#Blogtour Oscar of the Bismarck by Frances Y. Evan

 It’s my turn on the Blogtour Oscar of the Bismarck by Frances Y. Evan.

About the Author

England was Frances’s childhood home.  She emigrated to the United States with her family as a teenager many years ago.  Although she loves America, a part of her heart always remains in the country of her birth.  

Frances has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember with her first audience consisting of neighbourhood playmates sitting on the curb listening to her tall tales. More recently, she has  written and told or performed her nautical themed stories for school children visiting on field trips at a local seaport association where she worked.  

She has visited numerous organizations, upon request, to speak about The Forgotten Flag, her first published work, and continues to visit classrooms at local schools to meet students who have read the book as part of their American History curriculum.

Frances worked for twelve years at Staples High School in Connecticut in the English and Social Studies Departments which provided the perfect environment to inspire her love of history and writing.  She has self-published several books, The Brass Bell, The Curse of the Shark’s Tooth, and Oscar of the Bismarck which are young adult stories, as well as St. Katherine’s Dock: Target Tower Bridge adult historical fiction.   While working at the school, she prepared presentations for teachers to enhance their curriculum and subject matter when it pertained to British history.  These have included the Elizabethan Era to better understand the time of Shakespeare, the Victorian Era to portray the time of Charles Dickens, and World War II – the British Homefront.  

When her mother passed away several years ago, she decided that her story must be told. Vera’s Story: Hidden Scars of War tells the tale of a not so ordinary, ordinary woman whose memories of war were never far below the surface. Follow @FrancesEvan7 on Twitter or @frany51 on Instagram

About the book

Oscar the cat served on the German warship, Bismarck, as well as several British ships during World War II.

When the new battleship Bismarck is built, launched and commissioned, Oscar is there to witness it all. He is soon accepted by the crew and becomes the ship’s mascot as they embark on their mission.

Narrated from Oscar the cat’s point of view, he describes life at sea, the battles and the fate of his shipmates, as well as his own personal challenge to outwit, hunt and capture an elusive, sneaky, grey cat with little black ears! A wonderfully emotional and uplifting story, told from a very different perspective!

Review

Oscar certainly enjoys the leisurely life, the odd snack, naps in the sunshine, and paying close attention to his surroundings – it’s not really a hard life for this particular cat. He inadvertently becomes part of history, part of war, and part of battle.

This was the first time I had heard of this particular story. I would say it’s somewhere between historical myth and a glimmer of hope that became a legend. It’s also exactly the kind of thing a cat would do, which makes hearing it in his own words even more entertaining.

It’s does have an amusing element to it, despite the fact the historical events should be regarded with the serious note it deserves. The story perhaps also serves as a reminder that the young men on all sides were caught up in a war not of their making, and many of them lost their lives. The survivors lived with the trauma.

It’s a read for both younger and older readers, and will probably make readers curious about other stories that give the sense of some hope and small joys in the midst of such chaos and violence.

Buy Oscar of the Bismarck at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Blossom Spring Publishing, pub date 9 Dec. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Warrior and Protector by Peter Gibbons

 It’s my turn on the Blogtour Warrior and Protector by Peter Gibbons.

About the Author

Peter Gibbons is a financial advisor and author of the highly acclaimed Viking Blood and Blade trilogy. He comes to Boldwood with his new Saxon Warrior series, set around the 900 AD Viking invasion during the reign of King Athelred the Unready. The first title of the new series, Warrior and Protector, will be published in October 2022. He originates from Liverpool and now lives with his family in County Kildare. Follow @AuthorGibbons on Twitter or @petermgibbons on Instagram

About the book

The start of a brand NEW series – an unputdownable fast paced adventure, filled with unforgettable characters.

989 AD. – Alfred the Great’s dream of a united England has been forged by his daughter Aethelfaed and grandson, King Aethelstan. The Vikings have been expelled from York following the death of Erik Bloodaxe, and for two generations there has been peace between Saxon and Dane.

A new Viking warlord Olaf Tryggvason seeks revenge for Bloodaxe’s death and the slaughter that followed and has set his sights on a fresh assault on England’s shores. With Skarde Wartooth they set sail for Saxon lands, hungry for glory, conquest and vengeance.

Beornoth, a brutal and battle-hardened Saxon Thegn, is called to arms to fight and protect the Saxon people from the savage Norse invaders. On a personal crusade, he joins the army of Byrthnoth, Lord of the east Saxons in a desperate fight against the bloodthirsty Vikings. Beornoth must lay his own demons to bed, survive vicious attacks and find redemption for his tragic past.

If you like Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden, and David Gemmell you will love this epic Saxon adventure packed with battles, Vikings, and adventure. 

Review

Beornoth is a conflicted man, and one who needs to regain his standing – not just for himself either. He needs to retrieve a certain level of respect from those around him. Perhaps facing his demons will awaken the part of his soul and the warrior inside him when he gets the opportunity to confront his enemy.

It’s an epic tale of battle-hardened men on both sides of the conflict. Some more battle hungry than others, because many are just forced to defend themselves against the invaders. Brutal, bloody battles fought – names are made and echo through the vast halls of history till this very day.

I enjoyed the way the author steers the story sharply away from misconceptions and tropes that are usually associated with the Vikings, Saxons and used frequently in fiction. It also gives an interesting insight into how the conflicts between them influenced history, and left a visible footprint ingrained even now in our daily lives.

Not sure why, but the title instantly brings Highland or Viking spice-rom to mind. Aside from that this is a vigorous and exciting start to a new series – Saxon Warrior.  It’s historical fiction or historical war and conquering fiction (is conquering fiction a thing – it should be a sub-genre). The author melds fact with fiction, but in a way that lets the read become both an enjoyable and learning experience – the best kind of historical fiction. Roll on the next book, which promises to be an exploration of a fierce and destructive period in time. 

Buy Warrior and Protector at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎ Boldwood Books, pub date 31 Oct. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

It is absolutely a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Attic Child by Lola Jaye. It’s a fantastic read.

About the Author

Lola Jaye is an author and registered psychotherapist. She was born and raised in London and has lived in Nigeria and the United States. She has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Psychotherapy and Counselling. She has contributed to the sequel to the bestseller Lean In, penned by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and has also written for the Huffington Post, CNN, Essence, HuffPost and the BBC.

She is a member of the Black Writers’ Guild and the author of five previous novels. The Attic Child is her first epic historical novel. Follow @LolaJaye on Twitter

About the book

Two children separated by almost a century, bound by a secret…

1907: Twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of his time locked in an attic room of a large house by the sea. Taken from his homeland and treated as an unpaid servant, he dreams of his family in Africa even if, as the years pass, he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name. 

Almost a century later, Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege, will find herself banished to the same attic. Lying under the floorboards of the room is an old porcelain doll, an unusual beaded claw necklace and, most curiously, a sentence etched on the wall behind an old cupboard, written in an unidentifiable language. Artefacts that will offer her a strange kind of comfort, and lead her to believe that she was not the first child to be imprisoned there . . . 

Review

I’m not sure there is any right way to review this in regards to the white privilege I acknowledge and access, and the frame of reference through which I experienced this read. White guilt is unwanted and white saviourism is a concept created only to sooth the conscience of deep seated roots of colonialism, and the waves of destruction it has caused.

I found the story of Dikembe incredibly sad, and the actions of the man who bought him as a show pony exemplar, are just despicable. It’s hard to fathom how people could disassociate themselves with the concept of humanity in other races, believing themselves superior and virtuous, whilst treating others like commodities. 

Equally I was moved by Lowra’s story, but on a different level. The voice of neglect and abuse is one to be heard and remembered. The connection between the two characters is a shared experience of being invisible, forgotten and never good enough. It’s that bond and force of nature, the strength of endurance, that creates a strong legacy from the past, present and into the future.

This is definitely going on my best reads of the year list. I loved it. I can’t wait to read more by Jaye – what an incredible writer. The way history, white privilege and colonialism is woven silently into the plot. There is no placard with a silent scream of anger, disappointment, sorrow or pain. There is only fact, fate, truth and acknowledgement of guilt. 

This is only one voice of many silent ones, faction and hard reality melded with a creative flair to create this compelling story of displacement, abuse, racism and identity. An excellent read.

Buy The Attic Child at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Pan MacMillan 28th April 2022 | Hardback – £14.99. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Pan MacMillan.

#Blogtour Raiders of the Hidden Ark: The Story of the Parker Expedition to Jerusalem by Graham Addison

It’s my turn on the BlogTour Raiders of the Hidden Ark by Graham Addison .

About the Author

Graham Addison – BIO: My first love is history, which is what I obtained my degree in from Leeds University. I am married with two children, who are no longer children, have lived in Scotland and France and now reside in Berkshire in the south of England.

History may be my first love but I have spent the last thirty-five years helping create the modern world. If you love the world of mobile communications, personal computing, spreadsheets, instantly being able to search for any answer in the world and online financial transactions then I played a small part in its creation. If you hate a world in which people spent all their time on their phones, can’t be bothered to remember anything because they can always look it up, you are asked to fill in yet another spreadsheet and can’t deal with an individual because you are always dealing with a computer then I am sorry, it wasn’t all my fault.

A few years ago I decided that wanted to do something different. I came back to my first love and have now written a book, which seeks to shed new flight on an almost forgotten episode. I hope you will enjoy it. Follow @GrahamAddison7 on Twitter, Visit www.grahamaddison.com

About the book

The mystery surrounding the Ark of the Covenant’s location is among the world’s greatest and most enduring. One of the Bible’s most sacred and powerful objects has not been seen for over 2,500 years. The missing Ark has inspired many quests and even a famous film.

Perhaps the most remarkable of the quests to find the Ark is the Parker expedition. Its story seems stranger than fiction and includes aristocrats, poets, psychics, secret cyphers in the Bible, a deadly curse, bribery, gun-running, riots, and madness. It sounds unbelievable but the Parker expedition is real. Rudyard Kipling, who knew several expedition members, wrote ‘Talk of fiction! Fiction isn’t in it’.

Previously untold in English in its entirety, Graham Addison has uncovered many new details during his research. He skilfully weaves these together in the amazing story of the individuals who sailed on a private yacht bound for Jerusalem in 1909 to retrieve the Ark. He examines who the adventurers were, why they went, what really happened while they were in Jerusalem and what happened to them afterwards.

Review

This is the story of the Parker Expedition, an expedition mounted by a peculiar bunch, who weren’t experts per se, but certainly enthusiastic and meticulous in their attempt to find the Ark of the Covenant. From the research, the motives, the dismissive attitude towards the looting of antiquities and the historical importance and legacy of said research – the author covers it all.

I was sceptical about this read in a sense that I thought it would be a tale of religious zealots or passionate historians trying to find a mythical boat. Even now the tale of the Ark inspires many for a multitude of reasons, often spiritual and of course there is the element of infamy plus possible financial gains.

It’s exactly those reasons for the Parker Expedition that the author goes into in details. I can honestly say by the end that Addison had drawn me in hook, line and sinker. I do love a well-researched venture into history, especially when the object in question holds such power in religion, and yet the author gives facts without playing into the aspect of religion other than written references left throughout history.

I found the political and historical implications of the Parker Expedition absolutely fascinating – certainly in regards to the last few decades. Follow the money couldn’t be any more accurate, and of course why said money sources have an invested interest in this particular hotbed area of contention.

Buy Raiders of the Hidden Ark at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Edgcumbe Press pub date 13 Aug. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. 

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

About the book

On Christmas Eve, 1617, the sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardo is thrown into a reckless storm. As Maren Magnusdatter watches, forty fishermen, including her father and brother, are lost to the waves, the menfolk of Vardo wiped out in an instant. Now the women must fend for themselves.

Eighteen months later, a sinister figure arrives. Summoned from Scotland to take control of a place at the edge of the civilized world, Absalom Cornet knows what he needs to do to bring the women of Vardo to heel. With him travels his young wife, Ursa. In Vardo, and in Maren, Ursa finds something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty and terrible evil, one he must root out at all costs.

Inspired by the real events of the Vardo storm and the 1621 witch trials, Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s The Mercies is a story about how suspicion can twist its way through a community, and a love that may prove as dangerous as it is powerful.

Review

If you’ve read the blurb you might be expecting the standard witch trial story, but this is so much more. The author has created an insightful and beautiful collaboration of historical fact, culture and love. The purest of emotions and feelings of attraction when two people find they have more in common than they think.

The story is inspired by the real freak storm that hit the Varanger Fjord and killed the majority of the men in the small villages in the area. The storm set the stage as a so-called precursor to the witch trials that followed. Many of the indigenous Sami were at home in the area. Their ancestral and cultural practices were viewed as something akin to devil worship and witchcraft by the Christians, so it’s an easy leap from neighbour to accusing someone as a witch.

It’s easy to forget how old Ursa is, perhaps because it’s the norm in her era, however the truth is she is a mere child and her marriage is arranged. She has been ripped from her family and moved to a place that couldn’t be more isolated. Ursa isn’t prepared for the people, the weather or being a wife to a man who seeks to make himself a name by ferreting out the evil among them.

She forges an unusual and cautious friendship to a local young woman called Maren, who finds it hard to believe that the people around her are capable of pointing the finger to ingratiate themselves, even if that finger means torture and death.

What Millwood Hargrave does really well is show the slow and insidious use of gossip, folklore and good ol’ fear to malign the characters of the innocent. A healer becomes someone using magic, coincidences become summoned demons, and objects to help heal become harbingers of the devil.

It’s historical fiction, a beautifully atmospheric tale of love, support and a demon called fear. Millwood Hargrave is a wonderful writer and this is a fantastic read.

Buy The Mercies at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Picador; pub date 6 Feb. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Waterstones.

Follow @Kiran_MH on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit kiranmillwoodhargrave.co.uk

#BlogTour The Senator’s Assignment by Joan E. Histon

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour The Senator’s Assignment by Joan E. Histon. It’s an intriguing combination of historical fiction with an element of mystery and crime.

About the Author

Joan Histon has a background as a professional counsellor. She began her writing career as a ghost writer when two clients expressed an interest in telling their own dramatic stories.

After the publication of Thy Will be Done… Eventually! and Tears in the Dark, she was commissioned to write the true story of ‘The Shop on Pilgrim Street’. Having also published short stories in several national magazines, The Senator’s Assignment is Joan’s debut novel.

As well as writing, Joan is a Methodist local preacher, a gifted story-teller, spiritual director, mother and a reluctant gardener. She lives in Hexham, Northumberland with her husband, Colin.

Buy The Senator’s Assignment

About the book

Being trusted by a Caesar makes him an enemy of the Roman who crucified Jesus Christ, and puts him under threat from Rome itself Rome 30 AD. A Senator is plunged into the dark heart of the Roman Empire, sent to investigate the corrupt practices of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem by Caesar Tiberius. In this tense historical thriller can Senator Vivius Marcianus outmanoeuvre charges of treason, devastating secrets resurfaced from his own troubled past, and the political snake pit of Rome to save himself and the woman he loves?

Review

Senator Vivius Marcianus is a man who believes in the omnipotent power of the Caesares. He believes in the Roman Republic and patrician regime of the Senate, and  yet he sometimes doubts one man should hold all the power – a conflict which drives his decisions and political support.

Tiberius trusts him implicitly, which is how Vivius ends up pretending to be a Senator interested in the market potential of olives, whilst secretly investigating the fraudulent and violent actions of his fellow Romans. At the same time he is trying to keep his loved ones safe, as he plays a dangerous game of political chess.

Histon comes at the period of the beginning of the sect of the Nazarenes, the death of their charismatic leader Jesus and the years following his alleged rising from the dead, in a more factual and suitably historical fashion. A more realistic version of events, despite it being a mixture of fact and fiction.

A story relayed over many centuries via hearsay and written accounts is told from a new perspective, one more in keeping with the time and the political and historical era. Vivius is asked to look into some concerns regarding the actions of Pontius Pilate, the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius. Pilate is known as the person ultimately responsible for the death of Jesus of Nazareth.

Pilate’s strings are being pulled by someone close to Tiberius, a person with plenty of power and an ulterior motive. Both of them are willing to threaten and kill to keep their secrets, which means Vivius and his friends have to watch their backs.

I hope this is just the beginning of intrigue, betrayal and politics with Senator Vivius Marcianus. It’s not like the Roman Empire doesn’t offer up plenty of room for future plots. Hopefully Histon will give readers further opportunities to engage with Vivius. It’s an interesting combination of historical fiction with elements of politics, mystery and crime.

Buy The Senator’s Assignment at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Publisher: Top Hat Books, Pub. date 26 Oct. 2018

#BlogTour The River Runs Red by Ally Rose

Today it’s my pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The River Runs Red by Ally Rose. It is certainly more than just a crime story, because it incorporates a complicated time in history and politics to create a captivating read.

About the Author

Ally Rose writes –

“I’ve always been interested in writing crime stories and with the Cold War era, there is such a rich tapestry to draw from; especially the notorious and quelling Stasi reign in East Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, gives a contrast between the different worlds and any past crimes are held to account in a unified Germany.

Berlin is one of my favourite cities, and I’ve spent time living and discovering this diverse city and its surrounding areas. Seeing my characters in familiar places, they seem to come to life.

Hope you enjoy my Hanne Drais books.”

Follow @AllyRoseAuthor @fahrenheitpress on Twitter

Buy The River Runs Red

About the book

Berlin is in the midst of its worst winter in decades. Against the backdrop of freezing temperatures, blizzards and snowstorms, the city refuses to grind to a halt. Lurking within the shadows is a Stasi victim, out for revenge against the former East German informants known as ‘The Ears’. Their dark secrets are about to be exposed.

A mix of ice and water and a single gunshot, provides the ultimate payback.

With the Millennium approaching, Hanne Drais, the criminal psychologist working within the Berlin Mitte Police team led by the irascible Oskar Kruger and his laid-back sidekick, Stefan Glockner, are seeking the perpetrator of these violent crimes.

Who is the man they’ve nicknamed Snowflake? Who is turning the river red?

Review

Like many periods in history the Cold War era and the time before the Berlin Wall fell, has fallen into the bracket of ‘happened and forgotten.’ The true nature and manner of the atrocities committed behind the Wall has only really come to light since Germany became reunited again.

The Stasi and the DDR regime were and are guilty of many horrors, many of which still aren’t common knowledge to the public and the world in general. This includes state ordered steroid use for athletes, which caused a multitude of medical problems in said athletes and their offspring. East Germany was built on betrayal, lies and the premise of every man and woman for themselves. Many people who were reported, spied on and betrayed still travel to Berlin to look up the Stasi documents to discover the person who sold them up the river.

The story follows the investigation into a killer who leaves a very specific mark on his victims, and Rudy the Olympic rower who manages to escape the dangers of East Germany. He appears to be a shoe-in for the role of vengeful killer until the author adds another element of suspicion to the tale.

This is the third book in the Hanne Drais series, and the author purposely adds an element of right or wrong. moral or immoral to the story. Do some people deserve less sympathy or justice depending on their past actions? Would you view a killer differently if they were eliminating people guilty of torture and murder?

It’s hard to understand the rift caused not only by the Berlin Wall, but also the trauma of living under an oppressive regime, whilst the other half of the country was a democracy. Even now, so many years after the reunification the Germans still make distinctions between people from the West and East. I think the strength of the story is definitely Rose shining a light on how methodically cruel the regime was in the East and that the people were expected to just forgive and forget the crimes committed against them when the Wall came down.

This story may hold a few surprises for some readers. It is certainly more than just a crime story, because it incorporates a complicated time in history and politics to create a captivating read.

Buy The River Runs Red at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Buy at Fahrenheit Press Buy at Amazon com

Published by Fahrenheit Press on 24th July 2018.

The Emperor of Shoes by Spencer Wise

If this isn’t on the Not the Booker list then it should be.

It’s hard to say which character should really have been in the spotlight in this book. In this case it is Alex, but I would love to hear the story from Ivy’s perspective and delve deeper into her life. Perhaps even go back to Tiananmen Square, the story of her sister and the massacre.

Ivy shows Alex the reality of living as immigrants and worker bees in and under the oppressive regime of the Chinese government. She opens his eyes to the injustices happening on a daily basis all around them.

Alex struggles with fitting in the way his father expects him to, and he dislikes the hypocrisy his father displays. After experiencing oppression, genocide and hatred because of their faith it seems a paradox that their family be involved in the oppression of other human beings.

Towards the end I think it is fair to say that Alex begins to doubt whether Ivy has pure motives. Did she intentionally target and manipulate the privileged heir? Is the scent of freedom stronger than her conscience or is it her guilty conscience driving her actions and words?

The relationship between Alex and his father is the catalyst that propels the young man forward and helps him to discover his backbone. The old man is one of the dinosaurs, the old boy capitalist brigade who detest change and put money over everything else.

This story encompasses a lot of genres including history, politics, civil and human rights. It’s important to remember the modern era in which this takes place and take note of the injustices. It’s ironic, actually it is ruthless and tragic, that capitalists who profit from democracies in their native countries profit financially from having factories and using workforces in countries run by autocratic regimes and/or oppressive communist regimes.

This is a story of awakening and also about acknowledging the corruption hidden in the guise of employment and development. I look forward to reading more by Wise in the future.

Buy The Emperor of Shoes at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: No Exit Press

Follow @SpencerWise10 @noexitpress on Twitter

Visit spencerwiseauthor.com

#BlogTour Time School by Nikki Young

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Time School by Nikki Young. It’s a pleasant introduction into the history of WW 1 and the concept of time travel. It’s a short read suitable for all age groups.

About the Author

Nikki Young is a writer and lover of stories and ‘The Mystery of the Disappearing Underpants’ is her first book. Nikki credits her lively imagination to an amazing childhood, growing up in Yorkshire and living in a cul-de-sac in the days when children were allowed to run free and left to make their own fun! Now a mum of three, she says that in her head, she hasn’t really grown up and those memories of her childhood days remain strong and active.

Follow @nikki_cyoung @matadorbooks

Visit nikkiyoung.co.uk

Buy Time School

About the book

A power cut and a series of mini disasters means friends, Jess, Nadia, Tomma and Ash barely make it to the station to catch their train to school. What they find is a far cry from the usual packed commuter train they’re expecting…

When they arrive at Hickley School, the children are surprised to find some of the buildings missing and they don’t recognise any of the other pupils, who are all dressed in a different style of uniform. The only person who takes the time to help them is Martha, despite being preoccupied by her own worries about her family being hungry and not hearing from brother, Henry whom she says is away fighting. The children soon realise this is no normal day and it’s not until they return home that they’re able to figure out what happened. What they don’t know is whether it was a one-off day, or if they will get to see Martha and the other pupils again. Jess hopes so. She has something she needs to tell Martha. Not knowing how or why, she feels a connection and an obligation to this girl she can’t explain.

Review

Imagine getting on a train you get on every morning only to be whisked away through a gap in time to the past. To a time of great upheaval, struggle and sorrow, with the only option to return being the same train. Just you and a few of your friends thrust into one of the most traumatic periods in the 20th century. How, why and for what purpose?

I think it is a gentle and non-abrasive way of introducing young readers to the World Wars, specifically the Great War. Having bought and read similar books with a historical context for children, and for my own children, it is fair to say that young readers of our era are capable of dealing with a lot more reality and facts. The premise offered up a lot of potential and Young shouldn’t be cautious when plotting and delving into that potential. Children and younger readers are capable of embracing and enjoying more complex and realistic storylines.

This premise also allows for further ventures into the past, regardless of whether the fictional story collides with an important historical event or not. Books like these can be great teaching tools, because readers learn historical facts in a fictional setting.

What I really liked about it was the fact I could read this to a child of any age or give it to them to read, without having any concerns they might be overwhelmed by the subject matter. At the very least readers will come away with a basic understanding of how the war had impact on everyone regardless of age or status. Rationing, clothing, war orphans and refugees, and having to deal with the death of a loved one.

More advanced readers could discuss the butterfly effect of the time travel. Did the event the children were there to change or stop only occur because they were there in the first place?

Given a little more depth I can see this becoming an interesting series (hint, hint) and a scholastic possibility. I would like to see Young spread her wings a little more and allow for the creative ideas to flourish instead of curbing them. Saying that, I would buy this book for a reluctant reader or as an introduction to the topics of history, war and time travel.

Buy Time School at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Publisher: Troubador Publishing ( pub date: 28 Jun. 2018)

#BlogTour The Very White of Love by S.C. Worrall

It’s my pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for The Very White of Love by Simon Worrall. It is a nostalgic ode to Nancy and Martin, and of course to their love and a relationship that took place across many miles through the medium of pen and paper.

About the Author

S.C. Worrall was born in Wellington, England and spent his childhood in Eritrea, Paris an Singapore. Since 1984, he has been a full-time, freelance journalist and book author. He has written for National Geographic, GQ, The London Times and The Guardian. He has also made frequent appearances on Radio and TV, including the BBC’s From Our Own Correspondent: NPR and PBS. He speaks six languages and has lived in or visited more than 70 countries. The Very White of Love is his debut novel.

Follow @simonworrall @HQStories

Visit simonworrallauthor.com

Buy The Very White of Love

About the book

Torn apart by war, their letters mean everything…

‘My love. I am writing to you without knowing where you are but I will find you after all these long months…’

3rd September September 1938. Martin Preston is in his second year of Oxford when his world is split in two by a beautiful redhead, Nancy Whelan. A whirlwind romance blossoms in the Buckinghamshire countryside as dark clouds begin to gather in Europe.

3rd September 1939. Britain declares war on Germany. Martin is sent to the battlefields of France, but as their letters cross the channel, he tells Nancy their love will keep him safe. Then, one day, his letters stop.

3rd September 1940. It’s four months since Nancy last heard from Martin. She knows he is still alive. And she’ll do anything to find him. But what she discovers will change her life forever.

Review

This story of romance, first love and the tragedy of war is based on the correspondence between Martin Preston and Nancy Whelan. Her son found the letters and a picture of Martin after the death of his mother, and decided to tell the world about this forgotten blip in time instead of letting it fall into the deep hole of unknown stories.

Unfortunately none or not many of her letters exist, but the author has been able to give the reader a good idea what they would have looked like based on Martin’s emotional and honest letters to Nancy.

Aside from the romantic element of the story, the author also highlights the tragedy of war. In this case both World Wars, during which whole generations of young men were annihilated, and damaged both mentally and physically. Even the men lucky enough to return home were never the same again. You don’t just bury trauma like that without it leaving some kind of mark.

One of the things I think is important to note when discussing the events of both the Great War and World War 2, is the military hierarchy and how it influenced the process of decision-making and number of fatalities. In fact it is probably also the case in other war conflicts and so-called skirmishes. There is this automatic assumption that academic learning and higher socio-economic status in life equates to good leadership skills in the military hierarchy.

This meant that inexperienced, and often very young men were made officers and therefore put in charge of the lives of all men beneath them in the hierarchy. The irony of the fact these boys had lower ranking men with prior war and military experience working beneath them and giving them advice, and yet not in charge, is just tragic in every sense of the word.

Men who have no clue what the situation is on the ground are making decisions that will ultimately kill many innocent men, because they are playing games of strategy in their office. Officers not suited to their positions are leading hundreds of men into traps. Is it any wonder the majority of lower ranking soldiers speak of the same frustration when it comes to the reality of war.

Anyway I digress, although in a way it is pertinent to how Martin ended up where he was and perhaps ultimately decided his fate and that of many others. Although the information was hard to gather, put together and the exact truth will never be known, it is fair to say he was a brave man.

I believe Simon Worrall has made the best of a double-edged sword. He found a secret that determined the inner emotional stability and/or turmoil of his mother and her marriage to his father. She kept the torch burning for Martin throughout her life. Their love was romanticised in her head, especially because it was never physical, and the dreams of a wedding and children were never fulfilled.

It’s the not knowing that makes the brutally interrupted first love something she dwells on in moments of unhappiness or frustration. The trauma of not knowing the truth, and perhaps never quite believing it, stayed with her forever.

It’s a beautiful story, probably one of very many during that particular era, but this one provided the author with enough physical evidence to be able to replicate the events. Obviously he has filled in certain scenes with fictional dialogues and descriptions, but he does so with the greatest respect towards his own family and the family of Martin Preston.

It is a nostalgic ode to Nancy and Martin, and of course to their love and a relationship that took place across many miles through the medium of pen and paper.

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Published by HQ 14th June 2018 Hardback  ebook  Audio