Kaethe

Sadly I went into this knowing nothing about Canada in WWII, just one of the gaps in my knowledge I wasn't even aware of before. So, yay, I now have a nice overview to fill that in a bit. And the Canadian aspect is important, because the relationship with Britain is so different from that of the United States, and because so many volunteered so soon. Rose from Saskatchewan makes an excellent POV character. She's appalled by the shortages and the classism, but captivated by the history and stoicism.

She is, as well, clever, which I like generally, but specifically here I love, having recently watched The Bletchley Circle. Rose becomes involved in photographic interpretation, an aspect of intelligence about which I previously knew nothing.

Such rich storytelling: six years of war, two continents, a teen girl growing up, losing illusions, discovering her strengths and limits. There is love, and loss, and risks of all kinds, and there is also a compelling thread of the advance of technology through the war, and how stout-hearted defenders of liberty are challenged with the sheer scale of death inflicted and caused. Florence has written a book of depth, wherein no one and no thing is ever one-sided, and the intellectual puzzles are no less gratifying than the emotional ones.

Heartily recommended for fans of Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis, The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper, Flygirl by Sherri Smith, Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, and Mare's Ware by Tanita Davis.

Copy won from The Book Babe, thank you very much!