Two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France. Two different paths are chosen, and yet both of them are so brave. The choices that a mother makes for the survival of her children, the choice a single, independent woman makes to assure that pilots are allowed to fight another day. I LOVE this book.
Once you figure out that the narrator of the book is Death it makes a lot more sense! It is actually a very cool and different angle.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.
By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.
Such beautiful, well developed characters. I LOVE this book!
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods-435 pages
Phenomenal!! Think Narnia but without the animals! This is a book about a charming, vanishing bookstore and the quest to find the lost manuscript of a famous author. By connecting generations; it is wonderful how the author interweaves the characters. They are well developed and realistic. I really enjoyed it.
1965 and the Vietnam War is in full swing. Frankie's (Frances) brother ships off...then she joins the Army as a nurse and follows him to Nam. Once she gets off the helicopter she is thrown straight into chaos and the fatigue of the long journey hits her full force. There is no rest for any of the doctors and nurses as they are all involved in making life and death decisions for the soldiers in their care.
In true Hannah form, she has done so much research to make the characters come to life. She also brings to the fore the heroes that had been forgotten. Excellent read.
