About the book:
London, 1940
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short--and the worst is yet to come.
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short--and the worst is yet to come.
My review:
This was a fascinating story from a couple angles, first learning more about the BBC's work during the war and the goal to boost morale but trying to figure out what's the role of censorship. I also enjoyed learning about what the volunteers did after bombs fell, rescuing people, putting out fires, etc. It's unimaginable what mothers endured sending their children to the country to save them but having to be separated and then learning some of the children were mistreated was heartbreaking to think about. Aleida was a wonderful character who goes to extremes to find her son, searching everywhere she can think of and never giving up. She struggled with some OCD tendencies, though, as a means to gain some control over her life. She also had a very hard time trusting men because of how her husband had acted. Hugh was incredible, a talented radio correspondent who cared so much about people but struggled with wanting the approval of his parents who didn't approve of his job. He also worried that a health condition he had would be the end of his career if it was discovered so he questioned whether his calling was real. He had a strong faith and a tender heart and I loved that he rescued a cat! He was also so patient with Aleida while she encouraged him in his work and to reveal his secret and they really made each other better. Their love story was sweet to witness. Then to see Aleida make an incredible sacrifice was amazing; I had tears in my eyes. The murder mystery was intriguing, too. I always highly recommend Sarah Sundin's stories and this is no exception!
I received a free copy of this book from Revell. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.
About the author:
The Author
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Marci Seither Sarah Sundin
Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris, The Sound of Light, and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner,...
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