An onion tale of World War II, secrets, sisters and resistance, in several senses of the word. Layer by layer the truth is revealed. Multilayered truths between sisters and mothers and daughters, depicting how the effects of war continue to scar future generations. If that sounds bleak and unyielding the plot construction and strength of the narrative serve as a panacea for the harsh events that take place.
Our heroines, Shona and Freya, are identical twins, so alike it can be hard to tell them apart, but very different in character. There is a dual chronology between 1989, significant because it is the year the Berlin Wall fell and 1944 when the world was in the ravages of World War II. The twins are in their 20s, one is a doctor and the other has been recruited by the army’s Special Operations Executive.
What happens to them in these war years fuels the thrust for the rest of the novel. It would be a disservice to give too much away suffice to say that love plays a part, a very big part in the lives of all of the characters in this novel, male and female. But the nature of that love can vary on several levels from parental to patriotic.
The novel actually concludes in 1990 in a poignant ending pondering the nature of secrets and the breaking down of walls both physical and metaphysical. It’s a story full of excitement and tension in some of the war sequences balanced with some considerations regarding life and how we live it in other parts of the story. It’s a beautifully written book from an experienced writer.
My thanks to the Bookends team for a gifted proof.And to Ella Patel at Quercus Books for an opportunity to participate in the Social Media Blast.
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