Edward is involved in writing an underground newspaper and Isa insists upon getting involved with him despite his reluctance to allow her to do so. There are serious consequences to her involvement. I won't go any further into describing the plot to avoid spoiling it for others.
On the positive side, there is definitely a strong Christian message in the novel. Isa has a strong faith and she is also determined to have Edward regain his faith. I did appreciate all the spiritual messages in the book and that is why I gave it 3 stars. There is also enough suspense in the book to make it a page turner.
Unfortunately, I would much rather read Christian fiction that didn't have so much emphasis on romance but that seems to be a popular theme in Christian fiction.
Whisper on the Wind is set in Brussels, Belgium during WWII. One of the main characters in it, Isa Lassone is the younger sister of a main character in the first novel in the series and that what was attracted my interest in continuing the series. However, I did not like the character of Isa. She seemed very immature and reckless to me---endangering others to fulfill her own personal desires. The novel starts out with Isa getting smuggled into Belgium and meeting up with Edward Kirkland, a young man she had known very well during the years she lived in Brussels while growing up. At that time, she had developed an infatuation with him that persisted. Now she has come back to Belgium to try and get him and his mother out of the country. She is 17 years old now. She is determined to do whatever it takes to cause him to love her in the same way that she loves him.
Edward is involved in writing an underground newspaper and Isa insists upon getting involved with him despite his reluctance to allow her to do so. There are serious consequences to her involvement. I won't go any further into describing the plot to avoid spoiling it for others.
On the positive side, there is definitely a strong Christian message in the novel. Isa has a strong faith and she is also determined to have Edward regain his faith. I did appreciate all the spiritual messages in the book and that is why I gave it 3 stars. There is also enough suspense in the book to make it a page turner.
Unfortunately, I would much rather read Christian fiction that didn't have so much emphasis on romance but that seems to be a popular theme in Christian fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2021
First of all I chose this book from its cover not sure what the content would be. Then, when I got the book and saw it was a war story, I was a little hesitant (Sarah Sundin's books I read but the last book had me hesitant to read the horror of what war is like).
So I read Isa and Edward's story (without cheating/reading the end before I begin).
Being a neutral country did not do Belgium any favours but the people today hopefully have healed and been restored.
God is good and blesses. War may make or break a persons belief system but only God knows our heart.
So I read Isa and Edward's story (without cheating/reading the end before I begin).
Being a neutral country did not do Belgium any favours but the people today hopefully have healed and been restored.
God is good and blesses. War may make or break a persons belief system but only God knows our heart.
December 1, 2017
3.5 stars
Whisper on the Wind is the first book I've read by Maureen Lang. It was an interesting and intense story set during World War I; book two in THE GREAT WAR series. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it wasn't completely my type of read. Nevertheless, well-written and I recommend fans of WWI fiction check it out!
Whisper on the Wind is the first book I've read by Maureen Lang. It was an interesting and intense story set during World War I; book two in THE GREAT WAR series. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it wasn't completely my type of read. Nevertheless, well-written and I recommend fans of WWI fiction check it out!
February 19, 2018
Good book. Good characters. Hardships with the German war and how it went with people inside who didn't want to be with the Germans. How they needed to sneak around to help people escape. Their lives weren't easy and it wasn't easy reading this book. I wanted to finish it and glad I did. Wonderful ending as well!
April 19, 2018
This book made me nervous all the time because of Isa's decisions. It's good to see here how Belgians were very faithful to God before, however I read that some people in Belgium nowadays don't believe in God anymore, about crisis of faith, but I think it's Catholic church. Well, I love Max and Genny. I hope they will have a happy ending.
September 6, 2018
Admittedly this took me a bit to get into. I wasn't familiar with Belgium in WWI.
Our heroine, Isa, is sometime unbelievably naive in wartime, but steadfast. I think I connected with the B characters before our heroine. The action and drama picked up for me, and I could start to feel the tense times and daily life.
I could see this being made into a movie actually.
Our heroine, Isa, is sometime unbelievably naive in wartime, but steadfast. I think I connected with the B characters before our heroine. The action and drama picked up for me, and I could start to feel the tense times and daily life.
I could see this being made into a movie actually.
September 20, 2017
Enjoyable
Good, quick read about WWII. Enjoyed learning about how Belgians were affected by the war. Always a fan of historical fiction.
Good, quick read about WWII. Enjoyed learning about how Belgians were affected by the war. Always a fan of historical fiction.
May 31, 2018
A good read/
Not my usual but needed some diversion.
......... ....... ....... ........ ....... .....
Belgium during the Nazi overrun.
....... ........ .......
Not my usual but needed some diversion.
......... ....... ....... ........ ....... .....
Belgium during the Nazi overrun.
....... ........ .......
October 11, 2018
Whisper on the Wind
This was a good book how ever I do wish the author had done more to make it more interesting.I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
This was a good book how ever I do wish the author had done more to make it more interesting.I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
March 11, 2020
Enjoyed this suspenseful Christian historical romance.
Ok
Ok
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 31, 2020
Another great book.
June 13, 2021
It held me to the end
I am interested in this period of time and in the next war period. I believe in God and God was reflected in this book and peer of faith
I am interested in this period of time and in the next war period. I believe in God and God was reflected in this book and peer of faith
February 9, 2022
Beautifully written
I loved this book of wartime love and faith in God! It is a must read! It was so well written that I felt as I walked each step with the characters.
I loved this book of wartime love and faith in God! It is a must read! It was so well written that I felt as I walked each step with the characters.
August 2, 2022
Excellent story.
August 9, 2023
I meann It's okey everything is easy to understand and great storyline , Author really made it very easy for me to adapt the ambiance and to feel the emotions of the Characters
April 21, 2025
Rounding up - the characters were kind of idiots, but the story was pretty good, and the author did her research.
April 26, 2011
NO SPOILERS!!!
I am not going to provide many excerpts for this novel. The writing is neither bad, nor exceptionally good, a story is simply being told, a story about some Belgian characters during WWI and a clandestine newspaper. Perhaps if one is more religiously oriented than I am, this book would appeal to you more than it appeals to me. Here follows an example of the religious thoughts so frequently expressed in this book:
"We'll face the consequences, whatever they may be." Genny drew her close again. "But remember this, my little Isa: whatever happens, God is with us." (page 313)
Many chapters begin with a few lines from the newspaper La Libre Belgique. The lines are translated into English. Although it is interesting to that such documentation is included in this novel of historical fiction, I felt the connection between these lines and the following chapter was frequently thin. I kept wondering why is that quote put at the beginning of this chapter?! The author's note at the novel's end in fact states that the majority of these lines are fictional.
And there are some humorous lines, such as this describing German soldiers posted in front and behind a house:
But through the window she saw guards posted in the yard. No doubt they came as a matching set, one for the front as well. (page 308)
Overall, what I appreciate most with this novel of historical fiction is not the story, but the references to places ( squares and prisons and parks and town halls) in Brussels that I know. This is fun; I know exactly where the characters are moving and what the surroundings look like there and there and there. References to historical people, such as Father Clemenceau, Brand Whitlock and Edith Cavell, are also entertaining because there are squares and hospitals and streets in Brussels names after them! I hadn't known that Brand Whitlock was the American ambassador to Belgium during WWI.
Nevertheless, this is a very light novel, more about a woman and a man and their romantic feelings for each other – flirtations, misunderstandings and the overall development of their relationship commencing from an early childhood friendship.
Do you enjoy cinematic endings? If you do, add some more bonus points if you are trying to determine if the book is for you. I can only give it one star. I would have to be much more religiously inclined to give it more.
I am not going to provide many excerpts for this novel. The writing is neither bad, nor exceptionally good, a story is simply being told, a story about some Belgian characters during WWI and a clandestine newspaper. Perhaps if one is more religiously oriented than I am, this book would appeal to you more than it appeals to me. Here follows an example of the religious thoughts so frequently expressed in this book:
"We'll face the consequences, whatever they may be." Genny drew her close again. "But remember this, my little Isa: whatever happens, God is with us." (page 313)
Many chapters begin with a few lines from the newspaper La Libre Belgique. The lines are translated into English. Although it is interesting to that such documentation is included in this novel of historical fiction, I felt the connection between these lines and the following chapter was frequently thin. I kept wondering why is that quote put at the beginning of this chapter?! The author's note at the novel's end in fact states that the majority of these lines are fictional.
And there are some humorous lines, such as this describing German soldiers posted in front and behind a house:
But through the window she saw guards posted in the yard. No doubt they came as a matching set, one for the front as well. (page 308)
Overall, what I appreciate most with this novel of historical fiction is not the story, but the references to places ( squares and prisons and parks and town halls) in Brussels that I know. This is fun; I know exactly where the characters are moving and what the surroundings look like there and there and there. References to historical people, such as Father Clemenceau, Brand Whitlock and Edith Cavell, are also entertaining because there are squares and hospitals and streets in Brussels names after them! I hadn't known that Brand Whitlock was the American ambassador to Belgium during WWI.
Nevertheless, this is a very light novel, more about a woman and a man and their romantic feelings for each other – flirtations, misunderstandings and the overall development of their relationship commencing from an early childhood friendship.
Do you enjoy cinematic endings? If you do, add some more bonus points if you are trying to determine if the book is for you. I can only give it one star. I would have to be much more religiously inclined to give it more.
August 21, 2013
Some books seem to create a feeling of being at the scene of events. This book is one of them. I want to start by saying I am a WWI buff and read pretty much all I can on the subject. I am very picky and can pretty much pick up basic errors on the subject.
Lang manages to capture the time perfectly. You really do feel as if your in the same era which is something I rarely see in these books. People talk about how this book is primarily romance but I disagree. The book would stand alone even without the romance aspect. Unlike for instance, Julie Lessman's A Passion Most Pure, which has so little historical basis it doesn't I don't even think of it as a WWI book, Whisper on the Wind is a true Historical novel.
Isa starts out the book very silly and foolish. She seems like a typical 18 year old. But as time goes on she becomes someone you can respect and admire.
Edward is a hero I loved because he was so idealistic. He was someone who believed so deeply in his cause that he was willing to risk everything to the cause. As I pointed out before the romance aspect wasn't fully developed because this had so much historical detail which I didn't mind. The ending is the only real bone to pick since it is completely unrealistic. Christian fiction seems to have a real problem with ever having a sad ending.
In some ways this book oddly reminded me of Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman would have made a lovely Isa and Humphrey Bogart a little younger would have played the intense, determined Edward perfectly. While the love story is no where near as good( though a lot more pure) than the movie it's still very good.
By the way the situation in Belgium was just as Lang describes. The Germans did round up and kill more than 6,000 civilians in August of 1914. Their treatment of civilians was a sad dress rehearsal for what they would do in WWII. One reviewer state that because of the Belgian Congo these people deserved to be "punished." This idea is truly reprehensible considering most of the people killed had no role in the Congo and King Albert of Belgium actually was the man who cleaned up that horrible mess. For more information on the Belgian invasion please read "Rehearsals: The German Army in Belgium" by Jeff Lipskes. That book is one the most exhaustive on the subject. Sadly until a few years ago those who believed in the "atrocity stories" were label as fools.
Lang manages to capture the time perfectly. You really do feel as if your in the same era which is something I rarely see in these books. People talk about how this book is primarily romance but I disagree. The book would stand alone even without the romance aspect. Unlike for instance, Julie Lessman's A Passion Most Pure, which has so little historical basis it doesn't I don't even think of it as a WWI book, Whisper on the Wind is a true Historical novel.
Isa starts out the book very silly and foolish. She seems like a typical 18 year old. But as time goes on she becomes someone you can respect and admire.
Edward is a hero I loved because he was so idealistic. He was someone who believed so deeply in his cause that he was willing to risk everything to the cause. As I pointed out before the romance aspect wasn't fully developed because this had so much historical detail which I didn't mind. The ending is the only real bone to pick since it is completely unrealistic. Christian fiction seems to have a real problem with ever having a sad ending.
In some ways this book oddly reminded me of Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman would have made a lovely Isa and Humphrey Bogart a little younger would have played the intense, determined Edward perfectly. While the love story is no where near as good( though a lot more pure) than the movie it's still very good.
By the way the situation in Belgium was just as Lang describes. The Germans did round up and kill more than 6,000 civilians in August of 1914. Their treatment of civilians was a sad dress rehearsal for what they would do in WWII. One reviewer state that because of the Belgian Congo these people deserved to be "punished." This idea is truly reprehensible considering most of the people killed had no role in the Congo and King Albert of Belgium actually was the man who cleaned up that horrible mess. For more information on the Belgian invasion please read "Rehearsals: The German Army in Belgium" by Jeff Lipskes. That book is one the most exhaustive on the subject. Sadly until a few years ago those who believed in the "atrocity stories" were label as fools.
September 21, 2010
The German Imperial Army overtook the town of Louvain, Belgium, in 1914, but not the spirits of the people. One especially stands out, Edward Kirkland. Using an underground newspaper, he helps to keep the spirits of the people alive by giving them hope and the truth of what is really happening throughout the war–at the risk of his own life.
Isa Lassone’s wealthy family fled Belgium to America at the first rumblings of war. Two years later, unbeknownst to her family, she was deliberately smuggled back into Belgium to rescue Edward– the man she’s loved since she was a child. He only sees her as a wealthy, silly girl, once cared for by his mother. The naiveté of Isa’s idea of rescuing Edward is evident in her attempts to convince him to leave. When approached, he refuses to leave and the story begins!
In Whispers on the Wind, Maureen expertly brings to life the dangers and horrors of being overrun and controlled by an enemy regime, in this case, the German Imperial Army. She also pens about the tenacity and willingness of many named and unnamed citizens who live undercover lives amidst enemy control, while trying to maintain some semblance of normal life, and still accomplish the publication of the underground paper amidst the terror of being arrested or shot to death.
Maureen pulls you into the characters intimately, feeling the terror, danger, love, fear, loss of life, suspense, tension, and the groping for daily sustenance. She transports you back into the war zone, creating scenes of stealthy maneuverings around the enemy soldiers. You fear for the characters’ lives as though they are your own friends and family. The portrayal of her characters are as real as the people you know today, only trapped like cornered mice, trying to survive horrendous destruction and inhumanity under brutal enemy hands.
For WWI history buffs or any historical readers, you will find Whisper on the Wind a book that’s real to life and suspenseful enough to keep you reading until you find out if the characters survive. Hope, salvation, faith in God, and sacrificial love reign supreme throughout the story regardless of the outcome.
Isa Lassone’s wealthy family fled Belgium to America at the first rumblings of war. Two years later, unbeknownst to her family, she was deliberately smuggled back into Belgium to rescue Edward– the man she’s loved since she was a child. He only sees her as a wealthy, silly girl, once cared for by his mother. The naiveté of Isa’s idea of rescuing Edward is evident in her attempts to convince him to leave. When approached, he refuses to leave and the story begins!
In Whispers on the Wind, Maureen expertly brings to life the dangers and horrors of being overrun and controlled by an enemy regime, in this case, the German Imperial Army. She also pens about the tenacity and willingness of many named and unnamed citizens who live undercover lives amidst enemy control, while trying to maintain some semblance of normal life, and still accomplish the publication of the underground paper amidst the terror of being arrested or shot to death.
Maureen pulls you into the characters intimately, feeling the terror, danger, love, fear, loss of life, suspense, tension, and the groping for daily sustenance. She transports you back into the war zone, creating scenes of stealthy maneuverings around the enemy soldiers. You fear for the characters’ lives as though they are your own friends and family. The portrayal of her characters are as real as the people you know today, only trapped like cornered mice, trying to survive horrendous destruction and inhumanity under brutal enemy hands.
For WWI history buffs or any historical readers, you will find Whisper on the Wind a book that’s real to life and suspenseful enough to keep you reading until you find out if the characters survive. Hope, salvation, faith in God, and sacrificial love reign supreme throughout the story regardless of the outcome.
March 7, 2014
Last Christmas I went on a mission trip and my mom got me two books for the long trip. At first I really was interested in the one, since it had a totally epic cover, and not so interested in the one I am going to be reviewing. But as I started reading this one I really fell in love with it. Funny enough I ended up not liking the other one at all, actually it was down right weird! All right now.....
Isa Lassone longs to return to Belgium, to her home, to the people who were like a family to her, and to the man she loves. She has brought along the means to help them escape the German occupation but what if they won't leave?
Edward Kirkland has always seen Isa as spoiled, immature, and snobbish just like the rest of her family. Now she has done the most foolish and childish thing of all, sneaking back into an occupied country. After the tragedies of the war he has lost his faith in God and has thrown everything in him into the resistance effort. He has never been able to understand his feelings for Isa and now that she has come back as a woman, a beautiful woman, will he have to admit that maybe he was wrong about her all along?
Throw in intrigue, espionage, and war time drama and you have the perfect historical novel! I have read many book set during World War II but not as many set during World War I, and the few I have were set in England or France so to see it from a different place and a different people was really intriguing. Belgium is a country that is often forgotten in the story of the Great War, so it is interesting to read about the troubles and trials and the way they dealt with them. This story is definitely one of my favorites, a sweet love story about accepting both romantic love and the love of God. I totally recommend this book for anyone!
http://classycassies.blogspot.com/201...
Isa Lassone longs to return to Belgium, to her home, to the people who were like a family to her, and to the man she loves. She has brought along the means to help them escape the German occupation but what if they won't leave?
Edward Kirkland has always seen Isa as spoiled, immature, and snobbish just like the rest of her family. Now she has done the most foolish and childish thing of all, sneaking back into an occupied country. After the tragedies of the war he has lost his faith in God and has thrown everything in him into the resistance effort. He has never been able to understand his feelings for Isa and now that she has come back as a woman, a beautiful woman, will he have to admit that maybe he was wrong about her all along?
Throw in intrigue, espionage, and war time drama and you have the perfect historical novel! I have read many book set during World War II but not as many set during World War I, and the few I have were set in England or France so to see it from a different place and a different people was really intriguing. Belgium is a country that is often forgotten in the story of the Great War, so it is interesting to read about the troubles and trials and the way they dealt with them. This story is definitely one of my favorites, a sweet love story about accepting both romantic love and the love of God. I totally recommend this book for anyone!
http://classycassies.blogspot.com/201...
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