Blog Tour – Page 53 – What Cathy Read Next…

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Liberty by Eilidh McGinness, the first book in the Resistance trilogy. My thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour and to the author for my digital review copy.

About the Book

Bravery, courage, fear, treachery and love in a time of war.

A chance meeting draws Sabine Faure into the shadowy world of the French Resistance where she meets the charismatic Hérisson and his intriguing comrade Loup.

Set in Dordogne in South-west France during World War II, the friends’ relationships and strengths are tested to the very limits as life changes in unbelievably horrific ways, The friends find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions.

Vivid and exquisite in its illumination of a time and place that was filled with atrocities but also humanity and extraordinary bravery, Eilidh McGinness’s novel will evoke readers to ask – What would I have done?

Format: Paperback (272 pages) Publisher:
Publication date: 7th June 2021 Genre: Historical Fiction

Find Liberty (Resistance #1) on Goodreads

Purchase links
Hive | Amazon UK
Links provided for convenience only, not as part of an affiliate programme

My Review

Liberty is the first book in the author’s Resistance trilogy set in south-west France during World War 2. The second book, Equality, was published in November 2021 and the final book, Fraternity, will be published in May 2022.

The book alternates between Hérisson’s experiences at the sharp end of the Resistance movement, taking part in acts of sabotage against the Germans from a camp in the vast forest close to the demarcation line between the occupied zone of France and the ‘free’ zone, and Sabine’s role delivering messages and leaflets using her cheese deliveries as cover. Sabine’s involvement with the Resistance highlights the contribution women made to the fight against the Nazi regime. I could see how it gave Sabine a feeling of pride that she was doing something for the war effort and also gave a her a taste of independence. ‘She was no longer a young girl, trapped in the countryside with no destiny other than to repeat the tedious life of her mother. Now she was a girl who would form her own future. She was a rebel, with a purpose and a future of her own choosing.’

What the book does particularly well is to convey the realities of life under German occupation: the constant fear of reprisals for acts of sabotage by the Resistance, the shortage of food and fuel, the threat of betrayal or denunciation. It’s a time of distrust and divided loyalties, evident in Sabine’s own family. Her father believes anything is better than war, even submission to the German occupiers; he also shares some of their vile prejudices against minority groups.

Given no-one knew what tomorrow might bring, who can forgive people for snatching brief moments of happiness when they present themselves, as is the case with Hérisson and Sabine. But their relationship is not without consequences.

The sabotage missions carried out by Hérisson’s Resistance group, either alone or in conjunction with other groups and British special forces, are vividly described. There are some shocking scenes towards the end of the book – closely based on real-life events – that demonstrate just how ruthless the Nazis were in responding to attacks by the Resistance.

Clearly a lot of research has gone into the book in order to give a vivid picture of what it was like to live under German occupation and highlight the dangers faced every day by those who bravely joined the Resistance movement. As might be expected from the first instalment in a trilogy, the book ends on a dramatic note leaving a number of storylines to be resolved in later books.

Bringing to life a turbulent period in history, Liberty (and the Resistance trilogy of which it forms part) will appeal to those who love to immerse themselves in a different time and place.

In three words: Dramatic, authentic, absorbing

Try something similar: Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies

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About the Author

Eilidh was born and brought up in the Highlands of Scotland. She studied law at Aberdeen University. She practiced as a lawyer for twelve years, latterly specializing in criminal defence. Eilidh then moved to South West France with her then husband and four children. She established an independent estate agency business which she ran for twelve years before concentrating on writing- a long held dream. Eilidh has always been fascinated by history and ordinary people who achieve extraordinary things.

Connect with Eilidh
Website | Twitter

Welcome to the first day of the blog tour – which also happens to be publication day! – for Before We Grow Old by Clare Swatman. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Boldwood Books for my digital review copy via NetGalley. Do check out the posts by my tour buddies for today, Sheri at My Reading Getaway and the team at Romance By The Book.

About the Book

Some people are just made for each other…

When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Will is back. Is fate trying to give them a second chance?

Still nursing the heart break from all those years ago, Fran is reluctant to give Will the time of day. The price Will must pay is to tell the truth – the truth about why he left, the truth about why he’s back…

And Fran has her own secrets to hide. The time has come to decide what Fran and Will really want from life – before it’s too late. ..

Format: Paperback (314 pages) Publisher: Boldwood Books
Publication date: 19th January 2022 Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Find Before We Grow Old on Goodreads

Purchase links
Hive | Amazon UK
Links provided for convenience only, not as part of an affiliate programme

My Review

When Fran and Will run into each other in a coffee shop after a gap of twenty-five years is it coincidence, fate or something else? Finding themselves both single again, albeit each now with parental responsibilities, they quickly resume their relationship, their attraction to each other being as intense as it was all those years ago.

However, a revelation from Will causes Fran to reappraise her relationship with him and results in them embarking on a quest, along with Fran’s son, Kieran, to make the most of every day because, after all, you never know if it might be your last.

The story is told from Fran’s point of view meaning that the reader gets to witness her ever-changing emotions: doubt, guilt, resentment, frustration and an abiding sense of injustice. Not all of these may seem warranted. For instance, her initial response to Will’s revelation is one of anger when you might have expected, or hoped, her to feel sympathy – especially since Fran has a big secret of her own that she’s concealed for twenty-five years (the nature of which readers may well guess).

I found myself with immense sympathy for Will. Not only is he attempting to put things right with Fran but he is facing a personal challenge with fortitude and dignity. His tender relationship with his daughter, Elodie, was heart-warming and I also liked the bond he formed with Fran’s son, Kieran. Will’s world is rocked when Fran finally reveals the secrets she has concealed for so long but, despite everything he’s going through, he shows a capacity for forgiveness I found astonishing.

There are joyful moments in the book – one of my favourites involving Krispy Kreme doughnuts – but there is immense sadness as well. Before We Grow Old is something of an emotional rollercoaster that will have you laughing one moment and tearful the next. As the author demonstrates, life is a journey in which you never know what’s around the next corner. Carpe diem, as they say.

In three words: Emotional, tender, romantic

Try something similar: The Ends of the Earth by Abbie Greaves

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